At night all cows are black — in darkness, distinctions disappear; what is unique and identifiable by day becomes indistinguishable at night. Used when context, lighting, or circumstances make something appear equal that by day would be clearly different in quality.
The image is practical and immediate: the farmer who kept both fine and poor cattle could not distinguish them in the dark of the barn. By daylight, the quality of each animal was evident; in the dark, they all appeared the same black mass. The proverb was applied in various contexts: to situations where reduced information (the 'darkness') made it impossible to judge quality, to circumstances where people made poor choices because they could not see clearly, and sometimes to the democracy of certain situations — in sleep, in death, in the dark — where social distinctions genuinely ceased to matter. It was also used with a slightly ribald meaning: in darkness, beauty and its absence are equally invisible. Context always determined which application was intended.
A Sicilian proverb about the disappearance of distinction in conditions of reduced visibility or information. 'Vacchi' = vacche (cows), 'nivuri' = nere (black). Used in contexts of judgment, quality assessment, and sometimes as a philosophical leveller.
About poor-quality products being sold at night markets
Di giorno non li venderesti. Ma a notti tutti i vacchi su nivuri — con quella luce bassa comprano senza guardare troppo.
By day you would not sell them. But at night all cows are black — with that low light they buy without looking too closely.
About a situation where distinctions of quality were not being made
Nella selezione non guardavano i curriculum. A notti tutti i vacchi su nivuri — hanno preso chiunque si fosse presentato.
In the selection they were not looking at CVs. At night all cows are black — they took anyone who had shown up.
Philosophical reflection on human equality in certain conditions
In guerra, i generali e i soldati dormono sullo stesso fango. A notti tutti i vacchi su nivuri — a volte la vita livella.
In war, generals and soldiers sleep in the same mud. At night all cows are black — sometimes life levels things.
Someone who made a purchase without adequate information
Non l'ho visto bene prima di comprarlo. A notti tutti i vacchi su nivuri — alla luce del sole è tutta un'altra cosa.
I did not see it properly before buying it. At night all cows are black — in the daylight it is a different thing altogether.