You can learn a lot about a culture when you know some of its proverbs مَثل/حِكمة or wise sayings. Here are some Arabic proverbs with their English translations. I have all the English translations at the bottom of the post, so you can first try to understand the meaning in Arabic or at least the gist of the saying before reading the translation. Some even have English equivalents!

Image by ErgsArt on Flickr.com

As you read these proverbs, think about whether you agree with them or not, if they have an English equivalent, what they say about Arab culture, and in what contexts do you think they are used?

ابنُ الإبنِ الحبيبُ، ابنُ البنتِ ابنُ الغَريبِ • 

خُذ وأعطِ • 

أداب ُ المرءِ خيرٌ من ذهبهِ •

إذا أردتَ السلامَ فاستعد للحرب •

إذا بيتُكَ من الزجاجٍ فلا ترمي الناسَ بالحجارةِ •

أكلَ البيضةَ وقشرتها •

أن تصل متأخراً خيرٌ من أن لا تصلَ أبداً •

أنا وأخي على ابن عمي، أنا وابن عمي على الغريبِ •

البعيدُ عن العينِ بعيدٌ عن القلبِ •

بَيَّضَ وجههُ •

جرحُ الكلامِ أعمقُ من جرحِ السيوف •

الجارُ قبلَ الدار •

• The son of the son is the beloved one, the son of the daughter is the stranger’s son
• Give and take
• A person’s ethics is better than his gold
• If you want peace prepare yourself for war
• People in glass houses should not throw stones
• He ate the egg and its shell (refers to someone who is greedy)
• Better late than never
• Me and my brother against my cousin, me and my cousin against a stranger
• Out of sight, out of mind
• He whitened his face (Said about someone who does a good deed and brings honor)
• The wound caused by words is deeper than the wound caused by swords
• The neighbor comes before the home (Choose good neighbors if you want to be happy)