Coffee beans are roasted by Bedouin men during preparations to welcome the release of their relative Uda Tarrabin, in the Tarrabin tribe's village near the Bedouin town of Rahat in southern Israel December 10, 2015 (Reuters)
كل فولة ولها كيال
Koll fula we laha kayyal
Translation: Each seed has someone to measure it.
Meaning: This proverb is still in common use despite its antiquated wording. It means that every type of seed will have someone to appreciate it, hence buy it.The word “kayyal” means someone in charge of measuring grain or legumes not according to weight, which is the common practice now, but according to volume. In Cairo, into the 1960s, grains were often sold by volume, not weight. Instead of buying a kilo of beans, you’d ask for half a “qadah”.
Source: Egyptian Proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha
Translated by: Nabil Shawkat
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