Hello everyone.

I just wanted to share with you an interesting concept of translation, called translating idioms.

Every Language has its own unique idioms -that are brilliant and beautiful- they help so much a writer to express their feelings through images that are no necessarily realistic but can convey the meaning beautifully.

As far as I know, idioms vary from culture to culture. And sometimes are hard to understand even if you are a native speaker -it requires a brief description of a situation on when or where this idiom is used.

I am a bilingual person, from an Arab origin, and I'm very interested in language, linguistics, literature, and recently translation (This is my field of study). I am still working my way into this... so please don't judge too hard.

I would also appreciate it so much if you guys left some feedback comments, and if you can also share some idioms from your mother language (Or just English), and explain where and when it could be used.

Note that some idioms happened to exist in both language coincidentally. I just presumed they were originally Arabic because I have read them in dozens of Arabic literature or through daily-heard dialects.  
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ARABIC (Originally) دموع التماسيح  --------> 'Dumo Al-Tmmaseeh"
ENGLISH (Translated) Crocodile-tears

Used when.... someone is being insincere with their tears, so they are displaying false show of emotions.



ARABIC (Originally) اشتريتها برخص التراب --------> 'EshtaRetha B Roks Al-Turab'
ENGLISH (Translated) I bought it dirt-cheap  (It it the literal translation from Arabic to English and vice-verse)

Used when.... you want to express how cheap the product you have bought is, saying it is as cheap as dirt/dust/sand...etc. because these things are worthless in terms of cost.



ARABIC (Common) زلة لسان --------> 'Zllat Le San'
ENGLISH (Common) Slip of tongue

Used when.... someone misspeaks, screws up, spills a secret, or just say something they are not suppose to say at a certain time.



ARABIC (Originally) البحر امامنا و العدو ورائنا --------> 'Al-Bahr Amamana Wl-Ado Wraanna'

(Literal translation: The sea is right ahead, and enemy is waiting behind)
 

ENGLISH (Translated) Between the devil and the deep blue see

Used when.... someone is trapped in a very difficult situation, their enemy is waiting at their backside while the frontside suggests suicide.



ARABIC (Originally) ولد و في فمه ملعقة من ذهب  -------->  'Wolid Wa Fe Fameh Melakka Min Dahab'
ENGLISH (Translated) Born with a silver spoon

Used when.... someone is enormously blessed with so much luck and/or good fortune.



ARABIC (Originally) الذي بيته هو من زجاج، لا يرمي الناس بالحجارة  --------> 'Alzi Bytoh Mn Zojaj, La Yarme Anas Bl Hejara'
ENGLISH (Translated) People who live in glass-houses, shouldn't be throwing stones

Used when.... people of the same race, class, style, working field... etc. mock one another of a spice that they all share. It is usually used as a "Strike back" at the person accusing you. So it tells you not to criticize for having the same fault as you.
For example: A girl is dating secretly. One day she calls her boy unfaithful .. so he strikes back with this idiom, in a way to remind her that she herself was not faithful to her family because she dated him in SECRET.



ARABIC (Common) الكرة في ملعبك  --------> 'Al-kora Fe Malaabk'
ENGLISH (Common) The ball is in your court

Used when.... you are told to reply to someone, or simply stand up for your principles and beliefs. As if someone giving you a golden chance, so defend yourself. It can also be used in a friendly manner, when for example, a friend tells another to take a chance and hit on someone passing their territory; "C'mon, the ball is in your court!"



ARABIC (Originally) اطرق الحديد ساخناً --------> 'Etroq Al-Hadeed Sakenan'
ENGLISH (Translated) Hammer while iron is flaming and hot

Used when.... (Iron could only be bent or shaped when it is very hot) therefore, you use this idiom when you have finally managed to push someone who is very stubborn -parents- over the limit with your requests and favors, because they will eventually agree. You can also use this in many other occasions, for example, in motivating someone who has gone too far and were about to give up; "Hey don't give up! Hammer while the iron is flaming and hot. You can still do it!"



