جا يتاجر ف الحنة, كترت الأحزان
Ga yetager fi el henna ketret el ahzan
Translation: Once he started a henna business (for weddings), sadness multiplied.
Meaning: This proverb is used to portray an unexpected reversal of fortune, as when someone gets ready to start a line of business and suddenly there is no more demand. The imagery, that of a village or a town ceasing to demand henna for weddings, is dramatic and suggests memories of war, famine, or extreme domestic turbulence.
Source: Egyptian Proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha,
Translated by: Nabil Shawkat
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