Type: Proverb / Idiomatic expression
Origin: South Asian proverb derived from rural livestock imagery, symbolizing that avoidance of danger or consequences cannot last indefinitely
Expanded Features:
Polarity: Neutral (warning/realistic)
Register: Informal / Proverbial
Pragmatic Sense: Caution, inevitability of consequences
Synonyms (Urdu): انجام سے کوئی نہیں بچ سکتا، ہر چیز کا وقت مقرر ہے
Synonyms (English): Sooner or later consequences come, No escape from fate, Time will tell
Antonyms (Urdu): ہمیشہ امن رہے گا، خطرہ کبھی نہیں آئے گا
Antonyms (English): Safety is permanent, Danger will never arrive
Key Nuances:
Warns that safety or avoidance is temporary
Used when someone thinks they can always escape accountability
Reflects cultural wisdom from agrarian life
Usage Contexts:
Advising someone who avoids responsibility
Reminding that accountability will come
Warning against overconfidence in escaping consequences
Example Sentences:
Urdu: جرم کرنے والے کو سزا ملے گی بکرے کی ماں کب تک خیر منائے گی
English: A criminal will be punished the goat’s mother cannot remain safe forever
Urdu: امتحان سے بھاگنے والا کامیاب نہیں ہوگا بکرے کی ماں کب تک خیر منائے گی
English: One who avoids exams will not succeed the goat’s mother cannot remain safe forever
Urdu: غلط کام کرنے والے کو انجام بھگتنا پڑتا ہے بکرے کی ماں کب تک خیر منائے گی
English: A wrongdoer must face the result the goat’s mother cannot remain safe forever
Cultural Insight: This proverb is widely used in Urdu-speaking culture as a metaphor for the inevitability of consequences. The imagery of a goat’s mother highlights the futility of thinking danger (like Eid sacrifice) can be avoided permanently.
Related Terms:
انجام (anjam): outcome
حساب (hisaab): reckoning
نصیحت (naseehat): advice