«وَرَاهْ لَيِبْرِكْ»

The expression targets a sluggish person who moves forward only while being prodded. Left without urging, such a person simply settles down and stops, so whoever needs them to keep going has to stay close behind and keep pushing. The verb means kneeling or settling onto the ground, though the wording never says who kneels.

Spoken as advice, it doubles as a wry instruction to the one in charge: do not ease off or turn away, since the moment the pressure lifts, the idler sinks down and progress halts. A variant swaps kneeling for lying down while keeping the same sense.

Use it about someone who works only under constant pressure, such as a slow helper or a dawdling child, typically when telling whoever supervises them to keep after them. The origin of the saying is uncertain.