proverb · Words worth keeping
When one is poor, even his ox is not willing to pull. –Romanian
When one is poor, even his ox is not willing to pull. –Romanian
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Poverty followed by an ox refusing to pull gives a material difficulty a further obstacle. The supplied sentence includes a Romanian label.
Example
Someone notices several barriers affecting a task and offers support instead of blaming the person facing them.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The source label is preserved without independently verified origin, and the animal image is not a behaviour or handling rule. A qualified reading can recognise compounding barriers without predicting that every effort will fail or blaming the person affected. Practical support may change what is possible.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified compounding-difficulty image.
Keep in mind
No animal finding or inevitable failure through poverty is established.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- Miscellaneous Proverbs