«حِبْرْ في وَرَقْ»

The expression treats a written obligation as nothing more than its physical materials. When a debtor has nothing to pay with, the note he signs is worthless, however formal it looks. What remains is only marks on a sheet, with no real value behind them.

More broadly, the saying applies to any pledge or agreement that is put in writing and then ignored. It contrasts the apparent solemnity of a recorded promise with the absence of action to fulfill it. The emptiness lies in the conduct of the one who made the commitment.

Use it to dismiss an IOU from someone with no means to repay, or any signed promise or agreement not expected to be honored. Aimed at a specific person's pledge, it can sound scornful; it is not a general complaint about paperwork.