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Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«وِشِّ تْصَابْحُهْ مَا تْقَابْحُهْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

Don't treat badly someone whose face you must see every morning.

Literal wording

A face you greet every morning, you do not confront it with ugliness.

Meaning and lesson

The saying advises courtesy toward anyone you are bound to see day after day; the dialect word for 'face' stands for the whole person. When daily contact cannot be avoided, harsh words or open hostility gain little and leave a strain you must carry into every later meeting.

The reasoning is practical rather than moral. Keeping good terms with a constant presence spares you repeated awkward encounters and a quarrel that drags on, so patience and kindness are presented as the sensible choice for your own peace. It asks for tact and restraint, not affection or agreement.

When it is used

Use it to calm or caution someone who is tempted to quarrel with a person they cannot avoid, such as a neighbor, coworker, housemate, or relative. It suits informal advice, especially after a minor friction, as a reminder that a lasting chill will cost the speaker too.

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