«زَيِّ الْوِز حِنِّيَّهْ بَلَا بِز»

The image is a mother goose hovering over her goslings with plenty of tenderness, yet as a bird she has no breast to nurse them. Her care is real in feeling but brings them no nourishment, and the proverb rests on that contrast between visible affection and missing substance.

Applied to people, the saying targets someone known for kind words, sympathy, or fine promises who never actually provides anything. It points out that expressions of caring cost little and cannot replace concrete help. Its criticism falls on that gap, not on geese or mothers.

Use this to tease or criticize someone who is generous with sympathy, praise, or promises but never offers real help, money, or favors. It suits informal talk about friends, relatives, or patrons whose kindness stays only verbal.