Ronak Husni & Daniel L. Newman MODERN ARABIC SHORT STORIES A Bilingual Reader SAQIISBN 13: 978-0-86356-436-9 Copyright © Ronak Husni & Daniel L. Newman, 2008 Alll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which itis published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. A full crr record for this book is available from the British Library A fall c1P record for this book is available from the Library of Congress Printed and bound by CPI Mackays, Chatham, MES 8TD. SAQI 26 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RH 825 Page Street, Suite 203, Berkeley, California 94710 Tabet Building, Mneimneh Street, Hamra, Beirut www. sagibooks. com Contents Introduction Note on Transliteration Abbreviations ‘Izz al-Din al-Madani The Tale of the Lamp Zakariyya Tamir A Lonely Woman Muhammad al-Zafzaf The Sacred Tree Ibrahim al-Faqih Excerpt from The Book of The Dead Najib Mahfuz Qismati and Nasibi Hanan al-Shaykh Yasmine’s Picture Muhammad Shukri The Night and the Sea Idwar al-Kharrat 1 12 3 1 4h 43 56 58 jo 72 104 107 144 147 162 164 1786 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader At the Theatre Salwa Bakr Ancestral Hair Fu’ad al-Takarli A Hidden Treasure Layla al-‘Uthman Night of Torment Yusuf Idris A Tray from Heaven Bibliography 200 220 222 247 248 265 267 295 Introduction The short story (gissa, ugsisa) is a particularly vibrant genre in contemporary 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 of the prowess of the masters of the modern Arabic short story. All except Najib Mahfiz, Yusuf Idris, Muhammad Shukri and Muhammad al-Zafzaf are active to date. Naturally, when putting together a reader of this type, it is not always easy to decide whom to include and exclude. The selection process involved many an hour vividly discussing the multitude of 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 of this kind, though claiming to represent Arabic literature in general, are decidedly “Eastern- centred” inasmuch as the focus is on Middle Eastern authors. As one of the aims of the present book is to provide readers with a sample of the best in modern Arabic short stories, we wanted to make sure that all areas of the Arab world would be represented, from Morocco to Iraq and the Gulf. Similarly, we also aimed to include both male and female authors, without, however, falling prey to “political correctness”; rather, the8 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader objective was to provide as complete a picture of the modern Arabic short story landscape as possible. The potential readership for this book is varied. Though the primary target audience consists of students of Arabic, the fact that each story is accompanied by an English translation makes the book accessible to all those interested in contemporary 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 Modern Arabic Literature course at all levels. Although some of the 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 of the diglossic nature of the 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 fishd (2-28). At the same time it is, of course, impossible to exclude the colloquial (‘ammbya, 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 of the colloquial and the interaction between MSA and the vernaculars, Introduction 9 while containing interesting samples of colloquial expressions from all over the Arabic-speaking world. All words in the language notes — including the titles of the books mentioned — are fully vowellgd, whereas the conjugation vowels of the imperfect tense (teh) of form I verbs are added in brackets, e.g. + (u). If there is more than one possibility, both are given, e.g. 4 (i, u). So-called diptote forms are marked by a damma (), e.g. eau In all other cases, declension vowels are omitted, as is the “nunation” (e293) - the regular indefinite inflectional noun endings — except for the accusative singular in certain words, e.g. \ sae, but dace (rather than dle), 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 and/or cultural or intertextual references that were thought to be unfamiliar 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 attempt was made to provide both an idiomatic translation and a crib for the student. All the translations are ours, except for the Qur’an translations in the notes, which are those of 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.10 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Each story is preceded by a brief biography of 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-Kharrat, Fu’ad al-Takarli, Zakariyya Tamir and Layla al- ‘Uthman, who offered very useful advice on a number of issues and also provided us with biographical details. Ronak Husni & Daniel L. Newman Note on Transliteration The transliteration used in this book is that of the Encyclopaedia of Islam, with the following deviations: kh = kh; k= q; di =j; sh = sh; dh = dh. The transcription does not reflect the regressive assimilation (¢131) of the lateral in the definite article al with the so-called “sun letters” (t, th, d, r, z, s, sh, s, t, d, z, n), e.g. alSabra’ rather than asSabra’. In line with common usage, bamza is not transcribed in word-initial positions, whereas the “nunation” (see the Introduction, above) is dropped throughout. In the narratives of the short stories themselves, proper nouns and technical terms appear in their “recognized” — i.e. “broad” transliteration forms in order to minimize “exoticness” in the narrative.CA coll. dial. ECA ICA fem. Fr. It. LCA masc. MCA MSA pron. sg. SCA Abbreviations Classical Arabic collective noun dialectal Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Iraqi Colloquial Arabic feminine French Italian Lebanese Colloquial Arabic masculine Moroccan Colloquial Arabic Modern Standard Arabic plural pronoun singular Syrian Colloquial Arabic ‘Izz al-Din al-Madani Born in Tunis in 1938, al-Madani is one of Tunisia’s leading literary figures, and has been active in many different genres; his oeuvre includes novels, short stories, literary criticism and theory (see, for instance, his seminal essay ap oi, “Experimental Literature”) and plays. He has been pra prolific as a playwright, and one may cite, for instance, 3 )'¥ Ol > é) (The Revolt of the Zanj, 1983), set against the backdrop of the black slave revolt in ninth-century Baghdad; < = tb’ (Carthage); V OUaLEN cV ys (The Hafsid Sultan), Bac one of Tunisia’s mediaeval dynasties; peal oo) (ALHallaj’s Journey), about the famous Persian-born mystic theologian al-Hallaj (857-922); and Aish Aa) le (On The Overflowing Sea). He has also published a number of short story collections, the most famous of which are OLN lis SUS - y+ (Tales of Our Time, 1982), U\ > (Legends, 1968) and Oly.) (The Aggression). In addition to having been a special advisor to Tunisia’s minister of culture, al-Madani has also been editor-in-chief of a number of Tunisian dailies and magazines. In 2006, he was awarded the Theatre prize for his entire dramatic oeuvre at the Doha (Qatar) Cultural Festival. AlMadani frequently uses Arab history, folklore and classical Arabic literary genres as a spectrum through which he addresses contemporary issues such as governance and14 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader power. One such example is the story presented here, %\S> pial (“The Tale of the Lamp”), which appears in the above- mentioned collection Obj lis OLIS> ¢». 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-Madani’s wide reading. At the same time, the language used is sparse and formal, devoid of the embellishments one would normally associate with the genre. In spite of its setting, the events depicted in the story clearly have an underlying link with issues bedevilling present-day society. Jposall 4 The Tale of the Lamp16 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual 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 preserve us all!), which had struck like lightning in one of the ancient capital cities of the Maghrib such as Qayrawan, Fés, 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 humps on their backs. God is kind to the Believers! The people always remembered the horrors of 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 of these ancient cities. He was extremely clever. Living in a time of plenty and opulence, he believed that contentment was an everlasting treasure. The story goes that during the day this man repaired sandals in a nice shop located next to the Abu ‘l-Inaya school, although some people claimed it was next to the shrine of al-Sayyid al-Sahib. Still others said that the man’s shop was close to the black-roofed gallery that had been built by the caliph Isma’il al-Mansur al-Shi‘i. At night, our protagonist would busy himself with his family — his women, sons and daughters. His and other people’s lives were filled with such contentment that not even a cloud on a summer’s day could spoil it. However, when he was struck by catastrophe, and had to face crises from all sides, his heart and mind deserted him, and when he saw the camels kneel out of sheer weakness, his deep-rooted belief in contentment 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. ‘Tez al-Din al-Madani 17 aw ol ct bel Sly lyees yi alee Uy 115M) cages IS ophly 1A Ulie aL y Rebel y cJoully carnal HLH Maly J OE Ma Al Neely Gard Se MeL al Jae 3 _ ad) sal agai 3 Wayagll gf Ndsadd gf olbee cold gf led, eal em ‘#1 peal ce ll Ab cm sill pail Shy Fy atl) est. et Lye old Ge JI LS tl ily ella lee Sly sa UBy eg g Until a, aL! de eyes IH eS 2 oI he oles iy! loxsl eg sly pL SH Ley Lense asker Ged a wpe Jar de o> Sy Y reel; ce gell Le 05555 calbel) A ged AUG Sigal oy Sa, wpe lily Mab T 8 nh filo Jo to all Gp po Sy Bo dete Je Mn oy ak Y pS esl ob te pal Ah ede les Gh Gb Oo Bed Fy Me CML sles BB bd el yy oly (My) em Le TREN sl goes Gs OS AIS Of J 9s OWS ops Bly MN opey Aly BI eo OU hel ily oT cael y geasll felad A oe'ghl pal Label TST Glo iby wlyy ailaly wiley fats Eales 1G bbl 3 Ui itu (oS lige bees se WIG Ys po aly Ll Bley es aM Spal Uy of BoB I ale Tg Wy Ged bt a ils) LLG ancl Bb ope ASL SLL sly cary - oal'gby aly alice deslsudy wPlby ealisel Caley qa VS ge 5b et wae Way BSG BU oy bet de ae18 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual 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 morning 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 of starving people piled up along the street, hordes of flies hovering around them. The red-hot sun beat down from a clear blue sky, while a scorching wind was blowing hard. What a horrendous sight! Look at this miserable humanity! The poor man cried and wept. Was there any point to any of 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? Damn this age of 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 everything 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 himself: “Let me get out of this place and explore the wide world.” As the poet says: Alexandria is my home If that is where I am. The man left his native land and everyone in it and embarked upon his journey, travelling day and night, week after week, month after month, 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 storytellers, the man saw the walls of the city of Ghadamis appear before him, while others say that he continued on the Golden Road. The storyteller Abu Shu’ayyib Muhammad Bin Sulayman was certain that the man died of ‘tee