Thursday, May 16, 2013

If speaking is silver, silence is gold


This is a list of Tunisian proverbs I translated into English. Can you give the originals in Tunisian Arabic ?
1. He who wants to be famous will have many a sleepless night.
2. Because he has so many trades, he is unemployed.
3. You should have done it on the wedding right, you fool.
4. After I saw what my mother did, I will never trust a widow.
5. If your friend is honey, don' t lick him thoroughly.



Other tunisian proverbs I translated into English. Some have the originals in Tunisian below:

"Turn the pan upside down, the daughter grows to be like her mom!"
اقلب البرمة على فمها تطلع البنية لأمه


"He who steals beats he who shouts !"

If speaking is silver, silence is gold 

O Sabra! The wound can be healed by a bandage,
But the evil word will be born anew, in the heart, the following day!


الجرح يبرا يا صبرا و تهواه الضميدة
و كلمة السوّ تبات و تصبح جديدة

الجرح يبرا يا صبرا و تبرا عليه الضميدة *** أما كلمة السوء تمسى و تصبح في القلب جديدة


If speaking is silver, silence is gold 

 Don't trust the horses if they run away, or the whores if they repent.

 He ate one fig and he thought the autumn had come.

 He said, "My uncle is the horse."

 He who is covered with other people's clothes is naked.

 He who spends a night with a chicken will cackle in the morning.

 He who wants to be famous will have many a sleepless night.

Hit him with a bean, he will break.

How lovely is the sun after rain, and how lovely is laughter after sorrow.

 If he gives you a rope, tie him with it.

 If someone hits you with a stone, hit him with bread; your bread will return to you and his stone will return to him.

 If the full moon loves you, why worry about the stars?

 If the tailof the dog can save me, I don't care about its stench.

 If there is any profit in partnership, two will share a woman.

 If you are ugly, be winsome.

 If your friend is honey, don't lick him thoroughly.

 No one will say, "My father is incontinent." Everyone will say, "He is a man of advice and wisdom."


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