لا ودّ ولا حديت يلد
La wedd wala hadith yeledd
Translation: No love and no interesting conversation.
Meaning: This proverb, no longer commonly used, describes a person who’s neither kind nor interesting. Its wording is archaic enough to suggest a nineteenth century origin. The proverb equates interesting conversation with loftier matters such as love and kindness. It’s almost like saying, “this man is evil, but even worse, he’s a bore.”
Source: Egyptian Proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha
Translated by: Nabil Shawkat
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