Today we are going to explain the proverbs in
English and Arabic The proverbs of English and
then the proverbs of Arabic. Are they equivalent
to each other? What does the proverb mean? How
could we translate the proverb? Is it translated
word by word or is it translated as one unit? Does
it refer to the tradition of the nation or is it
normal speech? It's not normal speech. It refers
to the traditions of the nation, the traditions of
the community. It refers to facts. It refers to
facts. So you need, if you need to translate the
proverb of the English language or any of other
languages, This means that you have to understand
the culture of the language. You have to be
familiar with the tradition of the native speakers
of the language. Okay? Otherwise, you face
difficulty in translation. Anyway, what's proverb?
What does it mean proverb? According to Oxford
dictionary,
Proverb is a short saying in general use. It's a
short saying. It's not a long saying. When I say,
for example, stitch in time saves nine. Okay? For
this proverb, it's very short, but gives
sufficient
meaning. Stitch in time saves nine. We have here
three forms of translation. We have what is called
formal translation, functional translation, and
ideational translation.
When I say for functional, for formal translation,
al ghurza fi makaniha
This is called formal translation. But if you
speak about functional or ideational translation,
stitch
in
time saves nine. Okay. So it's very far from the
formal translation, the meaning of the individual
words in the proverb. So it is taken as one unit.
Okay. You have to take care in translation, once
translating the proverb, not to translate
literally. Okay. We have to think about the
ideational translation and also functional
translation. Anyway, we are going to touch the
proverbs and see how could we have a shortcut way
for the correct and perfect translation. Okay.
Let's see. As I mentioned, the proof refers to the
truth, refers to the tradition, refers to the
facts. Okay?
It comes as a group of words established by the
usage and having a meaning not deducible from
those of the individual words. The meaning cannot
be deduced from the individual words of the
proverb itself. Okay? But it gets the meaning from
the whole meaning compared with the tradition and
the culture of the language.
So we have a proverb or a saying stating that if
you need to know about any people, you must know
their proverbs. Because the proverbs narrate the
story of the nation, the tradition of the nation.
Okay?
Here, for example, we have different proverbs that
refer to the culture of nations. The American
tribes often reflect their view of the land as
sacred. They love the land and they consider the
land as sacred So they have the proverb, take only
what you need and leave the land as you found it.
So this proverb refers to the care on land. The
love of land. This is the tradition of the
Americans. some American tribes. The Japanese, for
example, focus on morals. So we have their proverb
stating, an evil deed remains with the evildoer.
So their tradition focus on morals and discretion.
So the tongue is like a sharp knife, it kills
without drawing blood. If you just think deeply on
these two preverbs, you find them speaking about
morals.
The first one speaks about the evil deeds and the
evildoers. And the second example, the second
proverb refers to the backbiting, namima, and the
bad saying. Okay, so these are types of morals. So
morals here are parts of the characteristics of
the Japanese.
The Mexican people also have their own values,
mainly the rural people, okay?
The average person on the street can
have its own character reflected on the proverb
itself. So the proverb refers to the hopes of
those common people. So we have their proverb
which states, hope dies last of all.
So they live on hopes. These are the Mexicans. So
we have the proverbs of Americans, Japanese and
Mexicans. Okay?
The Mexicans do not feel with any desperate
feeling.
They don't feel desperate at all. Okay? The
Japanese focus on moral values. The American
tribes love the land. So we have their proverbs
referring to these ideas very clearly. This shows
clearly that the proverb refers to facts, refers
to the truth of the nation. It refers to the
tradition. the history of the nation. If you need
to understand the history of the nation, you have
to refer or to consult their proverbs.
Okay? So anyone who would like to touch our
Palestinian culture must touch our proverbs. Okay?
Because our popular proverbs reflect our own
character, our own culture, our own civilization.
This means that once you translate, you have not
to look on words. You have to look on the general
meaning compared with the culture of the people
and to focus on the ideational translation, not
the formal translation. Otherwise, you give
another meaning.
