MODERN ARABIC S h o r t
s t o r ie s
٠
قف ة
- ب
ت ي
Ronak H usni & Daniel L. Newman
M O D E R N ARABIC SH ...
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MODERN ARABIC S h o r t
s t o r ie s
٠
قف ة
- ب
ت ي
Ronak H usni & Daniel L. Newman
M O D E R N ARABIC SH O R T STORIES A Bilingual Reader
SAQI
ISBN 13: 978-0-86356-436-9
Copyright © Ronak Husni & Daniel L. Newman, 2008
Allrights reserved. No part o f this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical\ includingphotocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from thepublisher. This book is soldsubject to the condition that ;■/ shallnot, by way o f trade ٠٢ otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in anyform ofbindingor ،•٢^ ٠ other than that in w h i c h i s published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library A full CIP reeord for this book is available from the Library of Congress
Printed and bound by CPI Mackays, Chatham, ME5 8TD.
SAQI 26 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RH 825 Page Street, Suite 203, Berkeley, California 94710 Tabet Building, Mneimneh Street, Hamra, Beirut WWW.
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Contents
Introduction
7
Note on Transliteration A h^eviations
12
Izz al-Dln al-Madanl
ول
The Tale ofth e Lam p
ول
Zakariyya Tamir
41
A Lonely W om an
43
M uhammad al-Zafzaf
5ة
The Sacred Tree
58
Ibrahim al-Faqlh
7°
Excerptfrom The Book ofT he D ead
72
Najlb M ahfuz
104
Q ism a ti a n d N a s ib i
107
Hanan al-Shaykh
ل44
Yasm ine's Picture
M uhammad Shukrl
147 ا6ق
The N ig h t a n d the Sea
ا6مب
Idwar al-Kharrat
178
6
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilingual Reader
A t the Theatre
180
Salwa Bakr
198
A n cestral H a ir
200
Fu’ad al-Takarll
220
A H id d en Treasure
222
Layla al-‘U thm an N ig h t ofT orm ent
247 248
Yusuf Idris
265
A T rayfrom Heaven
267
Bibliography
ق95
Introduction
The short stO!^ {qissa, uqsusa) is a particularly vibrant genre in co n tem pora^ Arabic literature, and almost all major authors have at one point or another in their careers ventured into this field. The present collection provides the reader with a taste o f the prowess of the masters of the m odern Arabic short story. All except Naj؛b Mahfuz, Yusuf Idris, M uhamm ad ShukrI and M uhammad a l-Z a f^ f are active to date. Naturally, when putting together a reader o f this type, it is not always easy to decide whom to include and exclude. The selection process involved many an hour vividly discussing the m ultitude o f stories from which we had to choose. At the same time, we did not focus exclusively on an author’s most recent work; instead, we chose to include those stories that were most appropriate for the reader, and which had not been translated. All too often, works o f this kind, though claiming to represent Arabic literature in general, are decidedly “Easterncentred” inasmuch as the focus is on Middle Eastern authors. As one o f the aims o f the present book is to provide readers with a sample o f the best in modern Arabic short stories, we wanted to make sure that all areas o f the Arab world would be represented, ٢٢٥٨١ Morocco to Iraq and the G u lf Similarly, we also aimed to include both male and female authors, without, however, falling prey to “political correctness” ؛rather, the
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
objective was to provide as complete a picture o f the modern Arabic short story landscape as possible. The potential readership for this book is varied. Though the primary target audience consists o f students o f Arabic, the fact that each story is accompanied by an English translation makes the book accessible to all those interested in contem porary Arab fiction but who lack the language skills to read the stories in the original. There are ample notes following each story in which relevant language and cultural points are discussed, making this reader eminently suitable for both home and classroom use. The stories in the book can be used in core language classes as well as in a M odern Arabic Literature course at all levels. Although some o fth e texts may be too challenging for novices, they will provide good practice for more advanced students. We have taken this into account by arranging the texts in order of difficulty, the easier ones first. The added advantage to this graduated approach is that it enables students to chart their own progress and proficiency. Anyone dealing with Arabic texts has to confront the issue of language variety in view ofth e diglossic nature ofthe language, i.e. the fact that there are competing varieties, linked to register, many of which are mutually unintelligible. As this is neither the place nor the occasion to enter into a disquisition on this controversial topic, suffice it to say that we have decided to include only stories written in the normative (supranational) variety, known as Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), or fushd ( ر ش غ ى. At the same time it is, of course, impossible to exclude the colloquial {‘dm m iyya, darija) altogether, since no Arabic speaker has MSA as his or her mother tongue, so it is only natural that in dialogue most authors render the language that is actually spoken. In those cases, the vernacular expressions are fully glossed in the notes with their equivalents in MSA. As a result, the book also offers highly interesting insights into the sociolinguistics o fth e colloquial and the interaction be^veen MSA and the *
Introduction
و
while containing interesting samples of colloquial expressions from all over the Arabic-speaking world. A ll words in the language notes - including the titles o fth e books m entioned - are fully vowell^d, whereas the ' vowels o fth e imperfect tense ( )المض ا ر عo f form I verbs are added in brackets, e. g. ( عمزu). If ther^ is more than one possibility, both are given, e. g. ( نف ثi, u). So-called diptote forms are marked by a dam m a (١, e.g. الن واصيIn all other cases, declension vowels a^e om itted, as is the “nunation” ( ) ش ن- the regular indefinite inflectional noun ؟n.dings - except for the accu؛ative singular in certain words, e. g. عف وا, but ( ع ا ص م ةrather than )ع ا ص م ة. As texts and translation appear together, the language notes are, quite naturally, much shorter than they would have been had we opted for a traditional reader with only the original texts. Here, too, we have been led by a commonsensical and pragmatic approach, in that we have excluded comments on language points that the learner can easily find in standard translating dictionaries. Indeed, there is little point in simply repeating the translations that appear opposite the text! Notes were added for unusual meanings an d /o r cultural or intertextual references that were thought to be unfam iliar to our target readership. In this, we have been guided by our extensive joint teaching experience. At the same time we are fully aware that this process is to some extent subjective, and the results open to debate. As far as the translations are concerned, we have taken into account the fact that the reader will primarily be used as a teaching and learning resource; as a result, an attem pt was made to provide both an idiomatic translation and a crib for the student. All the translations are ours, except for the Q ur’an translations in the notes, which are those o f M. Pickthall (1996). The original texts appear in the way they do in the original publications, i.e. without any post-editing on our part, which includes, for instance, the often inconsistent vowel and declension markings.
io
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
Each story is preceded by a brief biography o f the author, his or her key works and a brief background to the story. Finally, we should like to thank the authors and others who have kindly granted permission to include the stories in the book. We are especially indebted to Salwa Bakr, Idwar al-K harr^, F u^d al-Takarl؛, Zakariyya Tam ir and Layla al‘U thm an, who offered very useful advice on a num ber o f issues and also provided us with biographical details. Ronak Husni & Daniel L. Newman
Note on Transliteration
The transliteration used in this book is that o fth e Encyclopaedia o fls la m , with the following deviations: kh = kh' ؛
= sh; dh = dh. The transcription does not reflect the regressive assimilation ( )إذغ ا مo f the lateral in the definite article a l with the so-called “sun letters” (t, th, d, r, z, s, sh, s, أ, d, z, n), e.g. al-Sahrd’ rather than as-Sahra. In line with common usage, ham za is not transcribed in word-initial positions, whereas the “nunation” (see the Introduction, above) is dropped throughout. In the narratives ofthe short stories themselves, proper nouns and technical terms appear in their “recognized” - i.e. “broad” - transliteration forms in order to m inimize “exoticness” in the narrative.
Abbreviations
CA coll. dial. ECA ICA fem. Fr. It. LCA masc. MCA MSA pl• pron. sg. SCA
Classical Arabic collective noun dialectal Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Iraqi Colloquial Arabic feminine French Italian Lebanese Colloquial Arabic masculine Moroccan Colloquial Arabic M odern Standard Arabic plural pronoun singular Syrian Colloquial Arabic
Izz al-Din al-Madani
Born in Tunis in 1938, al-Madani is one o f Tunisia’s leading lite r a l figures, and has been active in many different genres؛ his oeuvre includes novels, short stories, literal^ criticism and theory (see, for instance, his seminal essay ^ ؟٤^ ١ ا لأذب, “Experimental Literature”) and plays. He has been particularly prolific as a playwright, and one may cite, for i nst ance, دي وان ثؤرة ( ا ل ر غThe R evolt ofthe Z a n j , 1983), set against the backdrop o f the blac^ slave revolt in ninth-centuty Baghdad; '( إل طا جCarthage); ( م و ال ي ال غل ط ا ن ا لخضيT h e H a fsid S u lta n ), about one o fT unisia’s mediaeval dynasties; ( ب خل ة ا ل ح ال جA l- H a lla j’s Journey ), about the famous Persian-born mystic theologian al-Hallaj (857-922) ؛and ( عل ى المبر ا ل واف رO n The O verflow ing Sea). He has also published a num ber o f short story collections, the most famous o f which are ( م ن ح ك اي ا ت هذا الزم ا نTales o fO u r Tim e , 1982), ( زاف ا تLegends, 1968) and ( ال ن ذ وا نtheAggression). In addition to having been a special advisor to Tunisia’s minister o f culture, al-Madan! has also been editor-in-chief of a num ber of Tunisian dailies and magazines. In 2006, he was awarded the Theatre prize for his entire dramatic oeuvre at the Doha (Qatar) Cultural Festival. A l-M ada^ frequently uses Arab history, folklore and classical Arabic literary genres as a spectrum through which he addresses contem poraiy issues such as governance and
14
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
power. One such example is the story presented here, ح ك اية (“The Tale o f the Lamp”), which appears in the ahovem entioned collection م ن ح ك اي ا ت هذا الز ما ن. The story contains all the author’s hallmarks inasmuch as it is an allegorical tale inspired by classical literature and loaded with intertextual references revealing al-Madan^s wide reading. At the same time, the language used is sparse and formal, devoid o f the embellishments one would normally associate with the genre. In spite o f its setting, the events depicted in the stoiy clearly have an underlying link with issues bedevilling present-day society.
ال م ح ل
ح ك اية القندي ل
The Tale ofthe Lamp
6ا
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
“I found myself in Baghdad, yearning for the azad date ...” They claimed - and God knows it was true - that it was a year of drought and famine (may God prese^e us all!), which had struck like lightning in one o f the ancient capital cities o f the Maghrib such as ^ y ra w a n , Fes, Sijilmasa, Gafsa or Mahdia. Food had run out, and people went into the desert to look for cacti and grass to assuage their hunger. After their hopes had been dashed, they preferred death over life. May God preserve us from oppression, evil and hunger! The drought lasted for seven years until the camels knelt down, too weak even to carry the hum ps on their backs. God is kind to the Believers! The people always remembered the horrors o f these dark years, which became a milestone in their history from which they counted events and feasts. Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in one o f these ancient cities. He was extremely clever. Living in a time of plenty and opulence, he believed that contentm ent was an everlasting treasure. The story goes that during the day this man repaired sandals in a nice shop located next to the Abu ‘1-Inaya school, although some people claimed it was next to the shrine o f al-Sayyid al-Sahib. Still others said that the m an’s shop was close to the black-roofed galley that had been built by the caliph Isma’il al-Mansur al-Shi‘i. At night, our protagonist would busy him self with his family - his women, sons and daughters. His and other people’s lives were filled with such contentm ent that not even a cloud on a sum m er’s day could spoil it. However, when he was struck by catastrophe, and had to face crises from all sides, his heart and m ind deserted him, and when he saw the camels kneel out o f sheer weakness, his deep-rooted belief in contentm ent being an everlasting treasure vanished. His conviction wavered and then faded away. There was nothing left for him to hold onto! He flew into a wild rage, but to no avail.
‘Izz al-D in a l-M a d a n i
17
ا شت هي ت ا لأزاد أ ،ا وأن ا بب غداد عف و أ م ،ب ص الجف ا ف ،
والق ح
ل
زع م وا ،واف أع ل م ، ،أن
ذ
ط ،والمحل ،والمحا عة م ،و فمح بة ،عف ان ا ٦^^١وأي ا م ،ق د
نزل ت نزول ا ل صا عقة عل ى إ ح د ى ا ل عوا ص م ٧المغ ربي ة ^ كأ ن تق و ل أوف ا س'ا ،سجلماس ة ' ' أو نفصة^ أو الم ه دي ة ^ ف انع د م الق و ت ،ف خ ر ج الن ا س إ الب رية
ل
ل
م الع ه د ا !نديم ٠^ ^ ١ ص١٠
ا ل ص ح راء* ١يطلب و ن الص بار وا ا ث
ن الرم ق،ف ل مي ج د وا شيئ ا .فأك ل وا ا ل ط ح ل ب وا ل ح ج ر ،وآ ر وا
عل ى الحي ا ةبع د
ع آهما ل م .وق ان ا افآما
انق طا
وا ي و ع ،آم ين! وت وال ت محن و ا ت الج ذ
وإي اك م
بضب عا إ ل
ال و
ن
من و ا ت ٣٧ ^ ١و كر
أنب ر ك ت ا لجما ل و ص ا ر ت
ال تق و ى ح تى عل ى ح م ل منام ه ا .اف لط ي فبعب ا ده الم ؤ بن ! و ما زال أب ا س يذ ك ر ون أه و ا ل ت ل ك السن و ا ت المظلم ة ،فيؤرخ و ن به ا أيام ه م ،وأ ح داثه م
*٠وك ا ن ي م ش مت ل ك الم د ن ا لعريقة ر ج ل م ن أعق ل ا لر جا ل ،ق دآ س “ ٢٧ الع ش ا ل رغ ي د -بأن ا ر ض ك م ال • < .وك ا ن هذا ا ل ر ج ل - ،شغ ل م ال ن ه ا رب إ ص ال ح ال عا ل ١٨وت رقيع ه ا م دك ا ن ظ ر ي ف يق عب ج ان ب م د رس ة أبي ا لعن ا ن ة
ح س ب رواة ،وبمجانمب زاوية
ا ل د ا ل ص ا ح ب ح س بف ريق
ث ا ن س ا ل ر و ا ة .و س ا ل ر واة س ك ا ن يق و ل إن دك ا نه ك ا ن ي ق عب ج وار ا ل م ن ي ف ة " ص أ ما
ال ء " ال ت ي بن ا ه ا أ م ال مبهنء* ا م اللي ل ،ف ك ا ن
ص ا حبن ا ي ث ت غ ل
و حي ا ة الن ا س راضية مر ضية ٢ به ا ل خئ ب ،د م ،
ولما
ال
س اعي ل ا ل م م ور ا ب
ي ي ^ ،واف أع ل م .
بما ئه ،وأبن ا ئه ،وبن ا ته ،وب ا ت ت حي ا ؛
ت ك د ر ها ح ت ى سحا بة ص ي ف أ ل ك ن ،
نزل ت عل يه ال ك ا رثة ،فز ع،
ولما
لما
أم
ح ا ص رته ا لأزم ة ،ان خل ع
عقل ه وقل به وفؤاده .و ح ن رأ ى ا ل ج ما لب ا ركة م ن ش دة الض ع فت ساق ط لبما نه ا ل ر اس خ بأن
ال ر
ص كنز
ال
يفن ى ،وته ا ن ت اعتق ا د؛؛ وغ ا ض .و لريع د
ن د نف عا . يقب ض عل ى شيء! فث ا ر تث ات ر ته ،ل ك زث و رته ٢٧م ج
ال ر ج ل
18
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilingual Reader
He said: “I’ve got to get food for my family. I just have to, even if it means going out stealing or killing!” So, early one m orning he left his house, armed with a knife. He walked close to the houses, looking around intently. The only thing he saw were the bodies o f staining people piled up along the street, hordes o f flies hovering around them. The red-hot sun beat down from a clear blue sky, while a scorching wind was blowing hard. W hat a horrendous sight! Look at this miserable humanity! The poor man cried and wept. Was there any point to any o f this? None! So what was he going to take back home? Wax? Was he going to turn wax into food for the children? Were they supposed to chew on it until it melted in their mouths? Dam n this age o f injustice! The man threw the wax into the house, and the mouths caught it. Then he returned to his shop, took a large sack and filled it with eve^thing he owned: sewing needle, thread, some nails, a hammer, knife and the lamp that hung from the ceiling. He locked the door to the shop, secured it and said to him self “Let me get out o f this place and explore the wide world.” As the poet says: A le x a n d ria is my home Ifth a t is where / am.
The man left his native land and evetyone in it and embarked upon his journey, travelling day and night, week after week, m onth after m onth, not knowing what he would come across. He crossed deserts, wastelands and oases, encountering neither flowers nor animals. Then, he disappeared ... However, according to some stoiytellers, the man saw the walls of the city o f Ghadamis appear before him, while others say that he continued on the Golden Road. The stoiyteller Abu Shu’a^rib M uhammad Bin Sulayman was certain that the man died of
7zz al-D in a l-M a d a n i
فق ا ل :رر
ال
بن م ن الق و ت للعي ا د ئ ،
ال
بد م ن
ذل ك
ول و ^ ^ ، ٧وا ل م ط و ،
والقت ل!)). فخر ج
ال صإ
ح
ب اك ر ال
ط حا
بشف ر ته ،و مي ح ا ذ ي ج دران ا
ويت ل ص ص،فلم ير إ ال ج ث ث الجي ا ع عل ى ق ارعة ابلريق متراك م ة، ال ذب ز بت طير عل ي ه ا ،والسماء زرق اء ص ا ح ية دائ م ا ،و ا ك
ك
و ار ع،
فل و ج،حا
ح مراء حادخ
س
دائ م ا ،وا لري ح ق و ية الف ح ة دائ م ا .ه ذا المن ظ ر ال ب ش ع ه ذ ه البش رية ا شس ة إ
فب ك ى ا ل مخن ،ب ك ى ،وشهق ون اح -وه ل هذاي ج د ي نفع أ ؟ ك ب وأل ف ك ال! وبما ذا مم عو د إ ل ال بي
ت ؟بالش م ع!فلت ج ع ل
العي ا ل الش م ع طعامال ها .ت لو ى ،
ت ل و كه،ت ل و كه ح ت ى ي ذ و ب م أف و ا هه ا .فلع نة اف عل ى ه ذا ال د ه ف و اه.ث م ع ا د إ و ر س ا ل ر ج لبالشم ع ز بيته ،فتل ق ف ت ه ا لأ ج راب ا كييرأ وأل ق ى فيه ك ز
ما
ل
ر ا ل ظا
م!
دك ا نه ،فتت ا و ل
ك ا ن يمل ك هت إب ر ة ا لخي ا ط ة وب ك ر ة ا لخي ط وبع ض
ا ل م ا ص و ط رقة وشف ر ة ،وذا ك ال قندي ل المعل ق م ا ل ش ف .أغل قب ا ب ال د ك ا ن، لأر ح ل
أ ح ك م غل ق ه وت ا ل :ررف
ع ن ه ذ ه الب ال د ،فأر ض اف وا م مة))٠٢٩
،ا ل م ك د ري ه نا ر ي مح
و خ م ا ن ف ه .
ماب ش ه صارم ة و جا دة ،رغ م
ي الز
م ص ا م ' ج م ي ن • غ م أن أ ح د ال ذ ي ن ي ك ون ا آل ري و م
ى ,ة ي ي ش من م ك ا ن ما ه و ت ق طع ة ح جر ك جرة عل ى رأس ن ا ئ د ائق اءل رأص ه .سق ط عل ى ال ت را ب ،و ظ ل ت ا البت س ا مة أ ب دأ م ر س و مة عن ى A.j Iا إلي ن
ظلت ا سب ح ا نيف،
ر
م م ن 'أدم وا م ' ب • أطل ق ا ر س
ر
ص ا ص .ت ط ر ز
أ ح جار م الفض اء ا م حر ،فتكه ا ر ص ا ص ا ت م ي ك ن أ ح د يدر ي ص أي ك ا ن تتطل ق .أ خ ذ ت األ ج سا د ت ق ط ،ته ر ب و ث ث ث ت ،وتف ر ق وت م د م بب ع ضه ا م ا رتف ع الغب ا ر .م ع ر ك ة ح ق ي ق ي ة ف ع ال .م يع د هن ا ن ظ ام لأي ميمء ع و ا ط ف م ن الغض ب واخل و ف والح ق د إللش ج ا عة را ض ،؛ل ها محر م حو ل ش ج ر ة مق ط و عة .ا ل ر ص ا صي ط ل ق م ن ك ل م ك ا ن وي خت ر ق ك ز م ك ا ن .اخت ل ط ك ز خ يء .ا ل ع وي ل وال ب ك اء وأنت ن ا ال حتض ا ر ا لأخير .ابت سا م ة ق ا ئ د المق ا طبة ل ت ا ب ،كأ ن عث را ت ك ا ن ت ما تزال مرس و م ة عل ى خفتي ه ،رغ م ال دم وار ال ك ا م ي را ت تتزا ح م ح و ل ه ،لتلتق ط ل ه ص و رأ . ب و ا ب ،ا ل ر ي تف ر ق الن ا س خ لت ،الش و ا ر ع ال ضيق ة ،وأغل ق ت ال و ا ف د وا لأ ت ر كيبأ عش و ائيأ عل ى ج د را ن ،بني ت كيف م ا اتف ق .ك ا ن تب ع ض ال م و زت ط ل م ن ثق و ب أو خق و ق
ب و ا ب ل ك نت ل ك الع يو ن م م الحي طا ن والن و ا ف ذ وا لأ
ت ك ن ت ر ى سو ى ح ر س غير
م الومحع ة و م رؤ و س ا لأزقأ ال ف ذ رة
ا لتف ر عة ،ال ت ي ت جمع ت فيه ا الق ا ذ و را ت وا لأو سا خ . أ ص ح ا ببع ض ا ل حو ان ي ت ،م ن خ ئ ا ري ن و عف ا ري ن وأشب ا ه ةغ م ح ،ر م سم ن ه م وا حتف و ا
م أ ما ك ن ما .بع ض ا ل ع جا ئز ا ل ل و ات ي ي س ا ه ء د ' ي
وا ل ص اب و ن البل د ي و ل و ا زم ا ل ح ر ،ك ذ ي و ل ال فئ را ن و ر ؤ و س
' ع = من نpi• م م( م ى, “to rent out" (“ ر ا م ىto re n t”, “hire”). In MSA, the usual term is اي ج ار م >), “to rent o u t”, “let” ا ن ت أ ج ر, “to re n t”, “hire”). و. ح ط م: lit. “m u^^le”, “sn o u t”. 4• ما ف و ما ل ال ن ي ر ة: dialectal phrasing co m m o n in a large num ber o f dialects (e. g. Egyptian and Iraqi as well as M oroccan). It is im p o rtan t to note th at ما لhere does not refer to “m oney” or “w ealth”; gather, it is a particle used to denote possession. MSA: ما لن ا و ك ^ ^ ة م و. س ي د ي: strictly speaking “( ن ت د يM ister”, “Sir”), the form he^e is p ro n ounced s id i ai^d is used in N o rth Africa for people enjoying a high social or religious status. It is also the usual epithet for saints, as is the case ^ere: م ي د ي دا و ود. It is som etim es abbreviated to س ي: e^g. م ي مح ئ د. 6.
محزن: lit. m eaning “storehouse” (< خ ز ن, u, “to store”), the word is used here in the peculiarly M oroccan sense o f “the au th o rities” (form erly only the Treasu^f, i.e. “the place where the m oney is stored”).
7.
مح زي: “a m akhzan m an” (see above )مح زن, i.e. “government official”.
8 . المق ا ط ع ة: M CA “district office”. In MSA this w ord denotes “d istrict”. 9• ( ث ئ ص (ا إل ح: “to transm igrate ( مthe sp irit)”; cf. ق ن ص, “m etem psychosis”. N ote th at مم ئ ض ش خ ب ف ال نmeans wto pretend to be som eone else”, “to take over som eone else’s personality”. 10. 0م ك ب:“ أseek a blessing ) ن ز ك مfrom a saint. 11. ۶ ؛لي؟: = غلن ا,‘( س ا ز الغلنيsecretly’). 1 2. تمائ م: s g. .تمي م ة وا. ك ا ب را: this borrow ing is increasingly used, at the detrim ent
M uham m ad al-Zafzaf
o f the hom egrow n coinings ال ة ال مضo r . ث ن ؤ ر ة ا4 أ ش: superlative o f “(ت ا فهinsignificant”). ه ر ض أر: MCA; MSA “( ز ن قare th ro w n ”).
6و
Ibrahim al-Faqih
A؛imad Ibrahim al-Faqih was born in 1932 in to a middle-class family in M izda, a small village in the fam ous m acadam hills © f ( ا ل ح ما ل ة ا لخن راءH am ada H am ra), ab o u t 100 miles south o f the Libyan capital Tripoli. After com pleting his secondaiy education in Libya, he went to E ^ p t in 1962 to study journalism , When he returned to Libya, al-Faq!h worked briefly as a journalist before m oving to London to study theatre. Resettling in Libya in 1972, he became head o f the co u n try ’s N a tio n al Institute for Music and Dram a. In the 1980s, d u rin g his stay in Britain as a diplom at attached to the Libyan embassy, he com pleted a ? ^ ه at the University o f Edinburgh. Together with Ibrahim al-Kawnl (al-K oni)- a fellow member o f the so-called “Sixties G eneration” - al-Faqih is undoubtedly one o f the m ost fam ous and influential Libyan authors o f the present day. He has published the follow ing c o l l e c ti o n s ^ short stories: ( ال ي غ ر ال ماء بيهThe Em pty Sea, وا66ازث ط وا أ حزم ة تز ( المق ا ع دFasten Your Seatbelts, ول68(; ( ا ح ش ال ث غ و م فأت ن أن تThe Stars Disappeared\ a n d Where Wt ere You?, 1985); ( اث زأة م ن ن وءThe Lady o f Lig h t, 1985)( غن س حن اخ سحت ك م ال ش د ة ؛F ive Beetles A re R u lin g the Tree, 1998) ؛and ( نزاي ا بيني سي اReflections o f Venice). In
addition, al-Faqih has also been prolific as a journalist and critic, p la ^ r ig h t and novelist. Several o f his works have been translated in to English, including ( غزا ال تGazelles, a n d Other
Ibrahim al-Faqih
71
Plays , ( خئ و ل م ن ا إل م ا د ث(ووولV alle y o f Ashes, novel, تش ارلزأر و وول \l\j*j(Cbarles, D ia n a a n d M e , مح » ه
Stories, 1999); and ن ن
( ئ غ ا ف أيث ا كريس ت يW ho's A fra id o fA g a th a C h ristie ?, novel, 1999). Al-Faqih also edited a volum e o f translated short stories written by Libyan authors th at had originally appeared in the Londonbased magazine ص م under the title L ib y a n Short Stories (1999). ?robably his m ost am bitious project to date is the prizewinning trilogy (t؟anslated as Gardens o f the N ights , 1995), co ؟ ؟.is tin ^ o f م) ن افي ك ن دين ة أ غ ز ىS h a ll 0$ e r A nother City); ث غ و م تل م0( ه ذThese A re the Borders o f M y K ingdom ); and ث ق ( ت ضن ه ا م ر اة وا ح د ةA Tunnel L it by a W om an). Like the Egyptian Yahya H aqql’s ( قتدي ل أم ه اش مThe Lam p o f Um m H ash im , 1944) or the Sudanese al-Tayyib Salih’s ( م ؤ س م الب ح ر ة إ ل الش م ا لSeason o fM ig ra tio n to the N o rth , 1969), al-Faqlh’s trilogy highlights the alienation o f W estern-educated Arab - in this case, Libyan intellectuals, o n the cusp between the W estern tem ptations to which they at som e p o in t give in and the realization that salvation can only com e from w ithin. The present story, extracted from ا خ تف ت الن ج و م فأي ن أن ت ؟, is to some extent also preoccupied w ith alienation, albeit not in the traditional sense inasm uch as it depicts the protagonist’s inability to deal w ith changes in trad itio n for reasons rooted w ithin him self rather than being based on experiences outside his native society. The result, however, is no less dram atic and tragic, and at times even com ic, all o f which is powerfully conveyed by al-Faq!h’s tight, polished prose style, which, as the story develops, is increasingly at odds w ith the protagonist’s mental disarray.
Excerptfrom The Book ofThe Dead At first he th o u g h t that they had all, fo r som e reason, decided to play tru an t th at m orning. O n his way to class, the teacher, M r Abd al-Hafiz, had walked past the teachers’ room . He, too, had got in to the routine o f taking roll call. H e continued his journey to the classroom th ro u g h the long hallway, the walls of which were covered w ith notices and stu d e n ts’ drawings. W hen he saw that the d o o r at the end o f the hallway was closed, w ithout a sound em anating from inside the room or any o f the usual racket that could be heard every m orning, he knew that the little devils had invented som e excuse for n o t turning up for class that day. It also m eant th at he had to return to the school office to have it o u t w ith them ab o u t this recurrent absenteeism. He swore th at he w ould record any student’s unauthorized absence, whatever their excuse or reason. As if to remove all d o u b t he opened the door, and w ithout so m uch as glancing inside he closed it again. He considered going back to the school office, were it n o t for the faint whisper he had heard when opening the door. He looked inside again and, m uch to his surprise, he discovered th at they were all there. They were sitting properly in their seats, quietly opening their copybooks and silently studying or w riting. They behaved as though they had suddenly transform ed in to grow n men. Abd al-Hafiz entered the classroom , com pletely dum bstruck. He im m ediately started looking aro u n d to see w hether the ‘fat cat’ from the M inistry was lurking somewhere. Indeed, the only possible explanation for this eerie calm th at p e ^ a d e d the class was that one o f the m inisterial inspectors had arrived before him to conduct an inspection ro u n d in order to em barrass him in front o f the students and record th at he had arrived late for
صمحه م ن
كت ا ب الموتى مث
ا لأو ل ،
ب ،و ل أ م م ا ،ق د تغيب وا عن اخلص ور؛ ز
ص
الم د رس ة ه ذا ا ل ص إ ح .ك ا ن األمحت ا ذ عب د الحفي ظ ق د ،٢ ١ب مجر ة ا ك ر ^ي ن وأ
ط
ى
مم و ه و
م ا ر و م حا م ج ل
ز ئ ر ينه |لى
س ور وم ار ين ط ع
ممر أ ط وي آل تأم ل ج د ران ه ا ل ص ح ف ا ل حائ ط ية ورم ر م ا ل ال م ين ،ز ل ح ج رؤ ا ك رسم_ا• و عن د م ا رأ ى الب ا ب ز نه ا ية ا لممر مغل ق أ ،و لم
لل ط ل بة ص وق ،و م
يتن ا ه إل ي ه ض جي ج ه م وع ر ا ك ه م ك ما ه ي ا لعا د ة ك ل ب ا ح ،أدر ك أن هؤ الء ا لشي ا ط ي ن ق د تدب ر وا عذ را لل ه ر و ب م ن ال د ر س ه ذا الي و م• وأ ن عل يه أني عو د إ ل ا إل دا رة وبهم ا ل اب ح زم أ ن جن د أح ل ل ه ذ ا الغي ا ب ا ل ت ك ر ر ،وأق س م بينه وبين ف س ه أن ي س ج ل ه عل ي ه م غي ا ب أ غير مش ر و ع م ه م ا ك ا ن ا ل ع ذ ر أ و السب ب . ولمجر د ق ط ع الش كبال ي ي ن فت ح الب ا ب و د و ن أن يهت مبإلق اء ن ظرة إ ل ال د ا خ ل أع ا د قفل ه ،وهن؛ب ا ل ر ج و ع ل و ال أن تن ا ه ت إل ي ه عند فت ح الب ا ب هم ه م ة ض ع يف ة ،فأع ا د فت ح ه م ن ج د ي د وا كت ش فل د ه ش ت ه ال كب ي ر ة أنه م جميعا هن ا ك، ي ج ل ون
م أ د ب إ ل ث ا ع د ه م ويفت ح و ن
م ه د و ء ك ر ا ر ي ه م ،و م حن
م ص م ت عل ى ا ل م طال ع ة أو الكت ا بة ،وي ص رفون كأن ه م ت حولوا ف ذ ' ة إ ل ر ذ ل
ك إ ر. د خ ل ا أل مت ان عب د ا ل حفي ظ و ق د ع ق د ت ل م ا ئه ال د ه ش ة إ ل الف ص ل ،ذ ش أ و ل ما ف ش ع ن (الق ط ال ذ ي جاء ص ال و زارة)،فلي س هن ا ك س
ال هدوء ا ل ع ج ب ال ذ يي عم الف ص ل إ ال أن
م هل ن ا
ط ص م فت ش ي ال وزا رة ذل ٧ ٣
إ ل هن ا ،اخت ا ر م ذ ؛ ا ل و ن ت ) ل ب ك ر لج و ك 1ك ث إ ك ي ي حر ج ه أ .ا م ا
و ي ج ل عليه م ؛ أنه ج اء إ ل الد ر س شأ خ رأ ،ط ر إ ل سا عته وا
ب
س إ ل ان
74
Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
class. But then Abd al-Hafiz looked at the clock, and was fully reassured th at he was on time, no d o u b t about it. He would defiantly raise his head to this inspector, w hom he imagined standing next the blackboard. However, there was nobody there. W hat kind o f prank was this? He knew ab o u t the cat-and-mouse game these inspectors were so p roficient at, and inflicted upon him . He walked around the blackboard and the desk, in case the inspector was hiding behind one o f them , b u t there was no cat or mouse. He stopped for a m inute, baffled and at a loss to explain what was going on. His gaze w andered aro u n d the room in search o f som ething out o f the o r d i n a l , b u t evei^thing was the way it should be: each boy was sitting at the desk which had been allocated to him at the beginning o f the year ؛the window was still the same ؛the m ulberry tree beh in d it, which had recently sprouted leaves, still stood p ro u d and tall ؛the drawings on the wall were the same feeble and prim itive scribblings that had always been there ؛the blackboard had n o t m oved an inch from its place. This was definitely his classroom and these were definitely his students, with their usual faded, grim y features. He had n o t taken the w rong route in to w ork, n o r had he entered a school on another planet, in an o th er co u n try or city. Everything inside the classroom was as it should be, except, that is, for this eerie calm, which he had never witnessed in any classroom for as long as he had been a teacher. His atten tio n was drawn to a previously em pty seat at the back o f the class which was now occupied by one o f the students w hom he was used to seeing in fro n t o f him , at the first desk on the left. He was about to ask him for the secret behind this change when his atten tio n was drawn to the stu d e n t’s former seat, where he suddenly discovered a demon - G od help us! sitting quietly. There was no d o u b t that this was a dem on who had taken on the guise o f a girl, and was sitting in this seat, close to him , im pudently and shamelessly. It was against all the laws o f nature!
