«اِللِّي يِعْمِلْ بُهْ الْجِدْيْ يِعَلَّقْ بُهْ الْحُمَارْ»

The saying describes earnings that are consumed by the costs tied to producing them: money comes in, but expenses absorb it before it yields any real benefit.

Historically, it is framed in the voice of an animal trainer whose takings from one performing animal pay for another’s fodder. The animal imagery is figurative, not a literal judgment about animals or work.

Use it when the profit from an activity does not cover the expense of maintaining it, so that hard work brings in money but leaves no practical gain.