Literal translation
It is worth more to be a friend from afar than an enemy nearby.
Meaning
better a distant friend than a nearby enemy
Explanation
The construction vau mai, literally it is worth more, compares two situations and names the preferable one: here, a distant friendship against a hostile neighbour. The proverb reflects a social caution deeply rooted in village life, where the neighbour is unavoidable in daily routine, sharing a hedge, a path, or a well. A distant friendship costs nothing and demands no particular vigilance, while hostility close at hand exposes one to constant trouble, renewed quarrels, and refused favours. The saying thus reverses the common assumption that closeness is always preferable: it is better to keep one's distance from difficult relationships and to cultivate, even from afar, those who place no daily burden on one's life. It belongs to ordinary speech and is often used to justify not seeking closeness with a difficult neighbour or colleague, or to recommend restraint in relationships one cannot avoid.