أبو البنات مرزق
abu el banat marzouq
Translation: Father of the girls is lucky in business
Meaning: Don't resent your luck when you are not granted the son you were hoping for: you will manage somehow. The condescension about women may seem outdated, but there is an air of kindness about this saying. The phrase "abul banat" has an endearing ring, as if it is a recognised status in society, a role in the community somehow. The imagery evokes a situation in which everyone knows everyone, and people were all into each other's business. To a father of many girls – who will need an ample supply of suitors – the sense of communal affinity would be comforting.
Source: ُEgyptian proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center For Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha,
Translated by: Nabil Shawkat
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