- English translation
"What takes you into your enemy's house?" "Someone dear to me lives there."
- Literal wording
Why are you going into your enemy's house? He said: my beloved is in it.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying, framed as a stylized question and answer rather than a reported conversation, accounts for why someone would knowingly enter hostile ground. What draws the speaker into an adversary's home is a cherished person living there; the visit reflects devotion to that person, not any regard for the enemy.
More broadly, it describes putting up with friction or even mistreatment from someone you dislike because staying close to a dear friend or relative demands it. The beloved need not be a romantic partner. Love for one person makes another's hostility worth bearing.
- When it is used
Suits moments when someone explains why they keep visiting or tolerating a person they dislike: the real reason is a loved one tied to that person. It can answer a puzzled question or justify one's patience.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: "What takes you into your enemy's house?" "Someone dear to me lives there."