Arabic Proverbs/Sayings
In this post, I’m adding some new Arabic proverbs/sayings to the ones I posted years ago here. The post from 2016 is one of my most consistently popular posts, but it is high time we got some new ones! This round is more colloquial. The earlier post includes more quotations from literature. Enjoy!
إن كان حبيبك عسل، ما تلحوش كلّه
If your honey is sweet, don’t lick him/her all away
(Don’t be too demanding of your good friends and loved ones.)
إن غاب القطّ، إلعب يا فار
When the cat’s away, the mice will play
إن عشقت، اعشق قمر، وإن سرقت، اسرق جمل
Translation: If you’re going to love, love a moon (a beauty), and if you’re going to steal, steal a camel
Meaning: Anything you do, do it thoroughly.
إن كان لك عند الكلب حاجة، قول له: يا سيدي
Translation: If you have something with some dog of a person, say: Yes sir/ma’am
Meaning: Be respectful of those you have to work (or need something from), even if they’re not respectable.
اعمل الخير وارميه في البحر
Literally: Do good and throw it in the sea
Meaning: Do good and let it go (don’t have expectations of how it will benefit you or anyone else).
اللي بغا العسل يصبر لقريس النحل
بالفصحى: من أراد العسل صبر على لسع النحل
Français: Qui veut le miel doit supporter les piqûres d’abeilles.
English: Those who want honey must deal with bee stings.
For more Moroccan proverbs like this one, rendered in beautiful art, see Proverbes populaires du Maroc: Paroles et calligraphies de femmes (2009)
If you want to provide more proverbs for the next round, contact me here!
