اللى ما ياخدنى كحل ف عينه، ماخده صرمه ف رجلي
Elli ma yakhodin kohl fi einouh, makhdou sarma fi regli
Translation: He who doesn’t apply me to his eyes like kohl, I wouldn't wear him on my feet like shoes.
Meaning: You scratch my back I scratch yours, you do me a favor I will do you ten favors. It is a megalomaniac exaggeration of the eye for an eye situation. In this case, the speaker expects to be treated like royalty, or he will not bother giving others the time of day. A sense of anger and insecurity is conveyed here, and the saying could have started in times of turmoil.
Source: ُEgyptian proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center For Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha,
Translated by: Nabil Shawkat
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