proverb · Legacy record
The man who keeps falcons is surely no friend of pigeons.
The man who keeps falcons is surely no friend of pigeons.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A falcon keeper declared no friend of pigeons presents one association as contrary to another’s interests. The saying questions loyalty where consequences may conflict.
What the words are saying
The precise traditional context is unverified, and the line supplies no animal-handling finding. A qualified human application checks actual interests and conduct without assuming association alone proves hostility. Competing roles may need clarification, while people should not be reduced to predator-and-prey identities.
Everyday example
A group asks how an arrangement affects different participants instead of inferring loyalty only from a label.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified conflicting-interests image.
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What it does not mean
No hostility proved by association alone or animal guidance is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Russia
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 869; PDF page 77; collection label: Russia
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Russia