خُنْفِسَه شَافِتْ بِنتَها عَ الحيطْ
قَالِتْ دِى لُولِيَّهْ فِى الخيطْ
khunfísa shâfit bintáhā ‘a l-ħêŧ
* qâlit dī lūliyya fi l-khêŧ
A dung beetle who saw her daughter at the wall * said, “This is a pearl
on the string!”
احمد تيمور باشا، الامثال العامّية ، رقم ١١٨٣
الخُنْفِسَه عَنْد امَّها عَرُوسَهْ
il-khunfísa ‘and ummáhā ‘arūsa
The dung beetle is with her mother a bride (or a doll, a pretty girl)
احمد تيمور باشا، الامثال العامّية ، رقم ١١٨٤
خُنفسة علي مكنسة داخلة المستراح قال انظر الحامل المحمول ودار الوكالة
khunfísa ‘ala maknása dâkhla l-mustarâħ *
qâl unẕur il-ħâmil il-maħmûl wi dâr
il-wikâla
A beetle who was entering the privy upon a broomstick: “look,” said
one, “at the carrier, the carried, and the hotel !”
J. L. Burckhart, Arabic Proverbs, no. 236
“… The abridged saying, ‘look at the carrier and the carried,’ is often
quoted
on seeing a mean looking man riding upon a wretched Rosinante.”