al-Din alMadant 19 cpl y BB pl hy LS oe eV A JLAU © gill ope Le Vos SLas CL a y ee ays Oly: sles 9 A Le a chlo ss o) AaS js fal 1648 le CLAN ete Va ol seals Jol hyper ety dlitls Habe #555 cloudy clgde pbs GLU Jaeacll aypeall ode ata! jail! Le slits ds 4,45 els clasts is ll, SS Hew care he ey chy Geta (So Sell Si 6S gh LYELL aot) Jia Jered Lent: Soa Sf apa lle MUS! ral ide le a ab. Leal tb yh > 5 gb oS 5 Jyhsd ails ole Fool BY) cad ar 9 eat br uy cary BSE Sey LA! Gy! Sle 1S Le IS 43 Gilly LS! UL COIS OL GLE Ba! 3 glall al SI 5 (3 Ady dany pall daly BN 2 JU cod) ocbe ge b> By 2B y adlé SI GRP) “Nees Fo Ce geel lg y ed sly GLI Shey clad grey Lisl Jo JI D3 Srey NS ally sill ala ey ABD Le Sake V 29 Ley ele Gol Wie Vy cde Gage OU Vy MS sbually Tobe gl sb 6) 23g) Gan Spy Ee LG A oe bY) Gob HLe ail Spl DP Oy ST alg) ak Leigh lse pol ell Bae ook seer crt eal a rer) ea IS ILE pall Cole oY! 5 pS el peal d Ltlae g Le gm Baise Lal yel all Sab dye” "pSar onl a cot) aly « puaally og gl py db ely Jor JO} Jaa cl20 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader hunger and thirst in the Great Desert. However, Sahib al-Tayr Abu al-Barakat asserted that the man was observed by the pigeons of the city of Timbuktu in front of its walls. Whatever the case may be, let us assume that the man continued his journey, despite severe hunger, thirst and fatigue, since we do not want our story to end here ... It was only with great difficulty that, on a crystal-clear night, the traveller reached the walls of a city made of red clay which had suddenly appeared in the bleak desert, much to his surprise. Excited, but perhaps also fearful, he knocked on the gate. A guard appeared, who said: “Welcome to the city of Timbuktu. You are among brothers.” This allayed the man’s fears; he regarded this welcome as auspicious. He asked the guard for some water — for water means salvation — to wet his parched mouth. The guard said: “Drink! However, one of the conditions of entry into the city is that you spend the night outside its walls. On the morrow, you may enter, provided you have a gift for our ruler, the Sultan.” Then the guard disappeared, and the man remained alone all night. He wondered what he was going to do about this gift for the Sultan, since he had nothing in his bag that he could give. What could he do? Damn this age of injustice! When the voice of the muezzin calling the faithful to the dawn prayer resounded, the guard came out of the gate and hurried to rouse the man, who was purposefully very slow in waking up. The guard took him first to the mosque, where the traveller performed his ablutions, which he also stretched out for a very long time. Then, he prayed, taking his time with the genuflections and prostrations and stalling his prayers. His heart was throbbing like mad, the pulses reverberating like a drum. The guard offered him some dates and milk. After having eaten, the man was finally led to the palace. He felt as though ‘Tez al-Din al-Madani 21 wed lhe ee LIS Gs Wu VY BY ood Je BL) OLY Bde! o nH! Ge: fo ab add pe elo AI led yy Sled Coli i cel pam Heb dye I yal BS jpd pS Ob Ba BDI 5 oe Ley gh ec Hl BAe ey UI whey ple cy th Heey Wa ab ee 8 eb Le pn J Sle IH} Goll ope Lb LS cole A Migs Lat steely bel gy fags Ais fe o> OLA UW, ALD pls OFS 5M by pb ope SS opel sae oll pled d SLs A OUaLS UY y4 de dg de Che JEG OFS ey pd eye Lee ends Sey Jab) Sb foe Sl gly tee SI La OE 6S BS Nelda! Gorey alae BS EY ye berg UL IN) gigs : LUA jaa Le le abl dial f fads AB SY yg ne gl pla do > nil Le OSs OST, Blely LE 8 eel SV yf pled abtol oS lee de Bie BZ Wly einy Ma greelly MES GB bly hey Se pe gl Gib By SUS I 3p LS GB Ub, ley eel Sgt Ly pall ple ad es eps oe OES pads ode cao aly Jor no pail Sl 02 Intl aye Ody of Sf cdg ISL: La he Atal! dill ode absLel! ode zab rl! SALA 3 pl Nye doers $3 pi tII Lal Lge pebagew $25 LN Colla AS ban 2S gem y UE Lge ail ge $5 SN atid y cation yy Late22 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader he were a prisoner of this kindness and courtesy, this merciless hospitality. What would he give to the Sultan? The hammer? He would use it to smash his head in! The knife? He would slaughter him with it! The sewing needle? He would use it to sew his eyelids and lips! The thread? He would use it to truss him, saying: “You dog! You dare present me with wretched thread after we have treated you as our guest, honoured you and elevated you above ourselves! You dog!” To which the traveller would retort: “May God protect me from the Devil!” Finally the man found himself in front of the Sultan, who was surrounded by his retinue of servants. The Sultan rose from his throne and descended the dais to welcome his guest, saying: “Greetings. Welcome in our midst, esteemed guest.” The Sultan then embraced his guest and kissed him, as though he was greeting a dear friend he had not seen in a long time. He bade the man sit next to him on the throne, The man continued to clutch his bag close to his chest, whereas the Sultan did not take his eyes off it. Suddenly, the ruler asked: “Is that our present you’ve got in that bag of yours?” All the members of the Sultan’s entourage fell silent, agog in anticipation to see the wonderful gift for the Sultan. The man mumbled: “Yes, my lord, this is your gift in the bag. The Sultan shrieked with joy, while the man imagined his head on the chopping block. He put his hand into the bag, and hit upon the lamp. He took it out and gave it to the Sultan, who looked at it in wonder: “What's this?” The man said: “It’s a lamp.” The Sultan was speechless, while everyone in his entourage craned their necks to get a better look at the object. Then the Sultan said: “A lamp?” ‘Tez al-Din al-Madani 23 Biber y Hla Sty Stdzel of te pb 3S Mt gre ted) oe DL 3 ely sor Al St lp SOI | Hayy BS Meer Dl J Maable bpm 35 OlaLI ella 151 yal abate Jad Jy 43 6 oe Ol agi ge Spy Ol ode tle che py ral Sl sults | ale le Gade opal J LS ananly aly atiley Yah pe Rel fe fy pall de ils colt Lj ke EN AN gw okay 2 SLR ¢ HeSN aS) ey OUELS Ib y 5 Le, BF) AULA aps! ond te ASL of SF KS 2 pRes ode lel CY» b pain JU fo gery AA IW CF pl ly be Soslyy Lash J olel oi OWL ollacly cal glcd frill catrold ol tl ok [rol (14a Ly :OU2LS) Coeetd 2 fetsd Nay ser J) SLB crabs KUL 9} af Gish fps coleLS og US fd» role) Jl M ple ops Jt Vail y ai} QUEL Ve begin se Sl OS fd (cae Leg) tI pnts OLS Js aD oe ety hed Ged pba UT yan te I Le (Sasig y Ley OUI Js24 Modem Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader “Yes, my lord — a lamp made out of copper.” “What does ‘lamp’ mean?” enquired the Sultan. The man replied: “It is a device made of copper, with a wick and a little bit of oil.” The Sultan asked: “What does it do?” “It gives light.” With increasing amazement, the Sultan asked: “It gives light just like the sun or the moon?” “It lights up the world when the sun has disappeared and it is cloaked in darkness.” The Sultan was quite taken aback. “So, this is a piece of live coal from the sun?” The man replied: “If you wish, my lord.” As the Sultan gazed at the lamp, turning it every which way, he said: “Does it give light at this moment?” The man replied: “No, it’s not giving off any light at the moment, my lord. Let me light it.” With a magical movement the man ignited the lamp, and light suddenly began to spread throughout the hall, leaving the Sultan quivering, almost fainting with joy and glee. The members of his entourage were clapping their hands and cheering, praising God for His munificence. The Sultan took the man to his side, grabbed the lamp and proceeded towards the window looking out onto the streets of the city. Lo and behold, they were thronged with people eager to know about the Sultan’s gift. Then, the Sultan cried out: “This is the lamp!” The crowd cheered, their eyes glued to the lamp: “Long live the lamp! Long live the Sultan! Long live the lamp! Long live the Sultan!” The Sultan then kissed his guest and said to him: “We didn’t know about the lamp, and thanks to you, our esteemed guest, we've learned something that we didn’t know. You've lit up our darkness. You’ve let the sun into our world, and for this, I’ll make you a minister!” ‘Tee al-Din al-Madani 25 We Of asi yy 1 J OL AE a) gf not) bee nes Ofy 2OUL Comal ol GS) UE Gry met 8 exe EN pe Ob efor OL Smet) oe nd gh 03) Ola ali MLOURLS SY yo ly AUS #2 F153) ee J OLE GOW gee gag ed ce fet) Ley ay OUbaL NS gt (085 she 3) Le OLLI SV ye b OV! ps Vail cob J LG ULL) Joa shad yl 25 tall Jon) a yh asit! 91 sf i { Lp Spay Gane Le peily Ny gyey ep ale gobs Sy cell Sf UL Ae teas le BI Ipdemy Oy Sy Myla, Nay ede tlh & pb gle fall SLAIN sok pny eft J gly caiber Fed Bae SEAS coy das pall . fet Lyi) ULSI o Las Low «basal Low" pas tiles Lejlaily of palad) cage A) QUAL Loe ¢ fall Low LOLS ALI ae SG id Gly rd Jade de ole alt 6S SS de Leds lel Joe) Gall Lgl abt ley. Jal MN jy Ellard Gb ULss ob etl leaf Jay bead & pfs, a fal ce CPR oe for UI OULLS SV ge by te St UL i OUaLN pi S213 ceslibly Ald) Cols gil Yee ely ide a Sle dja buy OleLS) ade ab lb g3g Lolo y cligel Lots GU 51 Cal Le ope UbaL26 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader The man said: “My lord, I am but a commoner, a God- fearing man. I enjoy peace and tranquillity and wouldn’t know how to advise a Sultan.” However, the Sultan insisted, upon which the man said: “My lord, I implore you to relieve me from this post. I'll be a faithful servant and devoted friend.” The Sultan exclaimed: “Outstanding! Bravo!” Then the Sultan ordered the Treasurer to come to him. When he arrived, the three of them went to the Treasury. The Sultan said to the traveller: “Take what you like from these worldly goods and improve your situation with it!” The man grabbed as much jewellery, pearls, diamonds and other precious stones like coral as his bag could take. Then the Sultan bade the Marriage Judge of the city of Timbuktu to come to him immediately. When he arrived, the Sultan said to him: “I am going to wed this man to my daughter Zubeida. I want you to write the marriage contract, and be quick about it!” The Sultan then dressed the traveller in a gold-embroidered silk robe of honour and guided his guest to the princess in the presence of the courtiers. When the man saw his bride-to-be, he thought she was the most beautiful girl his eyes had ever beheld. She brought to mind the words of the ancient poet: My night, this bride is one of the Zanj Adorned with pearl necklaces. The Marriage Judge said: “Forsooth, I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as Zubeida, nor anyone as tender, fragrant, slender or more delicate. She is like musk and amber, silk and velvet, like a flower and jasmine. It is time to draw up the marriage contract!” The man made thousands of lamps for the Sultan, his courtiers and all the people. He hung them everywhere: in the palace, the mosques, the schools, streets, squares and houses. ‘Tez al-Din altMadani 27 ae re @&) oll) Js ee aS ae LB Ul es cole ety ol Lis OH gall MY a cel ll aay oe HEL Jay sob ole) Js Ce She My ee pity py LAN Uy pal tt Jor JI ad Van SY eb lek OleLI eal Se > 4b WS wag) led pl Kab ts, CISD tie SB 5} gl on Vay rd JB par Lb Cons cle oil Bb yp dly il op tls OlLL I ale ale oe eye fod Later gd al de AL pare an absal, 2940 9.6) eal) jolt ELS ogi ...ucly Le fool “ED or rae se gt WO oe SNS Le he at Vy dd ce at fd Gl il gy SY 26 JB, by ae Ay ey hee ee SIV Coal Vy Chel Vy (Adsl) ALS 259 DIGS ID ably remy roy es Jets