It is like the ibex, rarely seen.--إنما هو كبارح الأروى قليلاً ما يرى

 This is because the ibex inhabits the mountains, and people hardly ever see them, whether coming or going, except perhaps once in a lifetime. This proverb is used to describe someone who shows kindness only occasionally, and the phrase "it is like the ibex" is a metaphor for the generosity and giving that is the subject of the proverb.

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The closest English equivalents are:

Once in a blue moon
“Very rarely, if ever.”

This is the closest English proverb to describe extreme rarity.

Few and far between
“Rare and infrequent.”

This is very suitable for describing a small act of kindness.

Rare as hen’s teeth
“As rare as hen’s teeth.”

A well-known English expression for something extremely rare.

His kindness is few and far between
“His kindness is rare and infrequent.”

The closest literary translation of the proverb is:

His kindness appears only once in a blue moon.

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وذلك، أن الأروى مساكنها الجبال فلا يكاد الناس يرونها سانحة ولا بارحة إلا في الدهر مرة. يضرب، لمن يرى منه الإحسان في الأحايين، وقوله هو كناية عما يبذل ويعطى هذا الذي يضرب به المثل.

 

 

The first offspring of a camel. --أول الصيد فرع

 The first offspring, the first calf born to a she-camel, was sacrificed to their gods as a blessing. A man would say, "When my camels reach such a number, I will sacrifice the first offspring." When they intended to sacrifice it, they would adorn and dress it. Thus, Aws said, describing a severe cold spell: "The general cold of the people resembled a young camel, adorned and dressed."

Abu Umar said: This proverb is used when one sees the first good fortune in crops, livestock, or any other benefit. It is also narrated, "The first offspring of a camel and its first sacrifice," because they would send the first thing they caught as a good omen. Another narration states, "The first offspring of a camel," meaning the first thing whose blood was shed. The phrase "The first offspring of a camel" is used to describe someone from whom no good had been seen before this action.

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The closest English equivalents, depending on the context, are:

A good beginning makes a good ending.

Well begun is half done.

This is one of the most well-known proverbs.

The first fruits.

This refers to the first fruits or the first good things, and it is very close to the origin of the Arabic proverb.

This is a promising start.

Every journey begins with a single step.

If the intention is that the first success is the beginning of what follows.

However, if it is used in the sense mentioned at the end of the explanation—that is, the first good thing seen from someone—the closest expression is:

That’s the first good thing we’ve seen from him.

Or:

A promising first sign.

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الفرع، أول ولد تنتجه الناقة، كانوا يذبحونه لآلهتهم يتبركون بذلك وكان الرجل يقول: إذا تمت إبلي كذا نحرت أول نتيج منها، وكانوا إذا أرادوا نحره زينوه وألبسوه. ولذلك قال أوس يذكر أزمة في شدة البرد:

شبه الهيدب العام من الأقوام سقبا مجللاً فرعا

قال أبو عمر: ويضرب عند أول ما يرى من خير في زرع أو ضرع وفي جميع المنافع. ويروى، أول الصيد فرع ونصاب؛ وذلك أنهم يرسلون أول شيء يصيدونه يتيمنون به. ويروى، أول صيد فرعه أي أراق دمه، وأول رفع على تقدير هو أو هذا أول صيد فرعه. يضرب لمن لم ير منه خير قبل فعلته هذه.

 

He took it like lioness......أخذه أخذ سبعة

 . Al-Asma'i said: It means he took a lioness (with a short 'u' sound on the 'b'). Ibn al-A'rabi said: He took seven, meaning seven in number. He said: He specified seven because it is the most common word they use in their speech, as in their saying: seven heavens, seven earths, and seven days. Ibn al-Kalbi said: Seven is a man who takes very hard. He is used as a proverb, and he is Seven ibn Awf ibn Tha'labah ibn Salamah ibn Tha'l ibn Amr ibn al-Ghawth.

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 The closest English equivalents in meaning are:

He grabbed him with an iron grip.

He seized him fiercely.

Like a lion pouncing on its prey.

This is close to Al-Asma'i's interpretation regarding the lioness.

He came down on him like a ton of bricks.

Said of someone who attacked or punished severely.

To get a grip on someone.

If the intention is to gain a firm grip, but this is less eloquent than the Arabic proverb.

The closest literary form of the proverb is:

He seized him like a beast seizing its prey.

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قال الأصمعي: يعني، أخذ سبُعة بضم الباء، وهي اللبوة. وقال ابن الأعرابي: أخذ سبعة، أراد سبعة من العدد، قال: وإنما خص سبعة لأن أكثر ما يستعملونه. في كلامهم سبع كقولهم: سبع سموات وسبع أرضين وسبعة أيام. وقال ابن الكلبي: سبعة رجل شديد الأخذ. يضرب به المثل، وهو سبعة بن عوف بن ثعلبة بن سلامان بن ثعل بن عمرو بن الغوث.

 

Yo the opposite of a riding hyena.u are.......إنما أنت خلاف الضبع الراكب

 This is because when a hyena sees a rider, it runs away from him and takes another direction, just as a wolf opposes a rider. This proverb is used to describe someone who goes against the norm, and the word "opposes" here is in the accusative case, meaning "you are the opposite of a hyena."

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The closest English equivalents in meaning:

To go against the grain: meaning to go against the norm or what people do.

To be contrary: meaning someone who is stubborn and likes to disagree.

He always swims against the tide: meaning he always swims against the current.

This is one of the closest to the Arabic proverb.

Just to be difficult: meaning he disagrees simply for the sake of disagreeing.

A contrarian: describing someone who always adopts the opposing viewpoint.

The closest figurative expression to the proverb:

He always goes the opposite way.

Or:

He swims against the tide.

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 وذلك، أن الضبع إذا رأت راكباً خالفته وأخذت في ناحية أخرى هرباً منه والذئب يعارضه مضادة للضبع. يضرب، لمن يخالف الناس فيما يصنعون، ونصب خلاف على المصدر أي تخالف خلاف الضبع.

If the lame dog sleeps.....إذا نام ظالع الكلاب

 Al-Asma'i said: This is because the lame dog cannot mate with the healthy ones due to its weakness, so it delays and waits for the last of them to finish. It does not sleep until none remain, then it mates and sleeps.

This proverb is used to describe delaying the fulfillment of one's needs. Al-Hutay'ah said:

Why didn't you come to us after the lame dog had fallen asleep and every fire had been extinguished?

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The closest English equivalents—based on meaning, not literal translation—are:

Better late than never.

This is suitable if the visit or action came after a long delay.

At the eleventh hour.

This is suitable if the focus is on the action occurring after a long wait or very late.

He waited until the coast was clear.

This is very close to Al-Asma'i's explanation, because the limping dog waits until the other dogs have finished.

Last to act / He came long after everyone else had gone. These are descriptive expressions closer to the atmosphere of the verse.

As for the verse:

Did you not come to us after the limping dog had fallen asleep and every fire had died out?

Its meaning is: You came to us very late at night, after everyone had settled down and gone to sleep.

Therefore, a literary translation close to this would be:

You came to visit only after even the limping dogs had fallen asleep and every fire had died out.

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 قال الأصمعي: وذلك أن الظالع منها لا يقدر أن يعاظل مع صحاحها لضعفه فهو يؤخر ذلك وينتظر فراغ آخرها فلا ينام حتى إذا لم يبق منها شيء سفد حينئذ ثم نام.
يضرب، في تأخير قضاء الحاجة. قال الحطيئة:

ألا طرقتنا بعد ما نام ظالع الكلاب وأخبى ناره كل موقد