ווסטמארק…פתגמים
WOMEN—MARRIAGE
The curses and vows of women are more fearful than those of men; it is said :—
(5) Ida halfu file r-rjal bat' na'as w Ida halfu file n-nsa bat fayaq,
اذا حلفوا فيك لرجال بت ناعس واذا حلفوا فيك النسا بت فايق
אִידָא חֵלְפוּ פִיכּ רְזָ'אל, בָאת נָאעֵס, וּאִידָא חֵלְפוּ פִיכּ אֵנְסָא בָּאת פָאיֵקּ
“ If men swear to do you harm spend your night sleeping, and if women swear to do you harm spend your night awake.״
A mother's curse is more frightful than a father's, and to be cursed by a shereefa, or female descendant of the Prophet, is even a greater calamity than to be cursed by a shereef. Women are quarrelsome :
Sarr lbnât ma iqâdiùh htt‘a inedbù l-hinkât,
شر البنات ما يقاضوه حتى يندبوا الحنكات
סָ'אר אְלְבְנָאת מָא יִקָאדוּה חֵתָּא יִנְדוּבוּ לְחְנְקָאת
“ Girls will not finish their quarrel until they scratch the (i.e. each other’s) cheeks ” ;
Sarr é-Sarfat‘ ma irtehû mennù hatta inêt'fù S-iîbât', “ Old women will not rest from their quarrel until they pull out the (i.e. each other’s) white hairs ” ;
شر الشرفات ما يرتاحوا منه حتى ينتفوا الشيبات
סָ'אר אְשְׁרְפָאת מָא יִרְתָאחּו מְנְנּוּ חֵתָא יִנְטוּפוּ אַשִיבָּאת
Sarr l-hràr ma iqâdiùh hatt'a intefù s-sar,
شر الحرار ما يقاضوه حتى ينتفوا الشعر
סָ'אר אְלְחְרָאר מָא יִקָאדְיוּה חֵתָּא יִנִטִפוּ שְעָאר
“ White women will not finish their quarrel until they pull out the (i.e. each other’s) hair ” ;
Sarr l-hdém ma yët'qâda illà bè d-dëmm,
شر الخدم ما يتقاضى الا بالدم
סָ'אר אְלְכְ'דַם מָא יִתְקָאדָא אִילָּלא בְּדֵם
“ The quarrel of black women only ends with [the effusion of] blood.”