Meanings
alternative in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king · alternative in the valley of the blind, the one-eyed man is king · alternative in the city of the blind, the one-eyed man is king · alternative in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- Even someone with limited abilities or opportunities is dominant over, and considered special by, those who have even fewer abilities and opportunities; the value of any ability depends on its prevalence.
Their bread tastes like rock / Joining circles of the dead / As I am drinking all the sewage / Of the damage they call help / In the land of the blind / The one-eyed^([sic]) is a king / He plants in their empty pots / Ugly rotten seeds
2025, “Rogue”, in Duél, performed by Jinjer
Origin
- Latinin regione caecorum rex est luscus
- Englishin the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Calque of Latin in regione caecorum rex est luscus, popularized by Desiderius Erasmus’ Adagia (1500). For further origin compare Aramaic בשוק סמייא צווחין לעווירא סגי נהור (literally “in the street of the blind, the one-eyed man is called the guiding light”), found in the Genesis Rabbah (4th or 5th century CE). This may be Erasmus’ direct source, but at least some traditional link between both forms seems likely.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic الأعور في أرض العميان ملك
- الأعور في أرض العميان ملك (al-ʔaʕwaru fī ʔarḍi l-ʕumyāni malikun)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Bengali অন্ধের রাজ্যে কানা লোকই রাজা
- অন্ধের রাজ্যে কানা লোকই রাজা (ondher rajje kana lōkoi raja)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Catalan al pais del cecs, el tort és el rei
- al pais del cecs, el tort és el reiIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Chinese Mandarin 蜀中無大將，廖化作先鋒 /蜀中无大将, 廖化作先锋
- 蜀中無大將，廖化作先鋒 /蜀中无大将In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- 廖化作先锋 (Shǔ zhōng wú dàjiàng, Liào Huà zuò xiānfēng)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- 山中無老虎，猴子稱大王 /山中无老虎In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- 猴子称大王In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Czech mezi slepými je jednooký králem, mezi slepými jednooký králem
- mezi slepými je jednooký králemIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- mezi slepými jednooký králemIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Danish i de blindes land er den enøjede mand konge
- i de blindes land er den enøjede mand kongeIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Dutch in het land der blinden is eenoog koning
- in het land der blinden is eenoog koningIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Esperanto inter blinduloj, reĝas strabuloj
- inter blindulojIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- reĝas strabulojIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Finnish sokeiden maassa yksisilmäinen on kuningas
- sokeiden maassa yksisilmäinen on kuningasIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
French au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois
- au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont roisIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
German unter den Blinden ist der Einäugige König
- unter den Blinden ist der Einäugige KönigIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Greek στη χώρα των τυφλών, ο μονόφθαλμος είναι βασιλιάς, στους τυφλούς, βασιλεύει ο μονόφθαλμος
- στη χώρα των τυφλών, ο μονόφθαλμος είναι βασιλιάς (sti chóra ton tyflón, o monófthalmos eínai vasiliás)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- στους τυφλούς, βασιλεύει ο μονόφθαλμος (stous tyfloús, vasilévei o monófthalmos)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Hebrew בממלכת העיוורים שתום העין הוא מלך
- בממלכת העיוורים שתום העין הוא מלךIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Hindi अंधों में काना राजा
- अंधों में काना राजा (andhõ mẽ kānā rājā)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Hungarian vakok között félszemű a király
- vakok között félszemű a királyIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Indonesian di negeri orang buta, seorang bermata satu adalah raja, di tanah orang buta, seorang bermata satu adalah raja
- di negeri orang buta, seorang bermata satu adalah rajaIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- di tanah orang buta, seorang bermata satu adalah rajaIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Italian nella terra dei ciechi beato chi ha un occhio
- nella terra dei ciechi beato chi ha un occhioIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Japanese 鳥なき島の蝙蝠
- 鳥なき島の蝙蝠 (torinaki shima no kōmori)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Korean 무호동중이작호, 눈 먼 자들의 나라에서는 애꾸눈이 왕이다.
- 무호동중이작호 (muhodongjung'ijakho)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- 눈 먼 자들의 나라에서는 애꾸눈이 왕이다. (nun meon jadeurui nara'eseoneun aekkununi wang'ida.)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Latin in regione caecorum rex est luscus
- in regione caecorum rex est luscusIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Norwegian Bokmål i de blindes land er den énøyde konge
- i de blindes land er den énøyde kongeIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Polish w kraju ślepców jednooki jest królem
- w kraju ślepców jednooki jest królemIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Portuguese na terra dos cegos quem tem um olho é rei, em terra de cegos quem tem um olho é rei
- na terra dos cegos quem tem um olho é reiIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- em terra de cegos quem tem um olho é reiIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Romanian în țara orbilor și chiorul e împărat
- în țara orbilor și chiorul e împăratIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Spanish en el reino de los ciegos, el tuerto es el rey
- en el reino de los ciegos, el tuerto es el reyIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Swedish i de blindas land är den enögde kung
- i de blindas land är den enögde kungIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Tagalog sa lupa ng mga bulag, ang naghahari ay pisak, sa bayang walang marunong, ang naghahari ay ulol
- sa lupa ng mga bulag, ang naghahari ay pisakIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
- sa bayang walang marunong, ang naghahari ay ulolIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Tamil புலி இல்லாத ஊரில் பூனை தான் இராஜா
- புலி இல்லாத ஊரில் பூனை தான் இராஜா (puli illāta ūril pūṉai tāṉ irājā)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Thai ในดินแดนของคนตาบอด คนที่มีตาข้างเดียวคือราชา
- ในดินแดนของคนตาบอด คนที่มีตาข้างเดียวคือราชาIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Turkish körler ülkesinde tek gözü olan kral olur
- körler ülkesinde tek gözü olan kral olurIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Urdu اندھوں میں کانا راجا
- اندھوں میں کانا راجا (andhõ mẽ kānā rājā)In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Vietnamese thằng chột làm vua xứ mù
- thằng chột làm vua xứ mùIn the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Cite this entry
in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20land%20of%20the%20blind%2C%20the%20one-eyed%20man%20is%20king
“in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20land%20of%20the%20blind%2C%20the%20one-eyed%20man%20is%20king. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20land%20of%20the%20blind%2C%20the%20one-eyed%20man%20is%20king.
Source: in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.