ll all pacer Ly AtL Wy OULL fe JI aney Upejldny Lede lany cgilpaly cdzall pad 3 lear Lgile 2A sil oe 28g BN ele BB yy Legg clam slay Lee It pe labs ploy Ley Wy FR tall os GB) Sle BY) Leote ply Yah yb ol att J culby cooled y Gshyy -alaly She ay) J] Gletyy cabs I Gow ly of SU! ew...28 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader He employed one thousand black men to light the lamps until the entire city and its inhabitants bathed in light night and day. As for our traveller, he enjoyed a life of comfort and happiness for many years, though only God knows for how long, until... yes, until he began to yearn for his native land, and to see his children and people again. He realized that the lean years must have ended by now, and that the fat years must have started, bringing with them prosperity and blessings. Yet, who knows? He asked the Sultan for permission to travel to his native land. The Sultan agreed, and the traveller began to prepare a caravan of camels, horses, donkeys and mules carrying rugs from Kairouan, mastic from the Yemen, teak from Niger, amber from the Sudan, ivory from Ghana, and other fineries. And so the traveller left the bright lights of Timbuktu for his native land, under the protection of God the Almighty. As soon as he and his caravan arrived in his native city, people began crowding around him to grab his possessions; soon fights erupted over them, and they even began to kill each other. The mob attacked the camels, the horses, mules and donkeys with knives and ate them all. The traveller enquired what was happening, and was told: “The people in the city haven’t had anything to eat for about twenty years.” He remembered his famous saying and former indignation, and said: “Damn this age of injustice!” There was another man there, sitting motionless, observing the dreadful spectacle. Then he looked at the traveller. His eyes alternated between the terrible scene and the traveller, who was still sitting on his camel and staring at the humanity milling around like a swarm of locusts. Finally, the man got up and greeted the traveller. He said: “T know you. You used to work as a cobbler, and your shop was next to the shrine of Moulay Muhammad al-Dakhil. My shop was opposite yours. I used to repair sandals. My shop used to be next to the shrine of Moulay Muhammad al-Kharij. ‘Tee, al-Din al-Madani 29 gob gly Yoel poly gf gh Y Glad ol pal Sf fe Bi 3 DUAL OSB Ssh oe GI ply AN ee pods NSM y LE) DLA! cy UI ery Cal SS 5b oul clo ged) peg ome clog ccpeel OWy col y nil MeL j Ye Bell igh HA sad) Kab Ge Coby BE cley NAS de aby tabs aabLw! re BL cage Og pte plIL NS}y Ayal Y! adil fo i foo SIE AL lah y 60 pblits gs I3]y Opmroloess ag: ISL y Leal 0 Saas SLs opshy py coats Selly boty Jt! Oy me cate ley de es HS baal Sul ofp 2d bad (de Sp Pai lie de ab) ay: SLB Aga) cody Sag tll add Sy aw -(d Uabl cel tet! I jks ne Yl 3 LG 2T ols etn St see po cg pall tell} js be lS! oe Sp BP VAS pel GLE be oe Cone cack) le OSI Jy Seen he Sly sags daly J pl age lee OS bts ay LIS Jas GS alse wily rad JL CSR feel Sy Als MS GWT OWS y fetal ot CY» yh) ee SY eb et CV lj ibe OF Gly Lal! Gy ods le fend cars AS de dL ch Ji QS oT Ss Sol 3 Aes 3) 3 Elles GE fe fobs bb, Gee GS} I fb Pen ole pod obey ah sl Uy aed ofu ey30 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader You must remember me by now. Tell me, honestly, how did you manage to acquire such wealth? What have you been doing? Tell me, since we work in the same trade. I was your neighbour in the sowk, and your companion on the day you started in the profession. Which country did you travel to in order to collect all these fine things? Tell me, for I am keen on bread and meat, silk, women, gold, tranquillity and sweet dreams. Save me from the pain and misery of this age of injustice!” The traveller replied: “Leave this land, my friend, and follow the road until its end. There, you will find a city, and one of the conditions for entering it is that you offer a gift — any gift — to its Sultan. And the strange thing is that they reward you for it, too! As you can see, it is quite simple.” So the other man left his country in search of the good life, meat, silk, women, gold, tranquillity and sweet dreams. He travelled until the end of the road and crossed the desert until, one clear night, he arrived at a city made of red clay, like Marakkech or Tozeur, which had suddenly sprung up in the middle of the desert. He knocked on the gate, after which a guard came out and greeted him in the most splendid fashion. The following morning, the guard woke him up and said: “Do you have a gift for our lord the Sultan?” The man immediately answered: “Yes, I’ve got a gift in this bag.” The man quickly went through his ablutions and prayers and hastened to the palace, hurrying in to meet the Sultan and his entourage. He quickly prostrated himself and kissed the ground before the Sultan. When he raised his eyes he saw that the Sultan was barefoot, as were all the courtiers, including the guard who had brought him in. He rose from the ground, slipped his hand into the bag, and took out one of the most beautiful and best sandals that had ever been made in the city of Fés since its foundation. ‘lez al-Din alMadani 31 baud) pV y ae! Ny Ady cy ea Aly ely pA CE Ua) pa he pT oe Gat lal (Sp Solt! LL, cals Ne ge AT Joly te DN abet By ess Ul eae pas of Lo byt oo aa 48 Shey MNS BLS poms Jee AV thy Sle afd acorn! L 13d Lilla. chedly catty gebly Ge Ub aby ye Je boy Geely lags > OLE SI LS. BAL Vy cdl Sy cally Reb ol pa tye GS} Lotls BL OLY Ge] ab ge eel peal pd Ob Bo ll oy tad Ca 5 5 EST Jee Beal SLs Ob A Jol a Hy) Greg Lal ¢ 35 & bl foal) LY ate AU fey 2 JB, ccleall dey Olws bo ese LS! Ne gee Sen ty yil OlkL SI le Jeo, Slats paill yo sles Sloace sty Seas Pate Gyr. She ds ce 2 SI Jub Slr tle ley Bli> 4511) 9) af Oty eral Bl oll Of bey dal Jijb CANA Bo beats 02 ym oe MB caetill Ge pL oly LS g yh o Lebay ely cnn ty SLL food oo tak, J yhsh otal SI lemeal G8 de AU tae Leas oil (She Ley thy gg CUAL aS SLR sOULS CY go LS Ate daly obey : fo 5S) all UU grag g Leg :OUaL I Las . ; "NR a Ugbess of ysis gy soe J) Su Shey had Le a SUL UA, & pad Ol plas Les Jor I ghey32 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Surprised, the Sultan asked him: “What’s this?” “This sandal is a gift for you my lord.” The Sultan asked: “What’s it for?” The man answered: “It is to be worn as follows.” Thereupon the man took a few steps in the sandals. The Sultan was extremely pleased with this, and the courtiers all applauded. They called out: “Long live the sandal! Long live the Sultan! Long live the sandal! Long live the Sultan!” The Sultan then went up to the man and said: “This is a most wonderful present you’ve given me, and it merits the greatest reward!” The Sultan then ordered the Treasurer to come, and when he arrived, the Sultan told him: “Return whence you came.” The courtiers were surprised at this. The Sultan said: “This man deserves a better reward than mere filthy lucre.” He turned to the man, and said: “Esteemed guest, please raise your eyes towards the ceiling.” The man lifted his head. The Sultan asked him: “What do you see?” The man replied: “I see a lamp.” “Behold the reward for your gift!” ‘tee al-Din alMadant 3 AIL olf POUL Lowy ald LA POUL Loe Lal! LAy 21 yay’ 36 Moe ae gf aden 26) SUB fo AI de OtaL I Lah lel A) pt he jlef of ay dey ULSI SSE ener Leb JU Oe Cole shark pit Mo em ope ASU coed mo hel clr Ge br J Ney sus olbl) Sls Ga ps Ny a) cba JM Ges) Lely er J) bE BRS wtoly fori es ALS 5 N34 2OULS aS Lad MObas ot shee BI Jas ede be ol jor LU yay :OUaL SI SLia34 » -* . 21;VI: also known as (239! Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader eg nt Din al Madant Language Notes Tunisia, Algeria and Libya). olyga : a town (and governorate capital) in central Tunisia, proximately 15° km from Tunis. An old centre of ap] _ aks Ut, ot 8) £24E4!: extract from the opening line of the c ic learning, Kairouan is the site of the first mosque in a Uly aj) cg pening Islamic e so-called s)1x; 4Lis, composed by the Persian-born Faris al- ~ northern Africa (or 4,)), and was the first Islamic capital of the region (and a base for military expeditions). wl the traditional capital of northern Morocco, Fes (or Fez) boasts the oldest university in Morocco, dating back to the mid-ninth century and the famous wy mosque. Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, Fés was the undisputed political, economic and intellectual centre of the entire region. The town also achieved great fame as a Hamadhani (968-1008), who is credited with the invention of the Us genre (lit. “standing”, but usually translated as “session” or “assembly”), which consists of social vignettes recounted in razor-sharp, eloquent rhyming prose (a4), The SL are also a cornucopia of rare and archaic words. The genre was further developed by Abi Muhammad al- Qasim Ibn al-Hariri (1054-1122). religious centre. 3)1 (“the white lily”), it is_ | Aslben: the ancient capital of the <-LbU district, situated a type of date (£) known for its exquisite taste. some 300 km from Fés, it acted as the gateway to the - \ gfe: the usual meaning of this term is “Excuse me!” desert and was also the centre for a number of Moroccan or “Don’t mention it!” (in response to |S+, “Thank dynasties. Today, only ruins remain of this most evocative you”). However, it can also mean “of one’s own accord”, of sites. or “spontaneously” (cf. Sse, “spontaneous” and B sae, 12, L248; a town in Tunisia some 350 km southwest of Tunis. “spontaneity”). : q Its name is derived from the Arabicized form of Capsa, pel 4i\y: this formula, which literally translates as “God ___ which was the name of the Roman settlement on that site. knows best” or “(Only) God knows”, is traditionally used __ After playing a considerable part in the country’s history, to express doubt regarding the veracity of a statement. (even including a short independent spell in the eleventh Ay SUL, LAI! in this example of lexical repetition and twelfth centuries), Gafsa (its current Latinized form all three words denote “drought”, with b»3 having the __ feflecting the local pronunciation of J as /g/) dwindled additional connotation of “dearth”, or even “famine”. __ into oblivion. . 4b) ULéé: Lit. “May God spare us”; it is used when someone 13. £441); a Tunisian town and provincial capital (named after is faced with a particularly dire prospect. its founder, 644+ bl 42, d. 934 AD), located on the coast . gelyal: sg. decle; the modern word for “capital (city)”, ; some 200 km south of Tunis. but used in the ‘past for any major urban centre. 14. 0: “cactus”, “Indian fig” (or “tamarind”). However, there is wall: this term, which currently refers to “Morocco”, also a possible play on the homographic > (or ,L « sl), used to denote the Islamic lands in the west (~All, “the ; meaning “(smooth) stones” in Classical Arabic. place where the sun sets”). Note that in English, “Maghrib” 45. NLL: sg._225 (coll. ), which, in addition to “herbs” or tends to be synonymous with “North Africa” (i.e. Morocco, “grass”, also denotes “hemp” (cannabis).36 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader = ‘tz al-Din abMadant 16. Sly ab) UBy: lit. “May God preserve us and you (from Se oramonly used in the sense of “There is plenty of imminent evil).” tunity elsewhere.” (Note that J is feminine!) &Y 25 <23): this is a reference to the fixed expression si wo LSI: this is another extract from a magama Y 5 4eLé) (“contentment is an everlasting treasure by al-Hamadhani (see above), i.e. from the so-called wall which is attributed to ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (d. 661), the ZI, which has the following famous opening lines: Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, who was also the fourth cS gras 33 ee & US caliph in Islam. i Se Sales a cls SS 18. Jui: 5g. Je (pl. also J), originally denoted “sole”. j Gus: sg. 75, “desert” or “wasteland” (also, see below, 1g. 3b) ol 4.4514; this Fés-based school was founded in the dpe) fourteenth century. 