- English translation
They say that a young man who neither falls in love nor adopts a lover’s manner will remain a fool all his life.
- Literal wording
“What do you say about a young man who neither loves nor plays the lover?” They say: “He lives as a donkey and dies as a donkey.”
- Meaning and lesson
Historically, the saying judges a young man who neither loves nor adopts the manner of a lover, calling him foolish through a derogatory comparison with a donkey.
Rather than endorsing that view, it records a categorical insult: the man is portrayed as remaining donkey-like throughout his life. The wording distinguishes loving from performing the role of a lover.
- When it is used
Use it only when describing the expression or its insulting judgment: it characterizes a young man as foolish for neither loving nor acting like a lover, relying on a derogatory donkey comparison.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: They say that a young man who neither falls in love nor adopts a lover’s manner will remain a fool all his life.