يمشي خلفی عندما أكون في الشمس ويختفي المزيف

[Tilmeedh]

Hi all--I just came upon this saying in a meme and would like to know what it signifies and whether it has an English equivalent.

(يمشي خلفی عندما أكون في الشمس ويختفي المزيف.)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mahaodeh]

He walks behind me when I’m in the sun and then disappears, the fraud?

I have not come across such a saying in any language, but I think that knowing the language it was originally written in would make a difference in understanding it.

Standing in the sun has two very different meanings in Arabic and English, as does standing in someone’s shadow; and they may have a third idiomatic meaning in a third language.

 

[Tilmeedh]

Thanks for your input, Maha.

After a bit of googling, I now believe the sentence in my OP is actually a misquote of the below statement attributed to Khalil Gibran:

(الصديق المزيف كالظل يمشي ورائي عندما أكون في الشمس ويختفي عندما أكون في الظلام.)

Does this version make more sense by itself? If not, do you have access to his works in Arabic, which would allow you to examine the surrounding context?

 

[analeeh]

This makes perfect sense - a false friend is like a shadow: he walks behind me (i.e. stands with me) when I am in the sun and disappears when I am in the shade. It works in English too I think.

 

[Mahaodeh]

Yes, the Original makes perfect sense.