32. 2! 7: 88 4%, “open country”. 20. aly): sg. sly (> (indef. pl. j++), which, depending 21. 44): lit. “corner” (of a building) originally meant the cell on the location, can be translated in English as “desert” or of a Christian monk (also 432). In Islam, it refers to “Sahara” (also in Arabic 67S) «| >~2!!). Note that «| >= is small mosque (which in many cases houses a saint’s tomb), grammatically feminine. prayer room or (especially in the Maghrib) a building for 5. ntlad: a small oasis in the Libyan Sahara, near where members of a or brotherhood (4%). the Libyan, Algerian and Tunisian borders meet. It owed 22, Aid: pl. ali; originally the roofed portion of a street. "its former prosperity to its position as a hub in the trans- 23. SUAS: this is the feminine form of J»SI (“black”, __ Saharan trade. especially referring to eyes, with the plural form eas being homonymous with “antimony”; “koh!” (pl. JES"), “Li jw+l: this was the traditional title of caliphs in Islamic history. 8. lis: (<5 (u) “to patrol by night”) Although this 25. aotll jpaill peleel: Mawlay Isma‘il b. alSharif Aba form can only be adjectival (meaning “spending the night ‘Nasr, the second sultan of the Alawid dynasty, who Patrolling”), it is nominalized here to “one who patrols reigned for fifty-five years, between 1672 and 1727. at night”, ic. a “guard” or “night watchman’. This also 26. Ano} Any: this is a Qur’anic phrase: 25 dt we __ betrays the author's origins, as the private guard to the 1.2% X21, (“Return unto thy Lord, content in His good Tunisian ruler, the Bey (SL), was known as # sal) a2.)), pleasure™; 83:23, >i). 39. UY: lit. “our lord”; a variant of Mawlay (SY, “my 27. 559 5S cai SU & Us: this is a typical example of a type of ___ lord”) — commonly transliterated in Morocco as Moulay — word play in Arabic, in which the same root reappears in 3 the honorific title borne by Moroccan sultans. different guises. 40. +55: lit, “cleansing” (cf. (23); the obligatory (minor) 28. Jus: sg. J (pl. also Ue); lit. “dependents”. ___ ablution to be performed by Muslims prior to prayer. It 2g. tenly abl (25h: lit. “God’s Earth is wide”, this expression generally involves washing the face, hands and feet, rubbing38 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader 2 lez al-Din alMadant 39 the head, rinsing the mouth and washing the ears. This jg ith a particularly heinous sight or occurrence. It may be contrasted with the “major” ablution (in order to remedy compared to the eer vend: Satan state of “major” impurity such as after intimate relations atl: (pl. '=) in addition to the meaning in this text, menses), i.e. |“, which refers to washing the entire body ~ this word also denotes “commentary” (in the margin) of a in ritually pure water. The full ablution is also performed book. on corpses. j a ESS Sul Elis: an expansion of the traditional 41. ¢ 98: the verbal noun (4.24) of eS) (a), “to bow”, “kneel greeting Siz, SUI (said by the host), which literally means down”. The individual acts of bending are known as us) “(you are among) kinfolk and on level (i. e. hospitable) (pl. oS}. land”. The expression here literally means “you have 42. jes: verb denoting the uttering of eo oF 5 ny stopped among your people and you have descended upon (“In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful”). The aplain”. There are a number of variants, the most common formula is normally used at the beginning of the recitation ones being yo leases Sul Kb ES (“You have come to a of the Qur'an or any activity. Other such formula-based’ E people who are like kinsfolk and to a place that is smooth verbs include es: “to say abl Y! 33 Vo JS-Y” (“There i and plain”) and sy cab ys Sul E25 (“You have come to no power and no strength save in God”); Jats, to say asl Bie people and you have tread onto’a level plain’) 4 (‘Praise be to God”); <=, to say tl pw (“In the name o 451. Sy: lit. “by God” (in the sense of “I swear”), this expression God”). : Miiised profusely in Arabic in a wide variety of contexts, 43. 2590: (| 41 |g EN) (The Neighing of the White Steed), in 1960, while working as a blacksmith in a foundry in Damascus. The immediate _ Success of the book allowed him to embark on a new career _ aS a government official, while editing several periodicals like _ alMawgif al-Adabi (The Literary Stance), al-Ma‘rifa (Knowledge) and the children’s magazine Usama. Tamir was one of the co-founders of the Syrian Writers’ Union in 1968, and its vice president for four years. After losing his position at al-Ma ‘rifa following the publication of politically “ontroversial extracts from works of the famous nineteenth- fentury reformer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi, Tamir left his 23: town in southwest Tunisia. As an oasis, it once served as a transit point for caravans plying the Sahara Today, Tozeur is perhaps best known as a popular tourist destination.42 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader homeland in 1981 and settled in London, where he edited number of publications while writing articles for the newspay al-Quds al-Arabi (1989-94). Among his many collections of short stories, one may cit LI 3 ees (Spring in the Ashes, 1963); 4£33\(The Thunder, 1970) GI AY E45 (Damascus Fire, 1973); p43) Ko 13 (Why the Ri Fell Silent, 1973); 3} sol! 8953) J (The Flower Spoke to the Bird, 1978); Ue) sal 3 y 900) (Tigers on the Tenth Day, 1 trans. 1997); c el (Noah's Summons, 1994); Laugh, 1998); and 4£4)\ (The Hedgehog, 2005). The following story is an example of how superstition Be 9 al pl sometimes serves as a tool to dominate and exploit women i: traditional societies. Aziza is a beautiful, naive young woma: who is concerned that her husband is on the verge of remarrying another woman. In desperation, she resorts to visiting a sheikh who pretends to know how to undo the magic spell Aziza is allegedly under. This is a tale of deceit and a loss of innocence. — A Lonely Woman44 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader e Zakariyya Tamir Aziza was a beautiful girl with a fear of black cats. She looke Fe CAS ily clo pel) Lhd GES der tne yy worried the moment she sat down in front of Sheikh Said. ae Toe Wag EEE : AM oh pall oe nbd lee CNS see a § S405 aad eyes were jet-black and fiery. They closed in on Aziza, whol Bevel cr trying to ward off an ever-increasing panic, exacerbated by th Hig ly so le SUI SpE CIS pis Orel smell of incense rising from a copper dish, which filled he py Wet a ed they op Seled! pA Sul) Le nostrils and slowly numbed her body. j whey Sheikh Said said: “So, you want your husband to return to Sees 93 A go OT ype J OI) chee Atl Sg you?” “I want him to return to me,” Aziza replied, hesitantly. y hs ae ub BE ASA Sheikh Said smiled as he added, mournfully: “His famil yp O92 2 alaly :OLESY ALG C52 f Ley aw eH ene wants him to get married again.” Ws By He threw bits of incense into the dish filled with live coa oar ri ert a and said: “Your husband will return to you, and he will no Bc 8 ey 8 att yy ee Get J take another wife.” His voice was sedate and soft, and soothed : ASUS oA TIF By tbr 95 Hs) Aziza, who heaved a deep sigh of satisfaction. The Sheikh’s face Li) dal se hd axslbll 3 apie ee bole 5 Spe OSs lit up. “However, my work doesn’t come cheap,” he said. Aziza’s face dropped. Staring at the gold bracelet on her : Su et A» ia) ee oe) te eel a wrist, she said: “I'll pay you what you want.” q ect 2 LAS Ny SF hy Cy 13 p56 Ary visu The Sheikh grinned, and said: “You will lose a little, but you _ ZL will regain your husband. Do you love him?” By UE oye 2S pial Bad Kae at te Aziza angrily muttered under her breath: “No, I don’t.” eae cteiieet e “Did you have a fight with him?” gt Sieger? ota 90 eae oe “I quarrelled with his family.” ' ; Maa): Ltn 3 i je Cate “Does your chest feel tight?” 4 C8 dre ales | —y, “L sometimes feel as if I have a heavy weight on my chest” reals ie Sees “Do you have any disturbing dreams?” ¢45 “At night I always wake up from my sleep, frightened.” f oe Ee ode tees eo Sheikh Said shook his head several times and_ said: P MS pee esi ne OS Gal atl =p “Obviously, your in-laws have bewitched you.” 4 AE dha g clSl dens po Utel aa -) : : Z _« 2 Aziza was gripped with fear and shouted: “What can I do? Aa geo Uy J 1 3 Letts Paes 35 bi of 4 Y rJby oly ena Sg pew HCE fest Ley ouisay 8p ge oe)!46 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Zakariyya Tamir “To end their magic spell would require ten pounds’ Wolpe ed ye SI ce tee IO of incense.” ply claps J Ley ol gb ibd sys co 3h Aziza was silent for a moment. She raised her hand to } chest, and took out ten pounds from her dress. She handed t ell ujs \day 256 tan at Ugkel, or money to Sheikh Said, and said: “That's all I have.” HEN) ots) le 286 Si ly dae QI ag qoaierbmeammetceinet: BPN Mell aD late ein a 50 Rene Gaetead all nen cron the compen Lith aan Be a) A el cee peal sly pot at embers’ were’ glowing over smooth white’ ashes! Helmam CF tig OV Mecall Opes 3) Ope SOU FD ses a tlly eal et af pl al cE al ols’ eB ool EU ac phy OU LIB 2M) ASL blow Bote i I] ab das og See GUI OLLI 53) —» BG 6 i) eH! cL! Bt Get cad ILS slo pl “UG ye By ie Cll BAS dla Gee so eel (bs a FBI eae dey SE ob a pl ale all ley oy OL By je Cambsly some more incense, and said: “My brothers, the jin, hate the light and love darkne: because their houses are underground.” j Outside, the day was like a white-skinned woman. The s yellow rays burned down on the streets and fused with # murmur of the crowds. Sheikh Said’s room, however, was d and quiet. q “My brothers, the jinn, are kind. You'll be lucky if you ga their love. They love beautiful women. Remove your wrap.” Aziza took off her black wrap, revealing her buxom bod enveloped in a tight dress, to Sheikh Said. The Sheikh started read from a book with yellow-stained pages in a low, mysterio voice. After a while, he said: “Come closer ... Lie down here.” Aziza lay down near the incense dish. Sheikh Said put hi hand on her forehead while he continued reciting strange word Suddenly, he said to Aziza: “Close your eyes. My brothers th Jinn will arrive shortly.” 