«إِنْ طُلْتْ بِرِدْ اِلْحَسْ»

In a 1949 Arabic proverb collection, the saying is presented as urging acceptance of a modest opportunity at hand rather than waiting for a better one that may never arrive. An imperfect, immediate gain can be wiser than delay that loses every chance.

It recommends practical decisiveness when circumstances are uncertain. Its image of cold food is figurative, not advice about culinary preference: one should make use of what is ready, since refusing it while expecting something preferable may leave one with nothing.

Say this when advising someone not to reject a workable option merely because it is less than ideal, especially if waiting could make the available benefit disappear. The food image is figurative and concerns seizing an opportunity, not choosing what to eat.