This proverb cautions against forming alliances that defy social or hierarchical norms, suggesting that such actions may lead to undesirable or discordant outcomes. Here, the ’noble’ represents someone of high status or rank in society, while the ‘slave’ denotes a person of lower status. The imagery of ’tangled hair like a rat’s fur’ symbolizes the chaos and disorder that can ensue from such a union. The equivalent English proverb might be ‘Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas,’ meaning that associating with lesser or questionable entities can lead to negative consequences.