Arabic animal proverbs
From Wikiquote
The following is a list of proverbs about animals in the Arabic language
Contents |
[edit] Animals
[edit] Farm animals
- أَخْفَقَ حالب التيس
- Literal meaning: The man who wanted to milk the male goat failed.
- Metaphoric meaning: If it's impossible, it will never happen no matter how determined you are.
- أقول ثور يقول أحلبوه
- Literal meaning: I say "it's a bull" he says "milk it".
- Use: used to express that someone is not listening to the logic presented and insisting on what he/she wants.
- إذا تفرقت الغنم قادتها العنز الجرباء
- Literal meaning: Shall the sheep go astray; they will be led by the ill goat.
- عنزة ولو طارت
- Literal meaning: it's a goat even if it flew.
- Metaphoric meaning: it is what it is no matter what it can do.
- القَصَّابُ لا تهوله كثرة الغنم
- كالجراد: لا يبقى ولا يذر
- كلما كثر الذباب هان قتله
- لا بد دون الشهد من إبر النحل
- اللي تقرصه الحية يخاف من الحبل
- Literal meaning: that who has been bitten by a snake will be afraid of a rope.
- مثل السمك يأكل بعضه
- Literal meaning: Like fish, they eat each other.
- كالضريع لا يسمن ولا يغني من جوع
- كالمحتمي ببيت العنكبوت
- Literal meaning: Like he who seeks refuge in the house of a spider
- كأن على رءوسهم الطير
- يذبح الطاووس لجمال ريشه
- Literal meaning: A Peacock is slain for the beauty of his feathers.
- يسقط الطير حيث يُنْثَرُ الحب وتغشى منازل الكرماء
- بصلة المحب خروف
- Literal meaning: The onion of the beloved is a sheep.
- metaphoric meaning: whatever a lover receives from his beloved will look beautiful in his eyes.
- يناطح بقرني طين
- Literal meaning: He head-butts with horns of mud.
- لا تكن كالعنز تبحث عن المُدْيَةِ
[edit] Wild beasts
- إذا ذكرت الذئب فأعد له العصا
- Literal meaning: If you mentioned the wolf you better prepare the stick.
- إذا سلمت من الأسد فلا تطمع في صيده
- Literal meaning: If you are saved from the lion, do not be greedy and hunt it. (Meaning: "Don't press your luck.")
- ولا فرار على زأر من الأسد
- عضة أسد ولا نظرة حسد
- Literal meaning: The bite of a Lion is better than an envious look
- كالذئب: إذا طلب هرب وإذا تمكن وثب
- كمن يربي الذئب
- ما استبقاك من عرضك للأسد
- هذا الشبل من ذاك الأسد
- كلب جَوَّالٌ خير من أسد رابض
- Literal meaning: He fights (head butts) with horns made of clay.
- من خشى الذئب أعد كلبا
- من لم يكن ذئبا أكلته الذئاب
- لا يجتمع الذئب والحمل
- جزاء مُجيرِ أُمِّ عامِرٍ
- كطالب الصيد في عرين الأسد
[edit] Pets
- على أهلها جنت براقش
- Literal meaning: her own people did Baraqesh victimize.
- Origin: in Arabic tradition, Baraqesh was a dog owned by some people in a tribe that was at war with another; one day the warriors were away and there was a raid from the enemy; the women, children and elderly hid in a cave to avoid capture; but a bird stood at the entrance of the cave and Baraqesh kept barking until the enemy found them.
- Use: to express that someone has hurt himself, his family or people.
- الكلاب تنبح والقافلة تسير
- Literal meaning: the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Metaphoric meaning: trivial things do not disrupt the course of important things.
- ذيل الكلب عمره ما ينعدل ولو حطوا فيه قالب
- Literal meaning: the tail of the dog never straightens up even if you put it in a mold.
- Metaphoric meaning: habits stick to people.
- أعدّوا لكلب السوء كلبا يعادله
- Literal meaning: Prepare for the dog of evil, a dog as strong.
perform it best even if it will cost you much.
-
- Literal meaning: horses know their riders the best.
