Having no money and having no friends is the same thing — both leave you completely isolated in the world. Money and friendship are the two forms of social capital without which a person cannot function in a complex society; losing both simultaneously is the truest form of poverty.
This proverb captures something different from simple materialism. It equates money and friendship not because friendship can be bought but because both are forms of resource in the world — both allow you to navigate difficulties, access help, solve problems, and survive. The truly poor person in Sicilian understanding was not merely the one without money but the one without community — and both deprivations produced the same result: isolation, vulnerability, and dependence on the mercy of strangers. The proverb was used to explain why wealth without relationships was ultimately as precarious as poverty with them, and why the person who had built genuine friendships had a safety net that money alone could not provide. It was also used to comfort those in financial difficulty: if you have real friends, you are not truly poor.
A Sicilian proverb about the dual nature of social capital, equating financial and relational poverty as equally isolating. 'Sordi' = soldi (money). Reflects the island's understanding that community is as essential as material resources for human survival.
Comforting a friend who lost their job
Hai perso il lavoro ma non hai perso noi. Nun aviri sordi e nun aviri amici è la stessa cosa — ma tu gli amici li hai.
You have lost your job but you have not lost us. Having no money and having no friends is the same thing — but you have the friends.
Warning a rich but friendless person about their vulnerability
Hai molti soldi ma nessuno a cui telefonare alle tre di notte. Nun aviri sordi e nun aviri amici è la stessa cosa — in un certo senso, sei povero.
You have a lot of money but nobody to call at three in the morning. Having no money and having no friends is the same thing — in a certain sense, you are poor.
After a loss of both financial security and friendships simultaneously
Ho perso i soldi e con loro ho scoperto chi erano i miei veri amici. Nun aviri sordi e nun aviri amici è la stessa cosa — adesso so di avere niente.
I lost the money and with it I discovered who my real friends were. Having no money and having no friends is the same thing — now I know I have nothing.
Advising a young person to invest in relationships
Investi anche nelle amicizie, non solo nel conto in banca. Nun aviri sordi e nun aviri amici è la stessa cosa — hai bisogno di entrambi.
Invest in friendships too, not just in the bank account. Having no money and having no friends is the same thing — you need both.