أخطأ نوءك
النوء : النجم يطلع أو يسقط فيمطر يقال : مطرنا بنوء كذا
يضرب لمن طلب حاجة فلم يقدر عليها
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Your star has missed its mark. The star (or rising star) is the one that causes rain. It is said, "We were rained upon by such-and-such star." This is said of someone who sought something but could not obtain it.
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المثل العربي «أخطأ نوؤُكَ» يُضرب لمن طلب حاجة أو رجا أمراً فلم يظفر به، وأصله من اعتقاد العرب أن طلوع بعض النجوم أو سقوطها يكون معه المطر، فإذا لم ينزل المطر قيل: أخطأ نوؤه، أي خاب رجاؤه.
ومن أقرب المقابلات الإنجليزية:
His hopes came to nothing.
(ذهبت آماله سدى.)
أو:
He came up empty-handed.
(عاد خالي الوفاض.)
ومن الأمثال الشائعة:
No luck this time.
(لم يحالفه الحظ هذه المرة.)
أو:
It wasn't meant to be.
(لم يُقدَّر له أن يكون.)
لكن إذا كان المقصود طلب شيء وعدم الظفر به، فأقرب مقابل اصطلاحي هو:
He came up empty-handed.
لأنه يدل على أن المرء سعى في طلب غرض ثم عاد دون أن يناله، وهو المعنى الذي يُضرب له المثل العربي.
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The Arabic proverb "Your star has failed" is used to describe someone who sought something or hoped for something but did not obtain it. Its origin lies in the Arab belief that the rising or setting of certain stars was associated with rain. If the rain did not fall, it was said, "His star has failed," meaning his hopes were in vain.
Some of the closest English equivalents are:
"His hopes came to nothing."
(His hopes were in vain.)
Or:
"He came up empty-handed."
Other common proverbs include:
"No luck this time."
Or:
"It wasn't meant to be."
However, if the intended meaning is seeking something and not obtaining it, the closest idiomatic equivalent is:
"He came up empty-handed."
This indicates that a person strived for a goal and returned without achieving it, which is the meaning conveyed by the Arabic proverb.
Showing posts with label Empty-handed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Empty-handed. Show all posts
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Friday, June 19, 2026
More futile than grasping water. أَخْيَبُ مِنَ القَابِضِ عَلَى المَاء.
أَخْيَبُ مِنَ القَابِضِ عَلَى المَاء.
هذا مأخوذ من قول الشاعر:
وَمَا أنْسَ مِنْ أشْيَاءَ لاَ أَنْسَ قَوْلَها ... تَقَدَّمْ فَشَيِّعْنَا إلى ضَحْوَةِ الْغَدِ
فأصْبَحْت مِمَّا كَانَ بَيْنِي وبَيْنَهَا ... سِوَى ذِكْرِهَا كَالْقَابِضِ الْمَاءَ بِالْيَدِ
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More futile than grasping water.
This is taken from the poet's words:
And there are things I will never forget, words she spoke... Advance, and let us see each other off to the morning of tomorrow.
And I became, because of what transpired between us... nothing but the memory of her, like one grasping water in his hand.
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المثل العربي «أَخْيَبُ مِنَ القَابِضِ عَلَى المَاءِ» يُضرب لمن يسعى إلى أمر يستحيل الاحتفاظ به أو ينتهي جهده إلى لا شيء، فيخرج خائبًا كما أن الماء لا يُمسك باليد.
ومن أقرب المقابلات في الثقافة الإنجليزية: Like trying to hold water in your hands.
«كمن يحاول الإمساك بالماء بيديه.»
وهو أقرب صورةً ومعنىً، وإن كان تعبيرًا أكثر منه مثلًا شائعًا.
To grasp at water.
«يحاول الإمساك بالماء.»
أي يسعى إلى المستحيل أو إلى ما لا يُدرك.
To clutch at straws.
«يتشبث بالقش.»
يضرب لمن يتعلق بأمل واهٍ أو وسيلة لا تنفع.
Like chasing the wind.
«كمن يطارد الريح.»
أي يبذل جهدًا عبثًا.
Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.
«كمن يحاول الإمساك بالدخان بيديه العاريتين.»
وهو تعبير حديث يصور استحالة تحقيق المراد.
وأقرب مقابل من حيث المعنى والبلاغة هو:
Like trying to hold water in your hands.
وللدلالة على الخيبة الناتجة عن السعي وراء ما لا يُنال، يمكن أيضًا أن يقال:
He came away empty-handed, like someone trying to hold water in his hands.