3 Aziza closed her eyes and the Sheikh’s voice rose, in a hi commanding tone: “Forget everything.” The Sheikh’s hand touched her smooth face. She rememb her father. The Sheikh’s hand was rough, and had a stran smell. It was a big hand, no doubt with many wrinkles. AES Baty Lab hor SiG gets yor y wali ANI PRE Sys y tela 5S Ul ye Ay Ba bee Aa! A) OL Ad! old ealall wall Ls Bek lems hipieo SHS pye se atl y alsy voice, too, was strange; it rose gradually in the quiet room wil its dust-coloured walls. The Sheikh’s hand reached Aziza’s neck. She remember48 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader i ; Zakariyya Tamir 49 her husband’s hand; it was soft and tender, like a wom E NAGS olf SUS Ly Ah. He, worked as, a\clerk in/a\ grocery shop,owned bya ag o F aha cence : ca: He never once attempted to caress her neck with tendern meee mer ie Sah Sor 00 ites instead) his clawing fingers would grope the ficsh\oA/ a Hgts de Ole Fete de oy tre LIS Lynas Get The Sheikh placed both his hands on her. His hands gen Ga 8s cpt) J} Olas SP AH LE J) Ol tady Gy ran across her full breasts, and then moved down along the: ro Lye ody ae cals shy Legale kha ns of her body, only to return once more to her bosom. This 3 Bales pe phe en aes ties however, they were less gentle and began to squeeze her brea an f ferociously. Aziza moaned. With difficulty, she opened ia Be s3 Uke nny 26 OF Mee ne Gell dnl gazing at the wisps of smoke spreading through the room. | OU 5 +} sl» 1 JB ob ote cle gael 4) Sheikh Said took his hands away from Aziza. He continu sy clgatee cnetly Bole 5p td Byis dee gor his reading, added some incense on the burning embers in dls Ber ye eT als tg Pcp aes eet dish, and said: “My brothers the jinn are coming ... Th : F aa i . : coming” tel EB my a cf OH clad Ogee OLLI A sharp jolt spread through Aziza’s body, and she closed : Cpe JS ELE 0 glare 9 (0 ght Lis & le eyes. With a voice that seemed to come from the other sid : AVY) 76 8 5 pe et the world, Sheikh Said intoned: PW eb gdgen ple GdaS Gert ope |g Lobes “My brothers, the jinn, love beautiful women. You’ Cr ara beautiful, and they'll love you. I want them to see you nak Be 9 CI) Foe Spall ery age OS) when they come. They'll take away all the magic spells.” Yaw dehy od le a tidy 2M le I See ; : i 4 if 4 BAS Adley The sheikh replied sternly: “They will hurt you if they do ES love you.” Aziza remembered a man she once saw in the street. He ¥ - screaming like a wounded animal before collapsing, white foa CS BB 5 oly y ENS y gS Sol) Slo jly forming on his mouth, kicking with his hands and legs as if] WSLS oS lel VLG | Shai s3lad tee peat was drowning. Panic-stricken, Aziza whispered: “No ... no ... : 0 glee -) “No... no... no. s STerecomine. j re) ot Sas ¢ stall 8S Yas OW Lae, cbs! % BI of The smell of incense grew much stronger. Aziza started breathe loudly. Sheikh Said shouted: “Come, blessed © come!” Aziza heard faint, joyful laughs and words she could understand. She sensed the presence in the room of aso Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Zakariyya Tamir number of dwarf-like creatures. She could not open her ey spite of repeated attempts to do so. She felt the creatures’ breath on her face. One of them grabbed hold of her lower and greedily squeezed it. 4 The carpet felt rough under her naked back. The incense fur gathered and turned into a man who held her in his arms anaesthetized her with his kisses. A wild fire erupted in her b} as the mouth left her lips and moved to the rest of her b Aziza was panting, too afraid to move. Then her fear subsi and she slowly began to experience a novel sense of ecstasy. She smiled as she looked at white stars, a dark-blue sky, y plains and a fiery red sun. She heard the murmur of a river in, distance. However, the river would not remain remote. She laug with joy. Sadness was a child that was running away from her. N she was an adolescent. The neighbours’ son kissed and embraced’ ~ SIE ods, ees ody od. SS \ ear ONG RtAY No... No ... This was shameful. Like when the baker’s assistant g her some bread while she was standing at the door of her house; A 2 yal a A ys peo eh oe as s 2 5 suddenly, his hand shot out and pinched the nipple of her small brea tne we ot By oS pak Ls J) ade cm Neat Stem She was hurt, angry and confused. Where is his hand? Ah, h Pee aes end EN 9 th oe ue it is. His hand once again touched her body. On her weddi GB tal cl WL pdm sl ie Sse Ul Spire opey night she had screamed in pain, but now she does not scream. a WBF Rte CUM y Be CT Bie ce pH U atl saw her mother holding up a handkerchief, soaked with blood, F . her relatives looked on, curiously. Her mother was shouting, her fa 9 Bg JE Vy pul D) fey Gai GU et a ; AS Later J ly «all flaw PE sal Spier dae ye LG te dee atl Lely PS Nel at Jf bad sell gee Cll essa coll eal) pate aa dpe eb Gly naa opty patel y Jai gris le oly Sy cg sba Le gh oF EES Gobel IS, ety TLE Le ty tele ow nda Lor J Srey pe DN TE Sl ity Yet Sf pill OS Les os Bde pb N35 2s Jee de Byh5 reer Spd BABS 655) Lay Lay Lid yah ours cad oat es Re PR Ee p> HB colnet ys de Mg) Lerlace 3S 2 Ub OB).c stl Ls Ja} AOS Ltcey nea NN Agile Vd) UMS 3 pS Bde po Pye de ca Ge Le Rly py VA Ub ge beaming with joy: “My girl is the most honourable! Let our enemi die of envy!” 3 Aciga returned to the dry, yellow fields. The clouds were high the sky. The heat of the sun was close to her. She twisted and turnt Slushed, her body burned by a fierce beat. The sun was a fire clo in on her, sneaking into her blood. Aziza resisted peaking, At moment, the rain poured down, and her entire body shuddered. After a short while, Sheikh Said moved away from Aziza naked body and headed towards the window. He drew back #l curtains. Daylight flooded the room, setting Aziza’s white fle aglow. j54 y~ + . 3+: this is one of the plurals of ¢{ (“brother”), the off . Ser (coll. cf. Sleisg. =) “Genie” (djinn, jinn) refers Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Zakariyya Tamir Language Notes d Egypt. The same root has also given us os8, “mad? or _ adman” (i. e. one possessed by a jinn). 4 this is a large cloak or shawl often made of wool, s: this is an old-fashioned, traditional name rapped around the top half of the body with one end derives from the male name » 3, which is also an adjecy cked in under the arm and enveloping the body. meaning “precious” or “dear”. It is worth pointing out. ; in some Arab countries incense is used to keep the many Arabic and Muslim names have adjectival m eye away from the sick. In the United Arab Emirates, and most of them are used for both sexes, eg. ( instance, guests are usually provided with coffee and (“happy”), (e+ (“sound”), (8) boo (“beautiful”), smell of incense as soon as they arrive. In recent years (“rightly guided”). has been an increase in the varieties of incense aroma. 2 Geb: (pl. 29), variously transcribed in English as Shai Phey come in the shape of sticks or powder, or the raw Shetk, Shaykh or Sheikh, the word initially meant “old m dient is grated. (this meaning is also used in the Qur’an). Later on, UG JF : small ghostly creatures (here referring to jinn); term became a title referring to a leader, noble or elder, . el “dwarf”. 5 reas 4 aed is also a term of address for an Islamic religious or I t his is a reference to an old tradition, which scholar, while it is often extended to those purporting still alive in some areas (especially in the countryside). have this expertise, as is the case in this story. Sheikh After the consummation of the marriage on the wedding ight, a white sheet or cloth with the bride’s blood on who pretends to have the power and knowledge to un is paraded as a sign that she was a virgin, and thus an magic spells. jourable girl from an honourable family. in this story is not a genuine Islamic scholar, but someo one being 0! +}. Note, however, that there is a differet in meaning; the latter plural is used in the sense ‘brethren’, as in, for instance, 0 LL) OI YI, “The Mi Brotherhood”. / ghosts or spirits created out of fire (cf. Qur. 15:26-7), wh are frequently mentioned in the Qur'an (sira 72 is alm entirely devoted to them) as well as in many folk tales (1 least of which in The Thousand and One Nights). Often to be endowed with magical powers, the jinn of folklo can take on many shapes, while many people believe th are much like humans, capable of being good and b The jinn are part of popular beliefs mainly in North AMubammad alZafeaf Jiving on the margins of society. His is a literature of iI realism, arguing the cause of those who cannot express ves, often doing so in the local vernacular. The story ented here, The Sacred Tree (taken from the homonymous ction), provides a good example of both the type of ‘ se and subject matter tackled by al-Zafzaf. The language Muhammad al-Zafzaf ‘tandard Arabic, yet clearly Moroccan (or North African) ‘ 4 way it is used, with a number of peculiarly Moroccan +s, This fits in well with the subject, which, despite certain srsal features, is quintessentially Morrocan and reveals a t many things about that country’s contemporary society. same time, al-Zafzaf is not a “political” author, as such; is no pamphlet or treatise dressed up as a work of fiction. ,, it is fiction with a social conscience, drawn from real- Born in 1942 in Siig al-Arba‘a al-Gharb (Souk Larbaa El Gh near Qunaitra in Morocco, Muhammad al-Zafzaf stud philosophy at the University of Rabat (Mohammed V) b becoming a secondary-school teacher in Casablanca, wl would remain his home until his death in 2001 after a lot suffering illness. : Considered the master of the Moroccan short story, Zafzaf is held in the greatest esteem all over the Arab wo He produced an impressive body of work, including mai novels as well as plays and criticism. His short story collecti include AE [5 3 yl > (Latenight Dialogue, 1970), ¥b\y (Low Houses, 1977), 3331 (The Strongest, 1978), 440) 3 Pe ( in the Forest, 1982), %14l\ 5 =-4\ (The Sacred Tree, 1980) and 341 (King of the Jinn, 1984; Spanish trans. 2002). Interestin in the West al-Zafzaf is mainly known as a novelist than! translations into French and Spanish of some of his no such as 525 331y 15M (The Woman and the Rose, Spanish 1997), Eh) 425 (The Cock’s Egg) and ais 54h: oil (The Fox Who Appears and Disappears, French trans. 2004). 1 French translation of Sh) i22, L’oeuf du Cog, received prestigious Grand Atlas Prize in 1998. { Like others in his generation (such as Muhammad Shuk al-Zafzaf gave a voice to ordinary Moroccans, esp ci events; the realism is palpable and the narrative enthralling, tragedy often commingled with comedy.The Sacred Tree dw tall 3 pel Some youngsters who had enjoyed some education sim a are plendl dai | 5! Sus esis oll Olt Uae smiled with derision and contempt. What did it matte; F BNL 6 5 pret Abi co odo gags ISL sl jee y them if they cut down a tree in an abandoned place? What paleo A Tea en baile ess i it matter to them, even if it was a towering tree that was ; ee ee ie Sy 23 a garden and heavy with delicious fruit that fell because it by DOLE» & 9 pill de tiles IBF gl clocks sf eae ripe or rotten, or remained hanging from the branches? 