વરેળ તોએ ગાવડી, અજવાણી તોય રાત;

varēḷa tōē gāvaḍī, ajavāṇī tōya rāta;

Literally: Even if barren, she is a cow; even if bright, it is night;
What it means: Certain entities retain their essential nature and respect regardless of their limitations, just as a stepmother remains a mother figure.

Also said as

ગુજરાતી કહેવતસંગ્રહ (Gujarati Kahevat Sangrah) (1923) · read from the scan by machine — the Gujarati itself is unchecked · English is machine-made and nobody has checked it yet

Heard it differently, or know we've got the sense wrong? Tell us — that is exactly the kind of correction this needs.