يا برص بخيت الملح لية

English translation: kindly see explanation

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Arabic term or phrase:يا برص بخيت الملح لية
English translation:kindly see explanation
Entered by: Saleh Dardeer

03:47 May 8, 2012
Arabic to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
Arabic term or phrase: يا برص بخيت الملح لية
اما حكاية لغة ثانية متهيألى وراها عداوة وراها اسفين بين العرب احنا بشر وهما كمان بشر حاسبو انفسكم قبل ماتعادو الناس من غير داعى والمثل بيقول ال يا برص بخيت الملح لية قال بربى عداوة احنا ناقصين

The context is a discussion about changing Egypt's national language from Arabic to something else.

1. What does this phrase mean?

2. What is the literal meaning of بخيت ?

Thank you in advance for your help.
Arabic & More
Jordan
kindly see explanation
Explanation:
This is a proverb that has some other wordings. Anyway, this is my first time to read this wording. At the end, it serves the main meaning.

To answer your questions clearly, it would be better to give you the background of the main idea beyond this proverb.
Another wording reads:
سألوا البرص بتنفخ في النار ليه، قال بربي عداوة
the gecko was asked why do you blow the fire, it said I make enemies

This proverb is coined by Egyptian based on a part of a Prophetic Hadeeth (saying) that:
When Nimrod threw Ibraaheem [Abraham] (may Allah exalt his mention) into fire after the latter refuted their false belief by fair argument, all animals and insects used to put out fire with exception to gecko which used to blow up fire...

Then, people spun a proverb depending on this part of Hadeeth. the main point of the proverb is that when a weak ineffective person does a malice that will not even harm the offended person only to prove that he is there and he is too significant to have enemies. You can understand this from the fact that the blowing up of fire by the gecko is something trivial.

Back to your 2nd question, بخيت with shaddah ّ on the خ is derived from بخخ which means spray, sprinkle, etc. because it, i.e., geck sprays this salt from its mouth into something

Hope this helps
Selected response from:

Saleh Dardeer
Grading comment
Thank you for your detailed explanation. Perhaps a good English equivalent would be "fan the flames" or something similar.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3kindly see explanation
Saleh Dardeer


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
kindly see explanation


Explanation:
This is a proverb that has some other wordings. Anyway, this is my first time to read this wording. At the end, it serves the main meaning.

To answer your questions clearly, it would be better to give you the background of the main idea beyond this proverb.
Another wording reads:
سألوا البرص بتنفخ في النار ليه، قال بربي عداوة
the gecko was asked why do you blow the fire, it said I make enemies

This proverb is coined by Egyptian based on a part of a Prophetic Hadeeth (saying) that:
When Nimrod threw Ibraaheem [Abraham] (may Allah exalt his mention) into fire after the latter refuted their false belief by fair argument, all animals and insects used to put out fire with exception to gecko which used to blow up fire...

Then, people spun a proverb depending on this part of Hadeeth. the main point of the proverb is that when a weak ineffective person does a malice that will not even harm the offended person only to prove that he is there and he is too significant to have enemies. You can understand this from the fact that the blowing up of fire by the gecko is something trivial.

Back to your 2nd question, بخيت with shaddah ّ on the خ is derived from بخخ which means spray, sprinkle, etc. because it, i.e., geck sprays this salt from its mouth into something

Hope this helps

Saleh Dardeer
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 59
Grading comment
Thank you for your detailed explanation. Perhaps a good English equivalent would be "fan the flames" or something similar.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Taghreed Mahmoud: Thanks so much Mr. Saleh for your thorough explanation.
1 hr
  -> You are most welcome

agree  REHAM HUSSIEN: Very good explanation, however, the gecko sprays into the salt
2 hrs
  -> Thanks a lot for your input!

agree  Eid Ibrahim: the gecko sprays into the salt
3 hrs
  -> Thanks a lot for your input!
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