5 gl Aa SEY cee tall Goth Dy a i pee © ll They were stretching themselves, craning their necks, - Booed ope VAS edad) GUS better to look at the crowd milling around. They did not F cei a et : any attention to the work that was going on in the middle Be SF aN ciel oe cl sll dhe oo petit shy this clearing where there was nothing but a tree. Behind it, th si ohbe ol) sai «cls! AG be coe be bie kipharnnei rs ieee: — a Z UN p> ol WLS a> ysis OAs Lal § LLU, de Sie slowly erected. Behind the high-rise panels, there were darl P a bteeY) taal Jb, ee es coloured buildings in which the window frames hadi Be tbl ola dees cb - been fitted, the giant gaps redolent of the gaping ma Bett at ae hee Nl oe LBV oe AU ee KL mythical animals. A cordon of auxiliary security forces formed Og a eel cr tight circle, preventing anybody from approaching the cle: ALLAYI oii Jie, cle GE Openls oul PUT ac OS Ne gf USVI le Sb pay ites Oyo p lS ol BL ol Eats fe WCF fab Gt j eee where the tree stood on a brown sandy hillock. A crowd gathered behind the hedge made up of the auxil NOG S355 Jig aL ob ccpeledl OLA ae Shel ails sil troops, who responded violently, flailing their batons yA) chad Le opel Noda — SS ak Ld OS yl ale Oe cl tig SL DE Slat eg oS bate Flee IS 9 ad Gye ther BELS ord eal NM AB OU) LI Us few de cLaadll Coe JS dle — 3 pet ls shoulders and knees. One could hear the laments — perhaps was a child being trampled underfoot, desperately clinging to mother, barefoot and covered in rags. Behind, some youngst with a modicum of education continued to crane their necl One of them said to his neighbour: “That’s what the state does best.” “What's it to you what the state does? What do you they cut a tree? The day after tomorrow they'll build a mo building, and that won’t have anything to do with you eitht The money for the rent won't go into your pocket!” “Fair enough, but this magical nonsense should be root out. They continue to worship this tree.”60 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Muhammad al-Zafeaf “They'll worship it even more once it’s been cut down!” | “Quite the contrary, they'll forget all about it.” The crowd around the clearing continued to grow, with pler of jostling forwards and backwards. Some rifles and thick-end batons were raised into the air and then swooped down ha arms and bodies. A woman pulled back her snotty-nosed ch and said to another woman, who completely ignored her; “What's that tree got to do with us? This government wag the curse of Sidi Daud to descend upon it. Believe you me, n one of them will be able to sleep tonight without som bad happening to them.” “What does the government care?” said the second wom (cad Lee AS UE peaks Gp ; Mp Be bo Li Sy LM Sl gill 5p dae gl Sym ple oI ee SF 87 KE 6957) ela pan! any Jolis) 15 call Gab al pl oom plan gf 3M) ae le , le eid TAY Us ey bid eal) wy Les Jj OT 45 Xe ode $53 ptt Jy WL - 9 UD ace 2ak Ol ge tel ghee oy dil, 2993 r Ug) aac of Oy as aT LI I, END gabaty op Nl ccgSLadl Sle Eds gf SIL SLI — PD pha ee} LS voted |S Ae "0 ALI dea eget pil : BI 3 Opisy Lila gee J 6S op 45, nbs Lo Jy Ul ft) cs af Aad) J) Lae ts lgals “ens bl ol 00S Of CIE AY > Ue of SG ABV sol 3 dle fe Gly aL Ce Orban Sm Sig cy NLS eS 5 cpl coe Wut b without even turning around. “It’s the poor devils that are cutting the tree that'll be by the curse. The makhzen keeps well clear of it. They’re al making people dig their own graves, while they make they’re out of harm’s way.” The woman realized that it was dangerous to talk like tha and she started to tremble with fear, anxiously looking aroun She was scared that one of the makhzen agents might be behi her and would take her down to the police station, where would be flogged and hung like a sheep from a butcher's hoe in one of the cells. She thought about the three children yj jy J i oles had to feed after her husband had passed away. <3) LG ales gle ae é Sept ais 4 SA) — She continued talking to the woman next to her: as es government know what they’re doing. They wouldn’t cut @ tree if there wasn’t a good reason.” E eA MAY The other woman asked: “So, you're not afraid of the cuts S89 My HLS alt Bog glo Caen Bid oye cade YI — of Sidi Daud? Shut your mouth or he'll come to you pid gab oda you're asleep tonight!” “And what am I supposed to have done to Sidi Daud? Ti just a poor widow, trying to make ends meet and care for # MOG 56h i nib Le fo 2 2] Sogo Saeed cb Ley — «peg ISG Cy LU Jott SY pe SI op af el children as best I can!” The woman left the crowd. She didn’t want any problem64 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Muhammad al-Zafeaf 65 : \ of one of them, preceded by a few of his men, who Jak PM Sah td) eel eA Ogre gs oe clearing a path for him. At first, the people were shog ; iso Dae, Ce El aie S pes dott gens ast see him. Some began to curse him under their breath, wl ; aa is op seal SS shh Dye shal pili policemen lashed out in every direction. 4 tall obs! ally of a The party was surrounded by a cloud of dust. Only the va ol BYLAWS e i sn chief knew how important it was to appear cool and ind; ag Alar oS byl ¢@ Le pat clogs de VY sts The slightest movement could trigger no end of un: s b is JS « als Gots! Clicl, worly clrally ¢ plex, chaos, especially in matters as sensitive as this one. Du eee up. Then, there were cries, and the fleeting movement o| Blas i sa ¢ ey eile vt os a wags J a 3 and rifle butts. All this was necessary at such a time. The ‘ rt) ly ‘ 6239 5! a Se ues ah del ruler in the world only has to do one thing - to keep his r Opis all GS anti wes ol Yo ai cdablix under control. The greatest head of government minister, fof ust Lites fo Say z : 7 2b SB pal sl | ony ict chief, or whatever, all of them have to make sure of onl ‘ A Mes ery FO} ple eV ab thing, namely to keep themselves under control. dni bin at ella) 2 Pots $ ‘és € ce ie However, those who receive orders do not con BY pgs fais CY UW) od Bye Oy jill Ne themselves. Sometimes they, of their own accord, think th ROAM ol pe cg 1 yV! lew Of glares coli 3 aS enforcing an order that has come down to them. Any hea By 5 aay alin 2 aa 3g yo a Oy jal state is capable of receiving a slap in the face and still : is : . i glee wisi smiling in front of television cameras. People will admire LOLGNh af olf OLY Sel 2 glee precisely because he did not react the way they would have 7 Gol! click, ye ol pes es oY e23l ~ indeed as they do for the slightest thing. However, whe bL-t a ows diel aa) yyy edie lool camera lights are not trained on him, that very same leader ’ ans : = oy plac Vi beins, cls 555 ob iV & pai just as easily give the order to destroy tens of cities. Afte Ss. J’ ¢ y 9 Lao 9 ger gil 55g al e he will hold grand speeches, cloaking himself in the inno PU sis eae Of Ge a oe ol Jyby | Sr Y of one who respects his fellow man. BS bate clynm (3 plas dad SE Gye cl) 0» jill Arms and voices rose, rifle butts pierced the sky, someti (oa olde pig hitting a baton or a skull. There were screams, faces 002i ae fake RANE List with blood, bodies collapsing to the ground. The police ¢ FAA o> 5 ads ad pb oe ah (5 Gold) ae never made the slightest movement; he tried to prepare hin for when he would become a minister, standing in front television camera. (Stand firm! The hour of vengeance is neat, you will be able to destroy tens of cities.) / Some of the rifle butts inadvertently brushed against ht because of the thickness of the crowd, those people66 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader e Muhammad al-Zafeaf worshipped this tree. Yet, he did not flinch. He retained hj smile, despite the dust that coated his face and a large part pees sink ejb seals! Jey YASUE tl) oA pp cpl eh OF ae caer All ow 2 oF tery oes é abla) Babi 8b Ay le nS am Baad ore LIK Bs ge ape bal Ln cle lsh le bie. vial pete Se A SI Ol aly pall oo Bx GO lb Be sok oh Sd Stele, Weld « call cLadll 3 plot os tsa Mois glscis pls La te dd LEE Sze La Gils! Lees i US cots els Aadhy Betty paqerala : IS JS 5 fy IE JS op Glee ole) he sake 3 PG Ln! ge VI Lae Vl cally Ny egal ee ts Ny pal by asd de epee SPL CIS ype 8 badly gol ol lS Wy Bl Cael, Binal ¢ LN obs UN) 658 Bee, IS 51 LAS ca Ol tor ode Ute LS F HAUG BSS iy Wy dilgthy OA 8 yas ost Mos Got Bike Br Cr EIS CL My OL SLi gd cat Il del uoletly op ae y oy Lbs ope eal tI ae lel GAL one Sill) Sle! Saw Le OSU 3 I pity pane OL AN 959 OL ail J pis Creat pills gals oplally MIE UW A ae 8) ph de oh Ss AI toh Cd old) Ste! dl de peopled pied Eb ols te dip bol Le throng. However, one of those receiving orders had lost h control. Thrown from God knows where, a large stone on the police chiefs head, fracturing his skull. He s; ground, his smile still fixed on his lips, lying in a pool o and soil. The troops opened fire. Stones were flying thro air, heavy with dust. Shots rang out, though no one knew they were coming from. Bodies fell. Others fled, scatterj every direction, pushing and shoving one another. A clot dust rose up. It was a fully-fledged battle, total chaos. Feelings of anger, fear, hatred, courage and cow, enveloped the tree that lay lifeless on the ground. Bullet flying everywhere, ripping everything in their path. Ev became blurred: the laments, the weeping and dying s police chief's lips still had a smile on them, despite the bl and soil, as though tens of cameras were crowded around hi order to get a shot of him. The people began to disperse. The narrow streets bec empty as the doors and windows dotted along the hap! built walls were shut. Eyes appeared through the cl crannies in the walls, windows and doors. However, thes did not see anything except the troops, spread out across clearing or posted at the entrance of the maze of squalid in which the sewage and garbage had amassed. ‘ Some shopkeepers, greengrocers, spice merchants and © small traders left their goods in order to take shelter whet they could. A few old women who sold henna, herbs, lo produced soap and various magic paraphernalia such as tails, and crows’ heads, scattered in every direction, abando their wares on the pavement. The policemen approached chief, who signalled to them to take him to one of the cars. of the policemen was struck by the chief's extraordinary sttet of character when he saw him lying there, still smiling as th nothing had happened.68 1. Obadhs og. oe ED (pl. e23). . 135: MCA “rent (money)” (pl. & wl), we, “to rent”, “hi e+: lit. “muzzle”, “snout”. number of dialects (e. g. Egyptian and Iraqi as Moroccan). It is important to note that JL here do refer to “money” or “wealth”: ; rather, it is a particle us denote possession. MSA: .3 Wy UL S+e: strictly speaking ++ (“Mister”, “Sir”), the here is pronounced sid? and is used in North Afric people enjoying a high social or religious status. It is the usual epithet for saints, as is the case here: 29413 It is sometimes abbreviated to wie. aig ee O3#: lit. meaning “storehouse” (< word is used here in the peculiarly Moroccan sense of authorities” (formerly only the Treasury, i.e. e the money is stored”). ‘ “a makhgan man” (see above 0 ;#), i.e. “govern official”. “district”. ; cham “metempsychosis”. Note that O06 4.25 223 mes 1 “to transmigrate (the spiri pretend to be someone else”, “to take over someon € | pcre 4 “to seek a blessing (2) from a saint. a go Ce jw (‘secretly’). \ lS: this ifecremine? is increasingly used, at the dettIbrahim al-Faqih n ); Le c+ Sst (Valley of Ashes, novel, 1995); 3 183 les, Diana and Me, and Other Stories, 1999); and 34 soi GL: (Who's Afraid of Agatha Christie?, novel, 1999). Bisco edited a volume of translated short stories written n authors that had originally appeared in the London- i jagazine Azure under the title Libyan Short Stories (1999). Ibrahim al-Fagih b bly his most ambitious project to date is the prize- ; trilogy ‘eae as Gardens of the Nights, 1995), ing of sje! ats otal (1 Shall Offer Another City); is (These Are the Borders of My Kingdom); and 34 | faced (A Tunnel Lit by a Woman). Like the Egyptian s f (The Lamp of Umm Hashim, 1944) Ahmad Ibrahim al-Faqih was born in 1932 into a middle family in Mizda, a small village in the famous macadan judanese al-Tayyib Salih’s Slat) J) 34 e534 (Season of +1 241 ala! (Hamada Hamra), about 100 miles soutle ution to the North, 1969), al-Faqih’s trilogy highlights the Libyan capital Tripoli. After completing his secondary ed Ic ov een ee cae Gree) Libyan = in