you can't give what you don't have; nothing comes from nothing
Proverb meaning that one cannot provide or use something one lacks; often used to express that it's impossible to meet a demand when resources are absent. The literal image is of shaking sleeves one doesn't have.
Even if you ask me to lend you money, I can't give what I don't have.
才能がないなら、無い袖は振れぬというものだ。
If you don't have talent, it's a case of 'you can't shake sleeves you don't have.'
Standard kanji spelling of the proverb.
Kana spelling; common in casual writing or when avoiding kanji.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The literal meaning is 'you cannot shake sleeves you don't have,' referring to the impossibility of giving or using something that is not possessed.