ARABIC: في العجلة الندامة  --------> 'Fe Al-Ajla Andama'
ENGLISH: Haste makes waste

Used when.... You are not saving time because you are working too fast. Could be used as an advice on the speeding roads, telling someone not too speed too much because they might end up in waste -death.


ARABIC (Originally) العين بصيرة و اليد قصيرة --------> 'Al-Ein Basera Wleed Qaseera'

(Literal translation: Eyes can look, but arms are far too short)
 

ENGLISH: The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak [I personally like the literal translation of this one] 

Used when.... something can't be obtain but only treasured from a far. Or in a begging manner; begging for something that you can't have, so someone else could help you with it.


ARABIC (Originally) الغريب اعمى و لو كان بصير --------> 'Al-Ghareeb Aamaa Wlw Kan Baseer'
ENGLISH (Translated) A stranger is always blind even if he had a pair of good eyes. [One of my favorites. I use this when I visit countries i'm not familiar with, especially while driving] 

Used when.... you are being a stranger somewhere on earth. Bad with directions because you are initially a stranger. It is not used because someone is physically disabled. Metaphor.



ARABIC:  الغريق يتعلق بقشة --------> 'Al-Gharee Yataalq B Qsha'
ENGLISH: A drowning man will clutch at a straw

Used when.... someone is too desperate they would try to find anything that could help them.



ARABIC (Originally) السكوت علامة الرضا -------->  'Alskoot Allamaat Al-Reda'

ENGLISH (Translated) Silence is a sign of acceptance. 

Used when.... the bride-to-be is asked for her final opinion -acceptance or rejection.



ARABIC (Originally) you can say two Arabic idioms and they'll convey the same meaning in the English idiom.

(و ما خفي كان اعظم) --------> 'Wma Kofeya Kan Aazam'

غيض من فيض --------> 'Ghayd Min Fhayd'

ENGLISH (Translated) The tip of iceberg

Used when.... (icebergs display only 10% of this form above water, so technically what's hidden is greatest (و ما خفي كان اعظم) ) You can say this when someone was being haste, not measuring the consequences of their doings. It is also a first hint of revelation of a more complex situation.

(غيض من فيض literal translation: Little water out of a streaming flood!) means giving a small portion of such a huge capacity. It also conveys the same meaning as the previous idiom.


ARABIC (Originally) عمر الدم ما يصير ماي --------> 'Omr Al-Dm Ma Yseer Mai'

(Literal translation: Blood will never become water; it can never volatile to this state)
 

Another similar Arabic idiom would be عمر الظفر ما يطلع من اللحم --------> 'Omr El-Zofr Ma Ytlaa Min Al-Lahm'

(Literal translation: A nail could never be fully pealed off the skin; their will always be remaining roots) 
 

ENGLISH (Actually German idiom/Proverb): Blood is thicker than water

Used when.... describing a depressing case of family bonding. It implies that family bonds are stronger than those bonds between unrelated people.                                           




ARABIC (Originally)  و فسر الماء بعد جهد بالماء --------> 'W Fssrr Al-Ma Baad Johden Bl-Ma'
ENGLISH (Translated) And after great effort, he suggested that water is made of water (this one is funny lol)

Used when.... used when someone's mocking another because they failed to describe something successfully.  




ARABIC (Famous) العبرة بالأعمال و ليست بالأقول --------> 'Al-Ebra Bl-Aamaal Wa Lyset Bl-Aqwal'

There's another one that I can't really remember at the moment OTL
 

ENGLISH (Famous) Actions speak louder than words

Used when.... cliche' Y'all know it cuz it's quite obvious. It merely says that actions are more significant than what you say.  



ARABIC (Originally)  إذا حُمرت فالعشية، خذ زادك و تهيأ! و إذا حُمرت في الصباح، ضع زادك و ارتاح -------->

'Etha HoMeRaT Fl-Ashya, Kod Zadak Wa Tahyaa! Wa Etha HoMeRaT Fl-Sbaah, Daa Zadk Wa Ertah'

ENGLISH (Translated) Red sky at night, Shepherd's delight; Red sky in the morning, Shepherd's warning.

Used when..... I'm not sure about this one in either languages ... but isn't it beautiful XD




That's all I have right now. <3