«اِلسَّكْرَانْ فِي ذِمِّةِ الصَّاحِي»

The saying holds that whoever is alert carries responsibility for whoever is not. The drunk and the sober stand for the inattentive and the alert. The saying is not mainly about alcohol, though its literal image may strike some listeners as blunt.

It describes how people ought to treat each other. The responsibility meant is moral accountability, not mere physical guardianship. Awareness creates an obligation, so someone who knows about a problem should tell the person it affects, and is at fault if they stay silent.

Said as a mild rebuke to someone who noticed a problem, deadline, or detail but let a distracted friend or colleague go on unaware. It reminds the attentive person that warning others was their duty.