«زَيِّ الْحُمَارْ يِحِب شِيلِ التَّلَالِيسْ»

The saying describes a person who goes looking for the very loads that wear them down. Like a beast of burden that seems to miss its big, heavy hauling sacks when they are lifted off, this person has grown so used to strain that they seek it out instead of avoiding it.

Beneath the joke lies an observation about habit: long familiarity with drudgery can turn it into something a person craves. The proverb gently mocks this attachment, hinting that the sufferer's tiring situation is partly of their own choosing.

Say it of someone who keeps taking on exhausting chores or burdens unasked, because hardship has become their habit. Its tone is wry or teasing, and comparing a person to a donkey can offend, so it suits familiar company, not formal settings.