وهو قريب جدًا من الصورة الشعرية العربية: «كالقابض الماء باليد».
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The Arabic proverb "More futile than grasping water" is used to describe someone striving for something impossible to hold onto, or whose efforts ultimately prove fruitless, leaving them disappointed, just as water cannot be grasped.
A similar expression in English is:
"Like trying to hold water in your hands."
This is closer in imagery and meaning, though more of an expression than a common proverb.
"To grasp at water."
Meaning, striving for the impossible or the unattainable.
"To clutch at straws."
This is used to describe someone clinging to a flimsy hope or a futile means.
"Like chasing the wind."
Meaning, making a futile effort.
"Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
This is a modern expression depicting the impossibility of achieving one's goal. The closest equivalent in meaning and rhetoric is:
Like trying to hold water in your hands.
To express the disappointment resulting from striving for the unattainable, one can also say:
He came away empty-handed, like someone trying to hold water in his hands.
This is very close to the Arabic poetic image: “like trying to hold water in one’s hands.”
هذا مأخوذ من قول الشاعر:
وَمَا أنْسَ مِنْ أشْيَاءَ لاَ أَنْسَ قَوْلَها ... تَقَدَّمْ فَشَيِّعْنَا إلى ضَحْوَةِ الْغَدِ
فأصْبَحْت مِمَّا كَانَ بَيْنِي وبَيْنَهَا ... سِوَى ذِكْرِهَا كَالْقَابِضِ الْمَاءَ بِالْيَدِ
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More futile than grasping water.
This is taken from the poet's words:
And there are things I will never forget, words she spoke... Advance, and let us see each other off to the morning of tomorrow.
And I became, because of what transpired between us... nothing but the memory of her, like one grasping water in his hand.
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المثل العربي «أَخْيَبُ مِنَ القَابِضِ عَلَى المَاءِ» يُضرب لمن يسعى إلى أمر يستحيل الاحتفاظ به أو ينتهي جهده إلى لا شيء، فيخرج خائبًا كما أن الماء لا يُمسك باليد.
ومن أقرب المقابلات في الثقافة الإنجليزية: Like trying to hold water in your hands.
«كمن يحاول الإمساك بالماء بيديه.»
وهو أقرب صورةً ومعنىً، وإن كان تعبيرًا أكثر منه مثلًا شائعًا.
To grasp at water.
«يحاول الإمساك بالماء.»
أي يسعى إلى المستحيل أو إلى ما لا يُدرك.
To clutch at straws.
«يتشبث بالقش.»
يضرب لمن يتعلق بأمل واهٍ أو وسيلة لا تنفع.
Like chasing the wind.
«كمن يطارد الريح.»
أي يبذل جهدًا عبثًا.
Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.
«كمن يحاول الإمساك بالدخان بيديه العاريتين.»
وهو تعبير حديث يصور استحالة تحقيق المراد.
وأقرب مقابل من حيث المعنى والبلاغة هو:
Like trying to hold water in your hands.
وللدلالة على الخيبة الناتجة عن السعي وراء ما لا يُنال، يمكن أيضًا أن يقال:
He came away empty-handed, like someone trying to hold water in his hands.
وهو قريب جدًا من الصورة الشعرية العربية: «كالقابض الماء باليد».
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The Arabic proverb "More futile than grasping water" is used to describe someone striving for something impossible to hold onto, or whose efforts ultimately prove fruitless, leaving them disappointed, just as water cannot be grasped.
A similar expression in English is:
"Like trying to hold water in your hands."
This is closer in imagery and meaning, though more of an expression than a common proverb.
"To grasp at water."
Meaning, striving for the impossible or the unattainable.
"To clutch at straws."
This is used to describe someone clinging to a flimsy hope or a futile means.
"Like chasing the wind."
Meaning, making a futile effort.
"Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
This is a modern expression depicting the impossibility of achieving one's goal. The closest equivalent in meaning and rhetoric is:
Like trying to hold water in your hands.
To express the disappointment resulting from striving for the unattainable, one can also say:
He came away empty-handed, like someone trying to hold water in his hands.
This is very close to the Arabic poetic image: “like trying to hold water in one’s hands.”
More disappointing than Hunayn أَخْيَبُ مِنْ حُنَيْنٍ.
أَخْيَبُ مِنْ حُنَيْنٍ.
