In the tradition of older oriental literatures, Arabic literature contains numerous proverbs, moral sayings and worldly-wise dicta, as well as great collections of homiletic and religious sayings. This anthology of Wit and Wisdom is a small drop from a deep ocean – that of the rich aphoristic and proverbial literature of the Arabs. It comprises five hundred items, ranging from the seventh to the twentieth centuries, and is organized under a number of headings which provide a broad classification of the subject matter.