Ibrahim al-Faqih
75
د حض و ر م jاك ما م و ال ك ما ل ،و رف ع ز ل مح تت يوا ج ه ؛ جد ،ئ ال ذ ي نمور أنه ي ق ف ا ل آن بمحا ذا ة ا ل م ت و وة .ل؛ ي ك ن
ص المف-ا
و
الهزار' الثقي ل ؟ إنه يعر ف لعبة الق ط وال فأ ر ال ت ي مب ن ء< الء ا ك م ن حت ؛ ه إ مع ه٠
طا فب إلسي و ره وا ل ض د ة ع سا م ا لآن ي خت ف ي خل ف إ ح دا هلم ا ،م ي ج ر ق ط أ و ال فأرأف و ق ف ل د ق ي ق ة م د ه ش ا ،ع ا ج زأ ع ن م سر ٠؛ ح د ث ،أ ^ ل مب م ء
دا خ ل ا ل ح جر ة ع ؛ ي ج د
ب
ب ق د ح د ث ،كا ن ك ل شيء ى م ،
م
ول دي جل س إ ل مك انه ال ذ يت عو د أني جل س إل يه م ن ذ بداية ا لخام ،ا سزذ ص الن ا ف ذ ة وم ن خل ف ه ا ش ج ر ة اكومت ال ت ي اكتسم ت ح د ي ث أب ا ل و ر ق ق ف ت ز زهم و
وكبري اء ،وا لر سو م عل ى ا لحائ ط ص نف س ا ل ر س بدائية و ر كي ك ةتع و د ان ي راه ا دائ ما ،وا ل م حو رة لر تتز ح ز ح ق ي د ٢^ ٢ع ن م ك ا ن ه ا والف ص ل هو نمله، والت ال م ي ذ ه مت ال م ي ذ ه ،ب س حن ا ت ه م ال ترابية الب ا هتة ،فه و م ي خ طى;؛ ا ل ط ر يق وثر يد خ ل خ طأ إ ل مد ر ئ
م ك و ك ب آ خ ر ،أو و غ ن ا خ ر ،أو م د ي ة أ خ ر ى غير
م دينت ه ،ك ا ن ك ل خيء
م دا خ ل ال ن م ل ع ادي ا و طبي عا ،ما عدا ه ذا ال هدوء
الغ ر ب ال ذ ي لي يره طيل ة ع م ر أ مض ا ه ي التدري س ي ح د ث
م
نمل م ن
الف ص و ل ال د راس ي ة. اسرت ع ى أنتب ا ه ه أن ص د أ م ه ج و رأ ز آ خ ر الف ص ل ج ل س إل يه ا لآن وا ح د م ن ا ل ط ل بة مم نت ع و د أن ي راه م أ ما م ه يس أل ه ع ن
م أ و ل مق ع د عل ى الش م ا ل ،هب ا ن
م ه ذا ال ت غ ي م ل و ال أن ح ا ن ت منه التف ا ته إ ل م ك ا نه ا ل س ابق ،دإذا
به ي ك ت ش فف ج أ ة أن -عف ر يتأ -ي ج ل س م ه د و ء إ ل ذ ل ك ا لف ع ل iy u ،اض م ن ال شي ط ا ن ا ل ر ج م ،إنه دونما ش ك عف ر ي ت ،تن ك ر م ص و رة بن ت س ا ^ ت و ج اء م صف ا ق ة وقل ة أ د ب و ذ و ق مح رقأ ك ز الن وامي س م ال د ب ، ذ ل ك المق ع د ق ري ا م ن ه.
إل
7ة
Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
He looked at her with co n stern atio n as she sat am ong his male students as if she was one o f them , as if she had known them, and they her, for ages ؛as if this was a perfectly normal and natural thing to d o ؛as if there was n o th in g wrong with the fact th at a girl was present in a school for boys and in ه class devoted to the teaching o f boys. H e co n tin u ed to stare at her, b oth in terror and astonishm ent, as th o u g h he had seen a corpse in his class. How could M r Abd al-Hafiz bear a sight o f this kind? After all, this was n ot a girls’ school, bu t a boys’ school, where all the teachers and students were male! H ow could this girl have ended up here, and what right did she have to com e here and sit down, in fro n t o f him , on this m orning? He was never going to allow any creature to catch him unaw ares like this. He had got up that m orning, done his prayers, had breakfast, shaved, corrected his stu d ents’ assignm ents, p u t on his coat and come to school w ithout even the slightest inkling th at there would be a dem on in the shape o f a girl brazenly sitting in fro n t o f him. He could never have im agined that this was going to happen to him! He had always im agined that girls had to study o ther things, that they were taught by female teachers and surrounded by girls in schools especially for them , w hich had big iron gates and high walls and were filled w ith mystei^f and secrecy. He thought that what was taught to boys was for males only, and any female ought to be embarrassed and ashamed to hear it. He could never have im agined that any girl w ould depart from the principles o f decency and m odesty and sit dow n in class together with boys, with a total lack o f shame and m orals ؛to listen to the things the boys listened to, to write dow n w hat they wrote down and to be examined on the things they were exam ined on. As for this girl, she m ust surely be lost - either that, or she had slipped into the school through the window. She was clearly engaged in some plot against him , and he was no t going to treat her like the
Ibrahim al-Faqih
77
يج
ط ر إل ه ا *■ذء و رأ و ص نجلس ض ط ال به ال ذ ك و ر كأ ن ها ور
؟أنه؛تعر فه مموبرف و نه ا م ن ذ ا لأزل ،كأنه ئ ىء ع ا د ي أن ت ك و ن
و ف
ح
م ر_ال
م ء د ر ئ ل م ح ،و نمل م ن ا ل ص و ل ا لخف م ة ل ت د ر س ا لأو ال"د
ب ت .امت م ر ين ظ ر إل ي ه ا م ذع ر وا ن د ه ا ش كأن هي ر ى ز نمل ه قي ألء إ ذ ؛ ؛ ف أل لست ا ذ عب د ا لخفي ظ أن ي س توع ب م ث ه د أ ك ه ز م و م ي ئ م ى ٣٢^ ^ ١أن ه ذ ه لي س ت م د رس ة للبن ا ت ،إنه ا م د ر س ة ل لأو ال د ك ز مر
^٣
ر جا ل ،وك ل ط البه ا ذكور ،كي ف إذن سلل ت ه ذه ال بن ت ؛ ل هنأ والي م م ج ا ء ت و ج ل م ت ،لي ج د ه ا قب ال ته ه ذا ا ل ص إ ح ،إنه ل ن ب م س حمأبرأ ل؛ىش من ك ا ن أن ي أ خ ذ ه ه ك ذ ا عل ى حتن غ ر ة ،ل ق د ق ا م ال ي و م م نن وم ه ،وأ د ى ص ال م ، وتن ا و ل إف طا ره ،وحل ق ذ ق ه ،وص غ ح ك ر ار ص ت ال مي ذه ،وا رتد ى ***A ll
س ة دون أن ت ك و نل ه أدنى ف ك رة أن عف ر ه تنك ر م ص ور؛ و جاء إ ل الم د ر ب ت و ج اء ي جل س
م صف ا ق ة أمام ه ،خ ا ل ال ذ ه ن تمام أ م ن ك ز ه ذا ال ذ ي
ي ح د ث ا لآن. ل ق دت ص و ر دائ م أ أ ل للبن ا ت د رومحا أ خ ر ىي ج ب أ ن يت عل م ن ه ا ،عل ى أيد ي مدرس ا ت م ن بن ا ت جنس ه ن دا خ ل م دا ر س خاص ة ب ه ن ،م دا ر سل ه اب واب ا ت ح د ي د ي ة كبت رة ول ه ا أس وار ع ال ي ة ول ه ا تكت م وم ر ية.
وأن ك ز ما يق د م م ن درو س ل لأو ال د
م شيء خ ا صب ال ر ج ل بمب أن
تست ح ي حو تش م أ ي ا م ر أ ة م ن ا ال ش م ا ع إل يه ،ال أن ت خ ر ج عن
م بو ل
ا ل أد ب والحش م ة وتجلس م تهت ك وف ج و ر ودونما خ ج ل أو ح اء م ع ا لأو ال د ز الف ص ل ،وتست م ع إ ل مايست م ع و ن إل يه ،وتك ت ب ما يكتب و ن ،و ىاح ن١٠٠٠٠ ب محن و ن فيه ،وأ ن ه ذ ه ال ب ن ت ال ب د ق د أ خ ط أ ت ط ر ي ق ه ا ،أوت س ل ك إ ل اليم رمءمة م ن الشب ا ك ،وأنه ا م د م و م ة عل ي ه د ن أ ،وأنه ل و سمح ل ف ه أن ؛٧٠٠١٨
Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
78
other students, even if it was a sin or a crim e u nder the law for which he would be made to appear before a judge. He was afraid that the students had noticed the terror and turm oil that had gripped him , so he pulled h im self together, straightened his posture, knitted his brow and addressed the girl formally, tiding to conceal any trace o f the excitement he felt within. “Stand u p .” She stood up. H ow shameful! ... She was indeed a woman, with a build and height sim ilar to his. She had bulging breasts and long black hair th at ran dow n to her shoulder blades. She was a woman who had blossom ed, and the tim e had come for her to get m arried rather than m ix with boys who had recently reached m aturity at a secondary school. Surely this was a trap. “Name?” Before she could open her m outh, the boy w ho had given up his seat for her and sat at the back o f the class volunteered the answer: “Her nam e is Zahra, Sir.” He was infuriated by the in tru sio n o f this boy who, as he only just now discovered, had a physical deform ity, in addition to being ugly. His clothes were filthy, while his teeth were yellow-stained and w orn. He knew that this boy scoured the streets for cigarette butts. Pretending n o t to have heard the boy, M r Abd al-Hafiz repeated the question angrily, quickly ru n n in g o u t o f patience: “Name?” “Zahra Abd al-Salam.” He sensed b o th defiance and superiority in her voice. So, this Abd al-Salam allowed his nubile daughter to leave the house and brazenly go to a boys’ school, sit dow n w ith them and mix with them? W hat father in the w orld could possibly allow that? He looked for her nam e on his attendance sheet. It was there, written in pen, added to the list, which had been typewritten.
Ibrahim al-Faqih
79
م ن ا ل ط ال بل ك ا ن م زق
ذ
ذ ل ك إئ م ،أو ج رمي ةيعا قبه عل ي ه ا ال ئ ^ ن, ،
ى ,،
ب
خ ث ي أن ي ك و ن الت ال ميذ ق د ال ح ظ وا ط أ ص ابه م ن ذ م و'رت إ ك ،ض) د نفس ه و شد ق ا ت ،و عقد ما يئن حا جبيه ،وخ ا ط به ابل ه ج ة ر
زن
ب
يجعل ه ا خال ية م ن أ ي أث ر لمايعت م ل م ص د ر ه م ن انف عا ال ت . “ق ي ا م •
وقف ت ٠إنه ايا للعار* ا مر أةقام ته ا م ح ج مق ا ت ،ص د ر ه ا م ،
وءم،ر ا
ط و ي ل أس و د يغ ط ي ال ك ت ض ،ا م ر أ ة نض ج تث م ا ر ه ا و ح ا ن أوا ن
؛ق
ا الخت ال ط مع ا لأو ال د ال ذي ن و ص ل وا ح ديثأ مح ن
يوغ م
بي ت الزو جية ال
م د رس ةث ان و ية• إ ذ ق ا أل م ر م ك ي د ة . -ا
وقب ل أن تفت ح خفتي ه ا أصرع الول د ال ذ ي ترك هل ا مق ع د ه و جل س م 7خ ر الف ص ل،
ط وع ا ل إل ج ا ب ة.
— ا س م ه ا زه ر ةي ا أ ش ا ذ . أغ ا ظ هت طف ل ه ذا ا لول د ال ذ ي ا كت ش ف ا لآن فق ط كي ف أنه مم سو خ الق ا م ة، وأنه ق م يء .مت س خ الثي ا ب ،ول ه أ من ا ن م تآ كل ة صف راء ،وأد ر ك أن ك ل ما ك ا ن يلق ا ه متن ا ثراف و ق أر ض ا ل ح ج ر ة ص أعق ا ب ا ل م ج ا ئر إنما د خن ه ا ه ذا ا لول د. أع ا د ا ل م ؤا ل بغي ظ ونف ا د صي ر ت جا ه أل ما قال ه ا لول د . -ا
د م
” زه ر ة عب د ا ل م ال م. أح ز
م ص و ت ه ا مرة حت ن وامحت ع الء ،أ ي عب د ا ل س ال م ه ذا ال ذ ييمسم ح
ال بنة م م ن ال ز وا ج ا ن ت خ ر ج م ن مح ته ا ،وت ا ت ي د و ن حي اء ؛ ل م ب ر م ة ل لأد ال د نجل ى م ع ه م و ت خ ل ط به م ،أ ي أ ب ز الدني ا ي م ح ب ذ ل ك ؟
ف ش عن ا س م ه ا م
س ج ل اخل ص و ر ،ك ا ن ا سمه ا هن ا ك م م ؛
م
أ ضي ف إض افة إ ل الق امث ة ال ي ك ب تبآا لل ة ال ك اتبة ،الب س ع ل ه ا ل أ م ،إذن
gQ
Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
؛أ ا آ$ made the entire m atter even m ore obscure to him . So the school m anagem ent knew ab o u t this. There was no d o u b t that the girl was party to the scheme th at was being plotted against him. M r Abd al-Hafiz th o u g h t ab o u t all his enemies among the inspectors, who hated his frankness and tim e and again conspired against him , som etim es blocking his prom otion. They were also behind his having been transferred to another school, and now they could n o t find an y th in g to do to him except if they broke every law and decree in the land. They plotted against him by p u ttin g a girl in one o f the classes that he was teaching ؛indeed, this trap could n o t have been set for anyone except him . He had forgotten w hether he had finished his preparation, just as he no longer knew w hether he was supposed to teach Arabic or Religious E ducation th at day. W ith a trem bling hand, he picked u p the chalk and w ent to the blackboard in order to write som ething down. He w rote dow n the date and then stopped, as if he realized for the very first tim e that it was the Seventies now, and that he had started w orking as a teacher twenty years earlier. Suddenly he felt weak and exhausted, and sat down again in his chair, feeling totally w orn out. H e noticed that the girl was still standing, and so he m ade a gesture w ith his hand, n o t know ing him self w hether it m eant th at she should leave, sit down, disappear or die. However, she quietly sat down, raised her sm all head and looked at him , defiantly. At that m om ent, he decided th at he would hand in his resignation that day, w ith o u t any hesitati©n or regret. He sat dow n w ithout saying a w ord and buried his head in his hands, oblivious to the pro b in g eyes th a t surrounded him . He th o u g h t about this heresy ... this deviation ... this abom ination. He had lived his entire life in piety, com plying with the boundaries laid dow n by G od, believing that wom en are inviolable and m ust be protected, and th at th eir place is in the home, far ٢٢٥^ the gaze o f men. H e knew th at when a m an
ا8
Ibrahim al-Faqih
خ ا إل دارة عل ى ع لمبالموض و ع ،ل ص ال ه ك خ ريكت م الم ؤا م ة (ل م -دم ضده ،ف ك ر األ سان عب د الحفي ظ
د ا روا ي ك د و ن ل ه م ر ة وراء
jك ز أ عدائ ه م ن < ذ ي ن ك ر ه و ا ت ر ا
م
ي رق ل و ن أ حي ا نأ ت ر قيته ،ي جب و ن
م نقل ه م ن • درس ة إ ل أ خ ر ى ،و ه ا ه م الي و م ال ي ج د و ن محا يف علو نه به إ ال
ان ريختض' ك ل
ما
ز ال د ب م ن ب ن وثوان إن ،ويدن و ن عليه م نمل ض
الف ص و ل ال ت ي يق و م ي ت د ر ي ه ا بنتآ ،إنه م ال يق ع د و ن ب ه ذ ه الم ك ي د ة ا ح د أ محو ا ه. نس ي ما ق د أ م حت ضثره ،نس ي إن ك ا ن د ر س الي و م ز اللغة ا ل ع ربية آم م ال د ي ن ،أ م سم ك بي د م رتع ش ة إص م ع اخل س ،اقت ر ب م ن ا ل ل و ح ة ل ي ك ت ب غيث ا ،
كت ب الت ا ريخ ،و وق ف عنده ،كأنه ي كت شف ت لأول م ر ة أنه ا ا لآن ال م عينامحت،
وأن أك ر م ن عش رين ع ا م أ ق د انق ض ت م ن ع م ر ه م دن س ا ،أ ح زف ج ا ةب ال و س وا إلعي اء ،ف ج اء و ج ل س م ت ه ال ك أ عل ى ك ر ت ،ا كت ش ف أن ال ب ن ت ما زال ت واقف ة فأ خ ار ل ه ا بي د إ خ ا رة ال يعلم إن ك ا ن م عن ا ه ا أ ن ت خ ر ج أو نجلس أو
ت ختف ي أوتمو ت- ل ك ن ه ا ز هدوء جلس ت ورف ع ت رأمح ه ا الصغت ر تن ظ ر إليه ز عن ا د ،م■حئن ق ر ر ه و أن ي ق د م الي و م وب الت ر د د ودونما ن د م ل مقال ته ،ج ل س و لر يق ل شيئ ا ، دف ن رأمح ه ي ن يديه ،س ي العي و ن ال ت ي تحاصر ه .ف ك ر
م ه ذ ه ال بد عة ،هذه
الض ال ل ة ،ه ذ ه الن ا ر ،ل ق د ع ا ش ط و ا ل ع م ر ه ورعأض ر يفأ مستقي م أ يراعي ح د و د اف وي عر ف أن ل ل م ر أ ة ح ر م ةي ح ب أنت ص ا ن ،وأ ن م ك ا ن ه ا دا خ ل ال بي تب ع ي دا عن من ن ا ل ر ج ا ل ،وأنه ما ال ت ق ى ر ج ل وا م ر أة إ ال و ك ا ن ال شي ط ا ن ؛، ٦ ٧ ،
8ث
Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
and a w om an are together, Satan is never far away. So, when a woman meets th irty men, or a th o u san d m en, there must be devils ev e^v h ere, enough to fill the universe ؛a catastrophe will befall this world, while Judgm ent Day will be nigh. Mr Abd al-Hafiz dictated a sentence the students had to parse, as he sat im m ersed in thought. As soon as he finished the lesson, he would go to the school m anagem ent and hand in his notice. This was the last tim e they w ould try to make him resign. This was exactly what they wanted. They had put this girl in fro n t o f him in a desperate attem p t to make him do it. But he would n o t resign. He was n o t going to allow them to win just like that. The wisest course o f action for him was not to rise to the bait and rem ain a th o rn in their side. W hen he finished the lesson, M r Abd al-H afiz angrily went to see the head teacher. It was clear th at he was going to feed him some story or other. As it turned out, the g irl’s father was a governm ent official who had recently been transferred to this remote part o f the city, where there was no o th er secondary school except this one. Lest the girl be prevented from getting an education, the school had been obliged to accept her. The M inistry had agreed, and the girl was placed in the school. So, it was clearly a legal m atter. However, he was n o t going to be deceived by this ruse, since he knew all the tricks o f these youngsters who all o f a sudden called the shots at the M inistry’s Centres for E ducational M anagem ent and C rien tatio n . He was going to fight them , by him self ؛he was going to show them the extent to which this entire business was crooked. The next day, he decided to ignore the girl. There was no doubt th at the best thing to do was to pretend to forget about her, to ignore her and to teach his class as though she was not there at all. M r Abd al-Hafiz m ade up his m ind that he would no t direct any question to her, n o r w ould he collect her copybook or refer to her presence or absence. He would disregard her and treat her w ith co n tem p t u n til either she or whoever brought her here became asham ed, and she returned whence she had come, hum iliated and defeated.
Ibrahim al-Faqih
83
ف اب ا ل ك ',إذا ال ف ت ا م ر أ ة وث ال ثو ن ر ج لآ٧ ، الث إ ء؛ينسي م لأون ال ك و ن ،وأ ن ك ا رثة
ت• د
تح ز ؛ ال-ن إ ،وأ ن ي وم
وثي ك. 1 أمل ى عل ى ا ل ط ال ب جمل ة ينشغ ل و ن ب إع ر ابه ا ،و م ر غ
م
٠
م تنت ه ي الح ن ة وس ذ ه ب إ ل ا إل دا رة ي ق د م منقال ته ،ه ا ه م إأل ذ م ن ه أ خت رأإلى
االستقال ة ،إن هذاب ا لخب ط ما يريدونه ،فه م م ا جاءوا ب هده ' ل~تمو و ضمه\ ل نء:ل ،و ه م
أمام ه إ ال لحم ي عل ى ا إلب ا ن بف ع لي ائ س ك ه ؛ا ،ل كن هل ن
أن م م ا رأ مجا نيأ ك ه ذا ،وأن الح ك م ة ك ز الح ك م ة ه ي أن ي ف ز ت عنيه م ذ م الف ر ص ة وأن يبق ى هل م كالش و ك ة م ا لحل ق. عن د ما أنت ه ت ا لح ص ة و ذ ه ب ا أل مت ان عب د ا ل حفي ظ
ح ا ن ق أ ياي ل مدي ر
الم د رس ة ،ك ا ن عل ى ثق ة م ن أنه سيل ف ي ح ك ا ية ما ،وك ا ن ت الح كاي ة هي أن لل ب ن ت أبأي ع م لب ال ح ك و م ة انتق ل ح د ي ث أ إ ل ه ذ ه الض ا ح ية الب ع ي د ة من ضوا حي الم دين ة ،و لأنه لي سيالف ا ح ية م د رس ةث ان و ية غير ه ذ ه الم د رس ة ،ول ك ي ال نحر م ال ب ن ت م نتعلي م ه ا ،ف إ ن الم د ر س ة ال جن د غض ا ضة ز قب ول ه ا ،وأن ا ل وزارة
وافق ت وأن و ضع ال بن ت م ا لم درسة ،و ضعق ان ويف و ال غب ا ر ع ليه. ل ن ين ط ل ي عل ي ه ا أل م ر فه و ي عر ف ك ز أ ح ايي ل ه ذا اب ل م ن ا أل طف ا ل ال ذ ي
قفز ب أ ة إ ل مر اكز ال تو جيه وا إل دارة م التعلي م ،وس د خ ل مع هم الصراع و ح ي دا ،و س م ريه م ك ي ف أ ن ا أل م ر مل يءب الغب ا ر. م ا ل ر م، ^ ١ت ر ر أ ن ي ج ا ه ل ال ب ن ت ،خ ال ش ك أن أ ا غ ر د م أ ن ب م س ا وأ ال ي س ل هل ا
كأن ه ا ي ت ه
ح ا يأ عل ى ا إل ط ال ق وأ ن ي ق د م د ر ت ض ش ا م
م م د دا ،
ن ا ك أ م لأ ،وص ن م ا لأش ا ذ عب د ا ل ح ف ي ظ بن ه و ي ن م س هانه
ل ن ي و ي ه ل ه ا س ؤا ال ول ني ل م س هل ا ك را م أ ول ن ي ؤ م عل ى ا س م ه ا
اد
—تءي س ذ الغي ا ب وأن يه مل ه ا وي حتق ر ه ا إ ل أن ت ت ح ي عل ى ن ف ه ا أوي به ا عل ى نف س ه وت ع و د ذليل ة ،م ه زو م ة ،م ن ح ي ث أت ت .
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Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
He entered the class, once again surprised at the strange silence he had th©ught exceptional the day before. Suddenly the disputes, fights and din had disappeared. The boys were like beings from another planet, one where there were no cattle pens, forests, monkeys or sand. The d irt had disappeared from their faces, which gleamed like lamps. They had m ade an effort with their appearance ؛their hair was com bed, while they were wearing elegant, clean clothes. The p o o r am ong them had suddenly become rich, their hum ble dwellings transform ed into castles, their ignorant peasant m others in to sophisticated, learned ladies. It was as though he was seeing them for the first time. A new spirit, one which he had never experienced in the whole o f his teaching career, pervaded this class that day ؛a perfum e he h ad n ’t smelled before was spreading through the air. It occurred to him that this was the first tim e th at everyone had actually been present. A nd when he asked for an answer to a question, he found that all o f them , w ith o u t exception, had a written reply. W hat had happened to them , and what miracle had brought about this dangerous revolution? D uring the lesson, M r Abd al-Hafiz gradually discovered the strange transform ation th at had taken place in those students. Whereas once m ost o f them had been apathetic, dim and distracted during lessons, they had now suddenly become hardworking, eager to reply. It was then th a t he had an epiphany, for that was really what it was ؛the fact th at answers appeared on their lips with the kind o f fluency and eloquence he had never witnessed in a class up un til th at m o m en t made him realize, for the very first time, the im portance o f his teaching. Students listened to his words as though w hat he was saying inform ed them about what was going on in the w orld, and held the mysteries o f existence. This was som ething he had never experienced before in his twenty years o f teaching. W ithout realizing, he found him self looking at the girl, taking in her cockiness and the diabolical power she was endow ed with. She
Ibrahim al-Faqih
أ8
د خ ل أ ل الف ص ل ،ل ت أن يرى مر ة أخ ر ى مهزا ا لهدوء ال ص صء ظ نه أ ص حال ة س ن ي ة ،ا ختف ىف ج أ ة اخل ص ا م وال رس والض جي ج' ،اآل م كائن ا ت م ن ك و ك ب آ خ ر ،ك و ك ب لي س فيه ز ر'ن ب ومحم غ ا؛ ا ت و ال ر ر
و ال ر ما ل ،ا ختف ت م نف وف و ج و هه م ا لأتربةف صا روا ت ألف و ن كا ك ايي ح، اعت و ا ب هن دام ه م و
س ف شع و ر ه م ،وا وت د وا م ال ص ن ظ يف ة ،أنيقة ،ئ ر
ص ارف ج أ ة غن ى ،وبي و ت ه م الق م يئ ة الملتص ق ةب ا لأرض صا ر ت فج أ ة نمورا،
وأم ه ا ته م الق رويا ت الجا ه ال ت صرن ف ج أ ة س ي دا ت عل م وذوق وثق اذة، ب ا ت يتأ مل ه م كأن ه ي راه م لأول م ر ة ،رو ح أ ج د ي د ة مي عر فه ا ط و ا ل حي اته م ا د د ر ص س م .ا ل و م ه ذ ا ا ك ص ل ،و ص ب يع ه د ه ص محل ت م
jالجو ،
وتنبه إ ل أن حض و ر ه م ك ا م ل لل مر ة ا لأو ل ،و عن د ما م ا ل ع ن ال وا ج ب و ج د آنه م جميعا وب د و ن ا ث اء ق د كتب و ا وا جب ا ت ه م ،ما ال ذ ي ح د ث م ال د ن وأ ي م ع ج زة ه ذ ه ال ت ي ج ا ء ت ب ه ذا ا النق ال ب ا ل خ ش؟ و عند م ا م ض ى م ع ال د ر س ك ا ن ا ألمحت ا ذ عب د ا ل ح ف ي ظ شيئآ فشيئ ا ي ك ت ث ف الت ح و ل ا ل ع جي ب ال ذ ي أ ص ا ب ه ؤ الء ا ل ط ل بة ،إ ن أ كث ره م خ م و ال وغب اء وس ر ح ان ا أثن اء ال د ر س ص ا رف ج أ ة يشت ع ل ح ما س أ ل إل ج ا بة،ف ال عبق رية هب ط ت عل يه ا لآن و ز ه ذ ه ا ل سا عة ،والغ ر ب أنه ا ح ق أ ك ذ ل ك ،فه ا ه ي ا إل جابة تأتي عل ى أ ل م ت ه م سهل ة مر نة يق و ل و نه ا بف ص ا ح ة وق د ر ة عل ى ا ل مت ر ميع ه د ه ا م ن م ل م ن نمو ل ال د را م ة قب ل ا لآن،ب ل إنه ه و ن س هي ح س ا لآن و لأول مرة بأ ه م ي ة ال د ر و س ال ت ي ي ق د م ه ا ،إنه م ينصت و ن إل يه ويت اب ع و ن ك ل م ا ته كأ ن ط ض رار ال ك و ن ،ح1ل ة م يق ول ه صا ر فج أ ة أ خ ط ر ما م الدني ا ،وأ ني ح و زته ك ز أ
يعر فه ا طيل ة الع شرين ع ا مأ م ال تد ر ص إ ال هذا ال يوم ،ودون أن يدر ي و فيس ز ق ا ل ط ر إل يه ا ،أ ي ط و ة تمل ك ه ا ،أ ي ق و ة جهن م ية ^ ،ت
ج
ب
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Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
was sitting innocently in her chair, as though this sorceress did not know the extent o f the power she wielded, as though what was happening had n othing to do w ith her. W hat dem onic land did she come from, that she was able to succeed where all the educational books and M inistries o f Education in the world had failed? However, it is n o t books and m inistries, n o r countries, organizations, equipm ent or fleets that fail to make students, but students themselves ؛they are inhabited by evil spirits, filling the world with unrest, tu m u lt and strife. Their greatest amusement is n o t to study, but to engage in fighting, resistance and disruptive activities. Rather than studying, their biggest joy is being annoying, stubborn and fractious. Then, she came and brought Satan’s tric k e ^ to m ankind. It was this trickery that turned their poverty into wealth, their stupidity in to intelligence, their ugliness into handsomeness. M r Abd al-Hafiz was certain that she was able to wave a magic wand over the Earth and make it come alive, or conjure up a flock o f pigeons or a colony of rabbits from her sleeve. She could produce any miracle if she wanted. There was som ething strange and terrifying in all o f this which he, as a mere m ortal, was incapable o f fathom ing. Once again he glanced over at her, and noticed something in her features that shed light on what had baffled him; it was that everything about her was norm al. It was clear from the very first time he had laid eyes on her that she could n o t have been anything but Libyan. There was som ething deep-rooted in her “Libyan-ness” that was reflected in her features. H e saw it in the slight yellowness that the signs o f wealth and prosperity could not conceal. In spite o f the yellowness, beauty em anated from her face, the kind o f beauty o f oases filled w ith date palms, quiet and unassuming. He did not see anything in her features that was extraordinary, that betrayed the power she held. Yet M r Abd al-Hafiz kept thinking she was a devilish being that belonged to ه world other than our own ...
Ibrahim al-Faqih
7ء
؛ع ه ا ،إنه ا نجلس مب راءة إ ل ث ر د عا ،ك أ ن م ذم ا د م ؛ التعل م .ءد ى م ؛ ال ت يب ح وزته ا ،كأ ن ما ي ح د ث ي ح د ث •ممعز ل عنه إ و ال ب خ ر ه ز م، أ يبل د م نب ال د الجا ن جا ء ت لتف ل ح في ما فش ل ت ك ز كت ب م ي ة
م
ووزر
ف ال مأ م ؟ ا س م ي ل
ب الكت ب مو ه ذا را ت و؛ئ
لر تف ل ح م أن
م ل د ل و أ ن ى وأ جهزة وأس اط
ل
م الطل ة ،ن ي أنه م طل ه ،ت ك ن ه م روح هرم؛ ذ مأ م ن
ال دني ا خغ ا وض جي ج ا وع راك ا ،ت ل يت ه م ال ب ر ىل ي ت ال د را س ةمب د ر ئ ي ي ه ذ ه المن ا ك ف ة وا ل عن ا د وأع م ا ل ال ش غ ب ،فتأت ي ه ي لت حيل ه م م ن د إ ,ل ين ا لى
أوادم ،و نحل فق ر ه م إ ل غنى وغب ا ءه م إ ل نب و غ ،وقب ح ه م إ ل و
ص .ت ص
ل د ى ا لأمت ان عب د ا ل حفي ظ أنه ا ت ت ط ح أنت ر م يف و ق ا لأرمحض عهم ا وةياد لهإ ح يةت س ع ى ،وأ ن ت خ ر ج ع ن ك ن ه ا أس رايأ م ن ا ل ح م ا م أو ق ط ع ا نأ م ن ا لأران ب. وتأت ي بأ ي م ع ج زة ل و أ را د ت ،وأ ن
م ا ل أ م ش ئ أ م هآو ل
عم ا
م ال ش ك
أع جز وأص غ ر م ن أني عر ف ل ه ض رأ ،أو تف س را. ع ا د م ن ج د ي د س ت ر ق الن ظ ر إل ي ه ا عل ه ي ج د شيثأ ز مالم ح ه ا ي ف ي ء ما راعت اه م ن ح ترة و ذ ه و ل ،ك ا ن ك ز ق ي ء فيه ا ع ا ديأ ،بن ت تحس م ن ذ الن ظرة
ا لأو ل أنه ا المي ك ن إ ال أن ت ك و نليبية ،خيء موغ ل مليبيته تن ط ق به ماطتع و ج هه ا وتراه ا ل ر خ اء وا ل ع م ة
م ه ذ ه الصف ر ة ا لخفيفة ال ت ي م تف ل ح
تل م إخف ا ئ ها ك ل د ال
م م الم ح ه ا ،ول ك ن ب رغ م الصف ر ة ف إ ن ج م ا ال يفي ض
أل
و ج هه ا ،أج م ا ل ك ج م ا ل وا ح ا ت النخي ل ل ص فيه إث ا رة ،ولي س ل ه ص ا ب أو س ج ،مير م م المح ها ش قأ خ ارق ا ص ب هذه الق و ة محي تمل ك ه ا ،و م ع ذالث فإ ن ا أل سا ن عبد ال حفي ظ ما زا ل ي عت ق د بأنها شيء عالمن ا .
^ ي ت ب إل ط م ض
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Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
Suddenly, all his suspici©ns were confirm ed when he glanccd at the bottom o fh e r chair and saw that her feet were like donkey’s hooves. He nearly uttered a shriek loud enough to shatter all the walls o f the school, bu t then he realized that it was simply the heels o fh e r shoes. He was afraid she could now read his thoughts, become angry with him and decide to use her tricks to transform him on the spot into a pillar, a tree, a frog or a m eowing cat. The thought o f this danger sent shivers th ro u g h o u t his body - God protect us from Satan! Then, he closed the religion book and left the class before the lesson had ended. W hen he got hom e, M r Abd al-Hafiz was still shaking. He felt an overwhelm ing fear, as though he had com m itted some crime, and some terrifying p u n ish m en t w ould inevitably befall him. He im agined her follow ing him everywhere with her donkey’s hooves. Sometim es she w ould be sp o rtin g two scary wings like those o f a bat, or she would be a dragon, fearsome flames spewing forth from its m outh. O th e r times, he imagined her with claws like those o f a m ythical anim al, or she would appear to him as Satan, chasing him wherever he went. He had to force him self m ore than once n o t to repeat her name in a loud voice, ou t o f sheer fear and terror. After his m o rning
prayers he discovered
one o f her
notebooks. He had forgotten his prom ise n o t to take it together with the other students’ copybooks. He sat dow n, tu rn in g it over with trem bling fingers. However, contrary to w hat he thought, there was n o th in g strange or bizarre about the copybook ؛it did n ot contain any magical words or riddles such as those found in the Book o f the Dead. Everything was norm al, just as in all the other copybooks, except th at her han d w ritin g was better and more beautiful. He made up his m in d ؛w ith the obstinacy o f a child, he grabbed hold o f his pen and gave her a low mark despite the fact that all her answers were correct. He would engage her in battle. He would n o t flinch before the oppressive kings that serced her.
Ib ra h im al-Faqth
و8
وتأكد تف جأة ك ل ملونه عندما ال ت ف ي إ ل أ مب ل المفع د ^ ١١
م
فيهفر أ ى أن ق د م ي ه ا كأن ه م ا حافرا ح ما ر وك ا د أن يطل ق صر خة تهر .ىررا ن
الم د رس ة كب ه ا ل و ال أن تنبه إ ل أن ه ذي ن ه م ا ك م ا ح ذان ه ، 1و خ ث م أ د'ئ ؤ و .
ا لآن ق دقر أ ت ^٥^ ^ ٢وغ ص ت م نه ،وقر ر ت أنحتيل ه ع ر ا م ر ؛ د إ ل ع م و د أو ث ج ر ة ،أو ضفد عة ،أو ق ط ةتموء ،أ ح سبر ع ث ة نمر ي م
^ م
ل اطر ،تعو ذب ا ف م ن الغي طا ن ،وأقف ل كت ا ب اد م ح ،و ر ج س بدنه لهذا ا خ اك ل؛ ل ا ن
صا
سم
اكتشف ا لأشا ذ عبد الحفي ظ وه و بمل إ ل ال بي ت أنه ٠ازال ر ض، ي ة ما ،وأن عق ا يأ اقت ف جر م وأن خ و فأ غ ر يبأ س ط ر عل ى ك ز مش اع ر ه ،كأنه ر م روع ا م ه و لأ م و ف ي ح ل به ال محال ة ،ورأ ى أن صو رته ا وهيب ح ا ر ي
ا لحمار ت ال ح قه يف ك ز م كا ن ،أ حي ا نأ تر ت د ي جن ا ح نن مخيفين كجن ا حي حق ا ش وأ حي ا نأ يراه ا كال تنن ن ت ق ذ فل هبأ ه ائ ال م نف م ه ا .
وأ حيا نأل ه ا محلب ك و ح ش -خرافي ،نجس د تل ه شي طان ايطا رده أين ما ذ ه ب، وضب طن س ه أك ر م ن مر ةير ذ د ا صم ه اب صو ت ع ا ل ز خ و ف ورع ب .
وعند ما اكت ش فبع د صالة الف ج ر أنل ه ا كراس أ ق دنس ي وعده وأ حضره مع كرار ص الطل بة ،ج ل ن إل يه يقل به ا صا ب ع مرتع شة وبع ك س ما كا نيظ ن ل؛ ي ج د
م ال ك را س شيثأ غ ر يبأ أو ع ج م ا و م ج د ه اتست عمل م ال كابة
ط ال سم أو أ حا ج ي ك ما يفر كت ا ب المو ت ى ،ك ا ن ك ل شيء فيه ع اديا كن يم س ال كراري س ،عدا أن خ ط ه ا أك ر تنس ي قأ و ج ما ال .قر ر ش ذهنه شيئ ا ،و .ط د
كعن ا د األطف ا ل أ س ك الق ل م و كت ب ي ا در ج ة ضع يفةبرغ م صح ة بما“ ي، س د خ ل الص را ع مع ه ا ول ن ي خ ش ى ك ل الملو ك المس خر ي ن لخد ب .