- لا يضر السحاب نباح الكلاب
- كلب تجره بالمرس ما ينفعك
- من قلة الخيل شددنا على الكلاب سروجا
- Literal meaning: He kills the peacock for the beauty of its feathers.
- من جعل نفسه عظما أكلته الكلاب
- مثل القطط بسبع أرواح
- كل كلب ببابه ينبح
- كهرة تأكل أولادها
[edit] Birds
- إذا لم ينفعك البازي فانتف ريشه
- Literal meaning: If an eagle (falcon?) is no good, cut its feathers off.
- بغاث الطير أكثرها فراخاً
- ياما جاب الغراب لأمه
- لو كان في البومة خير ما تركها الصياد
- لو ترك القطا لنام
- Literal meaning: Much did the crow bring home to his mother.
- Metaphoric meaning: what you brought is not good enough, trivial or not worthy.
- وحق على ابن الصقر أن يشبه الصقر
- Literal meaning: the falcon's son has the right to look like a falcon.
- Metaphoric meaning: being like your father is normal.
- وكم من غراب رام مشي الحمامة فأنسي ممشاه ولم يمش كالحجل
- وكيف تنام الطير في وكناتها
- وما ينهض البازي بغير جناحيه
- الذي لا يعرف الصقر يشويه
- Literal meaning: he who does not know the falcon would grill it.
- Metaphoric meaning: if someone doesn't know the value of something he will degrade it.
- Literal meaning: The fisherman is the shark's friend.
- الطيور على أشكالها تقع
- Literal meaning: all birds, no matter what shape, fall.
- English equivalent: Birds of a feather flock together
- ما طار طير وارتفع، إلا وكما طار وقع
- Literal meaning: no bird that has flown high exists unless just as it flew it fell.
- Metaphoric meaning: everything, no matter how great, will come to an end.
- عصفور في اليد خير من عشرة على الشجرة
- Literal meaning: A bird in the hand is better than ten on a tree
[edit] Horses, camels and other animals that are ridden
- الخيل أعرف بفرسانها
- اللي بيسرق بيضة بيسرق جمل.
- Literal meaning: he who steals an egg steals a camel.
- العز في نواصي الخيل
- السَّرْج المُذهَّب لا يجعلُ الحمار حصاناً
- Literal meaning: a golden saddle does not make the donkey a horse.
- Metaphoric meaning: wearing fancy cloths and living a fancy life will not change what you are.
- قيل للبغل: "من أبوك" قال "الفرس خالي"
- Literal meaning: The mule was asked: "Who is your father?" It responded with: "The horse is my uncle."
- Metaphoric meaning: people avoid talking about what is not prestigious and bring up prestigious things even if they were irrelevant.
- Literal meaning: Like the man who shields himself with a spiders home.
- كالحادي وليس له بعير
- كالقشة التي قصمت ظهر البعير
- Literal meaning: like the straw that broke the camel's back.
- هما كفرسي رهان
- لكل عالِمٍ هفوة ولكل جَوَادٍ كبوة
- لا ناقة لي فيها ولا جمل
[edit] Other animals
- تمخض الجبل فولد فأرا
- Literal meaning: the mountain was in labour and he gave birth to a mouse.
- Use: to express that someone made a big deal but the result was really trivial.
- الثروة تأتي كالسلحفاة وتذهب كالغزال
- Literal meaning: wealth comes like a tortuous and goes like a gazelle.
- Metaphoric meaning: wealth comes slowly and goes quickly.
- Wealth comes like a turtle and goes away like a gazelle.
- القرد فى عين أمه غزال
- Literal meaning: A monkey is a gazelle in the eyes of his mother.
- Metaphoric meaning: people who are one your side see you differently than those that are not, or those that are neutral.
- Metaphoric meaning: a bad thing is bad in principal, not in quantity or regularity.
- تكاثرت الظباء على خراش فما يدري خراش ما يصيد
- صاحب القرش صياد
- ركب الفيل وقال لا تبصروني
- Literal meaning: he mounted the elephant and said: "don't see me".
- Use: when someone does something that is hard to miss.
