- English translation
What cannot be made into a drum may still work as a frame drum.
- Literal wording
What is not suitable for a drum may be suitable for a ṭār.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb says that material unsuited to one particular use need not be discarded altogether. What cannot serve as a drum may still be fit for a ṭār, a type of frame drum.
It expresses a practical search for an alternative use when the first intended use proves unsuitable. The point is to reconsider available material in relation to another purpose rather than judge it only by the original one.
- When it is used
Use it when an object or material does not suit its intended purpose but can be redirected to another practical use. It frames the change as adaptation to what the item can appropriately serve.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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