“When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”
Old Kenyan Proverb
The African proverb “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers” is a well-known idiom that means the weak are hurt when powerful forces go to war. The proverb is attributed to the Kikuyu people, a tribal group in Kenya.
The proverb's meaning is simple: when the large fight, the small suffer the most. It can also be applied to war, where the smallest and most vulnerable are the children.
The Swahili version of the proverb is “Ndovu wawili wakisongana, ziumiazo ni nyika,” which translates to "When two elephants fight, it is the grass (or reeds) that are hurt".