Absence makes the heart grow fonder
One usually desires another more when he or she is far away.

Actions speak louder than words               
Children usually learn more from the examples set by their elders than from what they are told ; a person's character is judged by the thing she does and not by what he says; actions give evidence or proof of.

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush 
Something that one already has is better than going after something seemingly more worthwhile that one may not be able to get.

A burnt child dreads fire                      
A bad experience or a horrifying incident may scar one's attitude or thinking for a lifetime.

A friend in need is a friend indeed            
A friend who helps when one is in trouble is a real friend.

A great talker is a great liar                       
A smooth and persuasive talker may be a good liar.

A hungry man is an angry man                 
A person who does not get what he wants or needs is a frustrated person and will be easily provoked to rage. 

All that glitters is not gold                          
Do not be deceived by things or offers that appear to be attractive.

A man is as old as he feels                       
A person's age is immaterial - it is only when he thinks and feels that he is ageing that he actually becomes old.  

An idle brain is the devil's workshop      
One who has nothing to do will be tempted to do many mischievous acts.

An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit  
It is better to be careful and discrete than to be clever.

Any time means no time                                
When an event is not decided on or planned earlier it will never take place.

A penny saved is a penny gained             
By being thrifty one will be able to save up.

A rolling stone gathers no moss             
A person who never settles in one place or who often changes his job will not succeed in life ; one who is always changing his mind will never get anything done.

As you sow, so you shall reap                 
One will either enjoy or suffer the consequences of his earlier actions or inactions.

Barking dogs seldom bite                         
Those who make loud threats seldom carry them out.

Better late than never                                
To do something that is right, profitable, or good a little late is still better than not doing it at all.

Between the devil and the deep sea       
To choose between two equally bad alternatives in a serious dilemma.

Birds of a feather flock together              
People of the same sort of character or belief always go together.

Call a spade a spade                                   
If you say that someone calls a spade a spade, you mean that they speak frankly and directly, often about embarrassing or unpleasant subjects; an informal expression.

Charity begins at home                               
A person's first obligation should be to help the member of his own family before he can begin thinking of talking about helping others.

Dead men tell no lies                                   
( often used as an argument for killing someone whose knowledge of a secret may cause one loss or get into serious trouble.)

Discretion is the better part of valor        
If you say discretion is the better part of valor, you mean that avoiding a dangerous or unpleasant situation is sometimes the most sensible thing to do.            

Don't put all your eggs in one basket     
One should not risk everything he has in a single venture.

Eat to live, but do not live to eat               
Man was created for a divine purpose and he has a destiny with his Creator - he was not born just to enjoy food.

Empty vessels make the most noise     
Those people who have a little knowledge usually talk the most and make the greatest fuss. 

Every cloud has a silver lining                   
If you say that every cloud has a silver lining, you mean that every sad or unpleasant situation has a positive side to it. If you talk about silver lining you are talking about something positive that comes out of a sad or unpleasant situation.

Every dog has its day                                 
Everyone will get a period of success or satisfaction during his lifetime.

Every one can find fault, few can do better
It is easier to find fault in other people's actions or methods than to do it properly or correctly.

Faint heart never won fair lady                 
To succeed in life one must have the courage to pursue what he wants.

Fair exchange is no robbery                         
A contract is fair as long as both the parties understand and agree to the conditions willingly; after a deal is closed neither side can turn around and say that he was unfairly treated.

Fire is a good servant but a bad master     
Fire, like any other manmade tool or device, will serve man well only when it is controlled and used wisely.

First come, first served                               
The first in line will be attended to first.

Fortune knocks once at every man's door
Everyone gets at least one good opportunity in his lifetime; everyone has the opportunity to be successful in life.

Give the devil his due                                      
Be just and fair-minded , even to the one who does not deserve much or who is unfriendly or unfair; we should punish a person according to his wrongdoings.

God helps those who help themselves       
God only helps those people who work hard and make an honest effort.

Great haste makes great waste                  
If one does things hastily he will make a lot of mistakes - he will need to spend a lot of time correcting those mistakes later.

Great minds think alike                                    
Wise people will normally think and behave alike in certain situations.

Great talkers are little doer                      
Those people who talk a lot and are always teaching others usually do not do much work..

Habit is second nature                                     
An act done repeatedly and often enough will sooner or later become a habit or second nature.

He laughs best who laughs last                    
A person who does his best is the one who will get the greatest satisfaction in the end.

Honesty is the best policy                           
Being honest is believed to be the best route to take.

It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good 
A bad or evil occurrence.

It's never too late to mend                             
It is never too late to correct one's mistakes or faults.

It's no use crying over spilt milk                  
It is pointless to feel remorseful over a thing lost that can never be found or a mistake done that can never be corrected or rectified.

It takes two to make a quarrel                 
Both parties in a quarrel should share the blame or take responsibility for it; no one can start a quarrel all by himself..

Jack of all trades and master of none     
Is a person who can do almost anything, but he rarely excels in any of them.

Let bygones by bygones                             
 One should consider forgiving one's and forget all the bad deeds done by others.

Let not the pot call the kettle black          
A person who has a fault should not point out the same fault in another; do not criticize another person as you may have the same weakness.

Let sleeping dogs lie                                  
 One should preferably avoid discussing issues that are likely to create trouble.

Like father, like son, like mother, like daughter
( used to describe a child's behavior when he or she acts like the father or mother )

Look before you leap                                   
Avoid acting hastily, without considering the possible consequences.

Necessity is the mother of invention       
When a person is in great need of something, he will find a way of getting it.

Never do things by halves                              
One should not do an incomplete or imperfect job - certain tasks must not be left half done; they must be done away with immediately.

No news is good news                                
When there is no news, it is likely that everything is all right.

One man's meat is another man's poison
No two persons are alike - every one has his own preferences, likes and dislikes.

Once bitten twice shy                                 
 If a person has been tricked once he will more be careful and alert the next time.

Practice makes perfect                             
 It is believed that if one practices a certain skill often, he will excel in it

Prevention is better than cure                 
 It is better to be careful beforehand than to try to solve a problem after it has arisen.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul                         
( this is quoted when one takes another loan to pay off an earlier loan ) taking from one to give another.

Rome was not built in a day                      
Any great plan or big dream cannot be achieved overnight or easily.

Spare the rod and spoil the child             
A child who is not punished and showed the error of his ways will become unruly.

Speech is silver, silence is golden
Talk may be beneficial, but sometimes acquiescence may be the best option to take.

Still waters run deep
One who is usually silent and goes about his business quietly may be a very wise person.

Strike while the iron is hot
Seize a good opportunity as quickly as possible.

There's no smoke without fire
Rumors do not spread unless there is some element of truth in them.

Time and tide wait for no one
Time is precious, once it is past no one can go back and claim it thus everyone should be mindful of how his time is spent.

To err is human, to forgive divine
It is only normal for man to make mistakes and do wrong, but for one to forgive another for his wrong is indeed  great and gracious act.

Two heads are better than one
It is always better to get the view of another than to rely entirely on one's own judgment.

What's done can't be undone
In life there are some things once done or decisions once made cannot be changed; malicious words once uttered or harmful actions once done cannot be taken back.

When in Rome do as the Romans do
When one is in a new place, country or situation he must adapt himself to the new manners and customs.

When the cat is away the mice will play
When law enforcers are not present, certain public members will take the opportunity to break the law

Where there's a will there's a way
When a person really wants to do something, he will find a way of doing it.

arabic proverbs translated to english