Literal translation
The good Lord only passed through by night
Meaning
it's a forsaken, poverty-stricken place
Explanation
This expression describes a place so remote, poor or unappealing that even divine providence seems to have crossed it only by night, in the dark, as though unwilling to be seen lingering somewhere so unwelcoming. The image plays on the idea that the good Lord, who is supposed to watch over everything by day, hurried through here under cover of darkness, without leaving any blessing behind. It is used of a forsaken hamlet, a run down house, a wretched neighbourhood, or any spot notable for its bleakness. The register is familiar and often ironic, tinged with a mocking pity for the place described. The verb passa (to pass) carries its ordinary sense of crossing through, and nue (night) situates the action in the hour when nothing can be seen, reinforcing the sense of near total neglect.