قد اختلف النسابون فيه، وقد ذكرت قول أبي عبيد وابن السِّكِّيت فيه في حرف الراء عند قولهم "رَجَع بخُفَّيْ حُنَين" وأما الشَّرْقي بن القطامي فإنه قال: كان حُنَين من قريش، وزعم أن أصل المثل أن هاشم ابن عبد مناف كان رجلا كثيرَ التقلُّبِ في أحياء العرب للتجارات والوِفادات على الملوك وكان نُكَحَة، فكان أوصى أهلَه أنه متى أتوا بمولود معه علامته قَبِلوه، وتصير علامة قبولهم إياه أن يَكْسُوه ثيابا، ويلبسوه خُفّاً، ثم إن هاشما تزوج في حيٍّمن أحياء اليمن، وارتحل عنهم، فوُلِد له غلام فسماه جَدُّه أبو أمه "حُنَيْناً" وحمله إلى قريش مع رَجُل من أهله، فسأل عن رهط هاشم، فَدُلَّ عليهم، فأتاهم بالغلام، وقال: إن هذا ابنُ هاشِمٍ، فطالبوه بالعلامة، فلم تكن معه، فلم يقبلوه، فرد الغلام إلى أهله فحين رَأَوْه قالوا: جاء بخُفِّ حُنَيْنٍ، أي جاء خائبا حين جاء في خف نفسه، أي لو قُبل لألبس خف أبيه.
وقال غيره: كان حنينا رجلاً عباديا من أهل دومة الكوفة وهي النجف محلة منها، وهو الذي يقول:
أنَا حُنَيْنٌ وَدَارِي النَّجَفُ ... وما نَدِيمي إلا الْفَتَى القصف
ليس نَدِيمِي المنجَلُ الصلف ...
وكان من قصته أن دَعَاه قومٌ من أهل الكوفة إلى الصحراء ليغنيهم، فمضى معهم، فلما سَكِر سَلَبوه ثيابه وتركوه عُرْيانا في خُفَّيْهِ، فلما رجع إلى أهله وأبصروه بتلك الحالة قالوا: جاء حنين بِخُفَّيْهِ، ثم قالوا: أخَيْبُ من حُنَين، فصار مثلا لكل خائب وخاسر، ثم قالوا: أصحب لليأس من خفي حنين، فصار مثلا لكل يائس وقانط ومكدٍ
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More disappointing than Hunayn.
Genealogists have differed on this matter. I have already mentioned the statements of Abu Ubayd and Ibn al-Sikkit regarding it in the section on the letter "ra" when they say, "He returned with Hunayn's slippers." As for al-Sharqi ibn al-Qatami, he said: Hunayn was from the Quraysh tribe. He claimed that the origin of the proverb was that Hashim ibn Abd Manaf was a man who frequently traveled among the Arab tribes for trade and as a delegate to kings. He was also a womanizer, and he instructed his family that whenever they brought him a newborn with a distinguishing mark, they would accept him. The sign of their acceptance was to clothe him and put slippers on him. Then Hashim married in a tribe in Yemen and left them. A boy was b
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المثل العربي «أَخْيَبُ مِنْ حُنَيْنٍ» يُضرب لمن رجع خاسرًا أو عاد صفر اليدين بعد أن كان يرجو الظفر، وهو وثيق الصلة بالمثل الأشهر «رَجَعَ بِخُفَّيْ حُنَيْنٍ».
ولا يوجد في الإنجليزية مثل يذكر شخصية معينة تقابل حنين، لكن هناك أمثال وتعابير تؤدي المعنى نفسه: To come away empty-handed.
«يرجع خالي الوفاض.»
وهو أقرب مقابل مباشر.
To go home empty-handed.
«يعود إلى بيته بلا شيء.»
To draw a blank.
«يخرج بلا نتيجة أو دون أن يحقق شيئًا.»
He came back with nothing to show for it.
«عاد وليس لديه ما يبين نجاحه أو مكسبه.»
Empty-handed and disappointed.
«عاد خائبًا وخالي الوفاض.»
ومن الأمثال الإنجليزية القريبة في الدلالة على ضياع الجهد:
All his efforts came to nothing.
«ذهبت كل جهوده سدى.»
أما أقرب مقابل للمثل العربي «أخيب من حنين»، ولا سيما إذا كان المراد الخيبة بعد الأمل، فهو:
To come away empty-handed.
وهو يقابل أيضًا المثل العربي المشهور:
«رَجَعَ بِخُفَّيْ حُنَيْنٍ» = He went home empty-handed.
