- English translation
Every camel is in the scuffle except ours, which just sits there on its knees.
- Literal wording
All the camels are fighting, except our camel, the kneeling one.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying targets a person who stays put and keeps out of a matter that plainly calls for effort, even though everyone around them has already stirred into action. The busy camels show the general mobilization, and the kneeling one stands for this particular holdout's inertia, not for laziness in general or for camels themselves.
The word 'our' adds a note of exasperation. The idle one belongs to the speaker's own household or group, so the inaction feels like a personal letdown. The image is mildly mocking: while the others throw themselves into the effort, this one simply kneels and waits.
- When it is used
Use it to chide a relative, colleague, or ally who stays passive while everyone else steps up to meet a shared demand. Because it singles out one of the speaker's own side, it can sting as a pointed reproach, so use it with care when addressing someone directly.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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