- English translation
You may die tomorrow, you proud man in fine clothes—and then I will put a grand dome over your tomb.
- Literal wording
Tomorrow you will die, O man of the robe, and I will build you a dome above your grave.
- Meaning and lesson
This saying derides a vain, self-important person who takes pride in outward display. It invokes death as the great equalizer, making finery and social pretension seem fleeting and absurd. Its robe imagery mocks conspicuous dress, not any particular occupation or social group.
The promised dome over the grave is deliberately ironic, not respectful. By imagining the person’s vanity preserved among the dead, the speaker sharpens the ridicule of pride with no lasting substance. Because it turns on death and burial, its tone is intentionally harsh.
- When it is used
Used sarcastically to puncture someone’s arrogance, especially when they flaunt dress, wealth, or rank. It is a sharp, potentially insulting rebuke and is unsuitable for sympathy or discussion of an actual death or burial.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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