Three things are not lendable: the rifle, the horse and the woman, goes the old Arabic proverb. Similarly, an English proverb says, “A horse, a wife and a sword may be shown but not lent.
The book by Primrose Arnander and Ashkhain Skipwith is a collection of some of the funniest and most amusing proverbs from Egypt and other Arab countries, each with its equivalent English proverb.
“Unload your own donkey, or in English “Mind your own business, is the title of this book although it is the third one so far following in the footsteps of “The Son of a Duck is a Swimmer and “Apricots Tomorrow.
Each page features one or two proverbs illustrated by Kathryn Lamb, who has penned and illustrated eight children’s books. The pictures are drawn in simple black ink, which reflects traditional Arab culture depicting Bedouins, falaheen (peasant farmers), donkeys and camels.
Some of the proverbs are easily matched with their Western counterparts while others need a little more creativity. For example, the proverb that says “rather be loved by a monkey than despised by a gazelle is roughly translated into “take what you can get.
Each proverb is also written in Arabic, accompanied by a transliteration for those who do not read Arabic so readers can learn to say it in its original form. A guide at the beginning of the book helps with the transliteration of some of the letters that have no English equivalent like the ein or hamza.
It is nice to read the original form even for those who don’t understand the literal meaning because these proverbs have rhyme and melody when read in Arabic. “Lama ana sit we inti sit mein el haykob el tisht? which is translated into “If I am a lady and you are a lady who will empty the chatty (or plastic wash basin)? While the meaning is still there, the rhyme and rhythm are somewhat lost in translation.
The authors highlight the “common heritage of humor and wisdom of both the East and the West. The ideologies are the same, the philosophies are the same, and even the humor is similar; they differ in the way they are represented.
For example, in the East “The saucepan has found its lid, while in the West “To every Jack his Jill.
Tom Stacy, a guest of Arnander who was traveling around Arabia several years ago, said, “I was struck by the frequency with which my Arab companion’s funny bone was tickled by just those things that tickled mine. When he commented to Arnander about this, she brought out what was then a rough draft of “The Son of a Duck is a Swimmer.
For this reason, all of her books are a hit with both Arabic and English speakers.
Whether to entertain or inform, this book must be on every bookshelf. It also makes a great gift for someone in the East or the West.
The books were first published by The American University in Cairo Press and are available in bookstores.
