Traditional Syria Wisdom

اللي فات مات.

“What has passed is dead.”

Let go of past grievances and move forward.

القرد بعين أمه غزال.

“In his mother's eyes, the monkey is a gazelle.”

A parent's love makes them blind to their child's flaws.

دخان بلادي ولا نار بلاد الناس.

“My homeland's smoke is better than another's fire.”

Nothing compares to the comfort of one's own home, even in hardship.

إيد وحدة ما بتصفق.

“One hand alone cannot clap.”

Cooperation and teamwork are needed to accomplish anything.

إذا غاب القط العب يا فار.

“When the cat is away, the mouse plays.”

People misbehave or take liberties when authority is absent.

كل ممنوع مرغوب.

“Everything forbidden is desired.”

People are drawn most strongly to what they are told they cannot have.

يلي بيته من قزاز ما يرشق الناس بالحجار.

“Whoever's house is made of glass should not throw stones at people.”

Do not criticize others for faults you share yourself.

الجار قبل الدار.

“The neighbor before the house.”

Good neighbors matter more than the house itself when choosing where to live.

الصبر مفتاح الفرج.

“Patience is the key to relief.”

Enduring hardship patiently eventually leads to a way out.

كثرة الطباخين بتحرق الطبخة.

“Too many cooks burn the dish.”

Too many people involved in a task can ruin it.

اضرب الحديد وهو حامي.

“Strike the iron while it is hot.”

Act on an opportunity while conditions are favorable.

العين بصيرة واليد قصيرة.

“The eye sees far, but the hand is short.”

Wanting something that remains out of one's reach.

يلي بدو يعلي الديك يربيه من بيضة.

“Whoever wants to raise a fine rooster raises it from the egg.”

Good results require care and effort from the very beginning.

الطيور على أشكالها تقع.

“Birds of a feather fall together.”

People tend to associate with others who are similar to them.

من شبه أباه ما ظلم.

“He who resembles his father has done no wrong.”

It is natural, not shameful, for children to take after their parents.

الباب يلي بيجيك منه الريح سده واستريح.

“Shut the door the wind blows through, and rest.”

Remove the source of a recurring problem instead of enduring it repeatedly.

قول الحق ولو كان مر.

“Speak the truth, even if it is bitter.”

Honesty should be upheld even when it is unwelcome or painful.

يوم عسل ويوم بصل.

“A day of honey, a day of onion.”

Life alternates between sweetness and hardship.

الحيط الواطي بيتسلق منه كل الناس.

“Everyone climbs over a low wall.”

A weak or defenseless person is taken advantage of by many.

الصديق وقت الضيق.

“A friend is known in times of hardship.”

True friendship reveals itself when a person is in need.

اللي ياكل لحاله يشرق لحاله.

“He who eats alone chokes alone.”

A person who refuses to share bears the consequences of selfishness alone.

شر البلية ما يضحك.

“The worst misfortune is the one that makes you laugh.”

Some situations are so absurdly bad that all one can do is laugh in disbelief.

اسأل مجرب ولا تسأل حكيم.

“Ask an experienced person, not a wise one.”

Practical experience is often more valuable advice than theoretical wisdom.

التكرار يعلم الحمار.

“Repetition teaches even the donkey.”

Consistent practice can teach a skill to anyone, however slow a learner.

كل شي بوقته حلو.

“Everything is beautiful in its own time.”

Things are best appreciated when they happen at the right moment.

من جد وجد ومن زرع حصد.

“He who strives finds, and he who sows reaps.”

Effort and investment eventually bring results.

الظلم ما بيدوم.

“Injustice does not last.”

Oppression and wrongdoing eventually come to an end.

اللي إلو ظهر ما بينضرب على بطنه.

“He who has support behind him is not struck in the stomach.”

A person with strong backing or connections is protected from harm.

الجوع كافر.

“Hunger makes a person forget their principles.”

Extreme need can drive people to abandon their usual values.

العقل زينة.

“Wisdom is a person's finest ornament.”

Intelligence and good judgment are more valuable than outward beauty.

جرح السكين إلو دوا، وجرح اللسان ما إلو دوا.

“A wound heals, but a word's wound never heals.”

Physical injuries mend, but the pain caused by cruel words can last a lifetime.

اللي بيحفر حفرة لأخيه بيوقع فيها.

“Whoever digs a hole for his brother falls into it himself.”

Those who scheme to harm others often bring ruin upon themselves.

كثر الدق يفك اللحام.

“Too much knocking loosens the weld.”

Excessive pressure or nagging can eventually break even a strong bond.

الجرة يلي رح تنكسر بتنكسر ولو لفيتها بالقطن.

“The jar destined to break will break, even wrapped in cotton.”

What is fated to happen will happen despite every precaution taken to prevent it.

طنجرة ولقيت غطاها.

“A pot found its lid.”

Two people who are alike, for better or worse, end up matched together.

قل لي من تعاشر أقل لك من أنت.

“Tell me who you keep company with, and I will tell you who you are.”

A person's character is judged by the company they keep.

احفظ لسانك يسلم لك رأسك.

“Guard your tongue, and your head will stay safe.”

Careless speech invites trouble; discretion protects a person from harm.

اللي أصله فضة ما بيصدى.

“What is originally silver never rusts.”

A person of genuine good character remains true no matter what hardship they face.

القرش الأبيض بينفع باليوم الأسود.

“The white coin helps on the black day.”

Saving something in good times provides help when hardship eventually comes.

الإيد يلي ما فيك تكسرها بوسها.

“The hand you cannot break, kiss it.”

When you cannot overcome a stronger force, it is wiser to make peace with it than to keep fighting.

اللي بينزل البحر ما بيخاف من المطر.

“He who goes down into the sea does not fear the rain.”

Someone who has faced great risks is no longer troubled by small ones.

العتب عالنظر.

“The blame is on the eyesight.”

If you are deceived by appearances, the fault lies in your own judgment, not in what you saw.

يلي إيدو بالمي مش متل يلي إيدو بالنار.

“He whose hand is in water is not like he whose hand is in fire.”

Someone who is comfortable cannot truly understand the pain of someone who is suffering.

لسانك حصانك، إن صنته صانك وإن هنته هانك.

“Your tongue is your horse: if you protect it, it protects you, and if you disgrace it, it disgraces you.”

How you use your speech determines whether it serves you well or brings you shame.

خير الكلام ما قل ودل.

“The best speech is that which is short and clear.”

Brief, precise words carry more value than long, rambling ones.

لكل داء دواء إلا الموت.

“Every ailment has a cure except death.”

Almost every problem can eventually be solved, except the one truly beyond remedy.

من قلة الخيل شدوا عالكلاب سروج.

“For lack of horses, they put saddles on dogs.”

When better options are unavailable, people make do with poor substitutes out of necessity.

الكذب حبله قصير.

“The rope of a lie is short.”

A lie cannot be sustained for long before it is discovered.

من شبّ على شيء شاب عليه.

“He who grows up with something grows old with it.”

Habits formed in youth tend to remain with a person for their whole life.

احكي لجارك يسمع كنّتك.

“Speak to your neighbor so that your daughter-in-law hears.”

Say something indirectly to one person so that the real intended listener overhears it.