Okay. Now, if you look to the origin of the
English proverbs, I can very, very simply state
that the proverb has mostly unknown history. We
don't know about the origin of lots of proverbs
because these are sayings originally said by
individuals then repeated by others and by the run
of time they became as a sort of wisdom which
changed to proverb. So they are repeated by people
by the run of time and they are transferred from
generation to another until reaching us. So we
don't know the origin of these proverbs except
some. Okay? We have some proverbs are derived from
literature, for example, like the literature of
Shakespeare in Medievals. We have some proverbs
derived from the Bible. Some other proverbs are
originally Latin or Greek or Portuguese. So they
are borrowed from other languages. You have lots
of Arabic proverbs available in English. You have
lots of Arabic vocabulary available in English. We
counted 10,000 words okay in English dictionary
originally derived from Arabic so we have Arabic
proverbs inserted in the English dictionary or the
English proverbs okay we have a collection of
proverbs available
in many languages, but if you look to their
origin, you find them already borrowed from other
languages. Okay?
So in general, we can assume that proverbs with
more abstract type of wisdom began life in this
way. Proverbs like the end justifies the means,
which appears to have taken its bow in a 17th
century. The ends justifies the means. الغاية تبرر
الوسيلة Okay? So this is available or it was
available in the 17th century theological
treatise. Okay? Or the wish is further to the
thought.
Which as far as we know was first given expression
to by Julius Caesar. or a soft answer turneth away
wrath. This is directly driven from the Bible.
Okay?
But most of the proverbs are borrowed from other
cultures. Okay? This is we speak about English
proverbs.
But it's very difficult to decide the source of
the proverb itself. Some proverbs are originally
derived or borrowed from Latin, French or Spanish.
But there is no proof about that, about the origin
of the proverb. We understand that this proverb is
not English originally, maybe derived from other
cultures, but we cannot say that this is Latin,
this Portuguese, this, we just assume that. So we
have some sort of assumptions, mostly about most
of the proverbs.
Here we have the proverbs derived from the Bible
appear very clearly. Okay.
Okay. We have the hardest free thinkers or thinker
will show no hesitation in drawing upon them to
illustrate a rational point. Any thinker relies on
proverbs derived from the Bible. Completely like
us, once you write, your composition or your
essay, or you give a talk, you rely to the Holy
Quran, to verses from the Holy Quran. Okay? And
you rely to some discourse from the Prophet. Okay?
So we have prophetic discourse and we have Quranic
verses that are relied on for just exemplifying or
solidifying our talk, or our speech, our writing,
our expressions, for expressing a certain idea or
for conveying a certain idea to the people. We
rely on these sources. This corresponds to the
Christians who rely on the Bible. for taking some
proverbs. These proverbs originally are religious.
Okay. So they are taken from the Bible, maybe from
the Quran and from the holy books, other holy
books.
Once I say, for example, the spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak. العين بصيرة والإيد قصيرة
This is a Biblical proverb. Okay? If we translate
this formally, we come out with incorrect
translation.
It's quite difficult, quite far from the original
meaning. So we rely on what is called ideational
translation. Okay? Or functional translation. We
have also some proverbs which are derived from
literary sources, mainly Shakespeare. Okay? These
proverbs are attributed to the products of
Shakespeare and his plays. Cowards die many times
before their deaths.
Okay. Cowards die many times before their deaths.
Here we have الجبناء يموت الجبناء عدة مرات قبل أن
يموتوا. Okay. So this is patriotic proverb. It
refers to patriotic meaning available in
Shakespeare's writing, okay, while speaking about
the nation or the people in the medieval age,
in the 16th century. So he might speak about
patriotism and nationalism here, He cited this
example to show those wicked people, coward
people, evil people who fear death and cannot
sacrifice themselves for the sake of their nation,
for the sake of their country. Okay? So this is
literally proverb. So we have proverbs borrowed
from other cultures Proverbs borrowed from the
Bible and proverbs borrowed from literary sources
like Shakespeare, for example.
Now, we come to what's called interpretation. The
interpretation of the proverb. How are proverbs to
be interpreted? What's their full meaning? We
understand that the real words of the proverb
cannot give the exact and the specific meaning.