Libya, he went to Egypt in 1962 to study journalism. \ : ee the een Pawnee eer Seen penta he returned to Libya, al-Faqih worked briefly as a jo Bie + some point Laeted and the realization that before moving to London to study theatre. Resettling in] . Oe cccsan test 6 A aN iy i 3 aa p ; Lo ald p gos i Cogn Extent alto preoccupied with alienation, albeit nt in a ‘ iia q ditional sense inasmuch as it depicts the protagonist’s diplomat attached to the Libyan embassy, he completed ty to deal with changes in tradition for reasons rooted antag ORTH of Edinburgh. . ’ 1 himself rather than being based on experiences outside Together with Ibrahim al-Kawni (al-Koni)- a fellow n Hive society. The result, however, is no less dramatic and of the so-called “Sixties Generation” — al-Fagih is undoubi ind at times even comic, all of which is powerfully one of the most famous and influential Libyan authors yed by al-Fagih’s tight, patished preietGie Wenn present day. He has published the following collectio d velops, is increasingly at odds with the protagonist’s short stories: 4.5 «Le Y 23) (The Empty a 1966); # disarray. actall (Fasten Your Seatbelts, 1968); ) Se othe tt + (Five Bet Ruling the Tree, 1998); and \omzind 52 (Reflections of Ve addition, al-Faqih has also been prolific as a journali: critic, playwright and novelist. Several of his works have translated into English, including ove (Gagelles, andExcerpt from The Book of The Dead hl OLS i Joe pai ice Vig clasace ail cb 8) ala Sb grr 5 Bad) Ae SV OWS -Claall Nie 1 pall ay ppb free oS 3p gt LAS LE y cae pill 5 rome al LS ppg ELL) Grell ail te SUE DL be eo) / HLS qa fy lie pl als B OU Gl Le BI yah cle JS dale) 2 LS paSh ey pemene Aol) obs fade hy esl he Ul oe oy sgl Lyle 1 pa 8 bls) ely cSt) Shall igh Me a of pres lay SyloMl J : gh pill OF Lege g ype nb ULE paddle Abeny Of andi Bel wigs OF O92) OW cd crttl LL clad o aaly BON cs te a als OVS g yom Jl any cali ole Joli ee gil 8 SU) acted Vp Ate: cyan stele Gre NS eye BU pretiny patelia J} al 3 Oprln abs S gle ob nas, al fal dere 3 } lS thei) Sara) Gli cute soy buat! re Su) Joo OE oe Shen GN gl op ee GU La!) oe BL Syl BENS cocks ye Licks Of YY] fuaall ges sell Cornell epg them ou St tcid ad SSM cag Le jb! cL J SYOLL I, aco I) as Fetes opal Mole alo ale bens At first he thought that they had all, for some reason, ¢ to play truant that morning. On his way to class, the Mr Abd al-Hafiz, had walked past the teachers’ room, H had got into the routine of taking roll call. He contin journey to the classroom through the long hallway, the which were covered with notices and students’ drawings, When he saw that the door at the end of the hallw closed, without a sound emanating from inside the room. of the usual racket that could be heard every morning, h that the little devils had invented some excuse for not t up for class that day. It also meant that he had to ret the school office to have it out with them about this recu absenteeism. He swore that he would record any sti unauthorized absence, whatever their excuse or reason. As if to remove all doubt he opened the door, and so much as glancing inside he closed it again. He consi going back to the school office, were it not for the faint | he had heard when opening the door. He looked insid | and, much to his surprise, he discovered that they were all t They were sitting properly in their seats, quietly opening copybooks and silently studying or writing. They beha though they had suddenly transformed into grown men. Abd al-Hafiz entered the classroom, completely dumbstt He immediately started looking around to see whether the cat’ from the Ministry was lurking somewhere. Indeed, possible explanation for this eerie calm that pervaded thi was that one of the ministerial inspectors had arrived b him to conduct an inspection round in order to embarras: in front of the students and record that he had arrived74 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrahim al-Fagih 1 Us socl ys EB ely ayy SLs plas) 3 oy pier ole Bet He Sp dy! Slee OW Gat ail 4 ad ol bell Ve eis ol aly Leal a Gps a) 8 La Nel vane Lea] a it ON skee tally 52 Gb feed le pti oe lols Leet ti ai gl iy, ts 6 US et JS OS oe Lg Lt aes dle Bt Joa I cplel) Aly Lie 44}) aloms Of > gai 5 IS MY ple Wy BE Se Le aS yi md Mg 3 BL BAS 9 AS ye) ki ge BLY de py Sy cel aS'y Pp fail WIS. ge AS od a Sly Lol Ly eased seb eal dal I gly coda DE es Lanta y Pike gl tatebs AAT SS Gin Sy lbe Jory 4 Me Le clans bole Jail [els Bist IS OS carpe BP Stee tl 3B olaal jor Alb on J sl Cy all Kel all J pwcall OWN 4) ale frail 37 a1 page (ads of enlist co cul Peles) de sade Sold bl gal y Of oye yt abl ES 51S Ny aL ae Le OFS pats Lie Ge Ge Ley Pp AnH ONS Sey te 3 plow — by pie — of abn GES w PB pF SS a ie LE Lego ail gee I Ollae tl ys SA SAS el gl JSG 7 F935 AAG Bs Gee y odie Lab deal! SUS class. But then Abd al-Hafiz looked at the clock, and reassured that he was on time, no doubt about it, He defiantly raise his head to this inspector, whom he im standing next the blackboard. However, there was nobody; What kind of prank was this? He knew about the cat-andy game these inspectors were so proficient at, and inflicted , him. He walked around the blackboard and the desk, in cas inspector was hiding behind one of them, but there was n or mouse. He stopped for a minute, baffled and at a los explain what was going on. His gaze wandered around the in search of something out of the ordinary, but everythin the way it should be: each boy was sitting at the desk whicl been allocated to him at the beginning of the year; the wit was still the same; the mulberry tree behind it, which recently sprouted leaves, still stood proud and tall; the draws on the wall were the same feeble and primitive scribblings had always been there; the blackboard had not moved an | from its place. This was definitely his classroom and these y definitely his students, with their usual faded, grimy feat He had not taken the wrong route into work, nor hat entered a school on another planet, in another country or Everything inside the classroom was as it should be, that is, for this eerie calm, which he had never witnessed classroom for as long as he had been a teacher. His attention was drawn to a previously empty seat back of the class which was now occupied by one of the stude whom he was used to seeing in front of him, at the first on the left. He was about to ask him for the secret behind change when his attention was drawn to the student’s for seat, where he suddenly discovered a demon — God help us sitting quietly. There was no doubt that this was a demon had taken on the guise of a girl, and was sitting in this 5 close to him, impudently and shamelessly. It was against laws of nature!76 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrahim al-Faqih He looked at her with consternation as she sat am male students as if she was one of them, as if she had them, and they her, for ages; as if this was a perfectly ng and natural thing to do; as if there was nothing wron the fact that a girl was present in a school for boys class devoted to the teaching of boys. He continued to g1 her, both in terror and astonishment, as though he had g corpse in his class. How could Mr Abd al-Hafiz bear a sight of this kind? all, this was not a girls’ school, but a boys’ school, wl the teachers and students were male! How could this girl ended up here, and what right did she have to come her sit down, in front of him, on this morning? He was never to allow any creature to catch him unawares like this, He got up that morning, done his prayers, had breakfast, sh corrected his students’ assignments, put on his coat and to school without even the slightest inkling that there wou a demon in the shape of a girl brazenly sitting in front of by gil 9S aK ows HE ey Uy gee Ul) BV obs 2k AE IML dy ph wi Lely Sie Bell J pail faby de ple 3 0S ol Ded abet sp lS fly 65 3 led by pl ce Sp aS ge Ce gto OF Hat Le LSU AS 5 Js oY SU ee Le} OL te CS ole of "Lal ee SJ cast ode US 3} AS (53 Eh IS Ley [auf eam oS 4] chee Ne aS Late (obey Cele aly hag ot pall UAH Sb ne dle UK ods of ul" BN 5 HW aS ervey cadd Gly co lbil Sybsy D5 SS hy ae of 8G Gal SOG of Oyo Wyall Ueley US op LE pail Se call le 3 alee tle y Ce LOY) Susy clgiebes of os get ley > tl Sf Lats op aa US le cog: Lele Go ylde Eo cpr Ge ope SL ls Fay STUB be pal Lely nS tee oe Je th lB at 8 VU ny 8 oe pAb LIS oly Soe CAIN Y ad CY oe I pl ol ptety oes Meola si lat yoy yrdy sles 3 ley edly OK P96 5S Le Sy ch] O grate Le I] Cateye MSs ily b oth LY Col obe oly cad Ogres Po Neale Of anil eas gaily chs ale ee pede Lgily LAN pe He could never have imagined that this was going to happ him! He had always imagined that girls had to study other thi that they were taught by female teachers and surrounde girls in schools especially for them, which had big iron and high walls and were filled with mystery and secrecy. He thought that what was taught to boys was for males 0 and any female ought to be embarrassed and ashamed to hes He could never have imagined that any girl would depart fro1 principles of decency and modesty and sit down in class to with boys, with a total lack of shame and morals; to listen to things the boys listened to, to write down what they wrote de and to be examined on the things they were examined on. this girl, she must surely be lost — either that, or she had s! into the school through the window. She was clearly eng some plot against him, and he was not going to treat her8 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader F Ibrabim al-Fagih other students, even if it was a sin or a crime under the | sAal Lge Bly tt > gh epi] AUS 3 IST OU + 1909) which he would be made to appear before a judge. wsloall MI He was afraid that the students had noticed the t b f 3 3 dEN ¢ sf e op abel Ol be a5 LI OS ol turmoil that had gripped him, so he pulled himself to BG hy 63 ot abel Le Iya 3 OF gh straightened his posture, knitted his brow and address Boney Aomghs Lgbl> 5 ctrl Uy Le Ae y cae ua Acasht girl formally, trying to conceal any trace of the excitem WOVE! op ote 3 foe U Agi UE Glew felt within. Se “Stand up.” 3 B ay alee ar 1 oes i. eo U6 af pal LU L sl id y She stood up. How shameful! ... She was indeed awe oe ; wud ; “ion ae with a build and height similar to his. She had bulging b Be Ue shet cana ol BS dats 2 pal Jp and long black hair that ran down to her shoulder blade: WL ce Wt | phe g cell! 2YyVI bE VY dey ee was a woman who had blossomed, and the time had con her to get married rather than mix with boys who had re reached maturity at a secondary school. Surely this was a t BASH pS) 9 0) UA de SeLenl — “Name?” bipbr yeti lS Ai sil Use ol att eat of 5, Before she could open her mouth, the boy who had giver UL=DU Le glare « Jal his seat for her and sat at the back of the class volunteere Bs bled 3 aj Lge — answer: / Et sl AS LB ON G25 ci de falas abut “Her name is Zahra, Sir.” i a uh i He was infuriated by the intrusion of this boy who, “JS OF Daly lie USTs Obed by 0 Goer only just now discovered, had a physical deformity, in addit Uso UE] pled biel ope Bad of Gi | Slzs ola to being ugly. His clothes were filthy, while his teeth F US IE Lalas ee Lai g Baas SI pull abel yellow-stained and worn. He knew that this boy scou oben streets for cigarette butts. - Pretending not to have heard the boy, Mr Abd al pes eae repeated the question angrily, quickly running out of patie CSA Nie SL Le gl Deel ES pe B Gol are at ; Oe Sel> 039 Gly leer ge Ale Vy ow gaa anra al-Oalam. 