«عَنْدِ الْإِبْرَهْ تُتُوهِ السُّلُوكْ»

The saying describes the frustration of incomplete readiness. Some of what a task requires falls into place, yet another essential part slips out of reach at that very moment. The whole effort remains stuck because its pieces never come together at once.

The image is domestic and concrete. A needle is useless without sewing thread, not wire, so finding one while the other goes missing, rather than wandering off, leaves the sewing undone. This small household mishap stands for any undertaking where conditions refuse to line up.

Say it with mild exasperation when a task stalls because one needed piece turns up just as another vanishes, such as finding the car keys only to discover the wallet is gone. It suits informal, wry complaint more than serious lament.