'Mir'aat': Arabic for mirror reflects on truth and vanity

Mirrors are also commonly referred to as miraye, especially in the Levant

The Arabic language is filled with idioms, quotes and colloquial quips involving the mirror

Few objects are as vast in terms of metaphors as the mirror.

Its representations of wisdom, vanity and presentability resonate across cultures. In its sterling bottomlessness, it holds the infinite. In its reflections, it stands as a declarer of truth. It has often been featured as a transcendental vantage point in folk tales and literature around the world. Unbound by time or space, the mirror on the wall knows all.

In the Arab world, the mirror’s influence is just as potent. Evidence to that is how much the Arabic language is filled with idioms, quotes and colloquial quips involving the mirror.

Mir'aat is Arabic for mirror. It is also colloquially referred to as miraye, especially in the Levant. In plural form, the word becomes maraya.

When something, say a body of water, is clear and reflective, you could say it is kal mir'aat. The next time a friend is late because they took their time getting ready, you could as them, Kam sa’aa sarlak/sarlik waqef/waqefa qidam al miraye?, or: How long have you been standing in front of the mirror?

On the other hand, if they appear unkempt, you could say, Shouf shaklak/shaklik qidam al miraye — Look at yourself in the mirror. Another common expression is, Ma a’ndkon miraye bel beit ­— Do you not have a mirror at home?

Breaking a mirror, or kasr al mir'aat, is also considered ominous in the Middle East, and as the superstition goes, will bring seven years of bad luck.

Maraya was also the name of a popular Syrian comedy television show, which ran for 20 seasons between 1982 and 2013. The show was lauded for the way it presented social commentary about life in Syria through comedy. It starred Syrian actor and writer Yasser al-Azma.

There are several sayings by Arab intellectuals that incorporate al mir'aat.

“Sulook al insan mir'aat al qalb, fa man kan sulookuhoo jamilan kana qalbahu saliman.”

“A person’s manners are the mirror of his heart,” writes Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran. “The more his manners are beautiful, the healthier his heart.”

“La takon kalmijhar yidakhimu altafaseel al saghira wa tukshef mawaten al qubah.

“Kun kal mir'aat, ta'kes ma tarahu amamaka bihiyadiya.”

“Do not be like the microscope,” Saudi journalist Abdullah Al-Maghlouth writes. “Do not enlarge the smallest details to reveal ugliness. Be like a mirror, reflecting what you see in front of you honestly.”

Scroll through the gallery below to see The National's pick of Arabic words of the week