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The Arabic proverb "More disappointing than Hunayn" is used to describe someone who returns empty-handed or defeated after hoping for victory. It is closely related to the more famous proverb "He returned with Hunayn's slippers."
While there is no specific English proverb that mentions a particular person to be the counterpart of Hunayn, there are several proverbs and expressions that convey the same meaning:
To come away empty-handed.
"He returns empty-handed."
This is the closest direct equivalent.
To go home empty-handed.
"He returns home with nothing."
To draw a blank.
"He leaves without any result or without achieving anything."
He came back with nothing to show for it.
"He returned with nothing to show for his success or gain."
Empty-handed and disappointed.
"He returned disappointed and empty-handed."
A similar English proverb that conveys the futility of effort is:
"All his efforts came to nothing."
"All his efforts were in vain."
The closest equivalent to the Arabic proverb "more disappointing than Hunayn," especially when referring to disappointment after hope, is:
To come away empty-handed.
This also corresponds to the well-known Arabic proverb:
"He returned with Hunayn's slippers" = He went home empty-handed.orn to him, and his maternal grandfather named him Hunayn. He took him to the Quraysh with a man from his family, who inquired about Hashim's clan and was directed to them. He brought the boy to them and said, "This is the son of..." Hashim, so they asked him for the sign, but he had none, so they did not accept him. The boy was returned to his family, and when they saw him, they said: "He came with Hunayn's slipper," meaning he came disappointed because he came wearing his own slipper; that is, if he had been accepted, he would have worn his father's slipper. Others said: Hunayn was a man from the tribe of 'Ibadah, from Dumat al-Kufa, which is a district of Najaf. He is the one who said:
I am Hunayn, and my home is Najaf... and my only companion is the young, generous man. My companion is not the arrogant, cunning man...
His story is that some people from Kufa invited him to the desert to sing for them, so he went with them. When he became drunk, they stripped him of his clothes and left him naked in his slippers. When he returned to his family and they saw him in that state, they said: Hunayn came back with his slippers. Then they said: More miserable than Hunayn, and it became a proverb for every loser and failure. Then they said: More hopeless than Hunayn's slippers, and it became a proverb for every despairing, hopeless, and destitute person.
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قد اختلف النسابون فيه، وقد ذكرت قول أبي عبيد وابن السِّكِّيت فيه في حرف الراء عند قولهم "رَجَع بخُفَّيْ حُنَين" وأما الشَّرْقي بن القطامي فإنه قال: كان حُنَين من قريش، وزعم أن أصل المثل أن هاشم ابن عبد مناف كان رجلا كثيرَ التقلُّبِ في أحياء العرب للتجارات والوِفادات على الملوك وكان نُكَحَة، فكان أوصى أهلَه أنه متى أتوا بمولود معه علامته قَبِلوه، وتصير علامة قبولهم إياه أن يَكْسُوه ثيابا، ويلبسوه خُفّاً، ثم إن هاشما تزوج في حيٍّمن أحياء اليمن، وارتحل عنهم، فوُلِد له غلام فسماه جَدُّه أبو أمه "حُنَيْناً" وحمله إلى قريش مع رَجُل من أهله، فسأل عن رهط هاشم، فَدُلَّ عليهم، فأتاهم بالغلام، وقال: إن هذا ابنُ هاشِمٍ، فطالبوه بالعلامة، فلم تكن معه، فلم يقبلوه، فرد الغلام إلى أهله فحين رَأَوْه قالوا: جاء بخُفِّ حُنَيْنٍ، أي جاء خائبا حين جاء في خف نفسه، أي لو قُبل لألبس خف أبيه.
وقال غيره: كان حنينا رجلاً عباديا من أهل دومة الكوفة وهي النجف محلة منها، وهو الذي يقول:
أنَا حُنَيْنٌ وَدَارِي النَّجَفُ ... وما نَدِيمي إلا الْفَتَى القصف
ليس نَدِيمِي المنجَلُ الصلف ...
وكان من قصته أن دَعَاه قومٌ من أهل الكوفة إلى الصحراء ليغنيهم، فمضى معهم، فلما سَكِر سَلَبوه ثيابه وتركوه عُرْيانا في خُفَّيْهِ، فلما رجع إلى أهله وأبصروه بتلك الحالة قالوا: جاء حنين بِخُفَّيْهِ، ثم قالوا: أخَيْبُ من حُنَين، فصار مثلا لكل خائب وخاسر، ثم قالوا: أصحب لليأس من خفي حنين، فصار مثلا لكل يائس وقانط ومكدٍ
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More disappointing than Hunayn.
