«اِلْمَنْصَبْ رُوحْ وَلَوْ كَانْ فِي الْمِسْكَهْ»

The saying holds that rank is as vital to a person hungry for authority as life itself, even when the post is a humble one. Its image is of command over the making of dried fuel from dung mixed with straw, the humblest village chore, which shows how far the craving reaches.

The exaggeration reads as a light rebuke of anyone who prizes a title even when it is attached to the most menial labor. It can be heard as gentle teasing or as sharper criticism of power-seeking, and the wording alone does not decide which is intended.

Used to describe people who crave office or authority so intensely that they treat any post, even a humble or unpleasant one, as if it were a matter of life. Suitable for remarks on ambition or the pull of rank, often with a note of disapproval.