Al banat ham lal mamat Daughters are an object of worry until death. This saying probably harks back to the practice of female infanticide during the pre- Islamic Arab dark age, Al Jahiliya, (literally, the era of ignorance). Like a desert khamseen, Islam wiped out this horrible custom of burying newly born daughters alive for fear of letting them fall captive to raiding parties. This was one of the worst Jahiliya abominations that Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, promptly abolished. The Quran, the holy scriptures of Islam, endowed women with privileges they had never dreamed of enjoying before. Among them, the provision of a prenuptial dowry by a prospective groom and the laying aside of a special sum at the disposal of his wife should he decide to divorce her later.

Qadi al awlad shanaQ Haloh - The children's (court jud)ge hanged himself [i.e, in frustration]. To anyone trying to settle differences between children, this would be an apposite declaration. Try to find out who broke the window-pane in a house full of children - and you'll end up with a Rashomon scenario - with as many different versions or points of view with regard to the truth, as there are children.

al Qrd fi 'ayn immoh ghazal In the eyes of its mother, a monkey is a gazelle. No matter how comely a child may look, in the eyes of its mother it will always be as beautiful as a gazelle - an animal Arabs consider one of God's greatest gifts to mankind.

iss al 'an al jar Qabl al dar Find out about your neighbor first before deciding on a house. The Arab remains a gregarious animal, delighting in the company of others, in the mellifluous flow of his musical tongue. The common saying "The Prophet [Mohammed] recommended that you look after your neighbors and honor them, up to the seventh from your house," aptly reflects the feeling. Who has not heard the story of Hatem al Tai, the legendary Arab chieftain who felt no compunctions about sacrificing his finest steed to feed a guest when he ran out of other offerings? When you break bread with an Arab, you become a valued guest and no harm should befall you whenever you are under his roof. Another famous saying, this one from Egypt, carves this out in stone: "We have eaten break and salt together." That cements our friendship. Therefore, a man looking for a house to rent or purchase would be more interested in finding out who or what his neighbor is, for to an Arab, a good neighbor is worth more than a dozen relatives.

la taQool lil mooghanni ghanni wala lil raQQas irQos Don't tell a dancer to dance, nor a singer to sing. Or, let the player play whatever tune he likes. An admonition against being nosy, presumptuous or a busybody. People know what they are doing: they do not need to be told or reminded of their tasks or responsibilities. If you ask a painter to give your kitchen a new coat of paint, don't stand there telling him how to hold a brush. In another context, this saying also warns against meddling and influence peddling: if a person does not want to do something, leave him/her alone. Don't try to make that person change his/her mind.

al aQareb 'aQareb Relatives are like crabs [i.e., untrustworthy]. A crude condemnation of disloyal, covetous or treacherous relatives. Compared to a faithful friend or neighbor, many relatives come up short in a society that expects brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, to remain true to the bonds of blood.

Timsek turab, yi?leb dhahab May the earth you touch, be transmuted into gold. A favorite grandfatherly blessing. Wheneer I tried to kiss his hand, as was the custom in those halcyon days (and not in flattery out of love and respect), he would pull it way and give me a light tap . The analogy with the Midas Golden Touch is evient.

shayfeh Halhah zayy khariet al suboH  She is as arrogant as an early morning poo. This is a gem by itself, a flagrant expression of envy and dislike, with a nice poetic and graohic undetone. The particular deposit, becmorningause it is the day's first emanation and therefore fresh, sits or squats arrogantly (in the bowl). Like the person being derided.

yifdaHni wa la yistaHni I'd rather it [breaking wind] betrayed me rather than blew me up. Should a person feel the need to break wind, foremost in his mind would be the thought, "the heck with it, I'd rather the wind and smell betray me and embarrass me rather than burst me."

yom 'assal yom bassal One day we have honey, the next day onions. Mainly a reflection on the state of one's trade or business. Some days you make money, and some days you do not. This little gem has even migrated into the Jewish lexion

yalli makhedh al Qird 'ala maloh, byirouH al mal byidal l Qird 'ala Haloh  If you marry a monkey for his money, [beware] the money is soon gone, but the stays put: you're stuck with him. Marrying a person for his or her money is perhaps a grave mistake, particularly if that person is physically unattractive. For the money will in time dissipate, but the unattractiveness will remain. At the time this was coined, plastic surgery had been unheard of. People could not visualize the possibility of re-arranging one's face. But in today's brave new world, there is no place for homeliness.