Genealogists have differed on this matter. I have already mentioned the statements of Abu Ubayd and Ibn al-Sikkit regarding it in the section on the letter "ra" when they say, "He returned with Hunayn's slippers." As for al-Sharqi ibn al-Qatami, he said: Hunayn was from the Quraysh tribe. He claimed that the origin of the proverb was that Hashim ibn Abd Manaf was a man who frequently traveled among the Arab tribes for trade and as a delegate to kings. He was also a womanizer, and he instructed his family that whenever they brought him a newborn with a distinguishing mark, they would accept him. The sign of their acceptance was to clothe him and put slippers on him. Then Hashim married in a tribe in Yemen and left them. A boy was b
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المثل العربي «أَخْيَبُ مِنْ حُنَيْنٍ» يُضرب لمن رجع خاسرًا أو عاد صفر اليدين بعد أن كان يرجو الظفر، وهو وثيق الصلة بالمثل الأشهر «رَجَعَ بِخُفَّيْ حُنَيْنٍ».
ولا يوجد في الإنجليزية مثل يذكر شخصية معينة تقابل حنين، لكن هناك أمثال وتعابير تؤدي المعنى نفسه: To come away empty-handed.
«يرجع خالي الوفاض.»
وهو أقرب مقابل مباشر.
To go home empty-handed.
«يعود إلى بيته بلا شيء.»
To draw a blank.
«يخرج بلا نتيجة أو دون أن يحقق شيئًا.»
He came back with nothing to show for it.
«عاد وليس لديه ما يبين نجاحه أو مكسبه.»
Empty-handed and disappointed.
«عاد خائبًا وخالي الوفاض.»
ومن الأمثال الإنجليزية القريبة في الدلالة على ضياع الجهد:
All his efforts came to nothing.
«ذهبت كل جهوده سدى.»
أما أقرب مقابل للمثل العربي «أخيب من حنين»، ولا سيما إذا كان المراد الخيبة بعد الأمل، فهو:
To come away empty-handed.
وهو يقابل أيضًا المثل العربي المشهور:
«رَجَعَ بِخُفَّيْ حُنَيْنٍ» = He went home empty-handed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Arabic proverb "More disappointing than Hunayn" is used to describe someone who returns empty-handed or defeated after hoping for victory. It is closely related to the more famous proverb "He returned with Hunayn's slippers."
While there is no specific English proverb that mentions a particular person to be the counterpart of Hunayn, there are several proverbs and expressions that convey the same meaning:
To come away empty-handed.
"He returns empty-handed."
This is the closest direct equivalent.
To go home empty-handed.
"He returns home with nothing."
To draw a blank.
"He leaves without any result or without achieving anything."
He came back with nothing to show for it.
"He returned with nothing to show for his success or gain."
Empty-handed and disappointed.
"He returned disappointed and empty-handed."
A similar English proverb that conveys the futility of effort is:
"All his efforts came to nothing."
"All his efforts were in vain."
The closest equivalent to the Arabic proverb "more disappointing than Hunayn," especially when referring to disappointment after hope, is:
To come away empty-handed.
This also corresponds to the well-known Arabic proverb:
"He returned with Hunayn's slippers" = He went home empty-handed.orn to him, and his maternal grandfather named him Hunayn. He took him to the Quraysh with a man from his family, who inquired about Hashim's clan and was directed to them. He brought the boy to them and said, "This is the son of..." Hashim, so they asked him for the sign, but he had none, so they did not accept him. The boy was returned to his family, and when they saw him, they said: "He came with Hunayn's slipper," meaning he came disappointed because he came wearing his own slipper; that is, if he had been accepted, he would have worn his father's slipper. Others said: Hunayn was a man from the tribe of 'Ibadah, from Dumat al-Kufa, which is a district of Najaf. He is the one who said:
I am Hunayn, and my home is Najaf... and my only companion is the young, generous man. My companion is not the arrogant, cunning man...
His story is that some people from Kufa invited him to the desert to sing for them, so he went with them. When he became drunk, they stripped him of his clothes and left him naked in his slippers. When he returned to his family and they saw him in that state, they said: Hunayn came back with his slippers. Then they said: More miserable than Hunayn, and it became a proverb for every loser and failure. Then they said: More hopeless than Hunayn's slippers, and it became a proverb for every despairing, hopeless, and destitute person.
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