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In class he awaited her reaction, expecting to he turned into a mouse, cat or frog. He would neither yield n o r scold, as the question was one o f principle and dignity, life or death. He saw that she was distressed as she com pared her copybook with her neighbour’s. She was about to say som ething when he peevishly silenced her so she would cry, com m it suicide or throw herself out o f the window. He would not be fooled by her wiliness and cunning ؛he would fight this black magic th at she had brought with her until his dying breath. Lesson after lesson went by, and he continued to provoke her, taking every o p p o rtu n ity to rebuke her ؛despite her zeal, he consistently gave her the lowest mark. As for her, it was as though she was n o t party to the fight; she sat calmly in her chair, while her w arm fragrance spread th ro u g h o u t the classroom . She took a strange interest in her lessons, as if the entire thing did n o t concern her. There was no d oubt that this calm was entirely feigned, and this com posure artificial; no d o u b t she was preparing som ething dreadful for him . Every day he im agined th at this dreadful th in g would take place; he w ould find the school turned in to a pile o f ashes or the students transm ogrified in to m onkeys. H e imagined waking up one day and finding th at he had becom e a rabbit, a hedgehog or a pig. O ne day after another passed as he awaited the catastrophe th at lay in store for him - an earthquake or the arrival o f Ju dgm ent Day. But neither the earthquake nor Judgm ent Day came. I f som ething was going to happen, it would no d o u b t become clear to him very soon. W hen one day he entered the classroom and did n o t find her there, he felt as though the thing on w hich he had built his life had suddenly collapsed. The magic th at had filled the classroom had vanished, as had the perfum e. H e was once again faced with the boys’ ugliness, poverty and stu p id ity as they all reverted to their previous despicable state. The classroom had become darker and gloom ier; the sun that had risen along the ceiling o f the room was extinguished that day.
Ibrahim al-Faqih
ووق ف عندما جاء إ ل ال د ر س ينت ظ ر ردفعل ه ا ل م ط ه خأرآ أوت ط أ او ضفد عة ،فه و ل ن يس ت ل م أو ينه ا رفالمس أل ة م ا ل ة مب دأ وك ر ا م ة ■ ،حي ا ة آو
مو ت ،رآه ا وهي م ه م و م ة تق ا رن ك ر ا سه ا مع ك ر ا س زميهل ا م المقع د .م ت بأن تق و ل شيئ ا فأمح ك ت ه ا بشرامح ة ،لتب لث أو تنت ح ر أوت ر م نف ب م ن الث جا ك، فل ني ط ل ي عل ي ه م ك ر ه ا و د ه ا ؤ ه ا ،وسي ح ا ر ب إ ل آ خ ر ر م ق فيه ه ذا ا ل م م ص ول ال ذ ي جا ء ت به مع ه ا ،م ض حص ة وراء ا لأخ ر ى يت ح ر ش به ا ،ي م م ن ا لأ الف ر ص ة لتق ريع ه ا ،مين ح ه اب رغ م ا ج ت ه ا د ه ا أق ل ال د ر ج ا ت شأنأ وقي م ة . وه ي كأن ه ا
ل ه ت طر فأ
ز الص را ع ،تجلس ه ا دئة إ ل مقع د ه ا وتنث ر
دا خ ل الف ص ل ع ط ر ه ا الداف ئ ،وتهت م اهت ما م أ غ ريي ا يد ر م ه ا كأ ن ا لأم ر كل ه اليع نيه ا ،إنه اب ال ش ك ت ط ع ه ذا ال ه د و ء و ه ذ ه المس ك ن ةت صن ع أ ،وأنه ا تبن ت ل ه أم را ففليع أ ،وت ص و ر ك ز ي وم أن ي ر ى ذ ل ك ا أل م ر الفف ل حي حد ث .أن يأتي في ج د الم د رس ة ق د صا ر ت ك و م ر ما د ،أ وأ ن ط ال به ت حولواف ج أ ة إ ل ق ر و د .او أنه ص ح ا س الن و مف و ج د نف س ه ق د صا ر أرنبأ أو ق ن ف ذ أ أو خنزيرأ ،م ضى يوم وراء ا لآخ ر و ه وي ط ر ح د و ث ال ك ا رثة ،أو ق د و م ال زل زا ل أو مج يء يوم القيام ة ل ك ز ال زل زا ل ال يأت ي ،والقي ا م ة ال تق و م وإ ن في ا أل م ر شيئ ا سيف ص ح ع ن نف س ه ق ريب ا د و ن ر ب . و عند ما ج اء يو م أ إ ل الف ص ل و لر ي ج د ه ا هن ا ك أ ح س كأ ن ال ش ي ء ال ذ ي بنى عل يه حي ا تهف ج أ ة ينه ار .ا ختف ى ا ل م ح ر ال ذ ي ك ا ن أ يمل الف ص ل موا -خ ت ن ال م ر ،ع ا د إ ل ا لأو ال د قب ح ه م وفق ر ه م وغب ا ؤ ه م ور ج ع و ا مر ة أ خ ر ى أن ذا ال
ك م ا ك ان و ا ،صا ر الف ص ل أ م مني م أ وإ ظ ال م أ ،ف ا لش م س ال ت ي ك ا ن ت تث ر ق م س ق ف ا ل ح ج ر ة ان طف ا ت الي و م.
2و
Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader
He always im agined th at the girl’s disappearance from school w ould con stitute a victory for him , and fill his heart with joy and pride. He felt that he had lived on the edge o f his nerves these past days; he had fought her m agic to get this result. However, this was n o t a sweet victory. Instead, he felt that a strange sense o f g rief had gripped his heart, while his thro at was as dry as tinder. He felt he had lost som ething very precious that had filled his heart every m o rn in g - a driving force and a challenge. For the first tim e, he began to reflect on the entire episode, and was left w ith a feeling o f remorse. Spiders were weaving their webs inside his chest. H e had been mean in his treatm ent o f her. He had been u n fa ir to imagine her as Satan, a dem on or a dragon, when in fact she was only a small, innocent child. If he had m arried young, he could have had a daughter her age. He stared in to the classroom , which looked as deserted as a ruin, inhabited by the diabolical boys. He seriously th o u g h t o f going to look for her to ask for her forgiveness. He w ould talk to her father, h u m b ly requesting the latter to send his daughter back to school, where he w ould treat her like a princess or a queen. He resolved to do this at the earliest o p p o rtu n ity; but then the next day she was back, and returned the stu d ents’ wealth and handsom eness to them as her warm perfum e once again wafted th ro u g h the classroom . The sun once m ore shone in class, and M r Abd al-Hafiz noticed with joy th at a flock o f sparrows now rested in his heart. The tree stretched its branches and blossom ed inside his chest. For the first time, teaching was the m ost beautiful profession in the world. It was no longer a h e a ^ chore to com e to class; rather, it was a feast that was repeated each day. The girl was no rebel, foreigner or dragon; she was a pretty little girl, who radiated, and to w hom he showed love and affection. He was generous in his marks for her. He w ould grow w orried if she was only one m inute late. He missed her fto m the m o m en t he left the classroom u ntil he returned the next day.
Ibrahim al-Faqih
93
ب دت ص ور دانم أ أن اختف اء ال بن ت من الم د رس ةس ي ك و ن _ ^ ^ ١ىمةى ف ر ح أ و زه و أ ،و أ م ع ا ش عل ى أع ص ا به ك ذ ا لأيا م الماص ي ة و كا غ " م م ى
ون ا ضل م د ه ا من أ ج ي ه ذه النتي ج ة ،ل كن ه ال بمج دل ه ذا ا النت م ار م ءاى ا ب د ص ذ وأن حي اته ف ق د ت
ك
ئ ،ر
م ؛ كآ ؛ ة ءرمح ة من صقل به ،ور ما دأ.ممال
ه
شيثأ ج و ه ر يأ ك ا ن يأملقلبه ك ز صجا ححنغزآ وغد^ ،وب؛ول
مر ة ب دأ يرا ج ع ن ف ه وي ح س يتأن ب ال ض ي ر ،عن إ ك ب ت س ج ئ إ ك ها دا ي ل
مح د ر و ،ل ق د بما ن خ ر م ا م معا م ل ت ه ا ،وأنه ك ا ن ظالم أ عند م ا من و ره اش,ي ط از ا أو
ي ه
عف ر يتأ أو جت أ م ح نن ك ا ب ت م ي مج رد طفل ة صغترةب ريئة ،كا ن م ن ل أ ن ب بنتأ لو ت ز و ج مب ك رأ ج
م ش ه ا ،وتأ م ل ال نمل و ق د صا ر م و ح ث أ كأنه
خرابة وا أل و ال د كأ ن ه م ش ي ا ي ن ت س ك ن ه ذ ه الخرابة. وف ك ر ج د ي أ
م أ ن ي ذ ه ب لل ب
ث عنه ا يس أ هل ا الصف ح والغف ران،
سي ست ج د ي وال د ه ا صا غ ر أ أنيع ي د ه ا إ ل الم د رس ة و ي عامل ه ا كأ م ر ة أو م ل ك ة. فر أ و لفرص ة ،ل و ال أنه ا ي ال ي و م اكالي جا ء ت، وص ن م عل ى أن يف ع ل ذللث ي تع ي د إ ل الت ال مي ذ ال غنى وا ل و م حام ة و ت ن م ع ط ر ه ا الداف ئ دا خ ل ا ل ح ج ر ة. وت زر ع الش م س م ر ة أ خ ر ى ي ق ل ب ال ن م ل و رأ ى الف ر ح ة صريأ م ن ا ل ع ص ا فير تحط ا لآن م قل به ،وخ ج ر ة ي ب ت أغ ص ا ن ه ا ١تخ ضو ضر وتزهر ا لآن م ص د ر ه ،و لأول مر ة ص ا ر ت م هنة ال ت د ر ص أ ج م ل م هن ة م الدني ا ،والمجيء إ ل ال ن مل لي س وا ج بأ ثقي آل وإنما عيد يت ج د د ك ز يوم ،وال ب ن ت ل م ت م ا ردا و ال ج نية و ال ت ي ن أ ،وإنما أنث ى ص م ر ة جميل ة ،م ضيئة ،و ه و يت و ذ د إل يه ا ،ب م ب
ال د ر ج ا تبس خ اء ،يقل ق إذا تأ خ ر ت ع ن المجيء دقيقة وا ح د ة وي شده ا م ح أ
إل يه ا م ن ذ أن يغ ا در الف ص ل و ح تىي عو د م ال ي وم اكالي>
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T hroughout all this, M r Abd al-Hafiz did n o t realize that he was increasingly paying attention to his appearance. He started wearing the suit he used to save for Eidy every day. He started to shave every m orning and pu t cologne on, whereas previously he would forget to shave once or twice a week. For the first time, he reflected on his past life. He realized that he had prematurely entered a phase in his life, believing, wrongfully, that he was nearing the age o f retirem ent when in reality he was only forty-, five or forty-six. Despite the fact that he had a wife, whose body had withered, and children who milled about like ants inside the house, he was still in the prim e o f life. M ost o f life’s goodness and sweetness still lay ahead o f him . He would be unjust to himself, to his age and youth, if he were to think o fh im se lfa s an old man. Did he not have a grandfather who m arried his eighth or ninth wife while he was in his seventies? He again felt like a boy, the same age as his students, new blood rushing through his veins. He saw a beautiful carpet on which boats, gardens, birds and butterflies were painted, and which stretched b e ^ e e n his house and the school ؛every m orning he walked u p o n this carpet. No sooner did he see the girl sitting calmly in her seat, spreading her light like a lamp, than his body would be im m ersed in a delicious daze. He knew that the rem it o fh e r magic had increased and that he, like the students, had fallen under her spell. He would get through the lesson feeling happy, finishing u p very quickly. He would be seized by a passion for her and wait im patiently until he saw her again the next day. M r Abd al-Hafiz did n o t know why, afterwards, he came to hate staying indoors, as if there was som ething inside him that was restricted by the houses, room s and places th at had ceilings, walls and doors. So he began to increase the frequency o f his walks outside, in squares and public gardens. H e w ould look at the sea, addicted to thinking about this girl w ho had suddenly entered his life just as she had entered his classroom , o ut o f the blue. Over tim e he began to experience a strange feeling
Ib ra h im al-Faqih
95
و م أثن اء ذ ل ك مم ب ه ا لأت ان عيد الحفي ظ إ ل أنم صا ر مبن ي.ممظ هرم
م
س ذ ي ذ ل ،وأن ال بدل ة ما ه كا ن-ذخرء ا ص * ب ن م م ل م د د ب ر ممم ه بد كل يوم ،وأنه م ار يهت مب ح النة و جهه ووضع ال ك ولون إ فوتهك ل ي م أن كا ن يه م د حالقته إ ال م ة وا ح د ة أد م "ي ن م ا ل أم و ع ،و لأود ر ؛مب م م هذه ا لأع وام التي إنقضت م ن ع مرم ويدرك أنه د خ ل مجا ل اخل إة
ى م ور ص ح ف ي ي ث ق طر يقه بين ا ل جم و ع ويلتق ط الع د ي د م ن الص ور د حم دد ن او
ص ف ^ ١م ن ال نه ار جاء م ند و ب س ا م مز؛ ون ف ت ي ونصي ي .و م الن يس تأ ذ ن م إ ج راء ح وار م ع الش ا .ي ن ،ول ك ن الحا ج ر ضب ح زم و -سم ة ٠ ۴ .وينث ر ا ل صو ر ش ا ل ص ح يف ة الصب ا ح ية ا شتد إقب ا ل الن ا س و م ; ط ر ح
لل د ر ج ة الدنيا ،ف اض طر الحا ج محس ن خلي ل لمنع ه م ا س ال ذ ه ا ب إ ل
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Modern Arabic Short Stories: A B ilingual Reader
from going ،٠ the shop. He told his wife, with sinking heart “So, the business will die with me.” Nasibi exclaimed, in anger: “Why didn’t you get rid of us at birth? Why didn’t you show mercy on us, and on yoursel،?” Hajj Mohsen said, deeply moved: “You will never know hardship, and your inheritance will allow you to lead a decent and dignified existence.” Nasibi shouted: “Money alone has no value ؛the reality is that we are both dead! How I wish I could work in the business, buy a car and mari^f four wives!” Qismati said, in a sad voice: “I could have been a teacher, ٠٢ gone into politics.” Nasibi looked at Qismati, and said furiously: “ You are the obstacle in my way.” Qismati rebutted: “It’syou who’s the obstacle.” Hajj Mohsen exclaimed: “Why don’t you accept reality and seek your happiness together?” Qismati said: “If we had been born with a single head and two separate bottom halves, things would have been easy!” Hajj Mohsen replied, imploringly: “Happiness is not hard to find for those who truly seek it!” Qismati said, angrily: “This happiness is the reason for our misety!” Then he turned towards Nasibi, and said: “Stop being so arrogant. If you took a leaf out of my book, you’d become the best and happiest of men. If I followed you, prison would be our fate.” Nasibi replied, mockingly: “Nice try! But that will never
N a jib M ahfuz
135
وق ا ل المرأته بقل ب مح زون؛ ل ج ل ^٠ ” صو فتص ف ى الت ج ا رة عق ب انته اء ا أ و عند ذ ل ك س ا ءلنص م م غ اض ات — م لم ث خ ل ص .ط ء ق ب و الدث ا؟ .م م ر حمن ا وتر ح م نف اث؟ء فق ا ل الحا ج ز آث ر ب د : ت وال ك را،ة. —ل نتعرف ا الف م أبدا .وشرثا ن ماي ح ق قل ك م ا الس ر ف هت ف ض ي م : ت ني ت أن أ ،ا ر س \{ ^\ — ال قي م ة لل ما ل و ح د ه ،ا ل و اق ع أنن ا ب ا ن ،ك م م
وأبتا ع سارة وأتزوج م ن أر ح؟ وق ا ل ق سم ت ي م مصرة: “ و عند ي ا المتع د ا د لأك و ن أمحت ا ذأ ،وأ ما ر س السامح ة أيض ا .
ونظرنصيص إ لق سمتي وقا لب حنق؛ — إن ك الع قبة ال ت يتس ن طر يق ي . فق ا ل ن سم ت ي بإصرار٠
— أن ت أن ت العقب ة.
ن م ا ل الحا ج: — أ ال ت ل م ا نب ال و اق ع وت سعيا ن إ ل ال ع ا د ة معا؟ فق ا ل ق م ت ي؛ لمر أ ” لو خلقن اب ر أ س و س ل ن ض ل م نل ه ا ن ا أ
فق ا ل الحا جب ر جاءت —ل نتع ز ا ل م م ا ل ة عل ى م ن ين ش د ه ابص د ق .
فق ا ل ق سم ت يب حن ق! ” هذه ا ل سعا دة هي مح ب بتعامحنن ا أ ئ م ال ت ف تن ح ونص ي ي ق ائ ال؛
— ت خ ز ع نعن جهثت ك واقعتيتبل غ مأ ن ى در جا ت الر س دا لو تبعت ك أن ا فيك و ن مصرن ا ا ل م ج ن. فق ا لنص يب ي م ا خرات
،
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Modern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilingual Reader
work! We are completely different. I do not love knowledge; as for politics, if you elected a government, I would immediately side with the opposition, and vice versa. لwill not follow you, and you will not follow me; the fighting will not subside.” Impatiently, the father said: “Try to live together in harmony again; it’s the only way! It’s your destiny, as is your union.” Reluctantly, they again attempted to avoid conflict and disagreement as much as they could. Each of them made an effort to put up with the other’s presence, despite Qismati*s hidden unease and Nasibi’s inner scorn. They seemed like two friends without a friendship, in an alliance without sincerity. They each lived half a life, and had half-hopes. However, age prematurely left its traces on Nasibi’s face, revealing that he was rapidly approaching old age, perhaps as a result of his excesses in most things. He started to complain about a loss of libido, an allergy to drink, and indigestion. Neither herbal potions nor conventional medicine succeeded in improving his condition. In his pain, he expressed the suppressed rage he felt towards his brother, accusing him: “You were jealous of me, damn you!” Qismati murmured, in a conciliatory tone: “May God forgive you!” He replied: “Don’t look down your nose at me! If I die, you’ll have to carry my body till the end ofyour days and you’ll turn into a grave!” Nasibi’s health deteriorated to such an extent that he was gripped by a fear of death. Q ؛smati felt sorry for his brother’s decline, and tried to cheer him up: “You’ll get even better than you were before!” Nasibi did not care what Qismati said, nor did he believe it. One morning, he woke up early and shouted: “I’m going to the home of the weeping truth!” Sitt Anabaya rushed to him, realizing that he was dying. She held him close and started reciting the Surah of Fidelity. Then
N ajtb M ahfaz
37ا
خا ب ة إ ن
ص•
ض محلف ا نتمام أ ،أن ا Vأ م د
ا إل ئ ذ إ ك أن ا خ م ت ' ء د ئ ا خ م ت س فور ي ادار'ىت ^ ٠^ ١ م ، بالع م ،ل ن أتب ع ك ول نج تني ،ول ن تهدأ ا .ل ر كت. فق ا ل ا لأب بنف ا د صبر: ات أ د كم ا ؛، “ ار ج عا إ ل ا ل وف ا ق ،ال مف ر م نه ،إنه قدر ،ك ا أن ح نب اخا ل ال ف ما استق ال ، Lpو ^ ر ى م آا ل وع ا دا ك ار س إ ل المحا ول ة ج
ص ا م لس خرية ص ب' عن ع م صاحت .ي؛ا تق زر موي إ؛إ ص د ي نب الص داق ة ،مت ح ا صب ال إخ ال ص،فعا ش ك ل م ه ا
وتعل ق بنص ف أ م ل -غم أن آث ار ا لعم ر طب ع ت م و ج ه ض م ن ل ١؟ ^ وت و كد أنه ب ر ع ن ح و شي خ و خة م ب كر ة .لعل ه نتي ج ة إلفراطه م ك ل خيء وراح
ص ض م ازسو
ج س الثر ب ،وصوء ا س م .ولر
تنفع ه أا ل ط ا ل و ال ا ل ط ب .و م معان اته أعل ن ما يخب ئ م ن حنق عل ى صا ب
ف ا ته م هق ائ ال: — ح م د ت ن ي علي ك ا للع نة. فتسما م ح مع ه ق سم ت ي مت مت ما : — سامحك اف! ف صا ح به: ”ل ن تش م ت بي ،إذا م تفسعت ح م ل ج ثت ي إ ل نه اية ا لعمر ودمء م ل س بحر ؛لى ن م أ وا ختد به الض ع ف ح تى ركبه اخل و ف م ن المو ت .ورق ل ذ" ,ض محم ت د ه و ره فش ج ع هق ات لأ: م ز ج ع إ ل ختر مما كن ت!ب د ق ه .وذا ت صب ا ح ص حا م ب ك ر ا و ض : ف ل مي حف ل بقول ه و لر م إ ز ذا ه ب إ ل موط ن الح قيق ة الب ا كية!وهرول ت ؛ليه
ت عنب ا؛؛ة فأد ر ك ت أنه ي ح
م
م حءنمن ه إ
ورا ح ت ت ل و ا ل صم دي ة ' ه وانتف ضص د ره ،وب ك ى ق سم ت ي أتن ا و؛ م ح م ن
8وا
Modern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilingual Reader
he stopped breathing. Qismati wept, but was suddenly gripped by fear and panic at having a corpse joined to his torso. The two parents exchanged a confused look. What could they do with this body that they could not bury? They hastily summoned a doctor, who examined the situation and said: “This is a very complex issue, but there is no solution except mummification of the body i f i t’s impossible to excise it.” And so Qismati lived on, carrying the mummified body of his sibling. He soon realized that he was going to be half-alive and half-dead, and that the newly acquired freedom he had $٠ often longed for was nothing but an illusion, which had turned into half a life or no life at all. He decided to immerse himself in work now that the obstacle had been removed. However, he discovered that he had become a different person; one who had suddenly been born fully formed but whose enthusiasm had dwindled, his inner urges dried up, his zeal abated and his taste for life dulled. He was a person who had relinquished life, worship and innocent daily pleasures, one who lived under a sky surging with dust, devoid of colour, clouds, stars or a horizon. He said, a deep sadness p e n d in g his very being: “Death is in the universe.” Most of the time he remained silent, withdrawn in a state of lethargy. Then, his mother asked him: “Why don’t you entertain yourself and do something?” He replied: “I’m doing the only thing I can do, which is to wait for death.” He saw the darkness descend upon him, holding out the promise of peace.
N a jib M a h fu z
39ل
١-
ف ج د ءه ،وذ ا ب ل مال ال ن ظ ة ^ ٠ال م ع س المو ت م ر و ع ي
ما ذا يف ع الن بهذه الجثة التي المي ك ن دن ي؟• و' ئ ن م U س سخا ل ا ل ونا ل: “ إب من ه . ه ك ذا ء ا ش
م
ءا ’ . ■ ^
ص ط ك ال ت،
٢
و م ال ح ل إ الح ن د ؛ ذ ال
س ض ح،م ال ■أ ئ ص ا ب ا خل ط ة .وأدرك ض
ا لأو ل أنه بمش ن م ف حي ونص ف ب ت .وأن اخل رية ائتي طالماتن ا ه ا ،ليس ت أ ال و م وال م
ج بها،
وأنه انص ب م و ت أو* و ت ك ا ر .و ج ر
قرر أن يه ب ن ف ه لل ع م ل طيل ة ا ل و ن تبع د أن زال ا لعاتق و ص ا> حا ةlit. “a place where wine ( )غنرis sold”. 2 . س ن: this is a very uncommon word meaning “bathtub". 3• خثيانة: dialectal expression (MCA, but also common in other colloquials, such as Iraqi) ؛MSA: ( حا فfem. ا ء ؛( حافية خف ا ة، 4• ركن: pi. ازكا نlit. “a corner”, “nook”, it generally denotes any semi-closed-off part of a room. 5 . ثئدئة قطع ة: (pi . “( نئ د > (قهل ع ئئدئةmoney”), ^1.“( م و دchange**, “coins”). It is s^onynious with ققنة ئئ و دor ثطعة من النه و د. 6. ؛الحا ك يthe basic meaning of this word (indef. ء؛ ( حاث “Storyteller” (< ) ح ك ى, which has undergone metaphorical extension to mean “record player” (“phonograph”). The wor^ gilt-embroidered curtain opened with a soft, audible metallic sound. However, the stage was deserted. The set was that of a
١١ا لأقنع ةض ا
ص \ ل خيذه اا
ك ا ن ب د ا ن ا لآو مه س م ل ابهي ج أ. عن ا قي د المصابي ح ال ك ه ربية ن اض ج ةب ع م ا رة بيض اء م شن ة ،وسم ض ث ا ل إب راهي م إ اخ ا م ي و م ض جضمي ا ال ط ايف يه م س ز ن س م ة ا ل م ساء ،موت مهيو ن ز ي ف م ياءم د خل ت و ح دي. ا ل م ال لر ا ل ر خ ا مية والب ا ب ا ل ح د ي د ي ع ر يق ةت ل م ع .وا ل م ج ا م ل ا ل ح مراء م تت ص األ ص و ات. ب ج د ت أن ا ل ل و ج ا ل خف ض ال ذ يي ط ن عل ى خ شبة ا ل م رح مب اش رة م ا زال ب طنة خالي ا .ك ا ن مق ع د ي ومرا و مغ ري اب ال را ح ة .اس تن د ت إ ل سي ا ج الشرفة الم ما ن يق ة ا ل ب ،وق ل ت :ررلما ذا م يأتوا؟ أوش ك الي عا د أن ي جيء))ث م ك ائني ن س ج ه م تماما •
ك ا ن ط نين ال ك ال م و ح ر كة ا لأقدام واللغ ط ال ه ا ذ ى،ي صع د إ ل م ن الق اعة المنش و رةب حب ا ت الن ور الم د ؤ رة ،وك ا ن ت ح م ر ة الق ط يف ة المكت و م ةت و حي ببذخ "الدئ ا ت الث ال ث ،خ ف ت ت ا لأض واء ومحن ط اللغ ط وا ل طنين) رويدآم
جاء إ
ل
م ق دم ة ا لخشبة ،م ن أ ما م ا ل م ا ر،
رجل
ثقي ل اخل ط و ،ض ،
م د م و ك البني ا ن ،و م ي ده ورقة• س م ع ت ج ا ر ي يه م س بمو ت واض ح* (( م حم د إ اث أ ص بر ي المدي ر ". وق ف م دي ر ال دا ر أ ما م ع م و د الميكروف و زم بقرص ه المضل ث ع ا ل م حر ،أ
ب
ا لآن فق ط إ ل أنه ك ا ن هن ا ك ،م ن ذ ال بداية .وق ا ل :س دات ي و ا ل شم• -ؤ ض ج ن ا لأسف أنع ى إل ي ك م . . .أ ن أق و ل .أعل ن .عند ي نبأ ألي م . انفت ح ت الست ا رة الثقيل ة الم ذ هب ة الت ط ريز ب م و ت خفي ف ط،ءز ا س ه وع■ ول ك ن ' ل مرح
م ٠ديكو ر غ ر فة ا ال ث ب ا ل ا لأورو.دية التقليد؛؛ة ش
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traditional nineteenth-century Eur©pean reception room; it appeared dreary, with faint lights. At that moment, I saw them, all the actresses, who had lined up on the stage in a single row, with the actors behind them in a second row. The actresses’ stage clothes were thick and dignified, old-fashioned ؛they appeared to he brand new, as though they had never been worn before. The multicoloured satin - blue, green and purple, glistening, h ea^ , puffed up and riddled with pleats and embroidery - looked stiff. The men’s suits, on the other hand, had jackets, wide, flat collars that were tight around their necks and a multitude of buttons. They were all silent, solemnly standing, motionless. An expectant silence descended upon the theatre. A tall woman with powerful charisma emerged from the row of actresses. She moved towards the microphone. It was as though the director had disappeared, yet he had, in fact, only taken one step back. It occurred to me that she had that aura associated with the glory of the theatre in the Twenties, when she was the pin-up of all the students who undid the reins of the horses of her royal carriage and pulled it with their arms tied, vying with one another to tug it from her house in Fouad Street to the theatre in Emad Ed-Din Street. She was the Sarah Bernhardt of the East, the Small Eagle, Hamlet, Cleopatra, Shajrat al-Durr, Desdemona, Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba, Juliet and Layla, Zubeida the Barmakid, Zizi Hanem and Layla Bint al-Fuqara’ all rolled into one - so many living fa؟ades, so many lives! I stopped, alarmed. I had let out a scream without fully realizing what I was doing. Some people from below looked up at me. Two firemen who had been standing next to the stage proceeded towards me as though they were going to stop me from making any movement. She paused for a moment. Then she said: “Ladies and gentlemen.”
Id w a r al-Kharrat
و 8ا
الماحن م ،ويبدو م و ح شأ ،خ ا ف ت ا لأض واء. ^
و عتد ئ ذ ر ض ،ض١ الممث ل و ن ،ش الص ف. ^ ١
^
ض ص ءأ وا ح د أ لمي األما م ،وخ ك .
م المب ي الت مثي ل ا ل م ائية ال ض خ م ة ا ل وق ور ،مقدي ة ا ل ط راز ،ب دو ممنيهن ت و يال قشيبة لم ب م س س ق ل ،ا ش ا تثن المل ونة ،زرق اء وخض راء و م و ف، و م نتف ش ه و مل ث ةبال ك ش ك ش ة والت و شية ،راسس خة ال ش ك ل ،و؛ ي د د ا لرءو| ل ذا ت الي اق ا ت المف ل ط ح ة ا ل ع ريضة والفت ح ا ت ال ضيقة وا لأزرار ال ك ^ر ة ك ان وا صا ت ن ،ج ا دي ن ز وقفته م ،دون ح ر كة. نزل عل ى الق ا عة كل ه ا ص م ت ال ترق ب . خ ر ج غ م ن بينه م ،طويل ة ،قوية الحض و ر /وتق د م ت إ ل الم ي ك روف ون، ف كأ ن الم دي ر ق د ا ختف ى ،مع أنه ،فق ط ،ترا ج ع خ ط و ة وا ح د ة إ ل ا ل وراء. طا ف بذهن ي أنه ا ما زا ل ت حنتف ظ بهال ة م ن مج د م سرح ا ل عشرين ا ت ،ع د ما ك ا ن ت معب و دة ا لطل بة ،فك وا ل جا م ج وزا لخي ل م ن ع ر بته ا ا ل حن ط ور ا لمالكي و ج ر وا ا ل ع ربة بأذرعه م الم ت ك ا ثف ةث مت س ا ب ق ت حش و د ه م إ ل ح م ل العربة ح م ال ،م ن بيته ا زش ا ر ع فؤاد إ ل ا ل مرح في ع م ا د ال د ي ن / ض ا رةب رن ار ا لخرق ،ا ل سر الصغير؟ ،ه ا م ل ت ،كلي وب ات را ،ش ج ر ة ال در ، دي د م ونة،بلقي س ا /مل ك ة س بأ ،ج و ي ت وليل ى ^ ،زبيدة ال رم كي ة ،زيزي ه ا م وليل ى بن ت الفق راء؛ ، ١مع أ ،ك م م ن أقن ع ة ح نة .ك م م ن ح يوا ت! و ق ث مروع ا ،كن ت ق د محر خ خ دون أن أعي تمام أ ما أفعل ،ارتفع ت بع ض ا لأن ظار إ ل م نح ن ت،ج ات ه إ ل اثن ا ن م ن شرط ة ا ل م س ،ال ض ك ا ما عل ى ج ا ني ي خ شبة
كأنما لي من عا ز م ن ا ل ح ر كة.
و ش ن صا متة ل ح ظ ة . وق ا ك :س يدات ي ،م ا دت ي.
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Her voice was trembling, revealing the burden weighing heavily on all the hearts. It was as if an invisible spark was spreading throughout the entire hall. After seemingly collecting her wandering thoughts with great difficulty, she continued: “Ladies and gentlemen ... It pains me to stand here in front of you in this hallowed place and announce to you the demise of a magnificent ؛lower of the theatre, a star of the art, our dazzling ... and brilliant actress ...” Her voice broke once again as she uttered the name of the deceased. As if mustering what remained of her strength, she added: “A short time ago, we lost ... despite our calling upon the most experienced doctors and raising our hands to the sky ... We immediately took her to a doctor ... but God decided otherwise ... we’ve lost her ... may God have mercy on her soul.” Then, she completely broke down in tears, the sobbing reverberating throughout the silent hall in a strange echo. Everyone in the theatre gasped unconsciously upon hearing the name. People rushed to their feet, and eve^vhere there was sobbing and crying, interspersed with the short shrill cries of women. All the lights came on, and the doors were opened. In a space next to the wings near me I saw fake Roman columns made from light wood ؛an ancient triumphal stone arch, which was actually plywood ؛splendid, green, glistening ceramic vases made out of cardboard; huge oak and cypress forests that seemed to run until the distant horizon, in which a fiery, red sun went down on a dusty panel; Louis XIV chairs piled on top of one another; black marble tables; walls of county dwellings made of short tree stumps, surrounded by elegant gardens with tulips and violets; cemeteries stretching out in Coptic churchyards; a bridge across a small ditch opposite a country coffeehouse; tall minarets and walls of mosques streaked with yellow and dark brown; imposing staircases
Id w a r al-Kharrdt
أ 8ا
ك ا ن ص و ته ا يرت ع ش ،مح ن أل بش ح نة
م ت ال قل و ب ،وكأ؛ل ا ؛ ص م
الن ا ر ض المرئ ئ ش ج و الق ا عة كل ه ا .
ث م كأنما امحت ج م ع ت نفس ه ا الم شتتةب جهب ج هيد ،وهي لق و ل. “ -م د م ،سا د ت ي ،إنه لي ح ر ص ؛ أ م أ ق ف مح ن أ ي د ي ك م ض ض
م م
ة ،ن مة الض ا د ا ط ة، الم ق د س ،أن أنع ى إل ي ك م من و ط وردة ا ل م ر ح الي انع ج مم ث ك اما ب م رمة . . .م ا ه ة. ت ك ئ ر ص و ته ا م زة أخ ر ى وم ي ت ط ق اسم ه ا• قال ت كأنه ات مت جم عآ خ ر ما م وض ع ه ا م ن تندد: -
س ق ف م ن بينن ا
ط قلي ل ،اشدعين ا ه ل ائ ط س اأ ل طب اء ،ور س ايديئ
إ ل ا ل م اء .نقلن ا ه اف و رأ م ك ف اأ ل طب اء • ٠.ل ك ن أ م ر اف نفذ ٠. .وئددن اهر ام ير ح م ه ا اش. ث م أ ج ه ش تبال ب ك اء الصري ح ال ذ ي كا نل ه ا لآن ص د ى غ ر ب م الق اعة ا ل صا م تة. ك ا ن ت الق ا عة ق د ش هق ت ،كأنما م ن غتر وعي ،عند س م ا ع ا ال س م .ا لآن ه ب الن ا س وا ضن ،انف ج ر النشي ج وال ب ك اء وصرخ ا ت ن س وية قصري ةث اقبة، أ ضيئ ت ا لأن وار ك امل ة وانفت ح ت ك زأب و ا ب اخ ل ر و ج. ن ظ ر ت ع رض ا إ ل ج ا ن ب ال ك وا ل س الق ر ب م ن ي ،ا لأع م د ة الروم ا ي آ ال تقنة الص ن ع معم و ل ة م ن ا لخش ب ا لخفيف ،أق و ا س الن صر عتيقة
س
ب الك ا ر ه' ،ف ا زا ت ه ائ ك خضراء خزفية ا ل ل م ع ا ن ،م ن ال كرتون ،غ ا؛ ا ت ا لأ ا ل مرو والب ل و ط ^ شاسع ة ح تى ا لأفق البع ي د ال ذ ي تغ ر ق فيه ش م س ٠٣
^
ا ل ح م ر ة عل ى ل و ح ة مرتبة ،ك راس ي ل و ص ا ل ر اب ع ع م م ك و م ة فوق ب ع ضأ ،ا لمو ائ د ا ل ر خ ا م ة ا
بء ،أ س وار البي و ت ا ل ري ب م ن ال ث جر
ص
ا ل م ج ذ و ذ حتي طب جن ا ي ن م و نق ةبالتي و ي ب والبنف س ج ،ا ل حن ان ا ت ا ك ^ة م ا < ا ت ال ك ا ،ص م حو ط ية ،ال ك و .تر ي *'
ع ر ص رعة ا نم خ ر ة د ا م
ص؛
ب ا لصف ر و الن ي المىت،م الف ال ح ي ،ا ه آ ا ل س ا مقة و ج د را ن ا ل ج و امع الم خ ط ط ة أ ف ا ت دا-خلثة م مم ور ا ل م ال لر ال ض خ م ة ا ل ع ريضة ال د و را ت ت صع د إ ل ف ر
Modern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
186
with wide banisters rising towards balconies, their ironwork railings inlaid with bunches of flowers ؛the square in front of Cairo Central Station ؛ancient statues with broken noses; wooden platforms and estrades ؛gas lanterns perpetually lit in streets glistening with rain ؛large pulleys with thickly knotted ropes ؛towering stepladders; and thick, dangerously dangling cables. All this paraphernalia was dimly lit by yellow lights, which went out and then faintly appeared again in the narrow passageways. The wind suddenly rushed along the painted cloth and cardboard, gently shaking the pillars, forests and edifices, softly stirring the fabric. The smell of the dust in the wings rose to my nostrils. She was standing there, alone. She was staring at me, as though she did not see me. 1 knew she was dead, and that my love would not die. There was nobody who saw her there, nobody who heard my cries. Did 1 call her? It was as though the shadow of a smile was engraved on her lips. I knew that she would be in great pain, not of her doing and not for herself, but for me, or perhaps for all of us. I said: “What caused you this pain?” She said: “Nothing, perhaps a burning desire, just like that. Until I say so.” I said: “Why the pain?” She said: “An unresolved crisis in the soul has consumed me with grief and sorrow ... pride stood between the two of us —is it because I was only ftee here?” I said: “Is there no other salvation ...?” She said: “To refrain completely from seeing each other.” I said: “Should anyone be required to carry this hea^ burden?”
