1001 Persian-English Proverbs: 3rd (third) Edition: Learning Language and Culture through Commonly Used Sayings (English and Farsi Edition) - Softcover

Habibian, who left Iran in 1981 after the Islamic Revolution, teaches Persian to young Iranian-Americans in the Washington, D.C. area and has found that proverbs are an excellent tool. But her book, meant to narrow the cultural gap between Iranians born and raised in their homeland and the millions now growing up in a Western diaspora, has a broader appeal for an English-speaking audience. What is striking about her compellation is the number of proverbs from the two cultures that are nearly or completely identical. Where English-speakers would say that "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush," for example, Iranians would say "a sparrow in hand is better than ten in the air."

Some proverbs give insight into cultural and geographical differences. For example, the closest equivalent to "All that glitters is not gold" is "Not everyone with a beard is your Dad." Or this one reflecting Iran's Muslim traditions: "Each Hajji (pilgrim) goes to Mecca in his own way." English-speakers would say, "There is more than one way to skin a cat." Especially interesting are the number of proverbs that are identical in the two languages. Among them: "One enemy is too many, a hundred friends too few." And "There is no place like home."
— Barbara Slavin, senior diplomatic reporter, USA TODAY.

Reading Simin Habibian’s 1001 Persian-English Proverbs was, for me, comparable to poring through volumes of classical Persian literature in a single outstanding book. The author has truly managed to resurrect and breathe freshness into a language that is both playful and rich in its many traditions. I was also stuck by the witty illustrations interspersed throughout the book, lending visual accessibility to the sayings and making them more intimate. Most importantly, the juxtaposition of the originals next to their English equivalents, as well as the addition of literal translations, will be helpful for a variety of readers with different needs who will find in this book countless gems of the Persian proverb form they will surely refer to again and again for many years to come.
— Salar Abdoh