Arabic Proverbs

Hello again and welcome to another Vocab Vendredi. Last week, we looked at some of my favourite Arabic proverbs about camels in The Son of a Duck is a Floater and what they mean in English. This week, I’ve got a little test for you.

I’ve selected five Arabic proverbs that have similar English equivalents and I want you to guess what they are! I’ve given you the literal English translation as a hint.

Anyway, here are the phrases:

1.

???? ????? ?? ?????

He steals the kohl from the eye

(NB: I love this one, because of it’s Arabisation with the use of ‘kohl’)

2.

??? ??? ???????? ???? ???????

Too many captains sink the ship.

3.

??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????

The dog’s tail remains crooked, if it is put in fifty moulds.

4.

?? ??? ???? ????

Every sun has its sunset.

5.

???? ???????

A beggar and he bargains!

I look forward to seeing your guesses for the English equivalents of these Arabic proverbs in the comments. I think number 4 is the hardest…

And, as always, if you are looking for someone to translate from Arabic to English for you, I would be happy to help. Please contact me for rates.

If you made it this far, here is a bonus phrase that is identitical in both Arabic and English:

?? ??? ???? ???

No smoke without fire.

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