«لُولَا الْمَجْنُونْ مَا كَانُوشِ الْعُقَلَا كَلُوا بَلَحْ»

The saying pictures a palm tree whose fresh dates (balah) hang high and are dangerous to pick. Only the foolhardy one will climb up and bring them down, while the prudent stay safely on the ground, yet everyone ends up eating. Caution keeps people safe, but it does not bring in the harvest.

By extension, the proverb defends daring and risk-taking against outright condemnation. The 'madman' is a reckless daredevil, not someone with a mental illness. Bold people may be mocked as unreasonable, but their daring often produces gains the careful majority then share. Recklessness, in this view, is not simply a vice.

Use it to give grudging credit to a bold or reckless person whose risky action benefited everyone, especially when cautious people criticize that boldness. It can gently tease the careful for enjoying rewards they never dared seek. Avoid using it to mock mental illness.