Egyptian Proverbs

ما فيش حلاوه من غير نار There is no candy without fire. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. 

اللي يتجوز أمي أقوله يا عمي The one who marries my mother, I call him uncle. If you can't beat them, join them.

دوام الحال من المحال It is impossible for any situation to remain permanent. Nothing stays the same.

المال السايب يعلم السرقة Unattended money teaches theft. In the Marine Corps it was common to say "gear adrift is gear a gift". Basically, leaving your stuff unsecured is an open invitation to theft. 

ابن الوز عوام The son of the goose is a swimmer. Like father like son. 

من شابه أباه فما ظلم Also, like father like son.

اقلب القدرة على فمها تطلع البنت لأمها Flip over a jar on its mouth and the girl turned out to be like her mother. Like mother like daughter. 

إن غاب القط إلعب يا فار When the cat is away the mice will play.

الفاضي يعمل قاضي Someone with a lot of free time will play the judge. A criticism of someone who spends his or her time intervening and interfering in other people's affairs.

اللي على البر عوام The one standing on the shore is a master swimmer. Used for people who criticize others without any attachment or knowledge of their situation.

باب النجار مخلع The carpenter's door is crooked. Someone who is overconcerned with other people's business and does not attend to his or her own problems. 

شحات وعايز رغيف A beggar and he wants a whole loaf of bread. Beggars can't be choosers.

الجهل نعمة Ignorance is bliss.

الاعتراف بالحق فضيلة Admitting when someone else is right is a virtue. Give credit where credit is due.

كله عند العرب صابون It's all soap to the Bedouins. It's all the same to people who know nothing. 

نقول طور يقولو احلبوه We say it's a bull and they say milk it. A description of someone who doesn't quite see where you are coming from. Like talking to a brick wall.

ديل الكلب عمره ما يتعدل A dog's tail will never be straight. A leopard cannot change its spots. 

بين الفكي الكماشة In the plier's jaws. A tough situation, between a rock and a hard place. 

خرجنا من حفرة ووقعنا في دحديرة We got out of a hole and fell down a slope. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. 

في المشمش In the apricot. That is never going to happen.

زي سمن على عسل Like butter on honey. Two people who go together really well. Like two peas in a pod, like peas and carrots. 

عمل له حركة وسخة To play a dirty trick on someone.

تموت الرقاصة ووسطها بيلعب The dancer dies and her waist is still moving. Old habits die hard. 

يا دخل بين البصلة وقرشتها ما ينوبك إلا ريحتها If you get between the onion and its peel you will get nothing but its bad odor. Don't enter into the business of others. 

شخشخ يتلموا عليك Jingle your pocket change and the people will gather. Money talks and B.S. walks.

دود المش منه فيه The maggot is of the cheese itself. A family problem is from a member of the family, a bad egg. 

يا واخدة القرد على ماله يروح المال ويبقى القرد على حاله Marry a monkey for his money, the money will go and the monkey remains. Don't marry an ugly person on account of their wealth.

على قد لحافك مد رجليك Stretch your legs as far as your blanket extends. Don't live beyond your means.

طباخ السم بيدوقه The one who cooks the poison will taste it. What goes around comes around.

حاميها حراميها The one who protects it also robs it. A comment made in relation to corrupt political figures or police who embezzle, accept bribes and so on. 

داري على شمعتك تقيد Protect the flame of your candle and it will continue to burn. Don't brag about good fortune because it invites envy or misfortune.

الباب اللي يجيك منه الريح سده واستريح If the door lets in the breeze, close it off and rest at ease. Managed to get a nice hard end rhyme in the translation. Solve the problem at hand.

سكتنا له دخل بحماره We allowed him in and he brought his donkey. Give them an inch and they take a mile.

اللي تحسبه موسى يطلع فرعون If you think he's Moses he'll turn out to be pharaoh. Someone two faced, you think they are good in the beginning but turn out to be awful. 

احييني النهارده وموتني بكره Let me live today and let me die tomorrow. You only live once.

الاسم لطوبة والفعل لأمشير His name is Touba and his behavior is Amshir. Appearances can be deceptive. Don't place too much trust in people as their intentions can change like the weather. Touba and Amshir are months in the Coptic calendar known for cold and stormy weather respectively.

صاحب بالين كداب The owner of two businesses is a liar. Don't trust people who juggle too many responsibilities, trust a specialist or someone who has expended a focused effort in his or her field.

الحسن خي الحسين Al-Hassan is the brother of al-Hussein. Despite any apparent changes, things remain the same. This expression uses the names of Prophet Mohammad's grandsons who are both equally respected in the Islamic tradition. The equivalent English expression would be "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss". 

سيد القوم خادمهم The master of the people is the one who serves them. A leader serves his people and lives for their benefit. It is a bit on the side of wishful thinking.

آخرة الحياة الموت Death is the conclusion of life. Don't fear the reaper.

أبو البنات مرزق The father of girls is lucky in business. Having daughters isn't the end of the world. 

عين الحر ميزانه The impartial eye is the best judge. Get an outside opinion from someone not invested in the issue.

أفتي معرفتي وراحتي ماعرفش I give my opinion and my comfort is irrelevant. I tell it like it is, I don't mince words. 

خير تعمل شر تلقى For every good deed comes evil. No good deed goes unpunished.

الدنيا بدل يوم عسل ويوم بصل The world alternates a day of honey and a day of onion. There are always good times and bad times, take it in stride.

زي الفراخ رزقه تحت رجليه Like the chicken his livelihood is beneath his feet. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

كل واحد عارف شمس تطلع منين Everyone knows where the sun rises on their house. Stay out of people's affairs, they know best how to deal with their problems. 

ابن آدم فالتفكير والرب فالتدبير The son of Adam is lost in thought and God is handling everything. Life happens while you are making plans. 

العين فلقت الحجر The eye split the stone. The expression is a superstitious warning against the evil eye and envious people.

بشم على ضهر إيدي I am smelling the back of my hand. I know what's in store, I know what the future holds.

يا مآمنة للرجال يا مآمنة للمئة في الغربال Trusting men is like trusting water in a sieve. Don't trust men.

اللي اتلسع من الشربة ينفخ في الزباري One that is burned by soup will blow on yogurt. Once burned twice shy.

امشي عدل يحتار عدوك فيك Walk right, your enemies will have nothing on you. 

علم في المتبلم يصبح ناسي No matter how much you teach a stupid person they will forget it the next morning.