Okay? But the proverb is taken as one unit. Okay?
And we take the meaning as also one unit. This
must be connected with the tradition or the
culture of the language or say the community. So
this means that if you need to translate or to
interpret the proverb, you have not to look very,
very deeply and very carefully to the words. You
have to understand the meaning and the tradition
and to assume or to predict the ideational meaning
of the proverb. I mean the ideational you have to
translate ideationally and you have to focus on
ideational or at least functional translation. So
we have the example a stitch in time saves nine.
This is the literal translation
As we translated just five minutes ago, غرزة في
مكانها أو موعدها أفضل من تسعة. Okay? But this is
not the correct translation, not the correct
interpretation. A stitch in time saves nine was
the literal truth the busy housewife had learned
in looking after the family's clothes. Okay?
So, I mean this one refers to house life. When I
say التدبير نصف المعيشة We mean how to run your
house, how to run your home life, how to run your
living very systematically and carefully. Okay?
And we can take the ideational translation, which
refers to the treatment, how to care about your
health. الوقاية خير من قنطار علاج
We have the proverbs available in education.
So we have a space for the proverb in the
classroom. And this was available right from the
10th century. Okay. We have this appear very
clearly in the educational system or the British
educational system.
Most of the proverbs here may be taken from other
languages like Latin. Okay. So we have many
generations from children transfer this proverb
which they take at school from one generation to
another. Okay.
So To have a proper way of teaching, we can
introduce proverbs within our saying. To have a
proper essay, you can use a proverb or many
proverbs in your writing. The more you use
proverbs, the more you solidify your writing, the
more you reinforce your expressions, the more you
clarify your idea. Okay? So the shortcut way for
the proper and solidified composition or essay is
the insertion of proverbs. The more you introduce
proverbs in your writing, the more you introduce
proverbs in your language, the more you are
expressive. Even in our culture, the guy who uses
more proverbs in his saying or her saying is
looked to as a wise man. And he deserves listening
to listen to. He deserves listening to him. So we
respect. Or we pay high respect to those who use
proverbs within their talk. Okay? Because we can
judge people not according to their appearance,
but according to the language they produce, the
speech they say. So the more you utter proverbs,
the more you use your sight proverbs, the more You
appear in the eyes of others as a
wise man or a wise lady. Okay? So you have lots of
blue verbs are of similar meanings. Once I say,
for example, once bitten twice shy. A paired child
dreads the fire. Parking dogs seldom bite. Enough
is good as a feast. Many a little makes a nickel.
Okay. So you have the same, the same meaning.
Okay. These blue verbs, they differ in language.
They are very close to each other in meaning.
Okay. We rely on them or on these blue verbs just
to solidify our own language.
We have here lots of blue verbs I need to cite and
to analyze with you.
Yes, pay attention please.
As we mentioned, we have three types of
translation for the proverbs. We have the formal,
functional, and ideational proverb.
The treaty has remained dead letter since then.
و بقيت المعاهدة حبرا على ورق. This is the
functional translation. But I need the formal
translation. و بقيت المعاهدة حرفا ميتا.
حرفا ميتا so this is literal translation refers to
the formal translation okay which in which we
translate the proverb word by word but
ideationally بقيت الاتفاقية دون تطبيق okay على
الإطلاق لم تطبق الاتفاقية أو المعاهدة حتى الآن
okay
When I say, for example, out of the frying pan
into the fire. When I put it just in a sentence
like Ali or Ali's decision to leave his job for a
new one was ill thought. Out of the frying pan
into the fire.
Just formally, we can say what we can say formally
however
this
translation is formal Okay. How could we translate
functionally?
Functional translation. Now I need educational
translation.
So what could we say? How could we translate this?
Okay,
which is quite difficult. It's difficult to
understand. This is functional. It's quite
accepted. It's near to your understanding, to your
thoughts, to your mentality. However, once
speaking about صارت الأمور من سيئين إلى أسوأ
becomes very clear, can be understood by all types
of people regardless to their culture, by ordinary
people. So the example or say the proverb becomes
popular because it's easy to understand.
