Proverbial Wisdom from Yemen
Sayings of Yemini origin
If you give people nuts, you’ll get shells thrown at you.
Work like an ant and you’ll eat sugar.
Whoever does not help himself cannot help others.
Pity the stranger, even if he is rich.
If you have honey, don’t lick the pot clean.
Look to your near neighbor rather than to your distant brother.
Tie your camel first and have faith in God.
My fist is in his mouth, his fist is in my eye.
Do not sigh, for your enemy will hear and rejoice.
A monkey in its mother’s eye is like a gazelle.
About Yemen
(An excerpt from Wikipedia)
Yemen, officially known as the Republic of Yemen, is an Arab country in Western Asia, occupying the southwestern to the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen is the second-largest country in the peninsula, occupying 527,970 km2 (203,850 sq mi). The coastline stretches for about 2,000 km (1,200 mi). It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to the south, and Oman to the east.
Sana’a is the largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sana’a Governorate.
Modern Standard Arabic is the official language of Yemen. Yemeni Arabic and the Balochi language are spoken in several regional dialects.
More Yemeni Proverbs and Sayings:
He who has all jobs is liar.
A mule driver is not aware of the stink of his animals.
Sana’a is a ‘must’, however long the journey takes.
Compete — don’t envy.
If speech is of silver, silence is golden.
You play with a snake and call it a worm.
The master of the people is their servant.
Who dies today is safe from tomorrow’s sin.
What you sow, so shall you reap.
A bird in hand is worth ten in a tree.
A hungry dog will eat his own excrement.
If the time has passed, there is no point in preparing.
A foreigner should be well-behaved.
A friend in time of need is a friend indeed.
A woman is a woman even if she blows the pipe.
From a pound of talk, an ounce of understanding.
He, who wants everything, gets nothing.
Every sickness begins in the stomach.
He who talks much is not respectable.
A sick person is a prisoner.
Trouble comes to you at the end of night.
A white piaster for a black day.
A blind woman dyes a mad one with henna and deaf one listens.
Out of sight, out of mind.
United Republic, is the national anthem of Yemen. It was formerly the anthem of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) but it became the anthem of the whole country when both sides merged in 1990.
Yemeni National Anthem ( English Translation):
Repeat, O World, my song.
Echo it over and over again.
Remember, through my joy, each martyr.
Clothe him with the shining mantles of our festivals.
Repeat, O World, my song.
My unity, Oh marvelous song which fills my heart,
You are the promise of all to come,
My banner, Oh cloth nailed from every sun
Raised forever, on every peak
My nation, give me strength, Oh source of strength
And save me for you, the best of nations.
In faith and love I am part of mankind,
And I shall march first among the Arabs.
And my heart beat shall remain that of a Yemenite.
No foreigner shall ever hold dominion over Yemen.
Yemeni Proverbs and Their Meanings
Yemen sits at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, home to one of the oldest civilisations in the Arab world, and its proverbs carry the wisdom of desert life, trade and faith. They lean towards hard work, prudence and self-reliance. Here is what some of the most quoted Yemeni sayings mean.
- “Tie your camel first and have faith in God.” — Do everything sensible and practical yourself, and only then trust in providence. Faith is no excuse for neglecting ordinary precautions — the most famous of all Yemeni sayings.
- “Work like an ant and you’ll eat sugar.” — Steady, humble effort earns a sweet reward; industry is the surest route to plenty.
- “Look to your near neighbour rather than to your distant brother.” — In a moment of need the neighbour at your door is worth more than family far away; proximity often matters more than blood.
- “If you have honey, don’t lick the pot clean.” — Even in plenty, keep something in reserve; do not consume everything at once simply because you can.
- “Whoever does not help himself cannot help others.” — You must first secure your own footing before you are any use to anyone else.
- “If speech is of silver, silence is golden.” — Fine words have their value, but knowing when to hold your tongue is worth even more.
- “A bird in hand is worth ten in a tree.” — The Yemeni version of “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”: value what you securely hold over greater things you may never grasp.
- “Compete — don’t envy.” — Turn your rivalry into effort and self-improvement rather than letting it curdle into resentment of others.
- “The master of the people is their servant.” — True authority lies in serving those you lead; the greatest is the one who gives the most.
- “From a pound of talk, an ounce of understanding.” — A great deal of talking yields only a little real comprehension; deeds teach more than words.
- “He who wants everything, gets nothing.” — Greed overreaches and defeats itself; grasp at all and you may end with none.
- “Do not sigh, for your enemy will hear and rejoice.” — Do not display your weakness or despair; those who wish you ill take pleasure in every sign of it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yemeni Proverbs
What are Yemeni proverbs?
They are the traditional sayings of Yemen, in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Rooted in desert and mountain life, ancient trade routes and Islamic faith, they emphasise diligence, prudence and looking after those close to you.
What is a famous Yemeni proverb?
“Tie your camel first and have faith in God” is the best known — a reminder to take every sensible precaution yourself before leaving the rest to providence.
What do Yemeni proverbs teach?
They teach hard work, thrift, self-reliance, good neighbourliness and restraint in speech — the practical virtues of a people who have long lived by trade and by their own labour.
What language are Yemeni proverbs in?
They are in Arabic, spoken in Yemen through several regional dialects. Yemen is often regarded as lying close to the ancestral homeland of the Arab people, which gives its sayings a particularly old and rooted feel.
Explore more in our full library of proverbs and their meanings, or browse related collections of Arabian and Moroccan proverbs.