•  مد رجليك على قد بساطك (JH 7)

Stretch your legs to the extent of your carpet (sleeping rug).

(Know your limitations; do not think of yourself more than what you really are; do not live beyond your means) (IY 5)

 

• إن كان صاحبك عسل ما تلحوش كله (JH 8)

If your friend is honey, don’t lick him all up.

 

• السافه تربّي العداوة (JH 9)

Lending engenders enmity.

 

• كثر التنخيس يعلّم الحمير التقميص (JH 9)

Much goading will teach donkeys to rear.

 

• العاقل من غمزه والجاهل من رفصه (JH 9)

The wise (is instructed) with a wink, and the ignorant with a kick.

 

• المقروص من التعبان يخاف من طرف الحبل (JH 11)

He who is bitten by a snake is afraid of an end of a rope.

(Once bitten twice shy)

 

• عداوة العاقل ولا صحبة الجاهل (JH 11)

Rather the enmity of the wise than the friendship of the ignorant.

 

• حب وواري واكره وداري (JH 12)

Love and show, hate and hide.

 

• ايش ياخذ الريح من البلاط (JH 12)

What can the wind take from the stone-paving?

 

• المساواة قي الظلم عدل (JH 14)

Equality in injustice is justice.

 

• إن رأيت بلد تعبد عجل حش واطعمه (JH 14)

If you see a town worshipping a calf, mow grass and feed him.

 

• التكرار يعلّم لحمار (JH 17)

Repetition will teach the donkey.

 

• القفه اللي لها ودنين يشيلوها اثنين (JH 19)

The basket that has two handles can be carried by two.

 

• الحرامي الشاطر ما يسرقش من حارته (JH 19)

The clever thief does not steal from his own street.

 

• كشكار دايم ولا علامه مقطوعه (JH 19)

Bran constantly rather than fine flour seldom.

 

• زي جميعة الاغربه اولها قاق واخرها قاق (JH 21)

Like an assembly of crows: It begins with a “Caw” and ends with a “Caw”.

(Said derisively of a meeting dispersing without arriving at any conclusion)

 

• إن كان الكلام من فضة السكون من ذهب (JH 22)

If speech is silver, silence is gold.

 

• الحاجة ام الاختراع (JH 22)

Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

• اللي يقتن لك يقتن عليك (JH 24)

He who chatters to you will chatter about you.

 

• ابو جعران في بيته سلطان (JH 25)

The beetle in its hole is a sultan.

 

• ان عشقت اعشق قمر وان سرقت اسرق جمل (JH 25)

If you love, love a moon, and if you steal, steal a camel.

(Do nothing by halves. In Egypt a beautiful girl is compared to the moon and the most valuable animal is a camel.)

 

• البطن ما تجيبشي عدو (JH 26)

The womb does not bring forth an enemy.

 

• الليل بوذيناته والنهار بوعويناته(AA 32)

The night has ears and the day has eyes.

 

• اليد اللي ما تقدرش تعضها تبوسها ()

The hand that you cannot bite kiss.

 

• اللسان ترجمان القلب (JH 35)

The tongue is the interpreter of the heart.

 

• الكذب داء والصدق شفاء ()

Falsehood is sickness and honesty health.

 

• قطته جمل ()

His cat is a camel. (He is a show-off)

 

• راس الكسلان بيت الشيطان (JH 44)

The head of the lazy is the house of the devil.

 

• الكذب مالوش رجلين ()

Falsehood has not legs.

 

• جا يكحلها عماها ()

He wanted to put on Mascara on her eyes and instead he made her blind.

 

• ما يمسح دمعتك الا إيدك (JH 80)

Nothing wipes your tears away but your own hand.

 

• على باب الاطرش قد ما خبّط (JH 81)

At the door of a deaf man you may knock as long as you like.

 

• اتعلم الادب من قليل الادب (JH 81)

Learn politeness from the impolite.

 

• سكينه الاهل مثلمه (JH 82)

The knife of relatives is blunt.

 

• زي حيه تحت تبن (JH 83)

Like a snake under the straw.

 

• نايم في الميه وخايف من المطره (JH 88)

He sleeps in the water and he is afraid of the rain.

 

• لو كانت رايحه تمطر كانت غيمت (JH 89)

If it was going to rain, there would be clouds.

 

• اللي كان يكون (JH 90)

What has been may be.

 

• قرد يسليني ولا غزال يغمني (JH 92)

A monkey that amuses me rather than a gazelle that saddens me.

(Used to express that amiability in a wife is preferable to beauty.)

 

• اللي ياكل العسل يصبر لقرص النحل (JH 93)

He who eats honey must expect the sting of the bees.

 

• اسأل عن الجار قبل الدار (JH 108)

Ask about the neighbour before (taking) the house.

 

• قالوا للكلاب دي رايحة تمطر فطير قالوا كانت ندعت جرايه (JH?)

They said to the dogs: “It is going to rain cakes.” They replied: “(If so) it would have drizzled barley-bread.”

(There is generally some indication of what is going to happen).

 

• لا ظلام كالجهل (JH 116)

No darkness like ignorance.

Die größte Dunkelheit ist Unwissenheit.

 

• اللي معاه القمر ما يباليش بالنجوم (JH 118)

He who has the moon cares not for the stars.

 

• اللي يعيش يشوف كثير واللي يمشي يشوف اكثر (JH 120)

Who lives sees, but who travels sees more.

 

• زي الشمع تنور على الناس وتحرق روحها (JH 122)

Like a candle, giving light to others and consuming itself.

(Said of one who impoverishes himself in serving others)

 

 

• الليل بوذيناته والنهار بوعويناته (AA 32)

The night has ears and the day has eyes.

 

• كول ما يعجبك والبس ما يعجب الناس (AA 56)

Eat what you like but dress what people like.

 

• اللي في سر من الكلاب ينبح (AA 85)

He who keeps company with dogs will bark.

 

• ابعد تغله (AA 108)

Be absent and you will be loved.

 

• احكم على نفسك قبل ان يحكم عليها غيرك (AA 129)

Judge yourself before somebody else does.

 

• من زبيبه يسكر (AA 136)

He gets drunk from a raisin.

(He is a hot-heated, quick-tempered person)

 

• لسانه يغزل الحرير (AA 171)

His tongue would spin silk.

(A warning that a well-spoken person might be deceitful)

 

• الحمار القصير كل حد يركبه (AA 191)

The low donkey is prone to be ridden by everyone.

 

• اللي فات مات (AA 105)

What’s gone is gone (dead).

 

• البقره كيف إتطيحيكثرن سكاكينها (AA 192)

When the cow falls down knives show up in abundance.

 

• اللي تلمه النمله في عام يشيله الجمل في خفة (AA 200)

What is collected in a year by anant is carried all away once by a camel’s foot.