Tuesday

Arabic Definition of Insanity

This phrase reminds me of the saying "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results".  The phrase is اللي بيجرِّب المجرَّب بيكون عقله مخرَّب (illi beejarrib almjarrab beekoon 'aqloo mkharrab) which literally means "the one who tries what has been tried, his mind is addled", basically the same thing as the first quote.

 
I heard this phrase on الاتجاه المعاكس and here's an audio clip from the show of the host who is Syrian saying it.  Although everyone on the show is supposed to speak MSA they always will break down into their own dialects, especially after the show has been going on for a while and they get tired and angry.

(The video is all messed up مخرّب :), but the audio is clear.)




In this clip the host is talking to a guest who wants Ahmad Shafiq to become the president of Egypt.  The host is telling him that Ahmad Shafiq is just the same as Honsi Mubarak.  Why try something you've already tried?

هل جرّب المصريون حكم حسني مبارك؟ جرّبوه - Have the Egyptians tried the rule of Hosni Mubarak? They've tried it.  (rhetorical question)

جرّبناه - We tried it.

جرّبوه - They tried it.

نعم - Yes.

طيب.  و في مثل بسيط بيقلك إللي بيجرّب المجرَّب بيكون عقله مخرًّب - Ok.  And there's a simple saying that tells you, "the one who tries what has been tried, his mind is addled".



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

what does بیکون mean?

thanks

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"what does بیکون mean?"

It's from كان - be/was