Arabic – English Proverbs

About “ Face “

By:

Fatima Amer Al-Saiari

إذا قل ماء الوجه قل حاؤه

itha qall maa’ alwajh qall haiauoh

Literal meaning: If the dignity decreased, the modesty decreases.English equivalent: Rudeness knows no bounds of shame

بشر الكريم في وجهه يلىح

bishro alkareem fi wajhaho yalooh

Literal meaning: the person’s joy is visible in his face.English Equivalent: Seeing a client is in itself a trade

قول له ف وشه وال تغشه?ullu fwissu wala tyissu

Literal Meaning: Tell (the truth) to his face and do not cheat him (i.e. do not hide it from him).English Equivalent: Tell the truth and shame the devil. Honesty is the best policy.

العكر الوش ف المشطةأه تعمل

?ih taemel almushta fi alwish alaker

Literal Meaning: What can a beautician do for an ugly mug.Implied meaning: You cannot make a silk purse out for a sow’s ear.

قفاك، إن ما شاف وشك شوفووراكجارك قدامك

Gaarak ?uddaamak wi waraak, in masaafwissak yisuuf ?afaak.

Literal Meaning: Your neighbor is both in front of and behind you. If he is unable to see your face he will see your back.Implied Meaning: You cannot hide your affairs from your neighbor.

الل كذب نهار الوقفة، سود وشه نهار العدIlli yikdib nihaar ilwa?fa, yiswadd wissu

nhaar il؟iid.Literal Meaning: He is who on the eve of a feast day, his face will turn black on the feast day (=be embarrassed).Implied Meaning: You may get away with a lie for a while, but you will always be found out.

سلةوف القفا مراة الوشف Filwiss mraaya wfil?afa sillaaya

Literal meaning: (to be like) a mirror in (your) face but a thorn in the back of the neck.Implied meaning: a person who is nice to you in your presence but gossips about you behind your back.

.الل تكره وشه، حوجك الزمان لقفاهIlli tikrah wissu yihugak izzamaan li?afaah.

Literal meaning: He whose face you hate (to see), time will make you need (even) the back of his neck.Implied meaning: be discrete in showing your feelings towards others, for you never know what the future will bring.

.اللبان مداغعلى وشك بان، ا

ala wissak؟ yibaan, ya maddagy illibaan.

Literal meaning: On your face, it will become apparent, you who are chewing gum (i.e. one can tell if a person has chewing gum by the movement of his jaws).Implied meaning: No matter how much you try to hide your actions, there will be indications that give them away.

الوجه بغطاألصبع الواحد ما Al-as’bba’ al-wah’id ma bighati al-wajh

Literal meaning: One finger will not cover the faceImplied meaning: one cannot live without the help of others.

وتبقى الوجوه بروحالمال

al-mal biroah’ watabqa al-wojoh

Literal meaning: Wealth will go and faces remain.Implied meaning: fortune and money do not last long, but relationships between people remain.

الوشالمش، كل ساعة ف زي

zayy il-mishsh, kull is-saa3a fil-wishsh

Literal meaning: Like mish (mish is a milk-based liquid and like a fermented cheese), every hour in the face.Implied Meaning: Something that is always around.

طالع وجه التس واحلب لبن

talea waja altais wa ahleb laban

Literal meaning: look at the goat’s face and get milkImplied meaning: someone who is completely useless

زن لو قام من النوم والشن شن لو غسل وجهه الزن

بالصابونal-zain zain law qam min al-noom, wa alshain

shain law gassal wajhah bil-saboonLiteral meaning: The beautiful is beautiful even he wakes up from sleeping and ugly is ugly even he washes his face with soap.Implied meaning: the beautiful face is beautiful in all cases and all time and the ugly face is always ugly even all triesto make it beautiful.

بوسه ونظف بتك ما تدري مناغسل وجهك ما تدري

دوسه منigsel wajhak ma tedri meen ybousoh wanaddif baitak ma tedri meen yedousoh

Literal meaning: wash your face you don’t know who will kiss it and clean your house you don’t know who will trample it.Implied meaning: prepare yourself for any possibilities.

العب الل ف الوجه ما تغطى وال ندسalaieb illi fi alwajh ma yetqatta wa la

yendass

Literal meaning: the blemish in the face is impossible to cover and hide.Implied meaning: when you try hard to hide your faults and they are very obvious for all people.

وصابغة وجهها ألوان وصبانشعرها قمل shaaraha qamel wa seiban wa sabqa

wajhha alwan

Literal meaning: her hair is full of lice and her face is colored.Implied meaning: a person who contradicts himself.

قالت وجه متعود على الفضحة اتبرقعقالوا للقردة

qalwo lilqerda itbargaei qalat wajhi metawid ala alfadeha

Literal meaning: The monkey has been asked to cover her face, she said it’s a face of scandal.

Implied meaning: The person who has a bad quality and cannot change it.

شتفىالوجه والقفا والعدو لسع ما انحرق

Inharaq alwajh wa alqafa, wa aladow lessa ma eshtafa

Literal meaning: His face and back are burned and his enemy still doesn’t feel this enough to take his revenge.Implied meaning: It’s hard to satisfy people.

ماء وخضرة ووجه حسن: بلد بن حسنBilad bani hasan: maa’ wa qudrah wa wajh

hasan

Literal meaning: the country of beauty has water, verdancy and a beautiful face.Implied meaning: someone or something that has all the good qualities.

The End