«اِلْعَنْزَه الْجَرْبَانَهْ مَا تِشْرَبْ إِلَّا مِنْ رَاسِ الْعِينْ»

The picture is of a goat suffering from mange that still makes its way to the very spot where the spring wells up and will drink only there. Despite its sorry condition, the animal goes straight to the source of the water.

Turned toward people, the saying describes someone poor and weighed down by illness who nonetheless goes out on his own and tries to match or outpace others. It draws attention to the gap between his frail circumstances and his determination to compete.

Fits a remark about someone who is poor and in bad health yet sets out unaided to compete with others and keep up with them. Because it likens a person to a diseased animal, reserve it for settings where such a pointed comparison will not wound.