Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-13
Meaning: Verified- English translation
If you avoid getting dirty at the manure heap, you will regret it at the threshing floor.
- Literal wording
Whoever does not go to the manure heap and get dust-covered will regret it when he goes to the threshing floor.
- Meaning and lesson
It warns that neglecting an unpleasant but necessary task early on can lead to regret when the time comes to see the results.
The image links handling fertilizer with a fuller harvest: obtaining what one seeks requires doing the work that makes the outcome possible, even when it is dirty or uncomfortable.
- When it is used
Use it to caution someone against avoiding an unglamorous necessary task when that avoidance could leave them regretting a poorer later result.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: If you avoid getting dirty at the manure heap, you will regret it at the threshing floor.