She said: “This is a deserted place. There is no one here.” I said: “Neither a procession of celebrants, nor three Maries?”
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187
ترت ي عل يه خ م ي ال ز م و ر ،فن اء محطثة ب ح دي د م شغو ل م
م،ق ا ة ع ر و ج و ب م ب و رة ف و ا ض إلغ از
سئة ب دا
س ر ،وى،ر ل
٠
المن،ن ا ت
مش و ا ر ع ملل ةب المطر ،ب ك ر ا ت
من_مإل
م ة الب ل و سال ؛) ^، ^١ش ا هق ة وك اب ال ت م ت دلية و سم ك ة ض ؛ إأخلطرإ م م مد وا لأنوار اك ف را ،تت خ اي ل بتن ه ذه ا ل رك ا م ا ت ،
تجو و ض ر ض ض
ج د ي د م ممر ا ت ضيقة -يه ب ال ه واءف ج أ ة عل ى الق ما ش ر م و م و مر ق الم ي ؤ ى فتهتز ا لأع م د ة والغ اي ا ت والبن اي ا ت ي خق ة وبترق ر قن ب هز ص د ن إ ل رائ ح ةت ر ا ب ال ك وا ل ص• وهي ،و ح د ه ا ،واقفةهن ا ك. ي راف . ت ت ذ ق ق و ك أ ن ه ا ال - كا ن ح أع ر ف أنه ا ع ي ة ،وأن ح ش اليمو ت. م ي ك ن أ ح د يراه ا هن ا ك .م ي م ع أ ح د صر خت ي ٠ه لن ا دي ه ا ؟ وكأنما ا ر ت م عل ى ق ف ت ي ه ا ظ ل اب م ا م ة . وع ر ف ت أنه ا ق ا م ألم أ ع م ي ق أ الب ر ،ت.
ال
ل ف ه ا،
ل لى ،ورمما
ن كلن ا.
ق ل ت :ما ال ذ ي يدع و إلي ك ه ذا اأ ل ل؛؟ ق ال ت :ال ف ي ء .رمما نزعة ح ا رقة ،ه ك ذا ،إ ل أن أقو ل.
قل ت :لما ذا ا ل أم؟ قال ت :أزع ة معق و دة ز ال نفس .ترع ضي .ال ك رياء تحوجل ب نها ومح ي ،ض لأن ح ر يتي ا ل و ح ي د ة هن ا ؟ ق ل ت :أ ما ع ن خ ال ص آ خ ر .؟
ق ال ت :س ا ع ك ا م ل لل و صا ل ق ل ت :أ حت م أن ين و،ب ا ل وا ح د ك ل هذا الثق ل ؟ ق ا ل ت :ه ذه م ا ح ة م و ح شة .لي س فيه ا أ ح د . قل ت:
و ال
م و ك ب المحتفل ين .،و ال المريما ت الث ال ث " ؟
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She said: “And torturing soldiers with swords or spears.” I said: “This is not because of you, but because of them.” She said. “They’re not there.” Then she said: “Also because of you. Did you know this? I said: “This burden I carry inside of me is deep-rooted, as am I. Is there no path to take?” She said: “It is as if I haven’t spoken. Nobody’s heard me. It’s as if eve^thing I’ve done doesn’t exist.” Then she said: “They don’t want what I give them. I give them my desires, my exclamations of joy, my cries of love and torments, and fragments of the soul. Nobody pays attention to me. They don’t want to ... they don’t want to.” I then said: “One is the same as all. I, for one, hear you, my love. Me, I want you. Even if there’s only one.” She said: “Still, the plain of Golgotha is deserted. Lonely.” I said: “Masks are the temptations of truth.” She said: “My tears are for you; you who don’t see.” I said to myself: “The light is totally dark. O f course, What were you waiting for?” She told me: “My mother’s village in Sharqiyya province was razed to the ground, as ifit was a dark ominous cloud h e a ^ with harmful rain. When it actually rained, its roads changed into deep rivulets of clay, the cattle leaving deep, successive grooves in the soaked soil. I would say to her: ‘You’ll get electricity from the dam, television, porno videos, chickens from the co-op and subsidised bread at \o p ia s tre s '” She said: “Their lives revolved around the daily rituals: sleeping on the oven during winter, and on the bench perched against the outside wall in summer. Friday night was the time for lovemaking and recreation, whereas other nights were spent in the mercy of God. The rest of the time was spent chopping away at the soil with the hoe and plough; praying at the mosque ؛smoking the gooza\ chatting at the coffeehouse and gossiping about whoever came and went ؛writing petitions
و 8ا
Id w d r al-Kharrat
ق ال تت و ال جن و د التع ذي ب ،ب السي و ف وا ل ر ما ح. قل ت :ل ص ص أ ج ل ك• ل سأ '؛ءهل م• ق ا ل ت :لي س وا هن ا ك. ن مق ا ل ت :و م ن أ ج ل ك أيضأ .فه ل ع ر ف ت ؟ قل ت؛ مرمحر ح م ل ه ذه ا لأثق ا ل م دا خل ي ،أن ا أيضأ .وم 1من ر ش قال ت؛ وكأنن ي م أق ل .ال أ ح د سمع ني .ك ل مافعل ت كأنه م ي ك ن،
تم قال ت؛ ال يريدون م ما أعطيه لهم -أقدم لهم أخواقي و م ، صي ح ا ت ح ب وعذاب ا ت ،ج ذا ذا ت ا ل ر وح -ما م ن أ ح دم ب ص .الي ر يدون ال يريدون. قل ت أن ا؛ وا حت ص ال ك ل .أ م م ع ك أن اي ا ح بيبتي .أريدك أن ا .و ل و وا -ءد ش ط. ق ال ت :ما زا ل ت س ا ح ة ا ل حل حثة م و ح شة .و ح ي دة. قل ت :ا لأش ع ة غ واي ا ت نقي م ة . قال ت :د م و عي ل ك م .أنتي ال ترون. قل ت ل غ م ي :ا ل ور ظ ل م ة ك امل ة .ط ع ا .ما ذا مت ت ت ط ر ؟ س اب
ق ال ت ل :ك ا ن ت قرية أمي ز ال شرقية م رم تة عل ى أرض كأنه ا
عربن ع ن ذ رب الم ط ر ا ل وي ل .وعند ماتمطر الدني اف ع لآتت ح و ل طرق اته ا إ ل أو حال ع م يق ة ال ش ،روتت ك ال به ائ م حف ر أ غ ائ ر ة تال ية م ا لأرض ا ل م ع ج ونة بملل• س و ف أقول؛ شأت ي ه ل م ك ه رب اء ال د ،والتل يفزيون ، ٢وأف ال م ا ل و ر م م ا ل أيدم ،وف ر ا خ ا ل ج م عية ،وا ل ع ي ش الم د ع و مأب و عث ر ق ر و ش'أ. قال ت :ا ل طق و س ال يومية ك ا ن ت محور حي ا ته م .الن و م عل ى الف ر ن شت اء وءإى ا ل م ع طبة ٢٢صيف ا ،عف ا ج ع ة الن و ان ليل ة ا ل ج م ع ة ا كر جة" آأ وك ل ل ه " م ى عند فزج اس ،آ ،عن ا ق ا لأرضبال فأ س والمحر ا ث ،ا ل ص ال ة jاي ا مع ،ا و ط ن ا ف ك ع ال ق ه و ة وث فف ر وة ا ل راي ح والجا ي ،كي ابة العرض
م
حة
إء ال
وال شكو ى ا خل ل من ا أل س ،أكل ة البث او^^بال ز *’ و ا ض ض م م م •
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and anonymous complaints. The food consisted o f p itta bread, fermented cheese and sow-thistle every day, added with meat for religious festivals. And then there were the visits to the shrines of saints for baraka , requests for intercession from Imam Shaft‘؛, Sayyida Zeinab and every member of the Batniyya court for the Prophet’s blessing, noughts and crosses and quarterstaff fencing, ancient rituals going back until the beginnings of time, taken to heart without thinking, without formality.” Then she said: “Daily ugliness is a mask; it’s deep and contains primal poetry.” I said: “There is nothing that can forgive ugliness, illness and oppression - or poetry, for that matter.” “What has happened to us, and to them? Egypt stinks with the rotting smell of oil and money from the Gulf, with that of our dead. Bring the shovel and the mattock. They fell victim to the attack of electronics. Yet, they continued to say: ‘God gives unto those who are calm, righteous and sound asleep, unaware of what is going on’.” The big projector emitted its glowing light, which was reflected on the stage and shone through the curtains of the wings, leaving wide, deep-black shadows on the ground resembling thick, iron bars. The bright ray of light blinded the view into the darkness of the wings. The centre of the beam shone on her. She appeared small but tender-skinned, her plump, liquid limbs in the middle of the stage, her face radiant with bliss. Her voice and gestures revealed this freedom, this flaunting, the fact that she’d given herself to the audience, voluntarily and unstintingly. It was as though she had originally not put on those clothes that skilfully and deceitfully hung from her moving body, which made it seem as though she was returning to original innocence and no longer needed covering or nakedness like the wild bodies that looked around to ambush her, true to their nature.
Id w d r al-Kharrat
1و1
و ا ل ز ن أ ^ -م ' م م و ا أل ء إ د ،ز إ ر ة م س ع ,وا ل م ك ا ص ب م ي ن وأ و لءاف ,ا ب ا نما ض وطل ب الشف اعة ص ا إل ما م الش افعي ••’ و ي ة ر أعض اء ا ل م ح ك م ة الب ا طنية
بي ر كة ا ل ر م و ل ،ا ل سي ج ة والث مح ئيمبي ئ و م
ع ر ينة مت ح د رة ص غ وببع ي د ،م أ خ و ذ ة إ ل الق ل ب دون ت ف ك م ،
و ز
ش كل ية. ن م ق ال ت :والق ح الي وم ي ن ا ع • وقيه ف عر أو ل و ع م ق . قل ت ؛ ما م ن شيء يغف ر الق ح والمر ض وا ل ظ ل م• و ال الث ر .
وم و ف أق و ل :ما ذا ح د ث لن ا ،وه ل م ؟ غ ن ت م صر رائ ح ة ١ وف ل و س اخللي ج .خ ن ت يوت ان ا ،ه ا ت ا ل ر ص والمع ول•
شل وا
^
ل سمم
ا اللريك تون ا ت .ل ك ن ه مي ظل و ن يق و ل و ن :يرزق ال ه ا ج ع والن ا م وال ا ي م ٣٣ع ر ص ما خ ودانه */ ك ا ن ت البرو جكت و را ت ال ض خ م ةتل ق ي بأ ص واته ا السا ط ع ة فتنع ك س من ث س ا ل جانبيةتل ق ي خ طو ط أ عل ى خ شبة المسرح وتنف ذ م ن ي ن أمحت ار ال ك وال ع ريضة حال ك ة ا ل س و ا د كأنه ا قضب ا ن ح دي دي ة غلي ظ ة ن ائ م ة عل ى ا لأرفن، وخ ط و ط أن ا ص ع ة الن ور ت غث ى البصر م ا ل عت م ة ا ل جا نبية .وك ا ن ت البق ع ة الدائرثة ا ل رئيسس ة م ن الن ور تنحست عل يه ا٠ تبد و صغي ر ة ال ق د ر ل ك ز ب ئ ة ،مليئة ،سيال ة ا ل جو ار ح م وسط مم ا ح ة المبرح ،و ج هه ا م شرق وصع يد. م ص و ته ا وي اءاته ا ه ذه ا ل ح رية ،هذا ال تب ذ ل ،ع طاء ا ل ح س د للج م ه ور
و ن ه ا ال ت أ ت د ي ،أ م لأ،ت ل ك ا لم ال س المق ط و عة ا لم س دل ة .مم ك ر و ح ذ ق عل ى
ج م ه ا ا د ،ءت ك ال ذ ي ي د و كأنهي عو د إ لب راءة ح س ية بدا وة ءإ م ؛*د
ب ح ا ج ة إ ل غ طاء أو ع راء عث ل اأ ل ج ا م ا ل و ح شية تجو س وت ر ض ا ل طبيعي م عنصره ا ال فن ي.
19 2
Modern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
I asked: “Which is one of them is a mask? ...Is not the truth hidden behind a mask? What does the mirror say?” Who said that whatever comes out of a deep-rooted natural disposition is nothing but a mask? Who said that she would not go, here and there, or anywhere her passion took her? She told me: “He wanted me to belong to him, in the bedroom, as I belonged to all of you on the stage. That was impossible, entirely. What could I do?” I asked her: “Who are you?” He was waiting for her by the door, pale-faced, ang^. He had a chiselled )aw and a thick, Stalin-like moustache. She began to run towards him from the door. He was waiting for her, a grim look on his face. They both got into an old Volkswagen with a broken bumper. The car disappeared around the corner of Abu‘l-Ala Bridge. All that remained was complete emptiness. The dream had suddenly left me. There was nothing left, not even a single image. Yet, a strange feeling emanated from the darkness.
Id w a r al-Kharrdt
و ول
قال ت :أيه م ا القن ا ع ؟ قل ت :ألي س الح ق ك ا م نأ م القن ا ع ؟ ما ذا تق و ل
ر آة؟
ص -ف و ل إن ه ذه ال ت يتطل ق عن سجية ع م يق ة فيهال ض إآل ]pt j؟ يق و ل إنه امالت ن ي .هن ا وا لآن ،ح قأ ،عل ى ئت ه و ا ه ا . ق ا ل تيفل ك ا ن ي ريد ز أن أكون ل ه ،ي غ ر فة الن و م ،ك م Iأنم ،ثك م ج مي ئ، عل ى خ شبة ا ل م رح .ذ ك ست حي ل .تماما .ما ذاب ا ظ ا عتي أن أف ل ؟ ق ل ته ل ا :س أ ث ؟ ك ا ن يتت ظ ر ه ا عل ى الب ا ب ،ش ا ح ب ا ل و ج ه ،غض و بأ ،ل ه ف ق مض لع وخ ار ب كثي ف عل ى طر يق ة ست ا ي ن .وان طل ق ت نجر ي إل يه م ن عل ى الب ا ب ،ك ا ن
Jfa-.I
فر ف إل يه ا بعب و س ،د خ ل مع ه ا ا ل ع ر بة ال م ن ك س ؤ ا ج ن المقدي ة ذا ت ا لر الم ك س ور .م ض ت السي ا رة إ لن ا حية ك وب ر يأب و ا ل ع ال. ت و اه ،ي س فيه و ال ك ا ن اخ ل واء ك ا م لأ .ا ل ح ل م ق د أف ر غف ج أة م ن ك ز مح
ص و رة وا ح د ة .ب ل ظ ال م ي ه ت فيه ه واء غ ري ب .
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
194
Language Notes
1. ( ت غ ( ا ف ز حECA ؛a contracted form of the preposition مع ل ى 2 . ا لأوب را م دا ن: square in Central Cairo, near the former ^pera house that burned down in 1988 (the same year that the new opera house was opened on Gezira Island in الؤكز ا لأق ايف الق و مي- ،،The National Cultural Centre”). The old Opera House was built by ان م اعي لب اش ا, who also h ire d Giuseppe Verdi to write an opera —A id a —to inaugurate the building. 3. إب راهي م ب اش ا: Ibrahim Pasha (1789-1848), the son of the founder of modern Egypt, ( مح ئ د عل يب اش اMuhammad *All, d. 1849), took over from his father when the latter, after ه reign that lasted for half a century, became medically unfit to rule. Unfortunately, Ibrahim died a few months into his own reign. He was succeeded by one of Muhammad ‘All’s grandsons, ‘Abbas HilmI (1813-54). The equestrian statue of Ibrahim Pasha at Opera Square was erected in 1872 and is the work of the French sculptor Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier. 4. ب ك: (ECA) despite its spelling in Arabic, this word is commonly pronounced bey (the colloquial pronunciation being reflected in the alternative spelling )بيه. Originally ه Turkish honorary title for high-ranking officials, today it is often used in Egypt as a term of address indicating respect, flatteiy or sarcasm. In other countries (e. g. Syria, Lebanon and Iraq), the form بي كis^the most common form. 5 . ال يكروفون: MSA ن ك ذ ال غ ز ت. 6. ن ث ف ش ة: (ECA) it is used here in the sense o f “fluffed out* (< ث(ا ظ زthe MSA ا ث ن زdenotes “puffed up”, “ruffled (feathers, hair)”. 7 . ا ل حئ ط ور: (pi. ) غ ا ح الa horse-drawn cab, also referred to as a caleche.
Id w a r al-K harrat
ل9 5
8 . ؟ م ا د ال ش: a major thoroughfare, which runs from 26th of July Street to Bab El Hadid Square (near Cairo’s Central Station). It was famous for its cabarets. و. را ش ت ال ن غ م: lit. “the little eagle”. A reference to the play L 'A ig lo n (1905) by the French author Edmond Rostan, and translated into Arabic by غزيز عندand ال ئ ئ د فذ ر يIt was also one of the first successes o f the Egyptian actress ف ا ط م ة 96-1908) )ن ن د يIn it, she played the same part that Sarah Bernhardt had made her own on the Faris stage, which earned her the sobriquet “the Egyptian Sarah Bernhardt”. 10. ف ي ن ة ال ذ ر: the only female sultan of Egypt (May-July 1250). Renowned for her beauty, Shajrat al-Durr (d. 1259) was a Circassian (or Turkoman) slave purchased by Sultan صال ح أثو ب. She gained mythical status through her organization of the Egyptian army to deter the invading French troops led by Louis IX (Saint-Louis) while she acted as regent in the absence o f the sultan. Her remains are kept in the mosque that bears her name. 11. بلقي س: this is the name by which the Q^ieen of Sheba (of Biblical fame) is usually known in the Arab tradition. 12. لتلى: the female protagonist in the legendai^ ill-fated love affair with the pre-Islamic (J a h iliy y a ) poet قي س بن المل ؤ ح, also known as “( محن و نmad”). The story goes that Qays and Layla fell madly in love with one another, but could not marry as her father had promised her to another man. Upon hearing this news, Qays lost his mind, and began to wander the desert, living among the animals. It is, allegedly, during his more lucid moments that he composed the verses that are some of the most famous love poetry in Arabic. وا. زئئدة ا و ن ي: a reference to the wife (and queen-consort) of the famous ‘Abbasid caliph, ( ه ازون ا إل شيدd. 809). The adjective ر م كث ةrefers to her relation to the ن را م ك ة (Barmakids), a Fersian family of ministers in the ‘Abbasid caliphate (a dynasty that ruled ٢٢٥٨١ 750-1258 and takes
6ول
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin g u a l Reader
its name from its founder, القي ا س بن عبد القل ب بن ه اش م, the Prophet’s unci .(؟ إ4ليل ى ي ت الئث راء م: famous Egyptian film ( ول4 آ) لdirected by أ ز ر ز ي د ي, who also played one of the leads (alongside the hugely famous actress and singer لئل ى ن ر اد, to whom he was also married for a while). أا. ب ال م ا ش ا لأ: ECA (< Fr. plagage)\ MSA: .غ ن ب ن ف ئ ح ا6. ( ;الب ل و طECA) MSA: سندي ا ن. i y. ال ك وث ر ي: ECA (< Tu. kopru)\ MSA: ( ج ح رpi . .(ي ن ور 8 ا. ECA pi. of ا م ص حال: (ECA > Tu. arz\hal)\ MSA: إ ل م ا سor ( ع ريضةpi. •)ع ر ا ض 26. البئ ا و: (ECA) bread made from sorghum () درة ع وي ح ة. 27• الم ز: (ECA) seasoned lumps o f fermented cheese in a thick
Id w a r al-Kharrat
? ول
liquid. د8. ال وال د: sg. ( مول دlit. “birthplace” ٠٢ “birthday”) ؛in Egypt, it denotes a popular religious festival celebrated on the birthday of a religious figure, usually near the shrine ox place with which that figure is associated. Cf. »rown time. 1 followed her into the only bedroom of her small flat, whic؟ was big enough for an old, lonely woman like her. She opened h e wardrobe so as to give me the sewing basket, which was made out of wicker. She noticed my raised eyebrows as I stared at the enormous pile of hair on the white b e d s h e e ؛, which was lit by the morning sun and revealed a tapestry of intereoven colours - black, purple and silver. She sighed: “Look! ١ opened my pillow before اgot the door. I thought ذ ؛better air th^ stuffing at once in the sunlight, as^the pillowcase is worn out and torn. 1 intend to make a new one. 1 looked at the long, loose braids on her back, in amazemenfc “ ه1 آ... ^ e ص1 مش ماen fire l^ lled with hair.” “Yes, my mother’s hair. It used to be her pillow. £ach time she combed her hair with her ivory comb after her bath, she used to gather whatever hair had come out, and put it in a coarse cotton bag until it became a pillow. Look, this is the black hair from when she was young; that’s the red from the time she started to dye it with henna after she turned grey. When sh، grew older, she kept her hair in its original colour.
Salw a B akr
205
ض أض ض ذ ل ك اليوم ال ذ ي دخل ت عل ه ا ف د ام ،مبأ ت ا س تل ف ،فل ق د ذ هب ت إل يه ا م م ح ة ي و م ؛ جا ز م ، ن ح و مخ
ا سل
،ي ر مد
عل ى س
ر م
خمو
ت
ب دفع
لو
ت ا أم ا ج
ص ؛ا د ب، م
؛ق
ى.
الش ط ا ن .ث ث أود أن ت م ر ن خ ط ا مسأل ته ا ;
م م
م
— ءتد كع ' ذ ال " س ر'ء أخي ط ي مم ه ا'م هممح ة' أ لأن وأن ا م ك نل ة ^ أنزل أ ئ ر ي بك ر ة ؟!
بر ص
قال ت وقد ب د ت م نه م ك ة للغ اية ز أ مر م ن األم ور: ” ٤^ ٠دور ي ئ م ر ج ونة ا لخي ط .
“ ال• ال• أصل ي^ ت رك تب ا ب ال شق ة على آ-خ ر م ،ومم د و ح جو ه ع
ر
ا ل م رير .لمات ال قيه ا ه ا تيه ا ل عل ى م ه ل ك . — اف.ت عا قخ ل ظ ة .ق ا ل ت وهي ت ض إ ل أن أتب ع ه ا .ث م أض ا ف ت: “ت عا ق خ د ي ا ل م ر ج ونة م ع ك ،ودور ي عل ى ا لخي ط فيه اب را حت ك ؛ / د خ ل ت وراءه ا غ ر فة الن و م ا ل و ح ي د ةبال شف ة ال صمغبرة ا ل وافيةبالن سبة ل ع ج وز و ح ي د ة مثل ه ا ،فت ح ت ال د و ال ب لت ع ط يني محل ة ا لخي ط المصن وعة م ن ال ق ش ،وإذ ال ح ظ ت حا جبئ ^ ٠^ ^ ١ف و ق ع ي م المح دقتت ن م ك وم ة الش عر ال ه ائل ة ف و ق م الءة ا ل مرير البيض اء ،وق دت س اق ط ت عل يه ا أخ ع ةش م س الصب ا ح ،مفب) نلفتu), “to precede”). Note also adverb “( سلف اbeforehand”) ؛other words for “ancestors” include ب اء ( ا لآpi. o f أ ب, “father”) and ( ا ل أ ي دا دpi. of ي ن, “grandfather”). 3. خ ة: sg. of جثي ا ت, “femalz jin n ” (see ا مر أة و ح ي د ة, note No 4). 4. خب ل ن ر ي: “umbilical cord” (cf. “ رن ر ةbellybutton”; ت ل رح “rop^e”). 5 . ا ل عنكث و ت ن سي ج: (pi. ()أن س ج ة. Variants include: غث و ط ال نث كي و ت and مح ت ا ل عنكب و ت. Note that ن سي جalso means “textile”, “fabric” and “tissue” (biology). The spider’s web has many religious connotations in Islam. It is said, for instance, that when the Prophet Muhammad ؛led with Abu Bakr (one of his companions) and hid in the cave of al-Harr^, a spider built a web around the entrance to the cave so that the enemies of Islam would think the cave was inhabited. There is even a sura (44) in the Q ur’an that is named after the spider. 6. الم دينة ا ل س ا ب غ ة: lit. “ageing city”; the connotation is clear negative, with ش ا ئ خbeing derived from the verb ( ش ا خi) (“to age”). The use o f this adjective in this context is rather unusual, as one would have expected ق د مor عت ق, which have a more neutral connotation, e. g. “( الم دينة المند ي ةthe old city”^ or “( الم دينة ال جت ةthe ancient city”). 7. يف لئغ و،ا ل طف ل ا: lit. “mongoloid child” (originally a caiqu from tfie term formerly used in English). 8. أم الئ؛دي ا: lit. “the Mother of the W orld”, an epithet usually used for Cairo (and attributed to the famous fourteenthcentury Tunisian historian Ibn Khaldun [1332-82], who has been called “the father o f modern sociology”).
Salw a
2 ا7
و. أنان ازل ة: ECA and many other dialects; MSA 1“) أن ا خ ار ج ةam going out”). The verb ( ثزلi) means “to descend” or “come down from stairs” but in many colloquials it means “to go out”. 10. ء اوزة: (ECA) fem. active participle (of ع از, “to be in need/ want ٥٢٠), which may stand alone or in nominal sentences ( ر م ان م ؛ة. It is the usual construction to express that one wants something (where MSA uses a verb like أران, “to want” ٠٢ أود, “to like”), e. g. “( ع اين كت ا بI’d like/want a book”). It is inflected for gender and number: ( ع اونf. ؛ع اؤزةpi . )ع اززين, with the variant ( ع اينm. ) , ( ع ائزةf.), ( ع ائزينp i.). إل- حا ج ة: though this word is also used in MSA in the sense of “need”, its semantic field in ECA is much wider and, in fact, corresponds to MSA “( شيءsomething”): e.g. ع اين أي (“Do you want anything?”). 12 تذ ر ج؛ا ةoriginally a Turkish word, the more common term in Egypt for the hookah or hubble-bubble is شين ة. 13 أؤ ل إ م؛ ا رح: “the day before yesterday” (ECA < CA الب ار ح ة, “yesterday”), cf. M S ^ ثزم محل أنس نor أ ؤ ل أ ن س.
14. ح ا س: ECA; MSA أ م ول. ا ال ب ن ا لع ؛ن ة: lit. “the disability child”. In this context, the
disabled child has become a disability to his mother.
1محال يق اف •ة: “Go^’s creatures”; محال ي نis the pi. of ظ وق (alongside ر ( م ئ ا تthe passive participle o f the verb حل ى [u]),,and thus lit. “(the) created”.
17- مل ك و ت: “Cosn^os”, “universe”; unlike similar words such as الع ا مor ا لأن اthis has a more mystical and religious connotation in that it denotes the hidden world of spirits a ؟d souls (cf. Qu r . .(36:83 وت:88م ل8 غئدك؟ م: common across Arabic colloquials; MSA ن ز عنذذ؟. In spoken Arabic, the interrogative particle is normally deleted, its function supplanted by a rising intonation. Also note that in most dialects, the second-person sg. gender-marking final vowel (dJL and ) ن ن مis elided.
28 ا
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin g u a l Reader
19. ( ثل ةpi. )فث ل: ECA; MSA خ ط. 20. ي ونل ة: ECA (> It. g o n n ella , “skirt”). In Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, the commonly used word for a woman’s skirt is ء رم. 21. ردي: “olive-green”; cf . ري ت, “olive (oil)” ( pi . ) رث و ن. 22. م ك ن ةECA; MSA ف النت وق. أ ن ل ي: ECA, “the fact i$,^because”; MSA . لأنتي/ لأي ث4- ير ص: ECA; MSA غل ى راختلث, from “( را حتcomfort”, “rest”). 25. فولمي: ECA, imperative (sg. fem.) of the verb ( ش ا فu), “to see”, which is a common cross-dialectal equivalent of the MSA نأ ى. 2 6 . بالم رة: ECA; 2 J.
MSA س ال و ث ت
لمي ش.
( خ طu): ECA ( to put”, “place”); MSA و ضع. 28. س الفي ل. مlit. “elephant tusk”; here, it, of course, means “ivory”. 29. ذن ور: a type of cheap, coarse cotton material traditionally use^d for upholsteiy. 30. ن ل و ك: ECA. MSA أن ال كpi. ofdJULv. 31. خ ر ج ة: ECA; MSA “ ين ا زةfuneral procession”. 32. نف اء: (pi . )ن و ا ف زrefers to a woman who has recently given birth (cf. م ا س, “childbirth”). 33. ن اعه ظلو ع ا إل ح: lit. “the hour of the rising of the soul”; cf. ساعة ا الح تض ارor ا ال خ تجار 34، ال ذ رخ م ة ئروح ل ه اlit. “one thousand mercies for her”. The word “( أل فone thousand”) is often used in Arabic for emphasis, e. g. “( أ ك ئ ك رa thousand thanks”). 35. ب م س: EC^ (“satin”); MSA س ات ا ن. 3 6 . ال ز جيل ة خ ر ب: in ECA, one does not “smoke” a narghile , one “drinks” it (this is, of course, a reference to the fact that it is filled with water). Interestingly enough, this usage has al؟؟ been extended to other things such as cigarettes; e.g. سي جارة, “do you want to smoke a cigarette?”. In other Arabic dialects, “( د ح نto smoke”) is the usual verb, as it is in MSA
Salw a
2 ا9
(“No smoking”, for instance, translates as .(ك و ع ا ف ذ ض و7مح ت م: (p i. )مح و ت, can mean either “house” or “home” (e. g .م ال ي ت, “at home”). In the story, the protagonist does not live in a house, but in a flat ( شقة, pi . .(خف ق و8.القئلول ة: “nap”, “siesta” (also (ق ا ل > (ق ائل ةi). وو.متي ا ك : ECA (> Tu. ) ؛MSA ت ع. ٠ 40. I p أثا: cf. ث ا م م نب ث ا لآ،يت ك ' لأثا م مف 4“ م(أ ا) ع م < ؛ م حورا ماto pass by”. 4ق. توضنه: ECA ؛MSA from جهز, “to make ready”, “prepare”. 4 ج ا ب ل مو: ECA; MSA ا ح ذ رن ل,“he brought it to me”. 44. ثون ط جى: ECA ؛MSA سا عي ال زي د. 45• ي وا ب: ECA “letter” or “reply”(!) ؛MSA, respectively,رسال ة and ( ي وا بor زئ, pi . )ن ذ و د. 4 ش ل ال ن إ ب مة: “to dust”, ECA ؛MSA أزال الغب ار/ أزال الرت ا ب. 47• نؤمبحل م: ECA “m^ wedding day” ( د خل ة, “wedding”) ؛MSA لؤمor لزم ز و ا م.
Fu’ad al-Takarli
Fu’ad al-Takarli was born in 1927 in the Bab al-Sheikh area in the heart of Baghdad. He graduated from ؛aw school at the University of Baghdad in 1949, and began working for the Ministry of Justice. He became a judge in 1956, before being appointed head of the Court of Appeals in Baghdad. ول ط6 وhe went to Faris to study law for two years, after which he returned to his native Iraq. In 1983 he resigned from his post to devote himself full-time to his writing. Although he had begun writing short stories in 1947 and published a few of them in 1955 in the Beirut-based literary journal ا لأدي ب, his first collection o f short stories, entitled ( ا ل و ج ه ا ال خ رThe Other Face), saw the light only in ول6مه His first novel, ^ ^ البع ي د١( The Long Way Back), was published in Beirut in 1980, and has been translated into French and English (2001). His o؛her novels include ) خ امت ا إلن ل7 كةSeal of Sand , 1995) and ( ا لمم ر ا ت وا لأو جا عJoys a n d Heartaches , وول8 مرIn 1990, al-Takarl! took up residence in Tunis, which would remain his home until 2003, when he moved to Syria. Two years later, he went to Amman, where he passed away in February 2 8 م ه. The following story is excerpted from his collection ض ن ( ا! ال م ي ا تTales fro m the Invisible World), and focuses on the way people deal with change, on the fine line between being content with one’s circumstances and submitting to them.
F u ’a d al-Takarli
221
The narrator, who is also the protagonist of the story, adapts himself to hardship following the death of his father, with his mother and three sisters forced to eke out a meagre existence on the father’s paltry pension. This reversal of fortune forces the family to move to a smaller house, while at the same time shattering any dreams o f his obtaining a university education. The death of the narrator’s father has not only made him the family’s sole breadwinner but, as the only male in the family, also the guardian of its moral reputation. He is, however, abruptly awakened from his usual lethargic state by a chance encounter with his childhood sweetheart, who has climbed the social ladder by m arking the head of the company he works for. Throughout, the narrator’s state is one offecklessness: too weak and self-pitying to make decisions of his own, he allows himself simply to be carried with the tide, which presents the least effort.
A Hidden Treasure Inside some people - not everyone - there is a store of contentment and satisfaction which can overflow and, in time, make the pressures and bitterness o f life bearable. This abundance of contentment transforms the curse of poverty into an acceptable situation, and deprivation into something that can be changed or forgotten. When my father was still alive, my mother, sisters and I used to have a modest lifestyle: we were well fed and adequately clothed. We were descendants of what could be called a noble and respectable family, which had more than once witnessed reversals of fortune. As a result, it had gradually lost its wealth and social status. My father grew old, and we had to make do with his small pension. I and my three younger sisters were born to my father and his second wife - my mother - when he was in his fifties, which was something he neither wished for himself nor for his wife or children. However, it is impossible to predict when children will be born in a marriage, and it was only after ten years that the Almighty had mercy on my parents and they had us. On the one hand, we were a comfort to them in their loneliness, but, on the other, we added to their financial burden. My three sisters and I never felt the pressures of hardship, except when my father passed away after succumbing to an illness he could not ward off for long. I was only sixteen at the time, and for reasons unknown to us, our world was shattered and destiny treated us harshly. I was in my third year of secondaty school, eagerly awaiting the day I would complete my university studies. However, I was not determined enough, nor was I able to resist the distractions that surrounded me. When the landlord of our house in Ra’s alChoi on the outskirts of the Bab El-Sheikh quarter came to ask
خ ز ي ن ' ا ل ال م ي ا ت >
ض م س ،ال ص من-س
م ‘ط -ا
م أ ءا
م القن اعة أو ا لرضا،
يف ض فت ح ل ،مع ال ز س‘ م' ر ة الحي ا ة و ض م ط ه ا ال ش د ي د ة أ ل ح،ل و غ م م ؤذي ة• ف
م هي' ال ب ي ن ا ن
ب
ب ثر ا ل ع و ز الما د ي الل م ن ع ا د ة ال ض م
ب
كبيرا ،وا ل حرما ن آ م ر اق اب ال لالمح تب دا ل وا ل مي ا ن.
