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Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«مَا بَلَاشْ إِلَّا الْعَمَى وِالطُّرَاشْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

The only things you get for nothing are blindness and deafness.

Literal wording

Nothing is free except blindness and deafness.

Meaning and lesson

The saying holds that anything worth having carries a price, whether paid in money, effort, or obligation. Here بلاش means 'for free'. The only things that truly arrive without charge are afflictions like blindness and deafness (الطراش), which nobody would choose.

It works as an ironic warning against expecting free benefits. By pointing to afflictions as the sole genuine freebies, it reminds listeners that apparent bargains usually hide a cost and that real gains must be earned.

When it is used

Use it to deflate hopes of getting something for nothing, such as a deal that sounds too generous. Its humor treats blindness and deafness as unwanted gifts, so consider listeners and avoid quoting it where it could wound or mock disabled people.

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