Transliteration: A’alato sheghil eedo.

Translation: His/her brain is made by his/her own hand.

Background information: This is a Syrian expression meaning his/her brain isn’t put together well, as in jerry-rigged, i.e. crazy.

Context: The informant told me this proverb in a Skype video call conversation about folklore.

Thoughts: This is saying that when a human makes things, it is not perfect, compared to God’s work. If a human makes their own brain, then it comes out wrong; when God makes the brain, it functions properly. I think this is a clever way of putting this situation; the meaning is implied, but not outright stated.