حنن كا ن أ ي حيأ ،ي و ل ن ا “ أنا وأس بق ت ءقا'ني ر ع ر انم ش.متو ى ت واض عة .ي من س إلل- مت و ط ،يض م نلن ا ط عا ما ج ي دا ولب ا م ا الئق ا و خ د م ة م ع ائل ة كمري ة ك ما يق و ل و ن ،خ ا نه ا ال د ه ر؛ عدة مر ا ت ف ف ق د ت ثرو ي للريم
مإ
ونزل ت در ج ا ت ز م حلم ا ل م جت م ع .بق ي لن ا ،وق د ش ا خ أبي ،أن ش ا ت ع ر رات ب تق ا ع ده الضثي ل. كن ا أربع ة أ طف ا ل؛ أن ا وث ال ث بن ا ت أص ن ر م ن ي ،رزق بن ا أبي من زو جته الث انية وال دت ي ،وق د ج ا وز اخ ل م سين) .م ي ك ن ذ ل ك ماك ا ني ر ي ده لنف ا أو ل زو جته أو لأبن ائه؛ ض أن مامالي ك ن ا ل ر ه ا ن عليه ممن ال زواج،
م ونت
و ال دة ا لأو ال د .و ه ك ذا ،ب ع د عث ر من و ا ت م ن عق د ق ر ان وال د ي ،فت ح اف عل يه م اب ا ب ا ل رزق>مف جئن ا نؤن س و ح دت ه م ا ونزيد م ن ثق ل المس ؤولية على ص ا ،ص■ إ ال أنن ا وخقيق ا ت ي الث ال ث ،لر ص ر و ط أ ة ا ل ع وز علين ا ط لق ا ،إ ال ص ل و ز وال د يف ج أةب ع د مر ض ئر ست ط ع مق ا و م ته ط وي لأ .ح ينذا ك ،و ك ت م السا دس ة عشرة م ن ع م ر ي ،هب ط ت
بن ا الدني ا ٦و جار علين ا الزم ن7لغذ ر
ب
م ف ه و م.
كن ت
م الص ف الث ا ل ث المت و ط ،أتش و ق ب ح م ا س إل نه اء درا ص
الجامعية ،غتر أف لر أ ك ن صل ب ا ل ر و ح و الق ا درأ عل ى مق ا وم ة ا ل م ا ب*ب بي ز ا ل عا لر؛ف ج ن جاء ص ا ح ب ال د ا ر ال ت ي كن ا س ك ن ه ا ي رررأس أ ل م أل)
بأ ط ر ا ف محل ة ررب ا ب ال شيخ))و و طالبن ا بأ ج ر ة ال ش ه ر ي ن الم آ ض ي ن ،م أمح-جهأع
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M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
us to pay him the two months’ rent we owed him, I was unable even to apologise to him in an appropriate manner, and for some reason 1 did not reaet to the rough and rude way he spoke to me. My eyes were filled with tears when 1 told my mother what had happened, and how that lowlife landlord had shown no respect for my father’s memory or our family’s reputation. She embraced me tenderly, and said: “May God forgive him! You’re right, my son, your family is honourable ... your family may not have a lot of money ... that’s not right, and no one should be expected to bear this. Come on, let’s get our act together.” We did indeed organize our affairs by moving into a smaller and cheaper house, while I quit my studies when my uncle found me an apprenticeship at a technical college to study petrochemical engineering in oil refineries. I was able to earn money during my studies. My illiterate but commonsensical mother did not remember the glory days she had experienced with my father, nor did she much regret what we had lost; instead, she lovingly and naturally focused her attention on what we had now, being her daughters and a son who was earning an honest living. She possessed this rare store of contentment and satisfaction. She celebrated my first wages when I was still in my mid- to late teens. She gathered us in the evening around a small table, on which she had placed a nice cake with one candle. She switched off the light and addressed us all: “Look at yourselves! Look how beautiful you are! Such lovely fresh young faces! Let’s forget eve^thing and celebrate what we have - our health and good looks!” It was a wonderful evening ؛my sisters and 1 would remember it for the rest of our lives. After that, we just had to accept whatever hardships, joys and troubles came our way. I did not graduate easily from the Institute o ^ ^ o c h e m ic a l Engineering, and I resigned myself to the fact that I had to repeat the year.
Fu *ad al-Takarli
5ق 2
ح ت ى أن أعتذر ل ه ب ش ك ل م الئ م ،و س م ح ت ل ه ،ال ؛در ي
ك ل م 1تف ظ ة وغنيظ ة لم أر د عل يه ام و م د ر ؛ ت ب' ي
^ ، ١بأن
"
^ ٤٢٠٢٠٠وأذ إ أرو ي ل و 'ليد ت • ا ج ر ى ل و ك ن أن
هذا المالك الو ض ع األ صل لري حرت م ذكر ى وال د ي و ال س ع ة ع اب ك. ا ح ضتن يب حن ا ن وقال ت ق: "ليغف ر افل ه؛ ول ك ن ا سم عيا ول د ي ،ع اتل تب ثمكري ة ٠..هدم أ مص م م ح، ع ائلت ك الت مل ك ما لأ .ه ذا أ م الي ص ح و اليقبل ه أ حد .تعا ل ندبر ح ى . وتدب رن ا حالن ا بالف عل ،ف انتقلن ا إ ل دار بر ى أص نر وأرخ ص أ م ؛ ،
وتركت دراستيبع د أن و ج د ل خا ز م كان ا م مع هدصن اعي أدرس ل الم كنن ة م م م ا م النف ط وأتن ا و ل أ ج و رأ أثن اء ال د راسة . لر ت ذ كر وال دت ي ا ل أ ب المتزنة م تف كي ره ا ،أيا م العزم^ ال تي ع ا ختهم مع وال د ي و ال تحس رت كثثرا عل ى مام ض ى،ب ل رك ز ت اهت ما م ه ا بتلق ائية محببة عل ى مان مل ك ا لآن .ه ي وبن ا ته ا وابنه ا ال ذ ي يشتغ ل وي ك س ب نق و ده بشر ف. كا ن ت ت مل ك ذ ل ك ا لخزين الن ا در م ن مش اعر القن ا عة ،ف عمل ت عل ى جعلن ا ن حتف ل بأو ل رات ب امحت ل م ت ه وأن ا ما أزال ،دين م ن ي المر ا هقة والقب ا ب .جمعتن ا، ز المساء ،ح و ل ما ئ د ة ص م ر ة ،وض ع ت عل يه ا كع ك ة ج ميل ةت علو ه ا ش مع ة
وا ح د ةئ م أط فأ ت الض وء ال ك ه رب ا ئ ي و خاطبتن ا : —
ان ظر وا إ ل أ ن ف ك م ،انظر وا ما لحمل ك م! ماأ ح 1ى هذه ا لو جو ه الش ابة
ال ضرة!
ك س ك ل ش ي ء ءن ي م1ن ملك س ص ح ة و ج ما ل . ك ا ن ت أ س ية رائع ة ،ر ضخ ت م أ ذه انن ا أن ا وخقيق ا ت ي ،طو ال ا ل عمر •
و ال محي صبع د ذ ك م ن أنمتضي ا لأيا م بن ا وتجل ب مع ه ا ما نجاب س م نغ صا ت و م ر ا ت و مت ا ع ب .لر أت خر جبس هول ة م ن مع ه د الم كنن ة
م
ه
ذاك ،وقبل تب ر حابة ص د ر ،أن أعيد س نة دراس ية أخر ى؛ ف ق د كا ت م
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My mother had little doubt that there was great benefit to be had from repeating a year. When 1 graduated 1 got a job straightaway in one of the oil refineries not far from Baghdad. Our eircumstances improved, both materially and psychologically, and we were the e n ^ of many people. We did not move from our modest house, nor did we accept handouts from anyone. The passing of time did not affect family harmony or our close bond with a woman who overwhelmed us with love and understanding. 1 did not envy my sisters when they continued their studies. Quite the contrary, 1 was happy for them. I was twenty-five years old when one of my sisters married. Although at the time 1 did not think about marriage, I did discuss the idea quietly with my mother, reaching the happy and optimistic conclusion that it was not too late for me. After the revolution, 1 was put in charge of managing the service department at the Doura oil facility. Although my salary increased, my ambitions did not. I had the same kind o f feelings of contentment my mother had, and I felt comfortable. I was not philosophical about life. I thought that life, or rather the material possessions it offered, did not force people to pursue them, nor did it tempt them to do so; the fact of the matter is that people instil in themselves a desire and love o f ownership and control, committing crimes under the guise of legitimate ambition. 1 discussed this with my mother, who as 1 have said was illiterate ؛she appreciated my way of thinking and realized its implications. She was so touched by it that she came over to kiss me, praying God to keep me in good health. My mother and 1 lived by ourselves in our small house after my sisters got married, but we did not feel despondent as it was normal in our society for women to marry, live in their husbands’ houses and lead their own lives. That day was the start of autumn. 1 was twenty-eight years old. 1 was busy at work, not doing anything in particular, when Dr Ahmed
F u’a d al-Takarli
7ق 2
ا إلع ا دة،
حسب
ت خر ج ن
رأ ي وال دت ي ،ف ا ئ د ة كبيرة الش ك ءيه ام
و ي ن ب ا م ر ة ل ي ل م أ ح د المعام ب للتصفيق ا ل ت ر وي ة ي ع ز
ض ا حية غئربع ي د ة عن بغداد .كن ا نع ي ش يت وازن ما د ي و ش م لر ننتق ل ص دارن ا ا ل واض ع ة و م نق ل
م ا عدة من أ ح د؛
ض ,م د م
ك ا م إنغ ر ط ،
ال ز س- ،آلف ا و ال سن ا ح و ل تن ك المر أة الفي ا ضةبالمحبة وا ك ه م"،و م
ستمرلن م دراستهن ،ل تصا أخواي
د
خلام ة وى ما
والع ض ن م ن ع م ر ي -ص ن خ ط ب ت إ ح د ى خقيق ا تي وتزو ج ت .م
م
آن ذا كبال زوا ج .ن ا ق ش ت ال ف ك رة ،بهدوء* ،ع وال دت يف انتهين ا إ ل ش ح ة م ر.ئ و م شرقة هي أن الق ط ار ب يف تبع د عل ي. ١١ كن ت أ صم حمت،بع د الث و رة ،مس ؤ و ال عن إدارة ق م اك ص ل ح ا ت م منش ا ت ررال د و رة)) ١٢النف طية ،فزاد راتبي ل ك ن ط م و ح ي م يزد• ك ا ن ل دي ب ع ض اب زي ن م ن أ حا سي س القن ا عة ال ذ يتمل ك ه وال دت ي ،و ك ت مرت ا ح أ .ثر أكن غير أق و ج د ت الحي ا ة أو ،إذا أردن ا ال دق ة ،معروض ا ته ا،
ال
مص د
ل إلن س ا ن و الت س ع ى إليه ك ي تغ ريه،ب ل ا ل ح قيق ة ا لخفية هي أن ا إلن سا ن بذاته، ال ذ يي ح ر ض نفس ه عل ى الت م ن ي وا ال ث ت ه اء ،وعل ى وارتك ا ب
ا ل جرائ مباسم
ت مل ك ح ب ال
والسي طر ة
ا ل ط م و ح المش ر وع .ه ذه اخل ا ط ر ة قل ته ا ل وال دتي،
األم ية ال تي الت عر ف الق راءة و الالكت ا.دة ،ففه م ته ا وأدرك ت أب عا د ه ا وتأثرت به ا ،فق ا م ت لتقبل ن ي وتدع و ا س لي حف ظ ن ي .كن ا ل و حدن ا ز دارتن ا ا ل م عذرة، ب ع د أن تزو ج ت خقيقت ا ي ا لأخ ري ا ن خ ال ل ا ل ع ا م الما ضي ،لكنن ا لر نك ن نش عرب ا ل و ح شة ،ف ق د ك ا ن ت مح ن ة المجتم ع^ ال بشر ي أن تتزوج الشفيق ا ت، وأنم ي ضتن إ ل بيو ت أزوا ج ه نليع ش ن حي ا ت ه ن اخلاص ة .ذ ل ك ال نه ار، اخ ل ر ي ف ،كن ت م الث ا م نة وا ل ع شرين م ن ع م ر ي و ك ت م ن ك بأ عل ى ا نمل، غثر م ن ش غ ل بشيء ،ح تن طل بن ي الدكت ور أ ح م د راغ ب الم دي ر ا ل عا م
ؤء
ا
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M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin g u a l Reader
Raghib, the general manager ٠٢ the refine^ laboratories, sent for me. I went to wash my hands and ehange my clothes for the meeting with him. 1 did not wonder about the reasons for this somewhat strange invitation ؛I was not particularly bothered. I sat waiting for a few minutes in the reception area and was then shown into his grand office. He was a forty-something, sullen, well-dressed man with a sharp eye. He welcomed me, somewhat rese™edly, and stood up to shake my hand: “Come in, Mr Abdul Rahman. Be seated.” 1 had often heard about his integrity and managerial acumen. 1 speculated that, perhaps, he was going to ask me to move to a different plant. The matter did not concern me much. As it turned out, his request was far simpler than that. He knew about my practical experience repairing machines, and asked me to take a look at the oil heating system at his official residence before he started using it. It had been damaged the year before, and had not been repaired properly. He added that the house he lived in was owned by the state, and he feared that if he asked an ignorant worker to fix the system, he might do more harm than good. I concurred with his argument, and smiled. I asked him politely when he would like me to start. He told me he would like me to get on it straightaway, if possible. Then he called his secretaiy and asked her to tell his driver to take me to his house and bring me back afterwards. The general manager’s house was not far from the plant; it only took ten minutes by car before the driver pointed to a grand, white house with two floors, which appeared at the end of a clean tarmac road. It was surrounded by extensive gardens, with green trees seemingly glistening under the September sun. My arrival had been announced. The gardener was waiting near the outside door, while the housemaid stood on the balcony facing the main entrance. The maid showed me to the boiler room at the back of the house. She was a polite young lady in clean clothes, well versed in the art of addressing the likes of me with contempt.
F u’a d al-Takarli
و22
خلص ب ة ،ف ذ هب ت أغ ل ي د ي وأبد ل ثي ا ب ي س د ا دأ ك ^ ،دون؛ن ؛عامل ا أت ساءل عن أ ب ا ب ه ذه ال د ع و ة الغ ريبةب ع ض الغ رابة• لر أ م ظق ا ،ق ىو ن م ك زق ي ء • جل ت ح ظ رألمص غ ر فة ال ك ر "مة دق ا ئق ئ ة ،ا د خل إ ل م كتب ه ال ف خ م .ك ا ن م ح وإ ل ، ^ ^ ١ج ه م الطلع ة ،أ ن ش ا لل س، يف بز حي ب مت حف ظ! الن ظ ر ا ت،تلق ا -تفف
ل
س
ي د عبدا ل ر ح م ن .تفض ل ا ج ل س.
ت مق ا م بماف ح ي. كن ت سمع ت مرارأ عن استقام ته و ص البته ا إلدارية ،ف خ م ت أض رئ، يريد أن ينقل ت ي إ ل
س ر آ خ رب رض ا ي• م يه م ن ي ا ل أ م كمحرأ؛ إ ال أن ط د
يف ، ك ا ن أب س ط م ن ذ ل ك .ر ج ا
س ب ماي عر فه عن خ رتي ا لعم ليةبالم ك اتن
وتصلي حا ته ا ،أن أل ق ي ن ظ ر ة عل ى ج ه از ال ت دفئ ة النف ط ي يفر داره ا لخك و مية
قب ل أن ييدأ بتشغيل ه ،ف ق د أ صابه ع ط ب م ا ل م ن ة الما ص ة و ميت متصلي ح ه ك ا ي ج ب .ث م أض ا ف أن داره ه ذه م ن ممتل ك ا ت ال د ول ة ،وأنه ي خ ش ى أن س تق د م أع ا م ل ج ا ه آ ل فيف س د ا ل ج ه از بد ل أن ب مل ح ه .أيدته ز أق وال ه مبت س م أ و صا ك ب أ د ب م ت ى يفض ل أ ن أ ب دأ ا ل ع م ل فأ ج ا ب ؛ ح ا آل إ ن أ م ك ن ؛ ث م ك ل م الس كر تبرة
ور ج ا ه ا أن تخبر سا ئق ه أن ينقل ن ي إ ل بيته م وي عو د بيب ع د ذ ل ك. م ي ك ن م س ك ن ا ل س ي د الم دي ر ا ل عا مب ع ي دأ عن ا ل م ع م ل؛ إذ !٢مت ض إ ال دق ائق بم ينم ،ال ح تلن ا م نه اية عث ر ح تى أش ار السا ئق إ ل دار ف خ م ة ،بيض اءي ط ا طريق م ن ي ش ف • ك ا ن ت محاط ةب ح ديق ة واض ع ة ،ب د ت
ل
ض راء تت ال معح ن ت أش ج ا ره ا ا لخ
ش م س أي ل و ل؛ وك ان وا عل ى ع ل م .ممج يئي ،إذ راي ت ي طيف ينت ظ ر قرب الب ا ب اخ ل ار ج ي واخ ل ا د م ة واقفة م ال شرفة مق اب ل الم د خ ل ا ل رئي س ي .د ك ي ع د ؛ م م ن ا ل ج ه ازن ص بيفر ا ل ج هة اخ لل في ة م ن ال دا ر .ك ا ن ت ش ابة م ؤدبة بثي ا ب ذ ظةمة، ت ق ن ال ك ال مب ا حتق ار مع أمثالي .
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M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin g u a l Reader
I carefully examined the main b©iler for a while and discovered that it had a simple fault because some ignoramus had tinkered with it. I had no trouble repairing it. As I wanted to examine the rest of the system inside the house, I called the housemaid and requested that she inform the lady of the house and take me inside. It only took me a few minutes, and I did not find anything wrong with the rest of the internal heating system. I thought it would be a good idea to switch on the entire system and verify that it worked properly, and told the housemaid of my intention so that she could c a r^ the message to the lady of the house. She hesitated for a moment, then asked me to wait outside on the balcony while she informed her mistress. My hands were grimy from the black grease of the boiler, so 1 started to wipe them with a paper tissue. As I stood waiting on the balcony, لlooked at the vast garden extending seeming endlessly, its tall, swaying trees screening the horizon. I heard a familiar, warm voice before I could turn around. “Excuse me, is there really a need for ...” She stood in the doorway, looking radiant in a light-blue outfit. She looked at me as I turned towards her. “Oh ... Abdul Rahman! Mr Abdul Rahman? Is that you?” She raised her heavily beringed hand in front o f her mouth. Throughout my life, I’ve always believed that calm is never followed by a storm, and that it is possible to leave the past behind and to live a slow and easy life until the end. I was not ready to change my mind about this, but my mother disagreed. She said: “How could you forget Khadija? It wasn’t so long ago that she left us all of a sudden! But ... how silly o f me! It’s been ten years ... no ... it must be twelve, or perhaps more. Oh, God! It’s as if it’s been only hours! Did you say that she is very keen to see me?” I shook my head. ^ ٠^ and then, she used to come to our house, accompanying her mother; she was thirteenyears old then . . . a strik in g -lo o k in g g irl w ith
F u'ad a l-T a k a rli
1و2
ق ضي تبع ض ا ل و ن ت أف ح ص بدقة المحر ك األ م ا م ي،ف اكت ص ي م ئ ؤ
بسيط أ ن اجن أ عن عبث م ن قب لن ا س جا هلت ن .أ صلحته دون عناء مرخ ء أ رد ت أن أف ح ص بقية ال تأسي ا ت دا خ ل ا لهت ف ا د ي ت عل ى اخل ا دمة وكىرت
دمحاتق،ولم م نه ا أن ت ب ر الس يدة بذ ل ك وترشدن أل ال دا خ ل*متءاألمر أعم على أي خ ل ل في اآلال ت ال دا خلية ،فخطر ل أن أخغ ل ا ز ه ال ل1كمله لأتا ك د م ن أنه ي عملب انت ظام .أ خ ر ت اخل ا د م ة بف كر ت ي ك ي تعر ضهL
ر
ب د ت ه ا .ت ردد تقلي الن م ر ج تن ي أن أنت ظر ز ا لرتفه اخل ا ر ج ية رئ ط تممحبر ،ي تل ك العطل ة \ضس ف ه ا \ ل\ وذ ذ ث \ ي وخدي جة، غر ح ون ل ع ب ؤ ي ت ن ا \ن ك وك م انش اءونش ا ء\ ذمل اءه مو\ ن ث واخت ال ط ا حور٠ وك ا ن ت ت ل ك \ذد م ة(( ا لمخب0ا 17اخل ميل ة وازاو ض"،
م ي\ذف جب ذ ب ن ا أ م من
ا أللع ا ب ا لأخرى• ومحع ه اوبمودي اد اخت ال ط ا ح ور منت ا ).صار ا م ؛ ا ئ زا جدن ل مأن ا ث ه ا محبين ؤ غ س ذاويةضيفة وراءن و مه من \ المنه
ب عض ا حذو ا لخدان ١٠خشه ق ز٧١ ؤ إ حدى غرف محت• ه صتن ا . ي\خف الصفرى ،واش ح مت حرزه \حس\دل\ الفتة عق حنغف لة .18ى ب م ج م هأال أ ح س .ب ك ت في مب ى ص د ر ه ا و ا ال ر ص اخل ج و ل د ه د ه اما د
س
عيننخ اير \ شن تش عان ا ،ده حه ا و خ ص ال ت \ ذ شم \ الم و د تل ت ف حو٠٠^ ١٢٠ ث م م مت ز ب ف م و د د ت م زمحي\\ ،ه ك س ا ه ا أك ث ؤ\ م ذ س م ا ب ي ا م م يك،ذكف دوار ن ن ب ذ ض م م ته ا ا ذ ص د ر ي ور ح ت \ض عط ي ش ده و ا م' 1سدا جس د ه ا و من حي اته و كان ت س ت ؤ ن ة ،إل
٠
2 4 و
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin g u a l Reader
Memories do not vanish from a person’s mind for no reason. Indeed, they can be a source of misery if one is not careful. I was in the middle of something, concentrating on my work, when I was once again summoned by the general manager. “Thank you so much, Mr Abdul Rahman. We turned on the heating yesterday, and it’s working fine. O f course, this is all thanks to you.” All the while, he was busy opening his desk drawer, and never looked up at me. “Were you and my wife neighbours some years ago?” I told him we had been, and he raised his head, holding ه parcel in his hands. I didn’t like his look. He offered me the parcel: “This is a small gift as a token of my deep appreciation. I hope you’ll accept it from me as a sign o f friendship.” I was embarrassed, and began to stammer. As he got up, he added: “Today you’ll be taken back to your house by my driver, so that he learns where it is, as my wife would like to visit your mother tomorrow. That is, if it’s okay with you, of course?” Afterwards, my mother gave me a full account of the visit: “She leaped at me and started to shower kisses on me, on my hands, cheeks, shoulder and hair. I was even afraid she might drop her young son she was holding in her arms. She’d called him Abdul Rahman, out of affection for you. Do you see? “I was saddened by the difficult times they’d had, and the terrible hardships they’d endured after her father retired, and, later on, after his death in their Turkmen village near Kirkuk. She told me how her mother, may she rest in peace, wanted to return to Baghdad, to us ... However, she became disabled through illness. “Finally, she got married five years ago. Now she’s settled here. She asked about anyone who was in some way connected with Bab El-Sheikh. She was on the verge of tears when she recounted that her heart had nearly stopped when she saw you in front of her, in worker’s overalls and your hands all grimy. She really is a genuine person! If only you could see how many presents she brought me and your sisters.”
F u a d al-Takarli
2 35
ال جت ىء ال ذ ك ر إ ت ء ن و ص اآن ا ن؛دون
ب ؛ فه ي م م د ر ي ئ
ميا ,خ ذ ح ذ ر ه ؛ ا ى ؛يفم ء م ؛ ا س م ،،أ ح ذ ر غ ي وأد ح نن أر م ل ا ل س ي د الم دي ر ا ل عا مب طل ب يت
ب ؛ د ال*ل ث
-شك ر ا ي د عبد ا لر ح م ن ،أل ف شك ر• شغلن ا ج ه از ا ك د ئ
أم س وحى ن
ع ب أ ح ش م ايرام ،؛الفض ل م ذ ل كيع و د ل كب ال طتع• يم ف .ولم يرغع ن ظ ر ه،ب ل بق ي م ن شغ ال بفت ح در ج م م كتبه! أكنت م جمران أه ل زو ج تي قب لض و ا ت ؟أ جبتهب ا إلي ج ا ب ؛ف ر ف ع رأس ه وه و ب م س كبلف ا فة ض يديه .ملرمح ي ق د م ل ى ال1ف افةت -ه ذه هديةب سي ط ة
كتعبيرا عن ع م ي ق شك ر ي .أر ج و أن ل ج ب مني
ع رب و ن ص دا ق ة بينن ا . خ جل ت م نتصرفه وت ل ج ل ج ت م ال ك ال م ب ش ك ل مزع ج .أردف و م يق ف:
ال ي وم ب و دب كس ا ئق ي إ ل بيتك مليس ت د ل عليه ،فزو جتي تروم أن تزورال س د ة والدت ك غدا ،إذا س م ح ت ب ذ ل ك . ح د ك ي و ال د’نيت م -ارت ت عل ي مل ه و فة وأ خ ذ ت تقبل ن ي قب ال ت ال تت ه ي ؛ م يد ي وو جي وكتف ي وق ع ر ي ،ح تى خ شي ت أن يق ع ابنه ا الم غتر م ن مح ن ذرا ب•
ذ
عبد ا ل ر ح م ن ي من اب ا س م ك .أترى؟ أب كت ي اخ ل ا ل ا ل ص عبة التي م وا بها، و ك ي ف ذاق و ا ' ' ا أل مر ي ن مح ن تق ا ع د أبيه ا ووف ا ته و ه م
م قريته م ا م كم أني ة
بن وا ح ي ك ر ك و ك " .تق و د ك م أراد ت أم ه ا ،ير ح م ه ا ا ذ ،أنتع ود إ لب غداد• إي ا ،إ ال أن
المر ض أقع د ه ا .ن م جا ءه ا ا ل ص ب
” أ ض؛ نتزو ج ت
ط
ض
ف و ا ت وا ث ر ت به ا الحي ا ة هن ا .ك ا ن ت ت أ ل عن ا ك ز م نل ه م ا ةبمءأل (رب ا ب ال ثءخ» إ
ال
أنه ا مت
م لإل
نتي ج ة ما .تق و ل وهي عل ى وث
ك
مء•
و غقل به ا إ ل ا لأرض ج ن رأت ك أمام ه ا ،واقف ا' م ل ط خ اند ه ن ه ا ب العطل• فت ا ة أصيل ة حق ا أ ل وت ر ى ما ج ل ي ت ل ول شقيق ات ك م ن هداي ا .
2 6 و
Modern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
I did not know what to do with the memories that subsequently began to besiege me wherever I went, other than conjuring them up over and over again. Perhaps they would end up being consumed, their effect eradicated from my mind. It turned out that during our chance encounter she was more versed in the relations a n d delights that can exist between a man and a woman than / was. A s soon as مhesitantly p u t my lips ٠٠ her cheeks to kiss her, / could feel her arms around me, her hot lips seeking my mouth an d grabbing it. It was a gentle, yet burning kiss. It completely threw me, a n d took us away fro m the world. We wen not discovered, and, in the end, we left our h id in g place to rejoin the game, intentionally m aking a lot o f noise. N o t a trace o f my kisses remained on her hot, shiny lips as she ran her tongue along them.
After the meeting, I did not know what had happened to my universe. 1 had fallen victim to a constant state ofbewilderment, which worried me more than it did my mother. I was certain that nothing new had happened, so what caused my apathy at work and an unusual loss of interest in the machine world around me? Eve^thing was normal, and had been in its place since time immemorial, except that this heart of mine was continuously agitated. She invited all of us, by way of her im portant husband, to her grand house for dinner - all of us ... all of us: my mother, my three sisters with their husbands and children, and 1 ... 'A ll . . . a l l ofyou should come a n d v isit us." Faced with this overwhelming desire, we could not but gratefully accept the invitation. Our moment of seclusion and kisses, which appeared to me to be engraved on my forehead and in the sky, raced through my mind, conjuring up images o f other passionate encounters. 1 remembered my hunger for her - a special kind of hunger that consumes the mind and body and eve^thing in between. 1 could not bear to be away from her, except for the briefest of moments, and 1 did all 1 could to spend time just with her. It
ad a l-T a karltد F u
37ق
صرف حثمأ مئ ن ؛) أ ج د ما أ صل ه مع الذكريا ت التي أخذ تحنا ي أن أمحتع ي د ه ا وأمحتع ي د ه ا ،لع ل ه ذ ه ا الضتعا دا ت الم ت ك ر ٥ن ث ا / آ < م ا س مم ى .
م رل
ص تحل م م ي محذاق ،م ا س صيف ،ال .ين \ لمآ ه واإذ £ صال ت ون ذا ذا ت ،ض ا \دا ز سشا ن ي عق خلوسم ا قل ه\ م دد ،م ق م ت.بذ ب
ب محط ان .ي و -ب ن في ه ا الحا د ث ن ت ش دا ن ف ي وذهنت\د مي م .
ك\ ث غ الب اع م ة مشتعل ة رذذهما خ ذ ت •ببي د د ب ت ه ا • م د ا م ٣ ١ و إ ن ك ث ف وخر جن ا.،بع د ال ي ،د ا ك ف ي ن ش ا و د ا لل ع بمبضوض اء
وإقت ي م د ه’ ذ في ها ه م ف س هي م نص أر ي ص و م م بمل ي عي ه م ا.
لمر أدر ،مب د ذ ل ك ،ما ال ذ ي ج د م ه ذا ال ك و ن ،وجعلني مملو كأخلاالت ذه و ل م ظ.بم ،كا ن ت تقل قني أك ر مما تقل ق والدت ي .ل)ي ح م ل أ م ج د ه بال تأ كي د ؛ ف م ا
ب ه ذا الت إ ط ؤ
jا ل ع م ل وا اليتعا د ا ل ال ما ر ف عن عا م
ال كا ئ ن المح ي ط يي؟ ك ل ق ي ء كا ن معر وفأ ع ن ذ ز س ،كا ن مو نحو عأ
م م كانه ع ن ال زس
األز,لي ،مرى أن هذا القلب يين الضلوع ال ض يضطرب ويضطرب. دعتن ا ،كلن ا ،عم زو ج ه ا المرمو ق المركز ،لزيارته ا ز داري ال فخم ة ولتن ا و ل طعا م العش اء؛ كلن ا .كلن ا .ا ل وال د ة وآن ا وال ئ قي ق ا ت الث ال ث وأزوا ج من و؛ طفاله ن .كلك م .ك ن ك م ،ن ا مف \ د ن ا .و م ي ك نلن ا ،أ ما م هذا اخلمحم اب ارذ ا ، ض أن نقب لش ا كري ن • خ ل وتن ا ا لأو لت ل ك وقبلتن ا ،ال ت ي خي ل إ ل أنه ا ان طبع ت عل ى جمض و ش
"
صف ح ة ا ل م اء ،تدا خل ت م ذهن ي وأع ا د ت ل صور ا ش،ا ت ؛ألخرى ط .تذكرت ذلك انملشءم إ ي ه ا ،عطشأ ص توع ظص،بمس رجوح وا -ن
د و ما ي ه ما .ل ؛أ ء دق ا د رآ عل ى فراقه ا إ ال ب ت ظ ه ،ى
أع م ر ج ه د يمب د ئ ك ي أنفر د
لر ي ك ن ذ ل ك ط ح أ ط وال الو ث ت؛
وق8
M odern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
was not always possible, and as soon as she left me, my hunger for her returned with a vengeance, burning my chest and my entire being. We had to be careful as we walked along the garden path towards the entrance of their house. Autumn had arrived and surrounded us, like the evening and sky with its poignant blue shades. I walked beside my mother, trying hard to control myself and to act the way I normally did at home. The dinner party was a festival of emotions, sad memories, never-ceasing yearning, bright lights, cheerful noises and children’s music. She appeared to be in harmony with her husband and her beautiful child. She only occasionally addressed me. Yet she would drop eveiything and hang onto my every word whenever I spoke. At times I noticed her looking at me with our usual glance, even if it did not last for more than one second, if that. She stood in front of the glass shelves in a black suit, embroidered with shiny pearls, looking at me with a contemplative, radiant look that was marred by a touch of hidden sadness. Whenever our eyes were about to meet, she elegantly moved to the other side of the room. It was the same look she used to have all those years ago. ! اwas on that noisy, jo y fu l m orning that we stole priceless momentsfrom time; or perhaps it w asfate tw isting the arm o f time so that it would grant those golden moments, against a ll odds. We quickly went up to the sm a ll room we used to c a ll “the K afsh kan ”. We d id not speak much, especially her. We rushed behind a wardrobty in a narrow corner, locked in an eager embrace. M y hungerfor her, this am azing girl, was at its peak. The kisses drowned us in a sea o f obliviousness to the world, a n d
/ was eager to remove her clothes with
my trembling hands. She gave in to my every movement, compliant ٠ silent, kissing me ardently an d drow ning herself in my eyes. Very soon we were naked an d kissing , in no doubt that we •were about to
/ was gripped / looked into her eyes a n d saw a hidden
perform the wondrous act o f creation, when suddenly with an unprecedentedfear as terror and deep sadness
...
F u 'ad a l-T a k a rli
9و2
يف كل ه أنتف ا رق ي حتىيع ود العط ش حادأي حرقص در ي وك إ ي
ض
ص ر ض نن حدر ا * س م ء م ر الح ديقة الى
ب
داره م .كا ن اخلر ي ف هن ا ك،ي حي ط ب آ ؛ وا ل —اء وا ل س ماء ذا ت الزرئ اإؤ
و ك ت أستر جن ب وال دت ي ،جا هدا أن أضبط إيق ا ع مس ى مم ض ال*ائل م
ا لما /ي ى .
كا ن ت دع و ة العش اء م ه ر جان ا م ن ا لعوا ط ف الت إ دل ة والن-كر إ ت ال ،م إ وا لخنتن ال ذ ي لر ي خ م د ،وا لأض واء والص خ ب المر ح و م وس يق ى ا لأءك ا ل؛ وك ا ن ت •ع زو ج ه ا و طفل ه ا ا ل ج م ل ،ب د و عل ى أعل ى در جا ت ا ال ش جام .م ت ك ن تو ج ه إ ل الح د ي ث إ ال لمام أ ،غثر أنه ا كا ن ت تن ط ع ا؛-نغال ه ا إ ي ي يء
ص ف يب ا النتب ا ه لما أقول .ولمحته ا عرة؛ جمعتن ان ح ن ا ال ض لمح ة هي ل ط . لت لر ت د م إ الث ا نية وا ح د ة أو جزءأ م ن ه ا ؛ كا ن ت واقفة أ ما م رف و ف الز جا جي؛ ت
فر ي
بدل ة م وداء مطر زة بآا ل للئ المشع ة ،تن ظر إ ل ن ظر ة ع تأمل ة ،عت المع ة،
تش و به ا م س ح ة م ن ح زن ال يبينم و لر ت د ع ل أن أل تق ي مع ه ابالن ظر ،وتحر ك ت ب خ طو ه ا الم تزن إ ل ج هة أ خر ى .ت ل ك الن ظر ة نف ج ا ه ي ال ت ي ماتزال تحمل ه ا م عينيه ا ا ل جميل تن ن م محن و ا ت الع ه د البعي د .عهدن ا .
