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Palestinian Popular Proverbs
KEY:
Capital letters for Arabic strong letters (D,T,...) and double letters
for long vowels (aa,oo,...)
Group 1:
 "El-faaDi yekhli
lal-malyaan."
The empty gives the way to the full.
"E'mal ma'roof wermi
fil-baHar."
Do good and throw it in the sea.
"Ya Haafir jouret el-saww ya
waaqe' feeha."
This who digs an evil hole will fall into
it.
"Jaarak el-qareeb wala
akhook leb-'eed."
Your close neighbor is better than your
faraway brother.
"Ed-daar daar aboona wajo
el-ghorob yeT-Hoona."
The house is our father's and the
strangers came to kick us out.
"LaTHTHaalim yowm methel
daqq eththowm."
There will be a day for the opressor when
he will be crushed like garlic.
"Laa tishrab min beer o
tirmy feeh Hajar."
Do not drink from a well and throw a stone
into it.
"Ead waHdha maa betSaffeq."
One hand can't clap.
"Ma beqTa' er-raas illa illy
rakkabo."
Nobody will cut a head off except the One
who put it on.
"Doqq el-baab qabil ma
todkhol."
Nock on the door before entering.
"Ma boHroth el-arD gheir
e'joolha."
Nobody will plough the land except its
cows.
"El-jaahil 'adoww nafsoh."
The ignorant is his own enemy.
"ES-Sadeeq waqt eD-Deeq."
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
"Illy beHeb maa bekrah."
The one who loves does not hate.
Source:
Barghouthi, A.: "The Role of Folklore in
the Process of Socializing Palestinian Children", Society &
Heritage, 24: 19, al-Bireh, Palestine (July 1994).
Group 2:
 "Koll 'ein o elha naTHrah."
Every eye has its look.
"El-'ein mabte'laash 'an
el-Haajib."
The eye does not get over the eyebrow.
"El-maktoob 'ala el-jabeen
laazem etshoofol 'ein."
Whatever is written on the forehead is
always seen.
"El-wejh elly betSabHoh,
keef elak 'ein etqabHoh."
You will not dare mistreating the face you
see in the morning.
"El-'ein elly btoakel."
The eye is the one that eats.
"ET'am eththim, testHyl
'ein."
If you feed the mouth, the eye becomes shy.
"El-'ein baSeerah wel-eid
qaSeerah."
The eye sees, but the hand can't reach.
"Gheeb 'an el-'ein, betgheeb
'an eThThehen."
Away from the eye, away from the mind.
Source:
From the Archive of Popular Proverbs, Society
& Heritage, 24: 54, al-Bireh, Palestine (July 1994).
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