Proverb of the day: The secret is in the inhabitants, not in the place

Ahram Online , Wednesday 6 May 2015

The secret is in the inhabitants, not in the place

the place
Photo: Mai Shaheen

السر فى السكان لا فى المكان 

El serr fil sokkan, la fi el makan

Translation: The secret is in the inhabitants, not in the place.

Meaning: Look for the right neighbours, not for the right house. This is a good advice, but the saying is not a common one, perhaps because of the proverb's poor rhyme and lack of imagery.

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

Translated by: Nabil Shawkat

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