زى السمن و العسل 

 

Zayy al-samn w el asal

 

Translation: Like ghee and honey

 

Meaning: This saying is still in current use, usually to indicate two people who used to be antagonistic but have made up. So if you know a couple who were having problems with their marriage but appear to be happy now, you can point at them and say that they became “samn ala asal,” or “ghee over honey.” In the countryside, having a “fetira meshalteta,” or multi-layered cake of a croissant texture, dripping of ghee, with honey on top, is considered the ultimate in hospitality.

 

Source: Egyptian Proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha,

Translated by: Nabil Shawkat