«اِلْحَلَابَهْ وَلَا مَسْكِ الْعِجُولْ»

The saying sets two livestock tasks against each other: drawing milk from the animals and keeping the calves restrained. Neither is easy, yet the speaker chooses the milking, since struggling with the calves is the rougher and more exhausting share of the work.

In wider use, it describes choosing between two unwelcome options rather than between good and bad. When every route carries some burden, the speaker accepts hardship but settles on its milder form, taking the task that costs less strain.

Say it when weighing two tiresome tasks or troublesome situations and choosing the more bearable one. It suits remarks about chores, work duties, or obligations where avoiding effort entirely is impossible and the real question is which burden is lighter.