ؤ ل ص \ كمى \دو ب.بالض ج ة و\ز ح ا ح ن برق ا من ان سخل ظات
الث من.ا ٢١لعله القدر ال ح ب ١٠م الذي زى درمنع اؤسن من ح ه عق غر ع ا دته ،ت ل ك ا ل ل ح ظ س \ ذذ م ةم صع دذزد ب ر عه“ آ ذ\ ق م نه \ لخشس ه \ شم آ
ي\ذف ك أ ن د عو ه ا لآكفش ك ان ااا ^إ ب ش ى م.ا إ ن ش تب ا دل \ذكر م ا ال
بلهفةوع ج دآ خلف ذو الب و الفي لآ ،خاص ة م .ان م من ا.
لل
ي
ذ س ،ؤ
ذا وية ضيقة .كن ت ي ق م ة من ن م هل ا ،,لهذه \ضس ه ا ه ذ ه م\ إه \ل ذ هله•
ب حر ص الش ا ب عن ،٣ ١رأ ت ش ي م ه م ح ث ■ أء تخرق ا ا ص ؤ . بس ه ا ي ه د م لجف ة .ك\ذ ت مست ل م ة لم .ب ا د رآ م ي .ا م ت م ال مب ش .سيمل \ ه ه وت م ص .د ذ زه \ ف ع ض .و خ الل مت\ذب ث
ي ،
س ا ا ط ل .ه ا
ت حمني ل ون ح ن ش الف ا ال،شذث ا ع ق ا م ت ك ما د ع م ي ة الح ش \ نمحم-ه ا دهم^’ ص د و هاا
ب د ي ىي ه
وا لعم ق م\ ن يق م .م ما ني ق •
< يو (ى ف ب ي ه ا
ه"ا
ش ت
س < ال
ث4 ه
M odern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin g u a l Reader
It was that same 1 كاممshe exchanged with me at the party, standing at a distance, behind the sparkling glassware, أ ص مis the link between these two looks, so remote in time? أdid not know then, and I still do not know today. A t that moment ٠I p u lle d away fro m her إin aflash. I remember it w e ll ... Oh, how w ell I remember the w arm th o f her abdomen andber bosom, her tenderness a n d our intertw ined limbs. The storm passed peacefully. Unfortunately, my m ental state, lik e other aspects o f my life , took a tu rn fo r the worse thereafter.
The dinner ended as all great feasts do, with the exchange of presents and telephone numbers, kisses and promises of further visits. We were quite happy as we returned to our respective homes. I simply wanted to ignore what had happened, and was determined to draw from my store o f contentment and satisfaction in order to achieve this, if it had not been for another look from her. She was enthusiastically writing down her telephone number for my mother before we left, when she stopped writing as though she had forgotten something and raised her eyes, for a moment, towards me. Her face was radiant, and the way she looked at me revealed a hidden and obscure desire I was able to decipher despite my bewilderment. When we spoke on the telephone, she said, in her warm voice: “Thank you for this call, Abdul Rahman. Thank you very much. I wanted to talk to you, and you’ve made it easy for me. If only you knew how happy I was to see you all.” “To see us all?” “You don’t know what you all mean to me and how I value you all ؛you above everyone else, and, of course, the rest ofyour family. Forgive me, Abdul Rahman, that I won’t be able to see you. I’m indebted to you for everything.” “To me? I don’t know what you mean.” “Oh, how could you say that? Don’t you remember? You didn’t ruin me, though you could have done. Don’t you
Fu *ad al-Takarli
ا 4ق
ت ل ك ك ا ن ت ن ظر ته ا
ش ه ا ال ت ي ر م ت ه ا ع ل ئ ق ل مم ن ومح ي
ص
مع دة ،خل ف الز جا جي ا ت ال تأل قة مثل ه ا• أية دالل ة نجم ع بين م1دين الغإرءء ش ال ز ما ن ؟ لم أ ع ر ف ،و ال أ زا ل.
إ ال أن ال نكو ص منه ا بدأ آن ذا ك .مت ل ك البرهة الزمنية ل1لمح ة |ا^ 4 أتذكر جي م ؟ .آ ه .ك م أتذ كر ج ي دأ حرارةي طن ب وص دره ا ون عوم ته ا ،و م م أعض ائن ا وأف خ اذن ا .و مر ت العاص ف ةب س ال م ،ل ك ن أم و ر ي ال ش بة و غمهمإ،
انتكسسمت ا بيبع د ذللن ،ك ماي جب. انته ى م ه ر جا ن ا ل عش اء ك ما تنته ي الم ه ر جان ا ت الك ب ر ى .ب ا لهد ب و ص وب ال وع و د بزيا را ت أ خر ى وتب ا د ل أرق ا م التلف ون ا ت ؛ وكن ا سع داء ونمح ن ع ا ئ د و ن إ ل بي وتن ا . كن ت أ ريد أن أ ه م ل ك ز ما ح ص ل بهدوء ،مص ن م أ عل ى ا الستعا نة يخزيتي
م ن أ ح ا ب س القن اعة إل نجاز ه ذه الم ه م ة ،لو الن ظر ة أخر ى م ن عينيه ا .كا ن ت،
ب ح ما س ،س ج ل رن متليف ونه ا لوال دت ي قب ل أن نغ ادر “ ،م ن توقفت عن الكت ابة كأنه ا نس ي ت أمر أ ما ،ورف ع ت عينيه ا ،لحظ ة ،وت طلع ت إ ل جان ب ح ي ث أ ق ف .ك ا ن و ج هه اص ثي لآ ،رائع أ ،وان ط ا فت ه ا البسي ط ة ن ح و ي تو حي ب رغبة غ ا م ضة مس شرة ،است ط ع ت رغ م اض ط ر اب ي ،أن أفه م ه ا .
قال ت ،عبر ال ه ا ت ف ،بمو ته ا الداف ئ : أخكر كيا عبد ا ل ر ح م ن عل ى خم ابرت ك ه ذ ه .أ شك ر ك ركث ي أ ،ك ت أريدأن أ حدث ك ،فس ه ل ت ل ذ ل ك .لوت علم ك م سع د تبر ؤيت ك م .
-أن ث لآتفه م م ط ك م عند ي و مع زت ك م .أن ت أوآل وآخر أ وبقية العائلة .
اليتؤا خذ ف عبدا ل ر حم ن لأي ال أست ط ع رؤيت ك ،ول كن ي م دينة ل ك ب م
.ان ا ؟ ال م مف ط م م ا م ول ن .
-آ ه ،كي ف تق و ل ث ؟ أ ال ت ذ كر ؟ أ ث م ت
ص .كن ت ن ا درا ء د
ذ ك .أ ال تتذكر ؟ ل ق د حف ظتن ي .حف ظ ت ل حي ا تي ،ولر أ ش ذ ل ك• أن
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remember? You spared me. You spared my life, and I can never forget that. You’re the one who granted me the life I’m living now. Anyway, how are you? Do you know what happened to me when 1 saw you ... that day ...?” She stopped talking for a moment, evidently struggling to continue the conversation. “Your mother told me that you’re happy with her. Is that true, Abdul Rahman? Tell me you are happy. Aren’t you happy?” “To some extent ؛to be more precise, I’m content with my circumstances. 1 have an ample store of such feelings.” “Is that enough? Is that enough for you?” “What else can 1 do?” I heard her sigh.”Can I help you in any way ...a s a friend?” I did not respond. An embarrassing silence passed. She asked me: “Are you still ill? I mean, you know ...” “More or less. I’m o f no use to anyone." “Really? Oh, God! Our happy times didn’t last for long." The next day I sought refuge in that store of feelings I had proudly told her about. I only found hunger, misunderstanding and hollow echoes, which rang out the name of “Khadija”.
Fu’ad al-Takarlt
43ق
أن ما م مطل قأ• أن ت ال ذ ي من ح تني حي ا ت ي هذه• ول كن• كي ف أن ت؟ ئ ؛ا ح ص ل ق وأن ا أراك• ر أ ي ذ ك الي و م .و ص م ت ت ،وك ا ن ت نمر ز ال ك ال م: ك ما ي د و ،ك ي
٠
ش هأ
ن؟؟ م ز ع؛د امل ر-ءح مص فال ت ز ا ل و ال د ة أنل ي م ع ي د مع ه ا• أ لي س ك ذ ل كيا عبدأنلثم محم د .ألس ت صع ي دا ؟ إ ل ح د أما .أن اب ا ل ح ر ىق ا ن ع.مم ا أن ا فيه-ل د ي خزين ع ن هذه ا-
و ه ل تكف ي
-و
م
هذه؟
ك ر
ه ل تكفي ك؟
ل إذا؟
سمع ت ه ا تتنهد؛ ألست ط مع م اعدت ك .كص ديق ة ؟لر أ جبه ا• مر ت بينن ا فتر ة ص م ت محر ج•س أل تن ي: ٠أ الت ر ا د م ريض ا ؟ أعني أ ثت علم . تق ريب ا .الف ا ئ د ة م ن ي كبيرة• ح ق أيا إل ه ي .لر ت د م أوق اتن ا السع ي د ة طوي لأ.استن ج د ت ،ز الي و م ا1تالي ،بذ ل ك ا لخزين ال ذ ي ح دثت ه ا عنه ا فت خ ار، ف لم أل ق ى إ ال ا لع ط ش وض وء ال أف ه م وا لص دا ء ا ل جوف اء .ك ا ن اسم ه ا ررخدي ج ة)).
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Language Notes
1. غزين: “storage” (> ( خزنi), “to store”). 2 . ال إل يي ي ز ر, “oppression”, “injustice”. 8. رأس ا ل ج و د: (pronounced r a ’s al-chot) a suburb o f Baghdad at the end o f Bab El-Sheikh (see next note). Note that the Iraqi dialect (like some Gulf dialects, as well as Palestinian) has the sound “ch” (as in “Charles”), which is usually represented in writing by the so-called “three-dotted jirrT y i.e. ج. This letter is originally Persian, which has provided other letters to render “European” sounds: ( بfor “p”) and ( كfor “g”). Note, however, that in Egypt جis used to denote “j” (as in “genre”) ؛c f . ج را ج, “garage” (since جis
Fu’ad al-Takarli
ت4 5
pronounced “g” in ECA). In Morocco “g” is represented by a three-dotted kaf, % as in the place-name .أثمادير ب ا ب ال ئ ن خ و: one of the densest populated areas, situated in the heart of Baghdad. Literally meaning “the door of the Shaykh”, it refers to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Q^dir al-Gaylanl, (1077-1165), whose tomb is in the Mosque that is named after him, and which attracts thousands of visitors each year. Fu’ad al-Takarl! was born in Bab El-Sheikh. 10. 3أثا م اأع: lit. “days o f glory”. 11. الق ط ار ل) ن م ن م نع د غ ل ئ: lit. “the train has not pass yet”, i.e. there is still time for me to get married. 12. ال دو رة: a small town some twenty kilometres outside Baghdad, known for its oil refineries. وا. ن ت ة الم خ ث ن ع: lit. “law of society”, meaning customary procedure. In another context ال ن ت ةor نت ة الثبيrefers, of course, to the S unna or conduct of the Prophet Muhammad. 14. زئي س الغزف اء: this military term corresponds to رقي ب أؤل (pi. ربجاءin many other countries (Egypt, Syria, Eebanon). The word غزف اءis the plural of ع ر ي ف, which is, variously, a “sergeant” (Iraq) or a “corporal” (e. g. in Egypt, Syria). 15. ن رافق: this term is restricted to Iraq ؛in many other Arab countries, the term ن الزمis used. 16. لل فذ ر يا: on the use of the vocative particle (with )لin this exclamato^ phrase, meaning: “Oh, what a (strange) fate!”, see كت ا ب المو ش, note No 5. 17. ا لخيبة: another common term in ١^ ٨ fof this game is ا لختيل ة ٠٢٠ ( الغ مايةin Egypt it is known as .(أنئن ن اية . ا8. ف ج اءة = حينم الغفل ة وا.أذائ وا ا ل مر ي ن: lit. “they tasted the two bitter things” (> ذاق (u), “to taste”). 20. نثة1فزتته م ا م ك م: “their Turkmen village”; most of populations of the villages around the city of Kirkuk are Turkmen (a Turkic ethnic group found also in areas
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around Arbil and Mosul) and Kurdish. 21. ؛كنك وكan oil-rich city in the north of Iraq. 22. جا ث الن ص ب أخثرا: lit. “fate came to her eventually”, i.e. she got married in the end. 23. الن ط ش: note that in this figurative expression, the Arabic refers to “thirst”, whereas in English it is “hunger”. 24. مح ن ك ا نan old name for a room built inside another room in some traditional Iraqi houses, where the ceiling of the room is very high. Access is provided by a wooden staircase. In some cases, it is simply an attic. It is usually used /o r the storage of furniture, etc. It is also known as مال كم حيمة
Layla al-،Uthman
Born in Kuwait in 1945, Layla al-‘Uthman (Leila Othman) is a well-known novelist and short-stoty writer. She began writing at a very early age while still at school, and published articles in many local periodicals on social and literary issues. She is regarded as one of the most prominent female fiction writers of the Arabian Peninsula. Her collections of short stories include ( انزأة لمي إن اءA Woman in a Vessel, 1976), { ا إل ج لThe Departure , ل97 ) وa n d ا ئ بلن كمآمئ) ص ولH as M a n y Images, 1982). Her novels include ا ل ر أة وال قطه (The Woman a n d the C a t , 1985) and ( ون متة ن ذ ر ج م ن ال بمرSumayya Comes Out o f the Sea, 1986). Her most recent novel, ( المحاك م ةThe T ria l, 2000), portrays the various political and social conflicts she has experienced in her native county. In her fiction, al-‘U th m ^ deals with conflicts between men and women and with the outside world, often concentrating on specifically Arab themes and on the position of women in Middle Eastern society. Many of her works have been translated into a number of European languages (e. g. Russian, German and Swedish). The following story deals with the aspirations, dreams and frustrations of two women belonging to entirely different social and economic backgrounds. At the same time, it also affords the reader a glimpse into the complex social fabric of a society in flux, inextricably bound up with the theme of guest workers.
Night ofTorment With yearning eyes, she looked at the perfume bottle that had been left behind, next to one of the washbasins. She felt ه strong urge to grab it, open it and spray a little on her rough palm, in which she was grasping a quarter d in a r note given to her earlier by the owner of the perfume on her way out. She thought: “What if I took the bottle and sprayed it all over my body, so my enticing fragrance could spread like that of all other women?” Before she could give in to the urge, however, the owner of the bottle returned to the washroom, marched towards the bottle, put it in her handbag and gave her another quarter dinar, as if to reward her for finding the bottle in its place. Then she quickly left, her fragrance lingering in the air. Her veins seemed to extend like fingertips, gathering the smallest particles of the fragrance that made its way from her nose to her lungs, which were saturated with the toilet odour. However, soon after, the smell of disappointment dispelled every whiff of the fragrance. Since she had started her humble job as an attendant in the ladies’ room at the airport, she had been inhaling the black nauseating air that ؛lowed into her windpipe, soothed only by transitory fragrances. She was sitting in her plastic chair, taking in the daily arrivals with languishing eyes: women attired in colourful, elegant clothes, girls squeezed into tight jeans and short blouses, all of whom were in a hurry to relieve themselves. Her ears registered the rustling sound of women’s clothes sliding down their bodies, followed by trickling bladders and murmuring bowels, and then the waterfall of the flush expelling the waste, leaving only the odour in the air. When the women left the cubicles, they gathered at the
ليل ة ال ق ه ر١
عين ا ه ا تغ از ال ن الز ج ا ج ة المنسية ق ر ب المضل ة ،رغبة 'عني فة ني ي ' ١ ب د ض ٠٠ تندف ع إل يه ا ،تفت ح ه ا ،ترشقلي ال عل ى كف ه ا ا لخض ال ذ ي م الدين ا ر د ك ا ن ت ص ا حبة الز ج ا ج ؛ ق د أسق ط ته إل يه ا قب ل أن تمخ ر ج.
ء ن ؟
رر ما ذا لو آ خ ذ ت الز ج ا ج ة كل ه ا أرشه ا عل ى جم د ي فتف و ح را ح ي
ق هي م
ك ك ل ا ل م اء؟)). ات ه ت ن م م ن ش ي قب ل أن تحمل ه ا ص ه و ة ا ل ر غبة اقت ح م ت المر أة الم ك ا ن ،ج التق ط ته ا ،د ش ه ا م ح قيبة ي د ه ا ،واست ك ر ع دين ا رآ خ ر ك س يك افئه ا ع ر و ج و د الز ج ا ج ة ز م ك ا نه ا ،ث م غ ا د ر ت سرعةبع د أن نش ر ت ع طر ه ا م الف ر ا غ; امت ط ت ك ل أوردته ا مث ل أن ا م ل رقيقة نجم ع ذرا ت ا ل ع ط ر المنتشرة و نري به ا م ن ا لأنف إ ل ا ل ر‘ ص مب د ر ه ا ب د د ت ك ل ا لع طر .
كم خ؛ينب روائ ح المرا ح ض’ ،1ل ك ن ري ح الح ة
م ن ذ أن ب دأ ت عمل ه ا المت و ا ضع—ن ا ط و رة لخن ا م ا ل م اء ش المطار—
وأنفه ا
يتنشق هسو اد ا ل واء المعت ل ويدل ق ه ز ضب ا ت ص د ر ه اف ال تر طبه غثر ذرات ا ل ع ط ور الق ا د م ة والمغ ا درة. نجلس عل ى كرمح ي ه ا البالمح تي ك ي ،وبع ينيه ا ^^ ٠١؛ ^ ت ا ي ع الم ش ه د ال ي و م • نساء ي د خل ن بمالبس ه ن ا لأنيقة الملونة ،فتي ا ت ببن ط ل ون ا ت الجينز ا س ^
والب ل و زا ت الم صرة ،كل ه ن ع ج و ال ت لل ت خ ل ص م ن
تلت
ط أذ ا ئ
بع ه ا خ رير ( المث ان ا ت و مون ب بس ه ن وهي تنزل ق عن أ ج م ا د ه ن ،م ح في ف م ال أ
ا ل معاءم) ،ت م يممل ت ( السف و ن 0بشالل ه لي ج ر ف البق اي ا ويتر ك
ا لروات ح
منتث رة . ي خ ر ج ن م ن المر ا ح ض ي ز ا ح م ن عل ى المغ ل ة ،يش ط ف ن أ كف ه ن ٧ ١ خ
ب ا ل و م ،ي أمل ن و ج و ه ه ن ز المراي ا ،ي ص غن الشف ا ه،ي و ردن ا لخدود،
يخر" حم
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washbasins to wash their beringed hands, examine their faces ؛٠ the mirror, put on lipstick, apply blush to their cheeks, and do up their tousled hair with colourful combs. Finally, they would douse themselves with fragrance from see-through bottles, and rush out in response to the announcements made over the public address system: “All passengers going to ... please make your way to Gate Number ...” She started work by picking up the pieces of paper scattered on the floor and those left on the lids of the bins. Then she checked the white washbasins, cleaned the scum left on the sides with a brush and poured a little Dettol down the plughole, tidied up the loose toilet rolls and generally readied the washroom for the hasty passengers. She would return to her chair, hopefully awaiting the generosity of some of the women - a quarter dinar, half a d in a r or some coins, maybe. Many of them, however, left without even noticing either her or her constant dreaming, and she would be left whispering to herself every time: “One day, I’ll own a bottle of perfume like that.” When she went out into the street after work, the combined smells of exhaust fumes, people and food rushing into her nostrils were sweeter to her than those she endured in the public washroom. As soon as she opened the door to the wretched annex where she lived, she smelled the suppressed odours rushing towards her like gaping maws, dispelling the street smells and thus leaving only the lavatory odour on her body and clothes. At night, she would be engulfed in grief and besieged by images of women clad in their expensive accessories and fashionable clothes. She would slowly exhale in an attempt to catch the slightest whiff of the ladies’ perfumes. However, they soon clashed with the smell of her snoring husband, lying next to her. She filled her lungs with the oily smell of sambousak and potato kibbeh , which her husband had eaten in the Indian restaurant where he works. She would suppress her ovei^vhelming grief: “Surely he must smell the toilet odours on me.”
L ayla al-'U thm an
ا 5ق
أمش ا ط ه ن الملونة ،ي سر ي ن خ ص ال ت ش عر ه ن التن اث ر ة•
و ما ل ل م ا ن ئء
ا لرش ا ت المتتال ية م ن ع ط ور الز جا جا ت الشف ا فة ي خ ر ج ن بم د ئ ملبي ا ت لل نداءا ت الم ت كر رة :ررعل ى ج م ي ع المساف ر ي ن ال ت ص ن ؛ ق ٠٠٠
٠
٧ ٢
٠
م
*تبدأ" ب ه ابالتق ا ط ا لأوراق المتن اث ر ٥عل ى ا لأرض ،وتل ك ا ،م ئ ن وق
أغ طية س ال ت الم ه م ال ت ،ت ط أر م ا ل ح وا ض البيض اء ،تكش
ط الك ر ،ا؛ ئ
عل قب ج وانبه ات ص ب قلي ال م ن الديت و ل ،أتمسح ا ل طر ا ف س و ي الم ت ه دل ة ،م هيئة ب ذ ل ك الم ك ا ن لق ا د ما ت آ خ ريا ت مست ع ج ال ت ٠تعو د الى
كرس ي ه ا م ؤمل ة بك ر مبع ضهن ،ريع دين ار ،نص ف دين ار• أو ف كا ت مع د ه وكثترا ت ي خ ر ج ن ض مرك تث ا تب و ج و د ه ا و الب حل م ه ا ال ذ ي ال يهل!
و ال
ي ورمح ته م س ل ف ج ا ك ز مر ة :ررذاتي و مس أمت ل ك ز ج ا ج ة ع ط ر))٠ ح ن ت خ ر ج إ ل الش ا ر عبع د إنته اء عمل ه ا ،رتت اك ض إل يه ا روائ ح ال م ارات والبش ر وا أل ط ع م ة مت م از ج ة ،لتتراك م دا خ ل أنفه ا ،فت ح سم ه ا أشهى م ن رائ ح ة نه ا ره ا ا ل ط وي ل دا خ ل الحن ا م .و ح ئ تفت حب ا ب الملح ق الب ا ض ال ذ يتم كنه، ت س روائ ح ه المكب و تة ت ه ب إل يه ا كأف وام مفت و ح ة تنف خ ري ح ه ا لت طر د روات ح ح الش ا ر عف ال تبق ىض و ى رائ ح ة الح ن ا م الالص ق ةبجس د ه ا و م ال بس ه ا•
م اللي ل ي س ج ه ا قه ر ه ا• تحاصر ه ا ص ور النساء بزيتهن و مودي ال ت مالس ه ن تكت م آ هة ،وشت ل ه شهيق ا لع ل ا ت ص طا د و ل و ذرة م ن روا
ح
ع ط و رهن-ل كن ه ات ص ط د مب رائ ح ة زو ج ه ا الث ا خ ر بق ر به ا تجئ رمحوارت ا * ذ دهن
(ا ل م م و
ه وكبة ا ل طا طا*) ال ت ي
ش ع
به ا ح ي ث.س
ل م الل م
ال هند ي .تت ح ر ق وت كب ت أف و اه حمسرته ا (( :بال تأ كي د ه و يش م يي ر ا ذ المر ا ح يض )).
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She was carried away by her desire, imagining herself ءم؛المط a perfume bottle, making her most hidden dream come true: *If I spray some of this fragrance on me, all our bad smells will vanish, and we will embrace each other tightly.” She went to sleep and in the corridors of her dreams found herself chasing tens of winged perfume bottles flying around. The day y o u dropped a dinar in the to ile t atten d an t’s palm, you thoughtyou gave her afo rtu n e , but she gave it back to you and surprisedyou by saying:i(l w a n ty o u r bottle o f perfume. ” You w anted to rem ind her o f her situ a tio n asyo u once again held
d i n a r : d i n a r is more useful to y o u than the perfum e.” How ever إshe continued to refuse, requesting the perfum e instead.
out the
You could not tolerate the naivety o f her w arped aspiration s asyou exam ined hershabby clothes a n d her sca rfth a t was fra y e d a t the edges. A perfume lik e you rs w ou ld not su it her. She sensed y o u r contempt. She slow ly rubbed her clothes w h ile starin g a ty o u r elegant outfit. You wanted to rem ind her o fth in g s other than the clothes. W ith a circular movement o f y o u r handy y o u in d icated the size o f the restroom and raised y o u r voice, in an attem pt to suppress her lu stfu l d esirefor the perfum e:s(W hat use is the perfum e toyou w h ile y o u are here?” She sm iled a t you, feebly trying to cu rryfavo u r, a n d then begged you, tears choking in her throat:“I ’d spray it on m yself a t night to attract my husband . " Overcome w ith astonishm ent a n d sadness, y o u fe lt the pangs o f regret that were about to m o llify y o u r heart. You d id not hesitate. You got the sm a ll bottle out an d g ave it to her. S h ejoyfu lly leanedforw ard to kiss y o u r slender palm , b u tyo u qu ickly p u lle d it aw ay a n d ran o ff w henyou h e a rd y o u rflig h t being called. In reality, yo u were ru n n in g aw ay fro m a memory, its moss embedded in the lake o f y o u r life. A t that moment, those d ifficu lt years that had been heavier to bear than a m ille n n iu m exploded in fro n t ofyou. The toilet attendant had u n in te n tio n a lly brought back memories, ju st asyou fin ish e d fa ste n in g yo u r seatbelt on the plane. You closed y o u r eyes a n d cast y o u r m in d back to those p a in fu l
L a yla a l-'U th m a n
و5ق
متت ط ي ح صا ن الت م ن ي ،ت خ ي ل أنه ا ممس ك ة ؛ز جا ج ؛ عهر ف ر ق < ^ ^ ١أ حي ى أر ش
ب عل ى
^
ك ل حر وا تن ا .محنكص ز
ببع ض ا أك ر ))م تن ا م و م د هاليز األ ح ال م جت د نفس ه ا ت طا رد عثرا ن الز جا جا ت ذا ت األ جن حة .
ص
ذا ت يوم أسق ط ت ز ك ف امر أة الحن ا م ” دين ا رك " تصو ر ن أ ش و ب ه اثر وةل ك ن ه ا ردته إلي ك وف ا جأت ك؛
” أريد ز جا ج ة ع طر ك. قص د ت أن تنبهيه ا لحا ل واقع ه ا وكف كمت ت دث ا نيةبالدين ار ; -ال د ي ا ر
ل كن ه ا أصر ت عل ى رفضه والت م س كب طل ب العطر ،م تحمل ي سذا ج ة ت طلع ه ا ا لأع و ج وعين ا كتسري ا ن عل ى ثي ا به ا الر ثة ،وغ طاء رأ م ه ا ذ ي اخل و ا ف
حا ل ال يناس به ع طر كعطر ك .شعر ت ا ح س ا م ك المرصو دحن د ه ا، بس ه ا بهدوء مق صو د وه يتر ك ز عل ى ثي اب ك ا لأنيقة ،أردت س ح ت عل ى م ال أن تذ كريه ا بشيء غير المالب س ،ب ح ر ك ة دائرية م ن كف ك أشر ت ل ما حة
الحن ا م ،أطل ق ت صوت كقاص د ة أن تكبت ي رغبته ا ال ن ب ق ة إ ل العطر; “ ما ذا يفيد ك العطر وأن ت هن ا . ص ل ال ي خ ل و م ن رغرغة دمع ابت س م ن ل ك بت و ذ دب ا رد نثر ث ك ل ما ته ا بت و
-أرخه م ص ي ج ذ ب زو ج ي .
أسق طت ك م دائر ة ال د ه ش ة والحزن .خعر ت دب ابي س ال د م مما ل ل دانة قلب ك مرتتد د ي .أ خ ر ج ت ز جا جت ك الصرغي ة و من ح ه ال ه ا ،ان ح ث يغ ر ب
إ ل كف ك الرح ي قلتقبل ه نكن ك ع ا ج ل تب ج ذب ه وفر ر ت ملبية نداء ال ر ث . و كن ت ي ا ل و اق ع تف ر ي ن م ن ذ ك ر ىتع ب ت طحال به ا مب حيرة حي ات ك .وا لآن
تف ج ر ت أ ما م كت ل ك السن و ا ت ال ت ي ك ان ت .ممرارته ا أثق ل من أل ف ع ا م . دفعت ك امر أة ا لخن ا م ضقاص د ة أن ت ف ك ي أ حز م ة ذاكرتلب ي ا لل ح ظ ة ادي أن هي ي رب ط ح زام األ ما ن ز ا ل طائرة .أ ب ل ت جفني ك ،وشر ع ت 0ستعرضخن د ل ال ق ه ر الموجع ة ال ت ي ك ا ن ت مت ف ي و أ ث مر ك ونة ش زوايا م ا ش،
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nights that went by asyou la y cowering in the corner ofth e bed\ after having endured his d a ily rage. H e ignoredyou, even thoughyou were sweeter than an apple andfresher than a rose. H e ignoredyou,yet he longed fo r you a n d desired you. You had been w arned that he was a “w om aniser”,
“d rin k e r”, “selfish” a n d “bad-tempered”. Yet your
m in d was set. You had been sm itten by h isg o od looks a n d sweet talk , which drew yo u towards his deceitful\ shallow exterior. Your conceit was another reason: “ W ith my beauty a n d intelligence, he w ill prefer me above a ll other women a n d r i l keep him
the straight and
n arrow .” E a rly on, y o u r life changed a n d y o u r dream s were shattered; you d id not captivate him , n or d id he surrender. You sm elled other wom en’s perfumes on his clothes a n d washed o ff the traces o f their make-up. You im agined w hat they looked lik e , w ondering whether they were better lookin g or sm arter than you. The worst was the m om entyou discovered his a ffa ir w ith y o u r closest frie n d , whose fact, body a n d voice were s o fa m ilia r toyou. That p a rtic u la r night stretched in fro n t o fy o u u n lik e any other night, as he came home highspirited a n d drunk; u n usu al fo r him , he was carrying a parcel in a coloured w rapping. You were suddenly fille d w ith a jo y that touched the deepest o fy o u r dashed hopes٠ and you wondered: “D id he remember me a n d buy me a present?” You w aited u n til he went to bed a n d started snoring. Your overw helm ingcuriosity m adeyou open theparcel. Toyouram azem ent, it contained a luxurious bottle. You opened the p in k card a n d read his sweet dedication to y o u r treacherous frie n d : ‘Y o u r fa v o u rite perfume that makes my head spin a n d makes m eyour slaveforever. " Your deepest hopes were crushed as though they had been ground by a thousand m illstones a n d turned in to fra n tic g ra in s o fd u st besieging you, in fla m in g y o u r innerm ost jealousy a n d stin g in g y o u r soul w ith a stupid hope: “ W hat i f l captivatedyou w ith
// ton ig h t?”
You went into the bathroom an d rubbed y o u r soft body, which had been untouchedfor more than two months, a n d p u t on a diaphanous sky-blue nightdress. You held the perfume bottle an d poured h a lf its
L ayla a l-(Uthman
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مغموسة ب وائ ل غضبه الي و مية• ي عوفلب لأنت أشه ى
م ن تف ا حة وأن صر
زه ر ة .أ ث ال ت ي ت ئ ه ا ه ام وتن ا ه ا ورغم ك ذ 'ل ذ م ت ن ا م ى إل ي ك عبه :ر(إنه زم ي أن،ف وعص ب ي ال ز اج)) -إ ال أن ك تجب بر؟يك .ض ن اء ،ع ا خ ق لل شرا ب بومحام ته وعذوبة ل ما ئه .جذب ا ك ن ح و لخينهبم الشف ا ب الم خ ا دع .غ رورلو م
ا لآخ ر أغ و اك :ر(بمجمالي وذك ا ئ ي
اخت م ه دون ك ز ا ل م اء وصا عد ل
حي اته ا ل ع و جاء)). محرع ا ن ما اع و ج ت أي ا م ك وتكسر ت أ ح ال م ك ،ب بأم ريه وتممتأثريه، ي فر ثن اي ا ه ،تغسل ين آث ار المساح يق الب ائته عل ى ثي ايه، كن ت تشت م ئ ع ط و رهن ق خ ؛ل ين أش كال ه ن و الت*رم ح إن ك ن أ ج م ل من ك أو أذكى• ل م ف؛يطغ ك ا ن تخل ظ ة اكتش اف ك ع القته ا ق ر بص د ي ق ة إلي كت ل ك ال ت يتعر ض و جههآ، تف اص ل جس د ه ا ،ورنة ص و ته ا . اق رأب ت أ م ا م ك دون ك ز ا س .ت ل ك الليل ة ال ت ي د خ ل به ا ال بي ت ب ح م ر ته .ل كن ه عل ى غير ع ا دتهي ح م ل م ي ده رزم ة ملو نة.ف ا ج أ كف ر ح
ظ ص
ع ر و ق آ م ا ل ك ا لم س حو قةت رتم م زا ل بدا خ ل كت رره ل تذك ر و ج و د يف ا خز ى ل ه دية؟)) انت ظ رته ح ت ى و ل ج الف ر ا ش وع ا ط شخيره ،ا مت ح و ذ ك فض و ل ك الشرس أن تفت ح ي ال هدية .أ ذ هلت ك الز ج ا ج ة الف ا خ ر ة .فت ح ت ا ل و رقة ال وردية ق رأ ت اهداءه الع ذ ب لص دخبقت ك ا ل ا ئنة: ررع ط ر ك المفض ل ال ذ ي يد و خن ي وي ج ع ف ي أستر ك دائ مأ)). ته ا و ت ع ر و ق أملل ي .ط حنته ا أل ف ر ح ىف ص ا ر ت مث ل ذرا ت غ إر غيرت ك ا لام د ة ،ولس ع رو ح ك بأ ر ء م' أه و ج حا ص ر ك ،أث عل فت ائ ل خ (ر ما ن ا لو أ م رت ك به أن ا الليل ة؟ )). د خل ت الح ن ا م .د ع ك ت جس د ك الب ض الم ه ج ور ل أ م م ن شه رثن، ا رتدي ت نميص آ صماوي ا خف ا فأ ٠أمس ك ت بالز ج ا ج ة وس ك سر ” عل ى أن ح اء جس د ك حتى أ ص ا ب ع ال ق دم ن ن .اند ع ط ر آه ا “ ا ل
ب س ب
ى
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enticing content a ll over y o u r body, up to y o u r fingertips. You sneaked under the duvet an d moved close to him , reducing the distance that usually separatedyou, y o u r body tin g lin g w ith desire. You had hardly settled in when he started an d aw okefrom his deep sleep, as though he*i been stung. Your heart fluttered a n d y o u r hope grew: “H e 'll water nu after the drought an d cu ll my rip e fru it. This perfume is truly magic.* You were terrified by his savage reaction as he ripped the skyblue nightie w ith his hands, screaming: “H o w dare yo u wear her perfume?!” H is outburst was lik e that o f a thousand volcanoes. He threw the perfume away, a n d the only th ing left were noxiousfumes. H e pushed you out o f the bed a n d kicked y o u alon g thefloor, while you called o u tfo r help against th ep ain in y o u r heart. H e spat onyou, cursedyou an d draggedyou to the bathroom. H e threw yo u into the tub an d emptied the box o f w ashing pow der a n d any other detergents he couldget hands on overyou. H e started to d ro w n yo u w ith the hot shower water in order to remove a ll traces o f the perfum e fro m your body, w h ileyou flap p ed about helplessly lik e a fish . The door slam m ed shut, an d y o u spent a n ig ht that was worse than a thousand torments, in the tub, drow ned by liq u id s and the torture. H ow much tim e has gone by since y o u snatched you r soul from his brackish lake, the thick curtains o f o b liv io n cloaking the sm ell o fyou rform er torm ent?
