- English translation
The blind were given a son, and they groped at his eyes until he could no longer see either.
- Literal wording
A son came to the blind, and they put out his eyes with all their feeling about.
- Meaning and lesson
The scene shows sightless people blessed with a child whose eyes work. Eager to be sure he can really see, and marveling at a sense they lack, they keep running their fingers over his eyes. That ceaseless handling ends up costing him his sight, so he becomes as blind as they are.
Beyond the story, the point concerns a gain smothered by its owner's enthusiasm. Someone who has lacked a thing may, once some of it arrives, fuss over it so relentlessly that nothing of it survives. The damage comes not from malice but from admiration carried to excess.
- When it is used
Fits someone who, newly granted a small share of what they long lacked, spoils it through constant handling or admiration. Its blindness imagery is figurative and can wound, so avoid it in disability-related contexts and never apply it to blind people themselves.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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