Labour warms, sloth harms.

The saying contrasts work with idleness, presenting labour as beneficial and sloth as harmful. “Warms” gives useful activity a positive physical image, while “harms” supplies its contrasting judgment.

Its short rhyme encourages purposeful activity rather than unproductive inaction. It expresses a general preference for working, without identifying a particular task or promising that every kind of work will have a good result.

It can be used to commend useful activity or to caution against idleness in a general discussion of work, effort, or daily conduct.