She went from the restroom into the street, elated, her nose prepared for the onslaught of perfume and the mixture of the usual smells. It was a day unlike other days, and an eagerly anticipated night that would not he like other nights. She felt a great debt to that woman. She did not regret refusing a d in a r she greatly needed. Instead, she was holding something that was far more precious and coveted. She was on cloud nine, and dreams are not bothered by busy traffic. If it had not been for the sound of the horn from a speeding car, she would have been run over. She held on tight to her worn bag, where she kept the bottle that she guarded as closely as her heart. She reached the bus stop and sat down in the shelter. She pulled the
L ayla a l-‘Uthman
57ق
س د ك ٠ | fc, 7ر ا لل حا ف ،تعم د ت نجا وز ا ل م ا فة الف؛صل ة بينك ما ،وفي جنم ا ل رغب ا ت .ما ك د تتستت ر ي ن ح ت ى أنتف ض س نومه الثقيلكالمل د و غ ,ر ز ز ن ل ج وف ا ح ت أم بمك :ررسمرويتيم ب د الق ح ط ويق ط ف ش ا ري ال اض
ج ة إمم
لعطر ساحر حق ا)). أرعيت ك ردةفعل ه الت و ح شة ،إنه ا ك كف ا ه رق ا ن المسا و ي ،وت رضان مرم ر ك الم ك ش و ف وصراخه؛ رركيف نجر أ ت عل ى ع ط ر ه ا؟)) صراخ j j j
أل فب ر ك ا ن ،أ طا حب ال ع ط رف ما ع د ت تش م ث ن غير سمو م ال د خ ا ن .ن زئ ي من ص،
ت م ن ا للر قب ل ك، الف راش -دك ك بق دم يه عل ى ا لأرض ال ت ي استغ ا ث أ
خت م ،وسحل ك إ ل الح ن ا م .قذفلي بقل ب الب ا نيو أف ر غ علي ك علبة م،سعحوق ا ل س ل وبع ض ما طال ته يد ك م نس وائ ل التن ظ يف .أ خ ذ يغ رقلثبماء الرش الحا رل يزيل عن ج د ك ك ل أثر للعطر ،وأ ث ش ل سم ك ة تن ا ز ع م حوض ماء خ اب ط . ص ف ق الب ا ب .وأم ضي ت ليل ة األ ق ه ر ا ل ص ع ب م ن أل ف قه ر داخ ل الب انيو غ ا رقة سوائ ل ك والع ذا ب .ك م م ضى ا لآن م ن ذ أن انتزعت روحلب م ن ب حيرته ا آلم ن ة ه ا دل ة ست ائ ر النسي ا ن ا ل س م ي ك ة عل ى روائ ح فه ر ك ال ق د م ؟ خ ر ج ش ص ا لخت ا م إ ل الش ا ر ع،ف ر ح ته ا أوس ع م ن م داه ،أنفه ا الم هيأ ل ثم ا لع طر يذ ر ي مزي ج ا ل روائ ح المعت ا دة ه و نه ار غير ك ل ال نه ا را ت ،وليل ة منت ظ ر ة ش ك و ن ض ك ز الل يأليم خ عر ثب ا متن ا ن
همر لت ل ك المر أة .لر ت د م أنه ا
رف ضت دين ا رأ هيب ح ا جته .إنه ا ا لآن تق ض عل ى ا ل حا ج ة ا لأثم ن وا لأقهى• ت طثر وتحلم غتر ع ابثة بز حا م ا ل طريق -و ل و ال أن زعقب و ق السي ا رة ا د د ئ دا ئ ه اب ا ل ط ت .خ د ت عل ى ح قيبته ا ا م ح ،ة ل ك ا ث ا ل ع ج ال ت أ
ش
ص
الز ج ا ج ة وكأنه ا قل به ا ال ذ ي خ س ت عليه المو ت .و صل ت مو ف الب ا ص، جل م تح ت ت مظلته ،واس ت خ ر ج ت كن زه ا ^ ^ ١تن ا ج يه(( :ت ل ك الز ج 1ج ة! ٥١
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precious treasure out of her bag, and whispered to it: “Oh, how I’ve dreamed of this bottle!” She stared at it, played with it. She took off its golden top and held the atomizer to her nose. Just as she was about to spray some perfume on her, the bus arrived and a mob of Asian workers like her, as well as those from other parts of the world, jostled to board. The bus filled with the odour of summer sweat on the exhausted workers’ bodies, mixed with the scent of coconut oil they treated their hair with, malodorous feet and pungent breath, h e a ^ with the customary aroma o f spices and ash. All of them invaded her nose, normally filled with the smell of the airport lavatory that stuck to her clothes and skin. She thought of the treasure in her bag, took it out and cupped it in her palms, like a mother cradling her child’s head. She smiled and lovingly stared at the bottle, filled with a desire to open it. She wetted the tip of her finger with the perfume and put some on the tip of her nose in order to subdue the smells in the bus. The man next to her moved in the seat. His elbow collided with her arm, jolting it ؛she closed her palms, fearful for the bottle, and clutched it to her chest so that it appeared she was reciting some sacred prayers. She entered her flat, and for the first time she felt that something valuable had come in with her. She rushed to take the bottle out of her bag and kissed it repeatedly, her heart filled with a hitherto unknown joy. She began to flirt with the bottle, praising it: “Finally, my love, you are mine, and my body will know no smell other than yours. Ah ... thank you, generous lady.” She danced with the bottle in the narrow room, dreaming of a night other than the ones she knew. How could she know the secrets of the perfume, its meaning and how to treat it? She did not even know how to celebrate its arrival in her home, the smell of the first spray on her fra g ra n ce free body. It did not occur to her to bathe first in order to remove the various odours, nor, for that matter, to change
L ayla al-'U thm dn
59ق
ك م حلم ت به ا)) تأمل ته ا .داعبته ا .ر ف ت غ طا ءه ا ال ذ ه م ،ألص ق ي إ ي ك ا د ت تضغ ط ال رأ س المس تدير ل ر ش م نه ا لو ال أن أق ل الب ا ص و ت ر م \ل
لعما ل ا لسي و يثن وضره م م ن جنسي ا ت أ خ ر ى. أمثال ه ا م ن ا آ اكت ظ الب ا صب روائ ح الت ع ب وع ر ق الص ي ف الم بي أتيفم ا لجسا د مت ماز ج أب روائ ح شع ور م د ه ونة “بالح ل " و س ا ل أقدام ال تيم ا-؛ م ن حش و اته ا الحام ضة ،م ن أف و اه تزف ر ج و ف المع دا ت ال ت ي أل ف ت ' ١^ ١^ ١ وا لآش آ ا وال كها ري• ك ل ا تقت ح م أنفه ا الم ش أ ص الب رائ
ح ة ثي ا.ده ا و ج االء ا
ب رائ ح ة حن ا م المطا ر .فكر ت ب كن زه ا المحف و ظ
ز ا لخقيبة
اس ت خ ر جته أرقدتهب ط ن كفي ه ا المت ال ص ض ،ب د ت مث ل أمحت ضن رأس وي ره ا . انف ج ر ت ابن مام ته ا وهي تتأ م ل الز جا ج ةب حن ا ن مشم عب ال رغبة أن تفت ح ي. تب ل ل طر ف إصبع ه اب ال ع ط ر وتمسح أرنبة أنفه الت ح ج ب عنه ا رائ ح ة الب ا ص. تحر ك ا ل ر ج ل المالص زل ه ا م المقع د .ا ص ط د م ت ك و عه بذراعه اف ا هتزت، أ ط ب ق ت كفي ه ا خ و فأ عل ى الز جا ج ة وألص ق ت ه ا إ ل ص د ر ه ا فب د ت وكأنه ا تتلو
ص ل و ا ت م ق دس ة . د خ ل ت مل ح ق ه ا ^ و لأول مر ة تش عر أن شيئ ا ج د ي دأ غال يأ يد خ ل مع ه ا،
سا رع تب ا م ت خ ر ا ج ز ج ا جته ا ،أخبعته ابالقب ال ت ،وص د ر ه ا يكرر بف ر ح إ تع ه ده ،نثرتتسابي ح ص و ته ا تغ ا زل الز ج ا ج ة؛ رر(أخي آيا حبيبتي امتلكت
ك
سيعر ف ج م د ي رائ ح ة غير رائ ح ت ه .آ ه .خك ر أ ل ك أيته ا المر أة املكرية)). و لي ا ( خث زi, u), “to press”, “squeeze”. 5• محزون ا لأنعاء: lit. “the store of the bowels”. 6 . سيخون: colloquial (> Fr. siphon ) ؛MSA ئ ج ا ج ة المر حا ض. 7 . ن ن ث و ن ك: a common snack in many South Asian countries. It consists of a fried, triangular-shaped pastry shell stuffed with, for instance, onion, peas and potato. Depending on the stuffing, it can be either savoury or sweet. 8. كتة الي طاطا: a small, round, savoury snack o f mashed potatoes, l^eat and spices, deep-fried in oil. 9 . لخأن: very formal word for “silver” (cf.) ث. 10. ب ا ننو : colloquial (> It. bagno)\ MSA ح و ض ا ل آ ن ت غ ما م. 11. تواب ل: (pi. o f )ت اب ل, “spices” ؛cf . نه ا را ت. 12. ا ال ش: Iranian thick vegetable soup. 13. نل غ ق: (pi . ن ال ح قor ;)ن لخق ا تa reference to the fact that in the Gulf states, the secan ts’ quarters are usually located in an annex to the house or building they work in. In some cases (e. g. in Saudi Arabia), the word also denotes an extra floor to a house.
Yusuf Idris
Yusuf Idris (1927-91) is considered the undisputed master of the Egyptian short story. Originally trained as a doctor at the University of Cairo, he briefly worked at the famous Qasr al‘Aynl hospital in central Cairo. During his student days he was also, like so many of his contemporaries (e. g. Idwar al-Kharr^), active in the nationalist movement, and was imprisoned by the British authorities. Idris’s involvement in politics would remain a constant throughout his life. As with most Arab intellectuals, the Arab-Israeli war of 1967 was a watershed moment, and until his death Idris remained a staunch champion of the Palestinian cause. As an author, Idris’s career was extremely varied, spanning novels, criticism, journalism (he, for many years, had a column in Egypt’s leading daily, )ا لأه ر امand plays, as well as short stories. In addition to eleven collections of short stories, Idris wrote nine plays, the most famous of which is undoubtedly ( الف رامحرal-Farafeer). His stories invariably deal with social issues affecting the nation’s poor and dispossessed, without, however, descending into maudlin social realism or pessimism. Idris’s protagonists battle against the odds, and always manage to rise to the challenges with which they are faced. In terms of style, Idris was a trailblazer in that he was one of
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the few to mix Standard Arabic with the Egyptian colloquial in the dialogue of the villagers whose lives he portrayed with such imagination and sensitivity ؛the Egyptian dialect even shines through in the Standard Arabic passages. Though this practice was condemned by some of his fellow literati - not least by Najlb Mahfuz, who continued to use Standard Arabic for both narrative and dialogue - it made Idris all the more popular among the Egyptian reading public. In addition to individual stories, the following works by Idris have been translated into English: ( أ ن غ صلي ا لThe Cheapest Nights an d Other Stories, 1978) ( ا لحر ام ؛The 'Sinners , 1984) ؛R ings o f Burnished Brass ( ا99 أ(ثand C ity o fL o v e an d A shes (ل99) و. He died of heart failure while in London for medical treatm ent-
The story that is presented here is culled from the collection entitled ( حا دثة فز فA n Incident o fH o n o u r ), which was published in 1961. It is a delightful example of Idris’ ‘house style’: witty - even comical at times - yet never condescending ؛socially committed, yet devoid of meretricious soapbox antics. The story is set in a sleepy fictional village (even though it shares its name with several others, the biggest being in Dakahlia province, near the mouth of the river Nile), with the events surrounding the protagonist seeing as a prism through which the author deals with a number of serious issues, such as poverty, solidarity, tradition and belief As usual, the prose is polished and the dialogues wonderfully vivid and evocative ؛this is Egypt’s master story teller at his best.
طبل ية م ن ا ل م اء
A Tray from Heaven
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Modern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
If you see someone running along the streets o f Munyat al-Nasr, that is an event. People rarely run there. Indeed, why should anybody run in a village where nothing happens to warrant running? Meetings are not measured in minutes and seconds. The train moves as slowly as the sun. There is a train when it rises, one when it reaches its zenith and another one at sunset. There is no noise that gets on one’s nerves, or causes one to be in a hurry. Evetything moves slowly there, and there is never any need for speed or haste. As the saying goes: “The Devil takes a hand in what is done in haste.” If you see someone running in Munyat al-Nasr, that is an event, just as when you hear a police siren you imagine that something exciting must have happened. How wonderful it is for something exciting to happen in such a peaceful and lethargic village! On that particular Priday, it was not just one person who was running in Munyat al-Nasr; rather, it was a whole crowd. Yet no one knew why. The streets and alleys were basking in the usual calm and tranquillity that descended upon the village after the Priday noon prayers, when the streets were sprinkled with frothy rose-scented water smelling of cheap soap; when the women were busy inside the houses preparing lunch and the men were loitering outside until it was time to eat. On that particular day, the peace and tranquillity were broken by two big, hairy legs running along the street and shaking the houses. As the runner passed a group sitting outside a house, he did not fail to greet them. The men returned the greeting and tried to ask him why he was running, but before they could do so he had already moved on. They wanted to know the reason, but, of course, were unable to find out. Their desire to know compelled them to start walking. Then one of them suggested they walk faster, and suddenly they found themselves running. They were not amiss in greeting the various groups sitting outside the houses who, in turn, also started running.
Yusufldris
و 6ت
أنت ر ى إنسان اي ج ر ي م ش ا ر ع م نش و ا ر ع م نية النصر ،ف ذ ل ك حا د ث، فالن ا س هن ا ك ن ا درا ما ي ج ر ون ،ولما ذا ي ج ر و ن و ل س ز الق رية ما س تحق اخل ر ي ،المو ا عيد ال ت حسببالدق ا ئ ق والث و ب
٠٠.
والق ط ا را ت ت ح ر ك م بطء
الش م س .ق طار إذا طلع ت ،وآخ ر حينم تت و سط السماء ،ومع مغيبه ا يف و ت وا ح د .و ال ض جي ج هن ا ك ي م ا لأع ص ا ب و ي د غ إ ل ال ته ور وا ل مرعة .ك ز شيءب طيء ،ه ا دى؛ا ،ع اق ل ،وك ل ق ي ء ق ا ن ع ستم ت ع بب ط ئه وهدوئه ذاك، وا ل مرعة ض مطلوبة أبدأ ،والعجل ة م ن الغي طا ن. ١ ان ترى وا ح د أ ي ج ر ي ز م نية ال ص ر ،ف ذ ل ك حا د ث .وكأنه ص و ت السإرلنة أيفر عرإةمبولي س ا ل ج دة؛ •ف ال بد أن وراء ج ريه أ مر أ م ت ما.
وم ا
أ ج م ل أني ح د ث م البل د ة ال ه ا دئة الب ط يئة أ مر مثير . ي وفر ي و م ا لجمع ة ذاك ،لر ي ك ن وا ح د فق ط ه و ال ذ ي ي ج ر ي
م منية
النصر ،ا ل و اق ع أنه ك ا ن ت هن ا ك ح ر كة ج ر ي واض ع ة الن طا ق .ول؛ ي ك ن أ ح د يعر ف ا ل س ب .فالش و ا ر ع وا لأزقةتسب ح
م هد وئ ه ا ا ل أبد ي ،وينت ا به ا ذ ل ك
ا لرك و د ال ذ ييستت ب ز ا ل عا دةبع د ص ال ة اي م ع ة ح ي ثت ر ش أرضه ا .مماء الغسي ل المخت ل ط ب ا ل رغ و ة
^ ^ ^ ٥ورائ ح ة ا ل صاب و ن ا ل رخي ص ،و ح ي ث
الن سو ةيفر ال دا خ ل م ش غ و ال تب إ عداد الغداء وا ل ر جاخل ز ا ل ا ر ج يتس كع ون ويتصعل ك و ن إ ل أن ينتهي إ عداد ال غداء .وإذا ب هذا ال هدوء كل ه يتع ك ر سق ان ضخ م ة غلي ظ ة تجر ي وتهز البي و ت• ويمر الجا ر يب ج ما عة جا ل ة أ ما م بيت ف ال ينس ى وه وي ج ر ي أنيل ق ي ا ل ال م ،ويرد الجالسو ن س ال م ه وي حا و ل ون ص ؤال ه عن س ب ا لجر ي ول كن ه يك و ن ق د نفذ .ح ينئ ذ يقف و ن وي ح ا و ل و ن معرفة ض ط ال ع إ ل الم م ، بع أ اليست طيعو ن .و ح ينئ ذ يدفع ه م ح ب ا ال السب ب ،و ط ث م م ب رح أ ح د ه م ا إل سر ا ع محسرع و ن وي ج د و ن أنفس ه م آ خ ر ا أل مري جرون، و ال ين سو ن أنيلق وا ال ال م عل ى -جماخع ا ت ا ل1لس ين ،فتق ف الجماع ا ت تل ب ث أنجت د نف ب نجر ي هي ا لأخ ر ى.
و ال
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However obscure the motive, it was bound to be known ؛٥ the end, just as it is inevitable that people quickly start gathering at the scene of an accident. It is a small village. There are thousands of people who will give you directions. You are able to run its length and breadth without running out of breath. It did not take long before a crowd began to gather near the threshing floor. Evei^one who was able to run had arrived; only the old and aged remained scattered in the street. They preferred to saunter, as village elders do, and to leave a space between them and the youngsters. However, they were also h u rlin g , intent on arriving before it was too late and the incident became news. Like other towns, Munyat al-Nasr was superstitious about Friday, and any event that took place on that day was viewed as a sure catastrophe. The people of the village were, however, excessively superstitious. They were opposed to any work being done on that day for fear it would end in failure, and thus they postponed all work until Saturday. If you asked them why they were so superstitious about it, they would tell you it was because Friday is a day of misfortune. It was, however, clear that this was not the real reason; rather, it was merely a pretext enabling the farmers to put off Friday work until Saturday. And so, Friday became the day of rest. The word “rest” was considered ugly among the farmers, as well as an insult to their toughness and to their extraordinary ability to work indefatigably. Only townspeople needed rest, that is, those who had fresh meat and worked in the comfort of the shade, and in spite of that, still ran out of breath. Weekly rest was a heresy. So, Friday must surely have been a day of bad luck. As a result, work had to be postponed until Saturday. It is for this reason that people expected that the running meant a grave misfortune had befallen one of them. But when they arrived at the threshing floor they did not find a flat-nosed cow, a raging fire or one man killing another. Instead they found Sheikh Ali standing in the middle of the floor. He was in
Y usufldris
ا7ق
ضر أنه م ه م ا غ م ض ا ل س ب ،ف ال بد قي ال نه اية أن يعر ف .و ال ير؛ن يت جم ع الن ا س م م ك ا ن الحا د ثبع د ظي ل.ف ابل د ة ص م رة .وأل ف من
jjjjj
وقب ل أنت لهث تك و ن ق دق طع ته ا ط و ال وع رض ا . و ه ك ذا مم ي ض ون ت
طوي ل
ح تى ك ا ن ق د نجمخ ع عند ا ل ر ز عدد كب م من
الن ا س• ك ذ ص ز اش طا عته ابر ي ك ا ن ق د و صل ،و م ي ق ب ر؛ ز ال زي ق
م ا ش والوا حز ا م ن روا الت مشيا ص ي ا-وا م ارا م ال س
ض
و ح ى ي د وثم ةف ر ق ين ه م وي ن الشب ا ن الم غ ار والعي ا ل .ول كن ه م م ) أيضإ مبرع و نيوفر نيته م أني م ل واق لف و ا ت ا لأوان وق ل أنيصب ح الح اد ث
ر
خ ا-
و م نية
م نب ال د اش ا ل واض ع ة تتش اءم م ن يوم ا لجمع ة ،وأي
حا د ث يق ع فيه ال ب د أنه ك ارثة أ كي دة .لي س هذا فق ط،ب ل إنه م ،مبالغة م التش ا ؤم ،الي ج ر ؤو ن عل ى القي ا م بأ ي ع م ليفم هذا الي وم،مدال ذا ت ،محافة أن ي صبه الفش ل ،وعل ى هذا تؤي ل ا لأع ما ل كل ه ا إ ل يوم الم ب ت .وإذا مح أل ت لما ذا هذا التش ا ؤم ،ق ال وا ل ك لأن
م يوم ا ل جمع ة سا عةن ح س .ول ك ن ا ل ظا ه ر
ب ب الح قيق ي لي س هذا ،وا ل ظا ه ر أن ساعة الن ح س ه ذه ح ج ة لي س أن الس
إ ال ،ووسيل ة ست ط ي ع به ا الف ال ح و ن أن يؤ ج ل وا ع م ل الجمع ة إ ل الس ب ت، وبهذا يصب حي و م الجمع ة را ح ة ،ول ك ز ا ل را ح ة كلم ة بش ع ة عند الف ال حان• وقدرته م ا ل ا رقة عل ى ا لعم ل ال تي ال ت م . الرا ح ة إه انة لخشمون ه م خ
را ح ة ال
ي حت ا ج ه ا إ ال أبن اء الم د ن فق ط ذوو ا ل ل ح و م ا ل ط رية ال ذي ني عملو ن ز ا ل ظ ل؛ ومع ث و ن .ا ل را ح ة االسب و عية بدعة ،اذن أ ال ي ك و ن يوم الجمع ة شؤ ماموهته هذاي له ض ا عةن ح س ،و ح ينئ ذ فق ط م ن الجائز أن تؤ ج ل ا لأع ما ل ك م يي و م الس ب ت. ول ه ذا ك ا ن الن ا س يتوق عو ن أن ي ك و ن
ب ح ر كة الجر ي ه ذه م م,ميج ة
ك ر ى ح ب .ا ح د .ول ك ن م م حخثي ص ل وخن إ ل ا ل ر ز الي ج د و ن بهيم ة
تما م ح
و ال ح ريق اق ائ ما -و ال ر ج ال ب ح ر ج ال. ك ان و اي ج د و ن ال ش ي خ علي ا واقف ا م و ط الجر ن ،وه و ز حال ة ء ذ
ب
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a fit of anger, and had taken off his jilb a b and turhan. He was holding his stick and shaking it violently. When people asked what was going on, the ones who had arrived first replied: “The sheikh will blaspheme God.” At that moment people began to laugh. This was undoubtedly another of Sheikh Ali’s jokes. In fact, he himself was regarded as a joke. His head was the size of a donkey’s, whereas his eyes were as wide and round as those of an owl, except that his were bloodshot in the corners. His voice was hoarse and loud, like a rusty steam engine. He never smiled. When he was happy, which was rare, he would laugh boisterously. When he was not happy, he would scowl. A single word that he did not like was enough to make his blood boil to the extent that it would be turned into fuel, and he would swoop down on the one who had uttered the word that had caused offence. He might even bear down on this person with his fat-fingered hands, or his hooked, iron-tipped stick, which was made out of thick cane. He was very fond of it and cherished it, calling it “the commandant”. Sheikh Ali’s father had sent him to al-Azhar for his education. One day, his teacher made the mistake of calling him “a donkey”, to which Sheikh Ali, true to type, had retorted: “And you are as stupid as sixty donkeys.” After he was expelled, he returned to Munyat al-Nasr, where he became a preacher and im am at the mosque. One day he mistakenly performed the prayers with three genuflections. When the congregation attempted to warn him, he cursed all their fathers, gave up being an im am and stopped going to the mosque. He even gave up praying. Instead, he took up playing cards, and continued to play until he had to sell everything he owned. At that moment, he swore he would give that up too. When Muhammad Effendi, the primary schoolteacher in the district capital, opened a grocery shop in the village, he suggested to Sheikh Ali that he should keep the shop open in the morning, which he accepted. However, this only lasted for
73ت
Yusufldrts
ش دي د وقد خل ع جلب ا به' وع ما مته وأ م كب ع صا ه وراح
يهزه ا
ض وممن
يب ا ل و ن عن الح ك ا ية .هيق و ل ل م السابق وزن ال ش ي خ ح يكف ر ر و كا ن ال ا س ح ينئذ يض ح ك و ن،خ ال ر ب أنت ل كن ا درة أخ ر ى م نن و ادر ال م خ عل ي ال ذي ك ا ن ه وتمس هن ا درة.ف ر أمح ه كبير ؛ ر أ س ا ل ح ما ر ،وعين ا ه واض عت ا ن مر ت ر ت^ن ك م و ن إم م ي قع ،ول ه ش ركن ك ل م ن جل ط ة دم• و صو ته إذا تك ل م ي خ ر ج
مب ح و حا ع ك ت و ما ك م و ت ا لواب و رأ إذا انكت م ن ي ه وف ح ر• و م تك ن ل ابش ا م ة ،ف ق د ك ا ن ال يبش م أبدا .إذا ا س ط ون ا درا ما ب م ط ،قهقه ،و؛ذا م ب م ط كث ر .وكلم ة وا ح د ة الت عجبه يتع ك ر دم ه ح تىيست ح ل إ ل م ا زوت وينق ض عل ى ق ائل ه ا .ق د ينق ض عليه بيده أ ذا ت ا ل ص ا ب ع الغلي ظ ة ك ال ص وامع. أ و ق د ينق ض عليهب ع صا ه ،وع ص اهه ك ا ن ل ا عقفة ،وك ا ن ت م ن خيزران غل ي ظ. وك ا ن هل ا ك ع ب م ن ح د ي د ٠وك ا ني ح به ا ويع زه ا وي س م ي ه ا الح ك م دا ر*. ١ أرمحل هأب و هليتعلم ز ا لأزه ر ، ١١وهن ا أخ ط أ شي خه مر ة وق ا لل هت أن ت بغ ل. ف ا ك ا ن م ن ال ث ي خ عل ي إ ال أن رد عليه وق ا ل :أب ت م ت ن بغ ل .ولما رفدوه
وع ا د إ ل م نية النصر ع م ل خ طيب ا للممسج د وإ ماما• ونس ي ذا تي و م وصلى الج مع ةث ال ث ركعا ت أ ا ،ولما حا و ل ا س و ن وراءه تنبيهه
لع نآ ب ا ءه م جميعا
لجام ع .و ل ج ل خ ا ط ر ه م طل ق ا ل ص ال ة. وطل ق م ن يوم ه ا ا المام ة وا أ
وتعلم
الجك و ت ت ة و ظ ليلع به ا حتىب ا ع ك ل ما يمل ك ه ،و ح ينئ ذ حل فب ال ط ال ق ^ أن يب طل ه ا .وك ا ن محم د أفند ي؛ ١الم د ر سبالم د رس ة ا ال يتداتية
م ال بند رف اتحا
دك ا ن بقال ة م البل د ة ،ع ر ض عل ى ال شي خ عل ي أن يق ف م ال د ك ا ن صا عا ت الصب ا ح فقب ل ،ول كن ه لري ع م ل إ الث الثة أي ا م ،و م ال ي وم ا لر اب ع ك ا ن محم د أ ف د ي
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three days. On the fourth day, Muhammad Effendi could he seen standing in front of his shop, dripping with h a lv a ٠Sheikh Ali had discovered that Muhammad Effendi had put a piece of metal in the scales to doctor them. Sheikh Ali had told him: “Y o u ’re a crook.” No sooner had Muhammad Effendi said: “How dare you, Sheikh Ali! Shut up if you want to keep your ؛oh!” than the sheikh hurled a handful of h alva at him. From that day onwards, nobody ever dared to give Sheikh Ali any work. But even if anybody had dared, it would not have mattered as Sheikh Ali himself was no logger interested in working anyway. Sheikh Ali was also a very ugly man as well as irascible and unemployed, and yet nobody in the village really hated him. Quite the contra^; most of the villagers loved him and liked to exchange funny stories about him. Their greatest joy was to sit around him and arouse his anger, much to eve^fone’s merriment. When he got angry and his features darkened, unable to speak, it was impossible for any of the bystanders to control themselves and not collapse with laughter. They kept on egging him on, while he grew angrier and angrier. They would laugh until the end of the gathering. Everyone would utter: “What a character you are. Sheikh Ali!” They would then leave him alone to vent his anger on “Abu Ahmad”, which is what he called his poverty. He considered Abu Ahmad his archenemy. Sheikh Ali spoke about his poverty as if it were a person of flesh and blood standing in front of him. Usually, the tirade would be sparked if someone asked him: “So what has Abu Ahmad done to you today, Sheikh Ali?” Sheikh Ali would fly into a real rage at that moment, because he did not like anyone to talk about his poverty when he was talking to it. And whenever people talked about his poverty he would be driven to rage. Sheikh Ali was, in fact, quite shy, despite his stern features and words. He preferred to go for days without smoking, rather than ask any of the villagers to roll
Yusufldns
75ت
واقفأ أم ا م ال د ك ا ن يتصب ب ح ال وة ط ح ينيةه'م ف ق د ا كت ش ف ال ش ي خ عني أن محم د أفن د ي ي ف عقطع ة ح د ي د ز اليزانل يهل ب ،وق ا لل ه ال ث ي خ عل ي :أن ن حر ا م -و ما ك ا د محم د أفن د ي يق و ل؛ م الي ه اي ا ث ي خ عل ي واس ك ت و-خلر ئم تأك ل عي ش ،ح ت ى قذفه ال شيخ عل ي بكتل ة ا ل ح ال وة ا ل ط ح ينية• وم ن ي ومه م ب ه د لل ش ي خ عل يبع م ل• و ح تىل و ك ا ن ق د جر ؤ،فال شيخ ي جر ؤ أ ح د عل ى أن م عل ي ن ف ه م
ي ك ن من ح
ه ا لأي ع م ل.
وك ا ن هذا ال شي خ عل ي قبي حا ٠ضيق الص د ر ،ال ع م لل ه ،ومع هذا م ي ك ن م البل د ة م ن يكر هه .ك ا ن ا ل جم ي عي حب ونه ويعشق ونه ويتداو ل و نن وادره ،وألن محا عة هيتللث ال ت ي ي جل سو ن فيه ا حول هيس تفزونه ليغض ب ،وغضبه كان يض ح ك هم .ك ا ن إذا غض ب ،وا ربد ت مالمح ه ،وانكت م صو ته .ك ا ن ا لوا ح د م نه م ال يت م ا ل ك ش ه ويمو ت م ن الض ح ك ؟ وي ظلو ن يس تفزونه وي ظل م يغض ب .ويض ح ك و ن ح تى ينف ض ا ل م جل س .وعل ى ك ز ل سا ن ك ل م ة :اس (أب و
ي جازي ك ^ ي ا شي خ عل ي،ر ويت كونه و ح ي دأ لي ص ب جا م غضبه عل ى أ ح م د ) ف ق د ك ا ن يبس ي الفق ر (اب و أ ح م د ) و ك ا نيعتبره عد وه ا ل و ح ي د الل د ود.
ويت ح د ث عنه ك ما لو ك ا ذ آ دم يآ م و ج و دال ه اسم ولحم ودم• وك ا ن ت مجال ه تبدأ مي ن س أل ه أ ح د ه م: “أب و أ ح م د ع م ل في ك١٧^ ١يا شي خ عل ي ال نه ا ر ده ^ ؟ وك ا ن ال ش ي خ عل ي يغض ب ح ينئ ذ غض ا ح قيقيأ.
ذ ل ك لأنه لر ي ك ني ح ب
اني ح دث ه أ ح د عن فق ر ه ،إذاحت د ث ه و ك ا ن به أ ما أن يت ح د ث الن ا س عن فق ر ه ف ذ ل ك شيء ي دف ع إ ل الغض ب .فال شي خ عل ي ك ا ن خ آج و ل ج دأ رغ م
ق م ر ة مالمح ه وك الم ه .وك ا ن يفض ل أن يبق ى أيام أب ال د خ ا ن عل ى أن
بمللب
م ن أ ح د ه م أنيل فل هسي ج ا رة .وك ا ني ح م ل مع ه عل ى ال د وا مإب ر ة وفتل ة ر ز
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him a cigarette. He always carried a needle and thread about his person in order to mend h is jilb a b in case it became torn. When his clothes got dirty, he would go far away from the village in order to wash them, and would remain naked until they were dry. Because of this, his turban was cleaner than any other turban in the village. $٠ it was only natural that the people o f Munyat al-Nasr laughed at this new drollery on that particular day. However, in this case the laughter soon died down and people fell silent, tongue-tied with fear. The word blasphemy was a terrible one to use, especially in a village that, like any other, lived in peace and tranquillity. Its people were good people, who knew nothing except their work and family. Just like any other village, there were petty thieves stealing corncobs, big thieves raiding cattle pens and snatching the excess cattle with hooks; big and small tradesmen; known and unknown loose women; honest folk and liars; spies; sick people; spinsters and righteous people. However, you found them all in the mosque when the m uezzin called the faithful to prayer. You would not find a single one of them breaking their fast during Ramadan. There are laws and guiding principles o f life that everyone must abide by: a thief does not steal from another thief; no one blames anyone for his profession; and no one dares to talk about things that would offend public feelings. And there was Sheikh Ali blasphemously talking to God in this way without hindrance. The villagers were laughing a little, but as soon as they heard what he was saying, they were dumbstruck. Sheikh Ali’s head was bare, and his short-cropped white hair glistened with sweat. In his right hand, he clutched his stick. His eyes were glowing like embers, while a look o f fierce and senseless anger had settled on his face. He said, addressing the sky: “What do you want from me? Can you tell me what is it that you want from me? I left alAzhar because of some sheikhs who act as if they are the sole
Yusuf Idris
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جلب ابه إذامت زق ،وإذا اس خ ذ ه ببع ي دأ عن البل د ة و ل ح ل ثي ابه و ظ ر ح تىجن ف .ول ذ ل ك ك ا ن ت ع مام ته ا ل و ح ي د ة أن ظ ف ع مام ة في البل د ة . ك ا ن ح ر يأ إذن بأه ل منية الن م ر أن يض ح ك وا م ن ه ذه الن ا درة ^ ^ ١؛ ول
م الض ح ك ا ت ك ا ن ت تمو ت ز ا لحا ل ٠. .وا أللس نر تتا ج ع -؛ bتفة زق
ب ل دة م ر ا ل حل و ق وكأنما ل د غته ا عق ا ر ب .ف ك ل م ة ايكف ر ك ل م ة بش ع ة .وال
غيره ا ص الب ال دح تي ا م أما ن اف ،فيه ا ك ز ماح تف ل به س ائ ر الب ال د^, ١^١١ . الطيب و ن ال ذي ن ال يعرف و ن إ ال أعهما ل م وبي وته م .وا ل ل ص و ص الصف ار ال ذي ن ب ر ق و ن كيزان ال ذرة .والكب ار ال ذي ن ينقب و ن ال زرائ ب و س ح ر ن ال ب ه1
م ن
م ن أن و فه ابخا ل طا ط ي ف ،والت ج ار ال ذي ن يت ا ج ر و نبالغ ا ت .ونجار الق ر وش، بل د ة ك ل ا، وا ل م اء الملعب ا ت غير المعروف ا ت وأولئ ك المعروف ا ت عل ىن طا ق اله ف راء .والمر ض وا ل ع و ا ض وا ل صال حو ن: وا ل صادق و ن وال ك اذب و ن وا لخ ب ال د .ول ك ز ماح تف ل به م ائ ر ال
فيه ا
م ا ل ج م ي عج ت د ه م م ا لجا م ع إذا أذن الم ؤذن
لل ص ال ة ،و الجن د وا ح دا م ن ه مف ا ط را م رمض ا ن .وثم ة ق و ص مرعية
تن ظم
حي ا ة ال ك ل وي أس م و نه ا ا ل ص و ل،ف ال فتع د ى ا لل ص عل ى ل ص ،و ال أ ح ديعثر أ ح د آ مبنعته و الي جسر وا ح د عل ىحت د ي الش ع ور العا م .وإذابال شي خ علي يق ف وي خ ا ط ب ا ذ ه ك ذاب ال ا ح م و ال دست و ر. ك ان وا يض ح ك أو ن قلي ل ول ك ن ه م ما يك ا د و ن ي سمعو ن ما يقول ه حتى ل و الء م و س- آ ك ا ن رأمح ه ع ا ريأ وخ عر م القص مي لم عب ال ع ر ق ويالشي ب وا ل ع صا الح ك م دار زمبنه وعين ا ه تنفث ا ن حمم أ ،و ز و ج هه غض ب أ ح م ق ش دي د ،وك ا ن يق و ل م و ج ه ا ك الم ه إ ل المساء: “ أن ت ع ايزبم ١م ن ي ايه .تقد ر تق و ل ل أن ت ع اين م ن ي ايه؟ ا ال زه ر و ب ه عش ا ن ٢١خ ا ط ر شوية ٢٢المش ا ي خ الل ي ^ عامل ي ن أ آ اوسما ع ال دي ن :و مراتي
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guardians of the faith. I divorced my wife, sold my house, and out of all people you chose me to inflict Abu Ahmad on. Why me? Who don’t you send down your anger, oh Lord, on Churchill or on Eisenhower? Or is it because you can only do it to me? What do you want from me now? “So many times in the past you made me hungry, and I endured it. 1 would tell myself: ‘Imagine it’s the month of Ramadan, and you’re fasting. It’s only one day, and it’ll pass. ’ But, this time, I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon, and I haven’t had any cigarettes for a week. I haven’t touched hash for ten days. And you’re telling me that in Paradise there is honey, fruit and rivers of milk, yet you don’t give me any ofit! Why? Are you waiting for me to die of hunger and go to Paradise before I can partake ofyour beneficence? No way! Save it! Let me live today and after that, take me wherever you like. “Come on, man, why don’t you get this Abu Ahmad off my back? Why don’t you send him to America? Is he my destiny? Why do you torture me? I have nothing, except this g allab iyya and this stick. What do you want from me? You either feed me right now, or take me now! Are you going to feed me, or not?” As Sheikh Ali uttered these words he was in a state of extreme fury; he actually began to froth at the mouth and became soaked with sweat, while his voice filled with fierce hatred. The people of Munyat al-Nasr stood motionless, their hearts almost frozen with fear. They were afraid Sheikh Ali would continue and become blasphemous. But that was not the only thing that scared them. The words spoken by Sheikh Ali were dangerous ... they would cause the wrath of God the Almighty, and it would be their village that would pay the price when His vengeance struck everything they owned. Sheikh Ali’s words threatened the safety of the entire village, and so he had to be shut up. In order to do this, some of the village elders began shouting placatory remarks from afar with a view to making Sheikh Ali regain his
Y u su fldn s
79ت
وطل قت ه ا .وال دا ر وبع ته ا ،واب و ا ح م د وسلخك عل ي
مالج
دون ا
عن بقية الن ا س .م
ز٦٦يف الدني ا د ي كل ه ا إ الياف .م ا ت ز ل غ ض كيا ر ب عل ى نف ر م
و ال زنه ا و ز ...م ش ق ا د ر ^ إ ال عل ي ا ق؟ < ر الل يف ا ت ت كن ت ي ج و عني يوم وباست ح م ل .
