ProverbHub
Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«فَرَّقْ شِمْلُهْ يِخِف حِمْلُهْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

Break the bundle apart and the burden gets lighter.

Literal wording

Scatter its bundle, and its load grows light.

Meaning and lesson

A heavy load that feels impossible as one mass becomes manageable once it is broken up. Splitting a burden into smaller portions, or spreading it across several bearers, takes away much of its weight and the dread of lifting it.

The saying offers practical advice for any demanding task, obligation, or expense: tackle it in parts rather than all at once, so each piece can be lifted or settled without strain. It stresses splitting the load itself, whether or not others help.

When it is used

Use it to encourage someone facing a heavy job, debt, or chore to break it into portions or spread it among helpers, so that no single effort has to carry the whole weight at once.

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