الساقية الجارية ولا النهر المقطوع

A Lebanese proverb from Cedarseed:



 الساقية الجارية ولا النهر المقطوع
(Es-seqiye l-jerye la n-nahr al-maqTu')
Literal meaning:The flowing brook rather than the dry river.  
Meaning: A small but constant source of income is better than a large yet unreliable one.

أخفد صوتك وقوّي حجتك

A Lebanese proverb from cedarseed:


  أخفد صوتك وقوّي حجتك
(Okhfod sawtak wa qawwe Hijtak)
Literal Meaning: Lower your voice and strengthen your argument.
Meaning: Your arguments are stronger if you don't shout. It is similar to President Roosevelt's saying "walk softly, and carry a big stick."    

مفيش حلاوة من غير نار

I found this Lebanese proverb on the Arabic forums on proz.com:

مفيش حلاوة من غير نار
Literal Meaning: You cannot make dessert without fire.
Meaning: You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs

الحركة فيها بركة والرزقة بدّه نطّة

 This Lebanese proverb is from cedarseed's  excellent collection:


حركة فيها بركة والرزقة بدّه نطّة
(El-Harake fiya barake, war-reka badda natta) 
Literal meaning: Movement has good fortune in it and good luck need a jump.
meaning: Action brings good fortune, and inversely, if you want good luck you need to give it a jumpstart. Equivalent to English: Heaven helps those who help themselves; and French: Aide-toi et le ciel t'aidera.)

متل الجرس ع دنب بغل

A Lebanese proverb from cedarseed:


متل الجرس ع دنب بغل
(metl ej-jaras 'a danab baghl)
Literal meaning: Like the bell on the mule's tail
meaning: said of someone who never stops talking, like "could talk hind leg off a donkey"

بيوعى نوح

Another Lebanese proverb from cedarseed.


 بيوعى نوح
(Biu'a Nuh) 
Literal meaning: It wakes up Noah.
Meaning: Said of a very outdated object or custom. This proverb refers to Noah from the Bible to indicate  something ancient. In English, we say something is "antediluvian".

طولة البال بتشيل من الحامض حلو

A Lebanese proverb about patience from www.cedarseed.com


 طولة البال بتشيل من الحامض حلو
(Tulet elbel betshil men el-Hamod Helo)
Literal meaning:Patience extracts sugar from a lemon. 
Meaning: You can accomplish difficult things with patience. In english, we say "All things come to those who wait."
  

حامل السلّم بالعرض

Another Lebanese proverb from http://www.cedarseed.com.


حامل السلّم بالعرض
(Haamala alsallam bil'arD)
Literal meaning: He carries the ladder sideways.
Meaning: Said of someone who makes things more complicated than they have to be. In English you might say "does things the hard way" 

عطي خبزك للخبّاز ولو أكل نصّه

A Lebanese proverb courtesy of http://www.cedarseed.com.




 عطي خبزك للخبّاز ولو أكل نصّه
('aTi khebzak lal-khebbez wa law akal noSo)
Literal meaning: Give your bread dough to the baker, even if he eats half of it.
Meaning:Always go to the expert, even if it costs you more.