దాసరి పాటకు ముష్టి ముజరా.

dasari pataku mushti mujara.

Translation

For the song of a Dâsari an alms is the payment. All that his singing is worth. Small payment for bad work.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation where the reward or payment is just as poor or mediocre as the work performed. It implies that neither the service nor the compensation was of high quality, often used when one person's low-quality effort meets another's stingy response.

Notes

* Un mal chiama l'otro,

Related Phrases

Does a beggar want three bags ? Applied to an ostentatious display unsuited to a man's position.

This expression is used to describe a person who has excessive or grand requirements for a very small or humble task. It highlights the irony of someone who, despite being in a position of seeking help or doing something minor, demands or carries more tools than necessary.

Begging is a three-fold agriculture.

This proverb humorously suggests that begging is a more reliable or easier way to survive than farming. It implies that while agriculture is dependent on seasons and labor, a beggar can find success through three means: persistent asking, wandering, or evoking sympathy. It is often used to comment on people who prefer dependency or easy paths over hard labor.

A daughter-in-law who begs for a household of three hundred aunts.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is overwhelmed by too many superiors, advisors, or authorities. When there are too many people giving orders or interference from many sides (metaphorically 300 mother-in-laws), the person at the bottom (the daughter-in-law) is reduced to a state of helplessness or poverty of spirit, unable to satisfy anyone.

The troubles of a Dâsari are known only to Perumâl.

This proverb means that only God (or a superior/witness) truly knows the hardships a person undergoes while performing their duties or devotion. It is used to express that one's inner struggles and sincere efforts are hidden from the world but recognized by the divine.

In one's own village, even alms won't be born.

This proverb suggests that it is difficult to find respect, recognition, or even basic sustenance in one's home territory or among people who know you too well. Familiarity can lead to being taken for granted, making it necessary sometimes to travel elsewhere to find success or appreciation.

Begging with arrogance / Forceful alms

This expression refers to a person who, despite being in a position of need or seeking a favor, behaves with excessive pride, arrogance, or bossiness. It describes the irony of someone asking for help (alms) while maintaining an attitude of superiority or coercion.

A blow from a pestle - a mendicant's song

This expression refers to a situation where someone experiences a severe blow or tragedy (pestle blow) but tries to cover it up or distracted from it with a casual or irrelevant song (Dasari's song). It is used to describe a mismatch between a serious problem and a trivial response, or when someone behaves as if nothing is wrong despite being in pain.

Among the fists, the fist of charity.

This expression is a play on words using 'Mushti' (which can mean both 'a fist' and 'begging/alms'). It highlights the ironic situation where someone who is already poor or a beggar themselves tries to help another beggar. It is used to describe an act of charity performed by those who have very little to give, emphasizing that even the smallest act of kindness from the poor is significant.

Alms within alms, righteous alms

This expression refers to a situation where someone who is already in a state of seeking help or living on charity decides to share a portion of what they have received with someone even more needy. It signifies an act of extreme generosity or charity performed by a person who themselves has very little.

Like going to beg for alms and then complaining that it wasn't satisfying.

This proverb is used to describe someone who is receiving something for free or through charity, yet complains about the quality or quantity of what they received. It highlights the irony of a person in a dependent position showing ungratefulness or having unrealistic expectations.