If the old camels are saved, then the old ones are wasted. إن تسلم الجلة فالنيب هدر

 "The old camels" is the plural of "old camel," meaning the large, strong camels; and "old camels" is the plural of "old camel," meaning the old she-camel. The meaning is, if what is useful is saved, then what is not useful is insignificant.

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 This proverb is equivalent to the English proverb:

Don't cry over spilled milk.

Don't grieve over a small loss as long as the essentials remain intact.

Or, more closely related:

As long as the essentials are safe, minor losses don't matter.

The Arabic proverb means: If the strong, useful camels remain, it's alright to lose the old, less useful ones. In other words, preserving what is important makes sacrificing what is less important easier.

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الجلة، جمع جليل، يعني: العظمام من الإبل؛ والنيب، جمع ناب، وهي الناقة المسنة، يعني، إذا سلم ما ينتفع به، هان ما لا ينتفع به