If you have to appease your brother, he is no longer your brother إذا ترضيت أخاك فلا أخا لك

If you have to appease your brother, he is no longer your brother. Appeasing means striving and toiling to please him. The saying goes: If your brother forces you to appease and flatter him, he is no longer your brother.

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The closest English equivalent to this proverb is:

A true friend needs no flattering.

A true friend needs no flattery or appeasement.

A similar proverb is:

If you must walk on eggshells around him, he is no true friend.

Another common proverb with a similar meaning is:

A friend to all is a friend to none.

This proverb is sometimes used to describe a lack of genuine friendship, though it doesn't perfectly capture the sentiment.

This Arabic proverb criticizes a brother or friend whose affection is conditional on pretense and constant manipulation. 

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الترضي، الإرضاء بجهد ومشقة. يقول: إذا ألجأك أخوك إلى أن تترضاه وتداريه، فليس هو بأخ لك.

 

 

Your brother would gladly be arrested. إن أخاك ليسر بأن يعتقل

" This was said by a man to another man who had killed someone. The man offered him blood money, but he refused. The first man told this to someone else, who replied, "By God, your brother would gladly be arrested!" meaning, he would gladly accept the blood money. The implication is that his refusal to accept blood money was insincere. This proverb is used to criticize lying. 

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The closest English equivalent to this proverb—in terms of condemning feigned zeal or vengeance when one's true inclination is self-interest—is:

Actions speak louder than words.

Another fitting example is:

He talks tough, but means otherwise.

A proverb that best captures the essence of exposing falsehood and pretense is:

His bark is worse than his bite.

This means: His threats are more potent than his actions.

This is because the man feigned refusal of blood money to demonstrate his zeal, while in reality, he would have accepted it had it been offered to him.

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قاله رجل لرجل، قتل له قتيل، فعرض عليه العقل، فقال: لا آخذه. فحدث بذلك رجلاً فقال: بل والله أن أخاك ليسر بأن يعتقل أي، يأخذ العقل. يريد أنه في امتناعه من أخذ الدية غير صادق. يضرب في موضع الذم للكذب.

A bad son from a noble family. أصوص عليها صوص

 "Asus 'alayha asus" (أصوص عليه صوص). "Al-asus" (الأصوص) refers to a fat, barren she-camel, and "as-suus" (الصوص) means a mean, ignoble person. The poet said: "I found you to be like thieves when darkness falls, and cowards at the first light of dawn."

This proverb is used to describe a noble lineage from which a mean offspring emerges. The singular and plural forms of "asus" are the same.

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The Arabic proverb "أصوص عليها صوص" (a small bird with a small tuft) is used when someone of noble and generous lineage produces a mean or despicable offspring; meaning that good lineage does not guarantee good character.

A similar English equivalent is:

"A rotten apple from a good tree."

Or:

"A bad son from a noble family."

Another English proverb with a similar meaning is:

"A black sheep of the family."

This is said of someone who deviates from the norm in their behavior compared to good family members.

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 الأصوص، الناقة الحائل السمينة، والصوص، اللئيم. قال الشاعر:

فألفيتكم صوصاً لصوصاً... إذا دجا الظلام وهيابين عند البوارق.

يضرب، للأصل الكريم، يظهر منه فرع لئيم، ويستوي في الصوص الواحد والجمع.

The camels took up their weapons. أخذت الإبل أسلحتها

  Or, as some say, their spears. This is because they grew so fat that their owner could not bring himself to slaughter them.

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 The English equivalent is:

Too valuable to sacrifice.

Meaning: The thing has become so precious and valuable that it is difficult for its owner to part with it.

It can also be said:

He can't bring himself to part with it.

Meaning: He cannot bear to part with it.

However, if a more fitting expression is desired, closer to the spirit of the Arabic proverb, a similar one is:

Fine cattle make poor butcher's meat.

Meaning: Valuable livestock is difficult for its owner to slaughter; this is very close in meaning to: The camels have taken up arms, meaning they have become so fat and strong that their owner is hesitant to slaughter them.

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ويروى، رماحها. وذلك أن تسمن فلا يجد صاحبها من قلبه أن ينحرها.

He protects the truth and steals the camels and drives the camels. إنه يحمي الحقيقة وينسل الوديقة ويسوق الوسيقة

  That is, he protects what he has protected and steals, that is, he speeds up the enemy in the heat. And if he takes camels from a people, he raids them, he does not drive them away quickly, for fear that he will catch up with them, but rather he drives them slowly, confident in the strength he has.

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 Its English equivalent in meaning and expression:

He protects what is under his care, moves swiftly when needed, and drives the spoils with calm confidence.

Or, in a closer, more proverbial form:

A true warrior guards firmly, strikes swiftly, and retreats steadily.

The general meaning of the Arabic proverb is:

He is a strong and courageous man, skilled in both defense and offense. If he protects something, he protects it perfectly; if he raids, he moves swiftly; and if he seizes spoils, he drives them away calmly and confidently, not hastily or fearfully.

Another English proverb with a similar meaning is:

Still waters run deep.

This emphasizes confidence and quiet strength.

Or:

Confidence needs no haste.

That is, someone confident in their strength does not act hastily.

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أي، يحمي ما تحقق عليه حمايته، وينسل، أي يسرع العدو في شدة الحر وإذا أخذ إبلاً من قوم، أغار عليهم، لم يطردها طرداً شديداً، خوفاً من أن يلحق بل يسوقها سوقاً على تؤدة، ثقة بما عنده من القوة.