expression
any port in a storm; when you've lost your boat midstream, even a pot is worth a fortune
Proverb meaning that in a desperate situation, even something normally of little value becomes precious. The literal image is of a person who has lost their boat in the middle of a river and would cling to even a simple pot for flotation.
「中流に舟を失えば一壺も千金」とは、困ったときにはどんなものでも助けになるという意味だ。
The proverb 'When you've lost your boat midstream, even a pot is worth a fortune' means that in times of trouble, anything can be a help.
A classical Chinese-derived proverb (故事成語). The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common motif in Chinese and Japanese wisdom literature about the relativity of value in desperate circumstances.