- English translation
Whoever is away gets no share, and whoever dozes off with his face covered might as well be gone.
- Literal wording
The absent one has no share, and the drowsy one covered his face.
- Meaning and lesson
Whoever is not present when something is handed out forfeits any claim to it. Here نايب means a portion or share from a division, not a deputy. The saying treats absence as giving up one's portion, and the Arabic pairs غايب with the rhyming نايب to make the point.
The second half widens the idea to anyone physically there but not paying attention. A person who dozed off with his face covered saw nothing and so counts as absent too; the image is of sleep, not shame or hiding. Together the clauses excuse those who kept something rather than saving a share.
- When it is used
Said by those who divided or used something among themselves while a companion was away, to deflect blame for leaving that person out. It can sound dismissive or teasing toward whoever missed out, so use it with care when the absent person may feel wronged.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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