Like father, like son.
This is what? Functional translation. Formal
translation.
الولد لأبي. The girl is for her mom. البنت لأمه.
This is formal, functional.
This is ideational.
So this
relates to our own Palestinian culture. Okay? A
pear in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Okay, so this is the ideational translation
however formal translation action
speaks or action speak louder than words okay
Once I say the spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak. This is a Biblical proverb as we mentioned.
This is ideational.
Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.
This is ideational translation. It refers to our
own culture. It's from our own dialect, from our
own Palestinian dialect.
A live dog is better than a dead lion.
Okay. This is okay ideational translation. So this
is, this refers to the culture, the Islamic
culture. Is this from the Islamic culture? No,
certainly no. This is directly driven from the
Jewish culture. Yes.
So they have this proverb in their culture. A live
dog is better than a dead lion. You understand?
Okay.
After a storm comes calm.
And the ideational translation is.
So we have this is as ideational translation for
the same proverb.
Once I say, for example, Ali added
insult to injury instead of solving the problem.
Okay, this is functional translation. What about
ideational translation?
Okay, answer Fatima. Hanan or Fatima has wide
experience in teaching.
This is functional translation. Okay, ideational
translation.
Okay fine.
So we have, as you see, Three types of translation
for the proverb. Here we focus on the ideational
translation or we can accept also the functional
translation.
Let's see.
Once I say, don't cry over split milk.
This is the formal translation. That problem is
over, move on. Okay? It means that problem is
over. Move on. Okay? Yani what happened, happened.
Okay? Bimana elle fat, yani lit by guns, be by
guns. Okay. Don't count your chickens until they
are hatched. Wait for success to celebrate.
With the
cats away, the mice will play.
This is the ideational translation. Some work only
when the boss watches. Some work only when the
boss watches. But once the boss is absent,
this means that there will be no work. A penny
saved is a penny earned.
It means not spending is the same as earning
money.
Is this the ideational translation of the proverb?
So this refers to saving money, okay? But you have
to be generous.
Biggers should not be choosers.
Don't complain about free gifts. So once you have
a gift, don't complain about it. You have to
accept whatever it is. Okay?
You can't lead a horse to water, but you can't
make them You can lead a horse to water, but you
can't make them drink. Okay? What does this mean?
You can only help those who want help.
Okay?
Birds of a feather flock together. Birds over go
together. Birds over go together. It's the same.
The same verb. This is
ideational translation.
You can't have your cake and eat it too. What does
this mean?
You can't have your cake and eat it too. This is
ideational translation. You can't use and save the
same item.
A parking dog A barking dog never bites.
Many people talk without any action.
Do we have equivalent proverb in our own culture?
لا تقول ما لا تفعل
It is similar to the verse in Surat As-Saff, I
think.
Okay,
Rome wasn't built in a day. And be patient and
keep struggling.
بمعنى we have a proverb similar to it in our own
culture. So it can be translated ideationally as
فى التأنى سلامة وفى العجلة الندمة necessity
is the mother of invention الحاجة أم الإختراع We
create things once we need them.
A fox smells its own layer first.
If you are the first person to notice a fault in
someone else because you have the same fault.
It refers
to
the same line in the poem,
لسانك لاتذكر بيه عورة عورة لسانك لاتذكر بيه عورة
لسانك لاتذكر بيه عورة لسانك لتذكر بيه عورة لسانك
لسانك لتذكر بيه عورة لسانك لسانك لتذكر بيه عورة
لسانك لسانك لتذكر بيه عورة لسانك لسانك لسانك لتذكر
بيه عورة لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك
لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك
لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك لسانك I cited here
more than 300 proverbs written to you. I am going
to have these slides and this folder of proverbs
on my webpage so you can have a look on them. You
can read them, learn them by heart because it's
very easy to translate them in future. We need to
touch the proverbs next time once again to see
these proverbs and translate them and we are going
to touch the Arabic proverbs and how could we
translate from Arabic to English. Okay, that's for
today. Thank you.