Meaning
'Empty bag cyaan stand up' — an empty sack cannot stand upright. A hungry person cannot work, think, or function well: you must first be fed and have your basic needs met before you can perform, carry a load, or do anything worthwhile. The homely image of a slack, empty bag that flops over until it is filled makes the plain, humane point that food comes first, and it is offered both as common sense and as a call to feed people before demanding their labour.
Examples
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Feed di worker first; empty bag cyaan stand up.
Feed the worker first; an empty bag can't stand up.
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Mi cyaa study pon a empty belly — empty bag cyaan stand up.
I can't study on an empty stomach — a hungry person can't function.
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Gi di pickney breakfast; empty bag cyaan stand up.
Give the child breakfast; you can't work on an empty stomach.
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Feed di man before yuh send him go work — empty bag cyaan stan up.
Feed the man before you send him to work — you can't function hungry.
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Mek mi eat first; empty bag cyaan stan up.
Let me eat first; I can't work on an empty stomach.
Origin
A market image: a sack with nothing in it flops over, while a full one stands firm — a body needs filling before it can hold itself up and work.
How it’s used
Used to stress that people need feeding and resources before they can be productive; a call to meet basic needs first.