This proverb highlights the predicament of economically disadvantaged individuals, represented by ’the poor’. It implies that those in a weak or impoverished position must often yield or adapt, such as trading a possession for something more essential, because they do not have the luxury of options or ambitions. In other words, ‘when you are in a weak position, you must bend’. An equivalent proverb in English might be ‘Bend, but don’t break’.