Meaning
'Wanti wanti cyaan get it, getti getti nuh want it' — those who badly want a thing can't get it, while those who already have it don't value it. A wry, rueful observation about how unevenly fortune is shared, and about human ingratitude: the have-nots crave what the haves take for granted and neglect. The proverb captures a deep irony of life — that desire and possession so rarely meet in the same hands — and it is quoted with a knowing sigh at the unfairness of who gets what.
Examples
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She dying fi a pickney an cyaan get, while some woman a mistreat fi dem own. Wanti wanti cyaan get it, getti getti nuh want it.
She longs for a child and can't have one, while some women mistreat theirs. Those who want it can't get it, those who have it don't want it.
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Mi always seh wanti wanti cyaan get it, getti getti nuh want it.
I always say the ones who want it can't get it, and the ones who have it don't appreciate it.
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Him have di opportunity an waste it — wanti wanti cyaan get it.
He had the opportunity and wasted it — the wanting ones can't get it.
Origin
A traditional Jamaican proverb built on the doubled 'wanti' (wanting) and 'getti' (getting), using repetition for emphasis in the oral style typical of the island's sayings.
How it’s used
Used to comment on unfairness or on people who take their blessings for granted. Often shortened to just the first half.