٠ ٠
م ايه د لو
ب ؟ ر ن
واق و لي ا واد كأنن ا م رمض ا ن،
و أ م يوم وينف ض المر ة د ي ^ بق ال ي ما كل ت ش مم من أول ا مب ا ر ح'آ ، ^ ١ و سجاير ممع يي ش سجاير بقالي ا س و ع .وم زاج™ ح د اش ما دقته بق ا ق عش رة أيا م ،وأن ت بتق و ل فيه م ا ي ن ة ع لن ح ل وف و اكه وانه ار ^ ٠ماميدنج ش ^ م نه م ل يه .س نن ي أما أ مو ت م ن ا ل جوآ ع علش ا ل أروح ا ي ة وآك ل م ن خثرك؟ ال ي ا س ي د ي يفت ح اش• ا ح ييني ال نه ا ردم وابق ىبع د كده ^ ودب ي م ط ر ح ما تولين ي• يا أ خ ي ما تبع د عني اب و ا ح م د ل ل أ م ما تبعته ا مر يك ا . ه و ك ا ن ان كت ب عل ي• أن ت بتع ذبن ي ل ي ه ^ .آ ي ما حل تي ش إ ل ا ل ج البيه دي. والح كم دا ر ع اين م ن ي ايه• ياتع دين ي د ل و قتي حا ال .يات ا خ دن ر ح دا ك عل ى < ل .ح ا س ل آ ي و ا ال ل أئ. ك ا ن ال شي خ عل ي يق و ل هذاب انف عا ل رهي ب ،حتىل ق د ت ك و م ال زبدف و ق ق ،وامت ل ص وتهب ح ق دف ا ض عن ح د ه .وأه ل م نية ا ل م ف م ه ،وط ما ه ا ل عر أ واقف و ن وق ل و به م ت ك ا د ت شل م ن ا ل ر عب .ك ان وا
أن ي سو ق ال شي خ
عل ي فيه ا ويكف ر .و م ي ك ن هذا فق ط مب ع ث خ و فه م .فال ك ل ما ت ال ت ي يقول ه ا
ال شي خ عل ي خ طيرة.
٠ ٠
ق د تغض ب الله محب ح ا نه وت عا ل ،وق د تحلببل د ه م م ن
ج راء ذ ل ك نق م ة تأتي عل ى ا لأخضر والي ا ص .ك ا ن ك ال م ال شي خ عل ي يهدد الآبل د ة ا لم نة كل ه ا ،وك ا ن ال بد م نمب ك ا ته .وعل ى هذا بدأ العق الءيطل قو ن م نبع ي د ك لما ت طيب ا ت ^ ير ج و ن فيه ا م ن ال ش ي خ عل ي أني عو د إليه رشده
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Modern A ra b ic Short Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
senses and hold his tongue. For a while. Sheikh Ali turned away from the sky and directed his gaze towards the onlookers: “Why should 1he quiet, you miserable wretches? Should اhe quiet until 1 die of hunger? Why should لkeep quiet? Are you afraid for your houses, women and fields? It is only those who have something to lose that are afraid! As for me, I don’t have anything to be scared of. And if He is annoyed with me, let Him take me! In the name of my religion and all things holy, if someone were to come and take me, even if it was Azrael, the Angel of Death, himself. I’d bash his skull in with my stick. I’ll not be silent unless He sends me a table laden with food from heaven, right now. I’m not worth less than Maryam, who was only a woman after all ؛but I’m a man. And she wasn’t poor. I, on the other hand, I’ve had to suffer at the hands o f Abu Ahmad. By my religion and evetything I hold dear, I’ll not he quiet until He sends me a dining table right now!” The sheikh once again turned to the sky: “Send it to me right now, otherwise I’ll say whatever’s on my mind. A dining table, right now! Two chickens, a dish of honey and a pile of hot bread - only if it’s hot - and don’t you dare forget the salad! I’ll count up to ten. And if the dining table’s not sent down, I’ll not stop at anything.” Sheikh Ali began to count, and the people o f Munyat al-Nasr silently counted ahead of him, but they became increasingly nervous. Sheikh Ali had to be stopped. One o f them suggested they get the strongest youths of the village to throw him to the ground, gag him and give him a thrashing he would not forget. However, one look at Sheikh Ali’s fiery, rage-filled, mad eyes was enough to forget the proposal. It would be impossible to knock Sheikh Ali down before he lashed out once or twice with his stick. Every youth was afraid he would be the one to be struck, and that instead of Azrael’s head being splattered, it would be one of theirs. For this reason, the proposal foundered. One of them said, impatiently: “You have been hungry all your life, man, why pick today?”
Y usufldris
ا 8ق
و س ك ت ،وتر ك ال شي خ عل ي ا ل م ساءقلي أل وال ت ف ت إل يه م: “ اس ك ت ل يهيابل د دون .اس ك ت لما أ مو ت م ٤ال جو ع• ا س ك ت ل ه خ ا ي ض عل ى بيوتك م ون سو ان ك م وزرعك م .الل ي ح دا ه حا ج ه ي خ ا ف عليه ا، انما أن ا م ش خ ا ي ف عل ى حا ج ه . ٤١ان ك ا ن زع ال ن م ن ي
انما وديني
يخد ف انش ا ذ يك و ن عزرائ\ن ٤لم د شد خ ن ٤عل ى اعبد ان اي ج ه ح ديا
وئ
رأص
الح كم دا ر .وديني ما ي م ا ك ت إ ال أ ما ي ع ت ل ما ئ د ة م ن المسا حا الم ؛٧ ض أق ل س م ر م -ص م ه م ا ك ا ن ت ح ر م ة ،انما أن ا مر ' خ أ • ٤و ه ي
ش ره ،إنما ان ااب و أ ح م د طل ع ديني• وديني و ما اعبد ما ي محا ك ت إ ال أ ما ي عث ^ ١٢ما ئ دة. وال ت ق ت ال ش ي خ عل ي إ ل ا ل م ساء وق ا ل: هه ; حج ت ه ا حا ال د ل و قتي وا ال ما أخل ي و ال أبق ي حدايا إ ال ما اقول ه.ما ئ د ة حا ال• ج و لآ*ف ر ا خ و ط بق ع لن ح ل ووص ة عي ش م ا ض• عل ى خرط عي ش ^ م ا ض .وا و ع ^ تنس ى السلط ة .وديني لعا د د لغ اية عشرة وان
ما
زل ت الما ئ د ة ما ق محل ي و ال م ق ي آ •، وم ضى ال شيخ عل ييع د ،وق ل و ب منية النصرتع د مع ه م ق دم أ .وا لأع صا ب ق د ب دأ ت تت وتر ،وأصب ح ال ب د من ع م ل شيء إليق ا ف ال ش ي خ عل ي عند ح ده. ر واقت ح أ ح د ه م أن يل ت ف ج م اعة م ن خب ا ب البل د ة ا لأق وي اء حول ه وي وقعو ه أرض ا ،ويك م م واف ا ه ،وي عطو ه عل ق ة ال ينسا ه ا .غير أن ن ظ ر ة وا ح د ة ألق ا ه ا
ال شي خ عل ي م ن عينيه ا1شتعل تينبالغض ب المجن و ن أذاب ت ا رالقت ا ح .ف ش المست حي ل أن ين ا ل وا ال شي خ عل ي قب ل أن يخب ط ه و خب ط ة أو خب ط تنن برأس ب ط ة مح ت ك و ن م ننص يبه .وال ذ ي يهدد الح كم دا ر .وك لش ا ب ق د قد ر أن ا لخ بد شد خ ة رأس عززاثنن كفي ل بد شد ش ة رأس ا ل وا ح د م نه م ،وعل ى هذا ذا ب ا ال ت را ح .
وق ا ل أ ح د ه م زف ر و غب ا ل: ” ما أن ت ط و ل ع م ر ك ج عا ن يا را ج ل اش مع ن ى ١ال نه ا رده.
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Sheikh Ali’s fiery gaze bored down at him, as he replied: “This time, Abd al-Jawwad, you weakling, my hunger has lasted longer.” Somebody else shrieked: “Alright then, man, if you were hungry, why didn’t you tell us? We would have fed you instead of listening to your nonsense!” Sheikh Ali then set upon him: “Me, ask you something? Am 1 going to beg to you, a village of starving beggars? You’re staging more than 1 am! Begjo#? 1 have come to ask Him, and if He doesn’t give it to me. I’ll know what to do! Abd al-Jawwad said: “Why didn’t you work so that you could’ve fed yourself, you wretch?” At that point, Sheikh Ali’s anger reached its peak. He flew into a temper, quivering and quaking, alternately directing his harangue towards the crowd gathered at a distance, and at the sky: “What’s it to do with you, Abd al-Jawwad, son of Sitt Abuha?! I’m not working! 1 don’t want to work! 1 don’t know how to work. I’ve not found work. Is what you do work, you bovine prat?! The work that you do is donkey’s work, and I’m not a donkey! I can’t bust my back all day long ؛I can’t hang around on the field like cattle, you animals. To hell with all of you! I’m not going to work! By God, if I was meant to die of hunger, I still wouldn’t do the work that you do! Never!” In spite of the sheikh’s anger and the terrifying nature of the situation, people started laughing. The sheikh was shaking, and said: “Ha! ... I’ll count to ten and, by God, if I don’t get a dining table, I’ll curse God and do the unspeakable.” It was clear that Sheikh Ali was not going to change his mind, and that he intended to go ahead with his intentions, which would have unimaginable consequences. As Sheikh Ali started to count, droplets of sweat poured down people’s foreheads, and the noon heat became intolerable.
Yusufldris
و8ق
وأ ص ابتهن ظ ر ةن ارية م ن ال شي خ عل ي ،وأ جابه؛ المر ة د ي إ عبد الج وادي ا س د '“ الح ك اية طال ت.وزءق ف =ه ض —
ي ' يا أ خ ي لما أن ت جعا ن ض تق و ل لن ا وا ح ا ،هت وكل مك ب رد
ال ك ال م الف ا رغ الل ي أن تق ا عد تق و ل ه ده. و ه ن فيه ال شي خ عل ي : ” اي اطل ب م ن ك م ،انم اش ح ت م ن ك مياب ك جعانة ،دا أنت وءم جما من أ م م ن ي ،اق و م أش ح ت م ن ك م ،اي جا يامم أطل ب م نه ه و ،واذا ما ادانيش؟م ح اقد ر اع ر ف خغل ي.
وق ا لل ه عبد ال جو اد: — ما كن ت تشتغ ليا أ خ ي وت اك ل .ي خف ي و ج ه ك . وهن ابل غ الغض ببال شي خ عل ي م نته ا ه ،وتزربن وراح ي ه م ويصرخ ووزع ك ال م ه ض ا ل جم ع المح ت ش د عنبع د وبيني ا ل س ماء: — وائ ت م ا ل كيا عبد ا لجو اديا ب نس ت أ ب و لأم .م ا ني شا؛ه م شتغ ل ،م ش ع اين اختغ ل .ماب عر ش اختغ ل .م ش ال ق ي خغ ل .ه و خ غل ك و ل ه خغ ل.يا ع الر بق ر .دا
شغل ك و
ل ه شغ ل حمير،يواف م ش ح ما ر .اف ما اقدر ش
يتق طم
و ط ي طو ل ال نه ار ،ما اقدرخ ي اتعل ق م الغي ط زي البهي م ة .يا به ا ميلع ن اب و ك وكل ك ي ما ني ش م شت غ ل .وال نب ي ^ ل و ح ك م ت ا م و ت م ا ل جو ع
ما اشتغ ل
شغل ك و أبدا. و كا ن غضبه خ دي دأ إ ل ال د ر ج ة ال ت ي جعل ت الن ا س تض
ح كب ا ل رغ م م نه ا
وب رغ م المو ق ف ا ل ر ه ي ب ال ذ ي ك ان وا فيه.
وانتف م ن ال شي خ عل ي أنتف ا ضة ع ظي م ة وق ا ل. ف ر وع ا م ل ما ال — ه ه .ح أ عد لغ اية عشرة وال نبي ان ماب ع ت ل ما ئ د ة ل ك ا
س ل-وك ا ن واض ح ا أن ال ش ي خ عل ي ح قيق ةل ن يترا ج ع ،وأنه ين و ي أنيل ب خ إ ، وي ح د ث ح ينئ ذ ما ال تحم د عقب ا ه. وبدأ ال شي خ عل ييع د ،وب دأ ت نق ا ط ا لعر ق تنب ت عل ى الجب ا ه ،وأصب ح *م
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Some started to whisper that the vengeance o f God had begun to unfold itself, and that this terrible heat was but the beginning of a terrible conflagration, which would consume all the wheat and crops. One of them made the mistake of saying: “Why don’t any of you get him a morsel of food, so he’ll come down?” Although Sheikh Ali was counting loudly, he heard these words and turned around, towards the gathering: “What morsel, you louts? A piece of your rotten bread and stale cheese that has all been eaten by worms? You call that food? I’ll only be quiet if a dining table arrives here, with two chickens on it.” There was a lot of grumbling in the crowd. Suddenly, one of the female bystanders said: “I’ve got a nice okra stew ؛I’ll bring you a plate of it.” Sheikh Ali shouted at her: “Shut up, woman! What’s this okra nonsense, you ...! Your brains are like okra, and the smell of this village is like that of acid okra!” Then Abu Sirhan said: “We’ve got some fresh fish, Sheikh Ali, which we’ve just bought from Ahmad the Fisherman.” Sheikh Ali roared: “What’s this miniscule fish of yours, you bunch of minions! Do you call that a fish? Damn it, if He doesn’t send me two chickens and the other things I ordered, I’ll continue cursing - and hang the consequences!” The situation became unbearable. It was a question of either remaining silent and losing the village and eveiyone in it, or of shutting up Sheikh Ali by any means possible. A hundred people called out to invite him for lunch, but he refused each time. Eventually, he said: “I can’t continue with this poverty, people. For three days, no one has offered me even a morsel. So, leave off with the invitations now. I won’t shut up until you give me a dining table full of food sent by the good Lord.”
Yusufldris
285
الظ ه ر الي طا ق ،ح تى أنبع ضه م تهام س أن الق م ة ال بد ق د ب دأ ت حنل ،وأن ذ ل ك اب ر الفف ل ح إن ه و إ ال م ق دم ة الحر يق ال ه ائ ل ال ذ يض و ف ينش ب و ي م ا ل و اق ف وا لمح صو ل. وأخ ط أ أ ح د ه م مر ة وق ا ل؛ “ ما تث وف ول وا لق م ةي ا و ال مدي ك ن يهب ط . ويبدو أن ال كلم ة و ص ل ت إ ل أذن ال شي خ عل ي مع أنه ك ا ن يع دي ص و ن ع ا ب مر تف ع ،ف ق د ا ش دا ر إ ل الجم عمحات الI
~ لق م ة أيهيابل د غ ج ر .لق م ة م ن عيث ك و المع ف ن و ج بنتك م املقدي ة ال ر
ماف م ا ك ت إ ال أما تنزل ل الما ئ د ةلغ اية ه ا ه4 كل ه ا دود ،وده أك ل ،وديتي ي و ي ض ر ا خ• وم ر ت ه م ه م ة ك م ة م الج م ع وق ال ت ول ية م ن ا ل واقف ا ت: “ اي طا ي خ ةش ويةبام ية حل و ي ني ا خ وي ا ا جي ب ل ك ص ح ن. وص رخ ف ه ا ا ك ء خ عليت ” اخ ر م يي ا مر ة•ب ا م ية أيهيابل د كل ه ا قرون -دا عقول ك و بق ت كل ه اب ا مية وري ح ةبل د ك و زي ري ح ة الب ا م ية ا لحام ضة. وق ا لأب وسر حا ن: ” حدان ا مملث صاب حيا شي خ عل ي ش اريينه لس ه ٦٤م ن أ ح م د الصي ا د. وزأر فيه ا ل م خ ض؛ — سمك أيه بما ع ك وم 1دم الل ي ق د العقل ةيابل د (صير). ه و ل ه س ك ،وديني ان ماب ع ت ج وز خ ر ا خ والطلب ا ت الل ي قل ت
لك
عل يه ا لث ا ؛ وزي ماي ح ص لي ح ص ل. وأصب ح الوح ن ع الي حت م ل ،إ ما الس ك و ت وضي ا ع البل د ة وم ن ف ي
ه ا ،وإم ا
إس ك ا ت ال ش ي خ عل ي بأ ي طر يقة ،وانطل ق ت ما ئة حن ج ر ةتعزم عليه يالغداء، وانطل ق صو ته ما ئة مر ة يرفض ،ويصر عل ى الر ف ض ويق و ل؛ “ ماف ق ا ع د عل ى ا ل ك يي اب ك ،بق ى لت ال ت ايا م ٠،ما ح د ش عزم علي بلق م ة ،حل ي ت الع زوم ة د ل و ق ي ،وديني ما ي سا ك ت إ ال أ ما تي ج ي الما ئ د ة من ع ن د ربن ا .
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Heads turned around to enquire who had cooked that day, as not everyone cooked daily; indeed, it would have been highly unlikely for anyone to have meat or chicken. Finally, at Abd al-Rahman’s house they found a ra ti of boiled veal, and they took it to Sheikh Ali on a tray together with some radishes, two loaves of crisp bread and onions. They told the sheikh: “Is that enough for you?” Sheikh Ali’s eyes alternated between the sky and the tray; when he looked at the sky his eyes gleamed with fire, whereas every time he looked at the tray his anger grew. The onlookers stood by in silence. Fventually, Sheikh Ali said: “All along I wanted a dining table full of food, you useless lot, and you bring me a tray? And where’s the packet of cigarettes?” One of the villagers gave him a packet of cigarettes. He stuck out his hand and took a large piece of the meat. He wolfed it down, and said: “And where’s the hash?” They told him: “How dare you? That’s rich!” Indignantly, Sheikh Ali said: “Right, that’s it!” Then, he left the food, took off his jilb a b and turban and once again started brandishing his stick, threatening that he would start blaspheming again. He would not be silent until they brought him Mandur the hash dealer to give him a lump of hashish. Mandur said: “Take it. Take it, Sheikh, you deserve it! We didn’t see, we didn’t know you’d be embarrassed to ask. Feople sit with you and they seem happy, but then afterwards they’re not interested anymore, and leave you. We have to see to your comfort, Sheikh. This is our village, and without you and Abu Ahmad it would be worthless. You make us laugh, and we have to feed you ... What do you say to this?” Sheikh Ali again launched into a raging fury, at the height of which he lunged at Mandur, shaking his stick at him and almost hitting him over the head with it. “Laughing at me? What is so funny about me, Mandur, you donkey brain? Damn you, and your father!”
Yusufldrts
7ة ء
س أ ل ع م ن ط ب خ م هذا ال يوم ،إذ إن ك ز ا ص يم واس ت دا ر ت ا ل ر ؤو ست ي طبخ و ن ك ز يوم ،وأن ي ك و نل د ى أ ح د ه م (زف ر ) أوف ر ا خيع د حا دثأ ■؟ط لأ، وأخترا و ج د وا عند عبد ا ل ر ح م ن ري ل ل حم ة (بت ل و ) م سل وق اب حا ل ه ،فأ حضروو عل ى طبل ي ة ...وأ حضروا س هف ج ال ،جو زين عي ش م ر ح رح ،ومخي صل، وقال وا لل ث خ عل ي: — يقضي ك ل ه. وترددبصر ال ب ي خ عل ي .بن المساء والطبل ية وك ل ما ن ظ ر إ ل ا ل م اء ق د ح ت عين ا هحمتررا و ؛ ل م ا ن ظ ر إ ل الطبلية ا ح ت ق ن و ج هه غضب ا ،و ب ل ع يغ م ر ه الس ك و ن ،وأختران ط ق ال شي خ عل ي وق ادت “ بق ى ٦٧اي ع اين ما ئ د ة ي ا بل د غ ج ر ،نجول طبلية ،ومحااا ،عب ا ل م ج اي ر .
و أع ط ا ه أ ح د ه مص ن د و ق د خ ا نه. وم د يده وتن ا و لقطع ة كبيرة م ن الل محم ،وقب ل أن يت ا ويه ا مف م هق ا ل؛ -و ذ ا
ال ض ؟أ
فق ا ل وال ه :ح ق ة إ ال د ي . وه ا ج ا م ح خ عل ي وق ا ل؛ ط ب هه• وترك ا ل طعا م ،وخل ع جلب ابه وعمام ته وراح يهز ع صا ه ويهذببالكف ر م ن ج دي د .و ميس ك ت إ البع د أن ؟ حف روا م ن د و وت ا ج ر المر ،وب ل حل ه نما ،وق ا ل ل ه: — خ دا ر خ د يا شي خ م ش كن آا
خ ا رة في ك .أ ص ال ما حدن ا ش ن ظ ر،
وما
ي رن ز م ان ك م ب كس ف ^ تط ل ب ،الن ا س تقع د وي ا ك وتنبس ط ل عا
وبع دي ن ت دل د ل ودانه اموت ش ي وتسيب ك ،وا حن ا ال زم نش و ف را حت كيا شيخ. هيبلدن ا م ن غيرك أن ت واب و ا ح م دت سو ي بمل ة .أن ت
تضحكن ا وا حم ا
ن اكلل ث م ب ي ر س فيمم ه ؟ا وغض ب ال شي خ عل ي غضب ا شديدأ ،و طار وراء م ند و ر وه
و زقم ة الغي ظ
س ه ويق و ل؛ وم ض يهز الح كم دا ر و م يك ا د يه و ي به ا عل ى رأ — ان ا أض ح ك وا .ه و اي مض ح ك ةي ا م ند و ري ا ابن اأ إغةم /ام ش با تلعن ك وتلع نأب و ك.
ب
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Mandur was running in front of Sheikh Ali, laughing. The bystanders were watching the chase, laughing. Even when the sheikh came after all of them, reviling and cursing them, they kept on laughing. Sheikh Ali remained in Munyat al-Nasr, and things still happened to him every day. He was still short-tempered, and people continued to laugh at his bouts of anger. However, from that day on they made allowances for him. When they saw him standing in the middle of the threshing floor, taking off his jilb a b and turban, grabbing hold of his stick and starting to shake it at the sky, they understood that they had been oblivious to his problem, and had left Abu Ahmad alone with him for longer than was necessary. Before a single blasphemous word left his mouth, a tray would be brought to him with everything he asked for. Occasionally, he would accept his lot, with resignation.
Yusufldris
و 8د
وك ا ن مندور ي ج ر ي أمام ه وه و يض ح ك ،وك ا ن الن ا س يتف ر ج و ن على المطا ردة وه م يض ح ك و ن ،و ح تى ح ن طار ال شي خ عل ي وراءه م جميع أ و م س ه م ويلع نه م ك ان وا ال يزا ل و ن يض ح ك و ن . و ال يزال ال ش خ ط ي ي
حا
م ش ة ا ل م ر ،و ال تزال ل ه ز ك ذ يوم
ن ا درة ،و ال يزال س ع الغض ب ،و ال يزال الن ا س يض ح ك و ن م ن غضبه .ض أنه م م ن يو م ه ا ع رف وا ل ه ،غ م ا يك ا دو ن يرونه واقف ا و ط ا لجر ن وقد خل ع جلب ا به وع ما مته وأ م كبالح كم دا ر م يدم وراح
يهزه ا
م و ج ه السماء،
ح ت ى يدركوا أنه م ب أم ر ه وترك وا (اب و ا ح م د ) ينفر د به أ م ص ا ل الزم، و ح ينئذ ،وقب ل أنت س ر ب م نف م ه ك ل م ة كف ر وا ح د ة تك و ن ا لطبل ية ق د جاءته، وعل ي هأ مايطلبه ،وأ حي ا نأ يرضى.مم ا ف م وأم ر ه إ ل اف.
Modern A rabic
2 9 0 ، ^؟٠٢/
Stories: A B ilin gu al Reader
Language Notes
1. م ن الغي طا ن ال ن يل ة.*part of a saying: العجل ة من الشي طا ن وال غ ز م ن “( و خ م نhaste is of the DeviJ, patience is divine”). 2 . الث رينة: “siren” (ECA) ؛MSA .متر تبيه و. شة.“ مcar” (ECA); MSA ني ا رة. Note that this word also means “cart” (both in ECA and MSA), whereas the usual word for “car” in ECA is عزنة. 4 ب و ل س (المم دة) م: “police” (ECA); MSA >ط ة. The وي س الن ج د ة (lit. “emergency police”) may be compared to the civil defence in that it is a special section of the police force on hand to help in case o f emergencies. Note that الن ج د ة...ال ج دة means “Help! Help!”. 5. ال ر ز م: (ECA) a blueing agent (for laundry). Cf. ECA ون ر ي, “blue”. The word نغ زةcan also, o f course, mean “rose” (as it does in MSA). 6 . جلب ا ب: (pi. ) ج المحبa loose, robe-like garment. Interestingly enough, the author chooses to use this term rather than the ECA ( ي البيةpi. خ ال ل ب,)ي البي ا, as it is this quintessentially Egyptian male dress the protagonist is presumably w؟aring. 7 .يكف ر خ: “he will blaspheme” (ECA); cf. MSA ن ؤ ف ري ك تor نيك ف ر. In ECA, the prefix راح>) ح, “to go”) is added to the imperfect ( ) ا ش ا ر عto denote the future aspect (often implying intention). It is also used interchangeably w؛th راح or ( را مwhich has the feminine and plural f ؟rms رائ ح ةand ء(راي ح ينe. g. خنكت ب، راح ن كت ب، راي ح ين ن كت بall mean “We’re goine to write*. 8.ق ويق ام: “owl” (ECA); cf. MSA (ث و مcoll.). In contradistinction to European lore, the owl is associated with highly negative symbolism (stupidity, untrus ؟vorthiness) in Arab culture, and it is referred to as “( غراب اللث لnight crow”). و. الوائ ور: (< It. vapore or Fr. vapeur, “steam”) in ECA, as in a number of other dialects, this word can have a variety of meanings, e. g. “steam engine” (MSA )ك ر ك, “steamship”
Y usufldris
2 و1
(MSA o^Lj, pi . “ء(ئ واخنlocomotive” (MSA .(ق ا ط ر ة ها. ا ل خكندار: (ECA < Turkish bukiim dar, pi. ) ح ك م دأ ر هdenotes anyone in executive authority (e. g. chief of police, school prefect). 11. ا لأزن ر: one of the most ancient universities and undoubtedly the ؟lost famous mosque-university in the Islamic world. 12. زكعا تث ال ث: this refers to the number of genuflections (also see ) ح ك ا ه القندي لthe faithful have to perform in prayer. In this case, as it is the Friday prayers (i. e. the prayers performed in the mosque at midday), it should have been two (whereas it is^our for ordinary midday prayers performed at home). 13. ب ال ط ال ق خل ف : (lit. “to swear by divorce”); a strong oath, the use ofwhich is not restricted to marital issues! It reflects the highly neg^jive connotation attached to divorce in Muslim culture. 14. ه د ي: (pi. )أث دي ةoriginally an Cttoman title and honorific for various dignitaries, in Egypt it is a term/reference of address used for all persons with a certain standard of literacy. 15. ا ل ط حينية الحال وة: a sweetmeat made of honey and containing sesame seeds, nuts, rosewater, etc. (the English word “halva” is, of course, derived from the Arabic خ ال وة, “swe؟t ^ a t ’)؛. 16. اش ي جازي ك: variants of this expression include جزاك اش ك ل ( خأرlit. “May God reward you with evetything that is good”) and ( زثن ايمحزي كlit. “May our Lord reward y©u”). 17. ايه: (pronounced eeh,) “what” (ECA < CA أ ق, “what”, “which”) ؛MSA .م اذا ا8. ال نه ا رده: “today* (ECA); cf. MSA ال يؤم. The ECA word is derived from “( ال ثه ارday”, as opposed to “night”) and the demonstrative “( ذهthis”). 19. ع اين: see شعور ا أل س ال ف, note No 10. 20. س ق: “I left it” (ECA < سا ب, “to,leav )”؟MSA ر ئ. 21. عش ا ن: “b؟؟ause” (ECA < CA غل ى فأ ن, “on those grounds”); ءءMSA لأن. 22. غ وثه: “a bit, more or less” (ECA < CA diminutive o^ شيء, “thing”) ءء ؛MSA ق ل ل. 2و. الل ي: the invariable relative pronoun in ECA (and indeed in the overwhelming majority of colloquial varieties). It
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corresponds to the MSA ( ائذ يmasc, sg.) ( ا شfern. sg.), ال ندا ن (masc. dual nom .), ( اللت ا نfem. dual no m. ), يئ ن، ( الmasc. dual gen. /acc. ), ( الل ثفfem. dual gen. /acc. ), ( ال ذي نmasc. pi. ), ا يال ت/( ا ماث يfern. pi.). , 24. ع ام د ذ: active participle (< ع م ل, “to work”): ( ع ائل ةf. ), ع ان ك 2أ. مر ا ت ى: “my wife” (ECA = CA إنر؛تى, “my woman”) ؛cf. MSA • رؤ جي 26. ما ب ش: “nothing” (ECA < CA ذيه شيء+م ا, “not in it a thing”), cf. MSA ال شزء. 27• ( م ش (ق ادر: (ECA negating particle < CA م ء+ ما, “not a thing”), cf. MSA, م ما٠٢ ( الwith verbs), and الwith nouns. The .ECA particle can be pronounced م شor ن ش. 28. دل زقتي: “now” (ECA < CA هذا ال زق ت, “this time”), MSA آ لآن، Note also that in ECA قis pronounced as a glottal stop. 29. ل ي: “this” (ECA feminine demonstrative); cf. MSA ه ذه. Note that the ECA demonstrative comes after the noun, whereas in MSA it precedes it: e.g. ECA = ا لعر ن ة د يMSA هذه السي ا رة (“T^is car”). 30.كل ض ما: “I haven’t eaten”, ECA split negative construction + ما ش+ ;أكل تcf. MSA لر اك ل. The split negative is an alternative to ( ضsee above) in that it can also be attached to prepositions and even pronouns: e.g.“( ما م ح شI don’t have any ...”), نق ا ش “( جا ي نعان ا ؟Aren’t you [m . أcoming with us?”). 31. امب ا رح أول: see ش عور ا لسال ف. أ 32. م زاج: “hashish” (ECA); MSA خ ش ش. It is interesting to note the reference to drugs in combination with an oath involving God ( !) ح د اشNote also that in ECA (and in Omani Arabic) جis pronounced as “g” (as in the English “go”). 33.) ثدني ش ما.): “you’re (not) giving me” (ECA: ش+ تد ف+يب ). The particle بis used in ECA with imperfect verb forms to denote a continuous or habitual action (there is no equivalent in MS^). MSA: حن ي ي 34• غلش ا ن: (ECA < CA غل ى فأ ن, “for (what) matter”, a variant of ظ (see above). 35. ن ن ذ ك ذه: “afterwards” (ECA ك د ه, pronounced kedah < CA
) ك ذا, cf. MSA ت ن د ذل ف. Also note the expression رم ش ك د ه ؟ “isn’t that so?” (< MSA ) ألي س ك ذ ل ك. In the affirmative (ض ) ك د هit simply means “not like that”.
و6. ذم: “this” (ECA maseuline demonstrative); cf. MSA .ن ذ ا و7. ليه: “why?”(ECA, pronounced leh); MSA .لم اذا و8.( ;وا ال ل أECA < CA زا ال, “otherwise”) MSA آ ذلا و9كلما ت طي ا ت م: “nice words”; this is an example of a sound fem. pi. in ECA for inanimate things, which corresponds to a fem. sg. in MSA: طيبةo U i “( ؛nice words”). 40.م: (ECA) abbreviated form of م ن. 4ل. حا ج ة: see شع ور ا لسال ف. أ 4ق.عزرا س: “A^rael”; corrupted form of عزرائي ل. This substitution o f “n” for “1” is not uncommon in ECA, e.g. ( ف تحا لfor MSA س ا ن, “cup”), ( ث ه ا نfor MSA ر م ا ل, “oranges”). 43. “ ب م ال شsmashing”, ECA (> ذ ئ ذ ز, “to smash, shatter”); MSA ( خ ط ؛. 44. “ ؛را ج لman” (ECA) MSA 45. “ ك ف ت ي ؛ماyou weren’t”; ECA split negative (> ;(ي+ ش+ك ان ت+ما مح ة$ملم ث ك ق ج 46. ي وز: “two”, “a pair” (ECA) MSA ج3 “( زcouple”, “set of two”). This is an example of metathesis, i.e. the swapping around of consonants. 47• عي ش: “bread” (ECA), MSA ن ز. 48. اؤ ع: “watch it, you!”; masc. imperative of “( وعىto heed”, ‘!)ear in mind”). Cf. MSA اثبهor ا خثذ ر. 49. ئف ض و ال ب ي ي: (ECA) MSA ل ن أ رك ولمن أي ي شي؛. 50. ن ا ذ ج: “hungry” (ECA); MSA جزع ا ن. 5ا ذ م نث ى •ل: “why” (this one and not another one) (ECA); MSA: لما ذا/
'
52. نع ف ن ر: lit. “dyed in safflower”. 53. ط ب: “right” (ECA); MSA ط ي. 54• بما: “we” (ECA); MSA س. 55• أث و: “you”, m. pi. (ECA); MSA أ ق م. 5 ي •ة، ج: “coming”; ECA present participle or < جاء, “to come”; cf. MSA جشت. 57• ؛ما ا دان ش،،he didn’t give ااا، ” أECA split negative
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M odern A rabic Short Stories: A B ilingual Reader
ف ي س+ادى+ )م اMSA:
بمط ي. ث م: a typically E^rptian name (associated especially with the Upper Egyptian countryside), which literally translates as “Mrs Her Father”! 59. ني ش ما: ECA split negativ( ؛see above), involving the first person singular pronoun (ش+ ان ا+ )ماand meaning “I don’t ^ave”. 60. ))كو شغل: “your” - m. pi. (ECA); MSA ( ك مe. g . زئنل ك م. 61. أئ وك و كل ك ر: “all your fathers” (ECA); MSA أب وك م كل ك م ( =اب اؤك م ) ي ميعا. 62. ومح ي: an oath (lit. “by the Frophet”), with variants such as 58.
ها
63. 0 د خ:"“ أperplex” (ECA); MSA رب ك,( ختu), ا د ه ل, ئ ؤ س. 64. ل ن ه: “not yet” (ECA < CA ن(إل سMSA ق ز ط. 6أ. بت ا ع ك و: “yours” - m/f. pi. ؛ECA possessive particle