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🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic · Fluency Level 2

PART 2 · LESSON 16 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The hidden elder

Grandma shells beans and tells the tale behind the proverb the one with no elder should buy one: a village sends its old people to the mountain, a bad year comes with neither rain nor bread, and the hidden father says either you sow the sweepings or you starve.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Grandma's kitchen in Heliopolis on a winter afternoon, a basin of broad beans to shell between her and Leo. Grandma speaks plainly and calls Leo my son; Leo says the polite you to her.

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Words and phrases

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زَمَان, قَرْيَة وَدِّت العَوَاجِيز لِلْجَبَل.za-MAAN, 'AR-ya WAD-dit il-3a-wa-GEEZ lig-GA-bal.Once, a village sent its old people to the mountain.
كُلُّهُم يَا تِيتَة?kul-LU-hum ya TEE-ta?All of them, Grandma?
إِلَّا وَاحِد, شَابّ خَبَّى أَبُوه.IL-la WAA-7id, shaabb KHAB-ba a-BOOH.Except one: a young man hid his father.
وِبَعْدِين يَا تِيتَة?wi-ba3-DEEN ya TEE-ta?And then, Grandma?
لا مَطَر وَلَا عِيش.la MA-tar WA-la 3eeshneither rain nor bread
جَت سَنَة وِحْشَة, لا مَطَر وَلَا عِيش.gat SA-na WI7-sha, la MA-tar WA-la 3eesh.A bad year came: neither rain nor bread.
وِالأَب قَال إِيه?WIL-'ab 'al eeh?And what did the father say?
يَا تِزْرَعُوا, يَا تِجُوعُوا.ya tiz-RA-3u, ya ti-GOO-3ueither you sow, or you starve
يَا تِزْرَعُوا الكُنَاسَة, يَا تِجُوعُوا.ya tiz-RA-3u ik-ku-NAA-sa, ya ti-GOO-3u.Either you sow the sweepings, or you starve.
وِنَزَّلُوا العَوَاجِيز مِن الجَبَل?wi-naz-ZA-lu il-3a-wa-GEEZ min ig-GA-bal?And they brought the old people down from the mountain?

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