ابعد عن الشر وقني له ,قال وغني له

Qal: eb’ed an el sharr we qanni lu (ghanni lu)

Translation:  "Stay away from evil and dig a canal for it to pass," they warned.

 "I will even sing its praises," he answered

Meaning:  You should stay out of trouble, and steel your nerves in the face of evil. Even dig a canal or chant a song if this would keep evil off your path.

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

Translated by: Nabil Shawkat