- English translation
“Why make a public show of fighting me, only to seek a private reconciliation afterward?”
- Literal wording
“You quarrel with me in a wedding procession, then make peace with me in an alley?”
- Meaning and lesson
The saying rebukes someone who turns a disagreement into a spectacle before others, then tries to settle it quietly where no one can see. Its contrast between a conspicuous procession and a secluded alley stresses the unfairness of public hostility followed by private friendliness.
It can also criticize performative conflict: a person appears adversarial in an open gathering but seeks personal harmony in private. The contrast suggests that a sincere dispute should be handled consistently rather than exploited for public display.
- When it is used
Used as a pointed response to someone who embarrasses, attacks, or opposes another person openly but later approaches them privately to repair relations. Its rhetorical-question form conveys reproach and skepticism about the other person’s sincerity.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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