God gave you hands. Twist your own rope.

What it means

You have been given the means; the work is yours. Waiting for someone else to finish the job wastes the gift. Use your hands.

The source

"God gave you hands. Twist your own rope." This Russian proverb is recorded in Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»). Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

"Дал Бог руки, а веревки сам вей"

Original Russian, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»). Text read at ru.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Proverbs of the world (Every age). Sayings from the Latin, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Chinese and more, each traced to an old source in its own language.

Questions

What does "God gave you hands. Twist your own rope." mean?

You have been given the means; the work is yours. Waiting for someone else to finish the job wastes the gift. Use your hands.

Who said "God gave you hands. Twist your own rope."?

Russian proverb. Source: Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»).

What is the original Russian?

Дал Бог руки, а веревки сам вей. Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

Is "God gave you hands. Twist your own rope." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"God gave you hands. Twist your own rope." (Russian proverb, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/god-gave-you-hands-twist-your-own-rope