Hunters say: The fox's cunning lies in its tail; it sways it, and the dogs follow. It is said: More cunning than a fox's tail. This is said of a man who is very cunning.
If you act like a cat, you are about to fall into its trap. "Attacking" is derived from "arrada," meaning activity, and "afrah" means intensity. This is said of someone who is energetic but oblivious to the consequences.
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Some of the closest English equivalents are:
As sly as a fox.
A slippery customer.
A cunning person who is difficult to catch or trust.
To lead someone on a wild goose chase.
To mislead and exhaust people with a false claim.
He's always dodging and weaving.
To throw someone off the scent.
This is very close to the image of the proverb; that is,
He misleads those pursuing him and diverts them from the real trail.
A closer interpretive translation of the proverb is:
He distracts others with tricks and evasions like a fox using its tail to mislead the hounds.
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| إذا اعترضت كاعتراض الهرة | أوشكت أن تسقط في أفـره |
