- English translation
The beggar is worn to his last nerve, while the master of the house takes all the time in the world.
- Literal wording
The beggar, his eye has come out, and the owner of the house is at his ease.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb sets two figures side by side. A beggar at the door has reached the end of his endurance; his eye "coming out" is a figure for utter exhaustion, not a literal injury. Meanwhile the householder inside moves at a leisurely pace, untroubled and in no hurry to answer.
Its point is the gap in urgency between a person who needs something and a person who holds the power to give it. The saying describes a typical pattern rather than a single event: the asker's suffering does not quicken the giver, who stays indifferent and slow.
- When it is used
Fits moments when someone in urgent need waits on a person who could help but responds slowly and casually. It suits wry or critical remarks about officials, employers, or hosts who delay favors while the petitioner suffers.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: The beggar is worn to his last nerve, while the master of the house takes all the time in the world.