7 He sensed both defiance and superiority in her voice. b SNL em ig ol sh rte blesy ogee ol this Abd al-Salam allowed his nubile daughter to leave the ho BS ten pant 5 ey pad ome BP bead oF IS ; and brazenly go to a boys’ school, sit down with them and AM ade at WU LS (Aw) Sy) Lo} wl with them? What father in the world could possibly allow tl He looked for her name on his attendance sheet. It was th written in pen, added to the list, which had been typewritt80 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrabim al-Fagth This made the entire matter even more obscure to him school management knew about this. There was no dou Sento oy slat JS 3b Bad) Le NI SG vote the girl was party to the scheme that was being plotted ¢ Bs Gtel O45 Cs FM clyy bp OAS Ny sled him. Mr Abd al-Hafiz thought about all his enemies 7 - ent oT S| dye cp ali 3 the inspectors, who hated his frankness and time and Lope ¥ eo ie ee Ree 3 fa Pe Be conspired against him, sometimes blocking his prom Bade Oy cal By He oe Gg JS \ be They were also behind his having been transferred to an J onkgs Dgbeads Y ogi) cles emule pyle all J pail school, and now they could not find anything to do to 20) pew except if they broke every law and decree in the land, * a BS liens co eae ech 8 Le ad plotted against him by putting a girl in one of the classe Hae tx oer a ne ‘ e A oe a) he was teaching; indeed, this trap could not have been s SS th oe SI AN Qe] BE ps te Shel cc anyone except him. q HOW gil 3 yo Sg BAK lS coe iy ‘eu He had forgotten whether he had finished his prepa at te ol tite Be eeaanG tie ory AA oly just as he no longer knew whether he was supposed to te Zz "i i ist CoieLeyl ge ca paler y elend cole) Arabic or Religious Education that day. With a trembl ee eS eS ee ele rer cee hand, he picked up the chalk and went to the blackbo fo Ol Lal OF Of ple Y 5jL4] te WS 3 order to write something down. He wrote down the date ; wos has then stopped, as if he realized for the very first time that ity pole 3 aS) bo pial bgel ab yy canbe eye Qs the Seventies now, and that he had started working as a teadl 5 ei z : ! ent 3 : E Nazal'pls Dey psdl pads of ye 5 twenty years earlier. Suddenly he felt weak and exhausted, a ty ag eal ee ed ee % tl f 5 i Hi sat down again in his chair, feeling totally worn out. He noti BM ole 3 SS opel ll O pall 5d cat ot Ae) oi? izle Linge lege jae Sige Ae sd Whois adLall Sel JIS LIS oly Leas Of Cae de> Spall oF Gas al B Ua tI Sy VY ah paly Jory cil Le ily Ihe BN cael oe Spl Sa SEY eg ell ple se HN that the girl was still standing, and so he made a gesture with hand, not knowing himself whether it meant that she sho leave, sit down, disappear or die. 4 However, she quietly sat down, raised her small head looked at him, defiantly. At that moment, he decided tl would hand in his resignation that day, without any hesitati or regret. He sat down without saying a word and buried head in his hands, oblivious to the probing eyes that surround him. He thought about this heresy ... this deviation ... th abomination. He had lived his entire life in piety, complyif with the boundaries laid down by God, believing that wom are inviolable and must be protected, and that their place is the home, far from the gaze of men. He knew that when a ma82 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrahim al-Fagih 83 and a woman are together, Satan is never far away. So woman meets thirty men, or a thousand men, there devils everywhere, enough to fill the universe; a catastr befall this world, while Judgment Day will be nigh. Mr Abd al-Hafiz dictated a sentence the students Parse, as he sat immersed in thought. As soon as he the lesson, he would go to the school management and | his notice. This was the last time they would try to mz resign. This was exactly what they wanted. They had p girl in front of him in a desperate attempt to make hin But he would not resign. He was not going to allow ti win just like that. The wisest course of action for him to rise to the bait and remain a thorn in their side, When he finished the lesson, Mr Abd al-Hafiz angrily to see the head teacher. It was clear that he was going him some story or other. As it turned out, the girl’s fath a government official who had recently been transferred t remote part of the city, where there was no other se O1 school except this one. Lest the girl be prevented from an education, the school had been obliged to accept het Ministry had agreed, and the girl was placed in the So, it was clearly a legal matter. However, he was not goi be deceived by this ruse, since he knew all the tricks o} youngsters who all of a sudden called the shots at the Minis Centres for Educational Management and Orientation. going to fight them, by himself: he was going to show ther extent to which this entire business was crooked. The next day, he decided to ignore the girl, Th no doubt that the best thing to do was to pretend to fe about her, to ignore her and to teach his class as though was not there at all. Mr Abd al-Hafiz made up his mind he would not direct any question to her, nor would he her copybook or refer to her Presence or absence. He disregard her and treat her with contempt until either whoever brought her here became ashamed, and she retuf whence she had come, humiliated and defeated, jefe al fe Y Se O98 at pl a 3) YAUL Ls py oly Lil foe BIS oly 60S) Ogle cblt iS, pe boty leek Opbety alee Ul) a Hi as pss Le call LB Slo) SJ Cady aed gone SN odg lyele be ogi ig gb Beall bis of WAY P Bo SS Ls ntl Jab OLN le alt YL He 5a of 2 USL IS AS oly cligs Lite (Las GL 3S IS ng) ay Oly Le wl Pi tl ds oc OY Cady dad! Cyst Le BSL) CAS, Le SS Galen al ys aw le Ol ed pall op Bond Lal oda fate fis SLY Joe Uf al Sy he tll oben pb SU de edo Lally J oy cayall Iy lly d 3 delat 14 Y wall ob clpmaled Ge ea AME LEY GSU oy dell Bo ay ty cal, ALY) ope LI he Lat JS oy ed MI ale ds Meee Stews cecal 5 EyLMy aor ll Sl SI tld HUN al castes ius BOI pAb of e129 veel fale dl FS PH PL ab a2 pes ty SLY! le LL US baw Vy Gi Hy BAN de EY poy Lol tte eI ls Whee be ship Jy LS US ab oly Wye Wet oJ rs Ned de oes of I doy Lele oly Ola) TT Sam os agg LIS 2 phy ad de ls84 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrabim al-Faqth 85 Wegdgll Ie is Alo sy of ates «bail d) [o> Hy M pally pled sled 3) ALE TL al ab Jy UE Va 5 bd SS AT SS yp Our IS dilly Ip led a AY) pga yry Gy ye CHI L,Y, iT BALES De Ny ly Goh) ed intel y pgeltigs | pel Balad le 2b dial ell ogi yy «ot thd Le 9 Byby ple ld als Ope SA Oby dll agile Spb led Rte eg be IY ply lS pelle ob bps SE op ode dey feadll Whe e gl pai ay sll alg oe She tse y SAV 5 al LIS gin pee a dass Pe GU Le cgilorly |p AB clea! Opry Leer gil E SpE) OMB Lig Cele sll oles peer sly ees ht bid ae SLY WS ppl es ge Lay Bip 01 of call ye Gil geil coll Jl Rialb GW Le fet tld le pal lil bey BUY 02 Led US Lr Ug a ally ciel ode 34 OW ale eb mall le by to lad id yi d lee gett de Js, TY oe ti ye all b ON LS Le all ped ye fea BE LN S yralisy al) Oger ogi} Lents al) yy yall aol, OS Nl IS ju oly i 3 bef abe jlo a yi, PEL 995 cp gal Lie VI os yall pe call aLb Yi ws AE le age 55 ool YSU Be ol lg) Be Gy He entered the class, once again surprised at the silence he had thought exceptional the day before. Suc the disputes, fights and din had disappeared. The bo like beings from another planet, one where there were no pens, forests, monkeys or sand. The dirt had disappeared their faces, which gleamed like lamps. They had made an with their appearance; their hair was combed, while they wearing elegant, clean clothes. The poor among them suddenly become rich, their humble dwellings transfo into castles, their ignorant peasant mothers into sophistic learned ladies. It was as though he was seeing them for th time. A new spirit, one which he had never experienced is whole of his teaching career, pervaded this class that d; perfume he hadn’t smelled before was spreading throi air. It occurred to him that this was the first time that had actually been present. And when he asked for an an: a question, he found that all of them, without exception, a written reply. What had happened to them, and what mit had brought about this dangerous revolution? During the lesson, Mr Abd al-Hafiz gradually di: the strange transformation that had taken place in students. Whereas once most of them had been apathetic, and distracted during lessons, they had now suddenly becc hardworking, eager to reply. It was then that he had an epiph, for that was really what it was; the fact that answers appe: on their lips with the kind of fluency and eloquence he never witnessed in a class up until that moment made I realize, for the very first time, the importance of his teach Students listened to his words as though what he was informed them about what was going on in the world, and the mysteries of existence. This was something he had experienced before in his twenty years of teaching. With realizing, he found himself looking at the girl, taking in cockiness and the diabolical power she was endowed with.86 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrahim al-Fagih 87 was sitting innocently in her chair, as though this sore, not know the extent of the power she wielded, as thou; was happening had nothing to do with her. What demo did she come from, that she was able to succeed wh educational books and Ministries of Education in the failed? However, it is not books and ministries, nor Be Yap Ll ode ONS clante iol 3 HE Ug clgas Up feo Ya Lee Jat See Say LIS je a El} al AS JS Hs Ls ld ore OU od Gy ab cf SAS 3 pales fy se! iabaily Jy ely jy SHS a gS-5 lb il é allel of organizations, equipment or fleets that fail to make st, F a Sil me isi a Sit but students themselves; they are inhabited by evil PEAS CI pl SL sy bam filling the world with unrest, tumult and strife. Their gy be pth ie SLs Atl Sleely olinlly USL) oie amusement is not to study, but to engage in fighting, Ley SY arety c& 55S! aeley oe A) ee dd LA cpalyl and disruptive activities. Rather than studying, their | le oI Shes Of bes tyf Bid! Le se ow is being annoying, stubborn and fractious. Then, she Biss tL i { f brought Satan’s trickery to mankind. It was this tricker 8 Bab aed LEAS ow CCl ae hee turned their poverty into wealth, their stupidity into intel lane Yow tee MI ? ay walt Jape ch sty their ugliness into handsomeness. Mr Abd al-Hafiz was ce ees ri lems 3B Ol oe cls peel that she was able to wave a magic wand over the Earth Yau 3 tus eae ea pall GB jeny dade oy ole dee Ff 2 hake gd eget JS OS 6S p05 5 3pm op ol fel FBS td be ge ch dad OS IY SY Ul LI Melis! 3 clad ol aisd 5 ial ode Sol iy leery He View ON 5 ial oy Ey ADE Bb tally ce JI ody BU) 48 aS fsa Olly JLRS Yim lege S93 USLE 5 yall igs ou BL Lt yen dod ‘een Say Gs eco Lg dite, JIL Bid Le sto obs elle it come alive, or conjure up a flock of pigeons or a colo rabbits from her sleeve. She could produce any miracle j wanted. There was something strange and terrifying in all which he, as a mere mortal, was incapable of fathoming. Once again he glanced over at her, and noticed som in her features that shed light on what had baffled him; that everything about her was normal. It was clear from the first time he had laid eyes on her that she could not have anything but Libyan. There was something deep-rooted i “Libyan-ness” that was reflected in her features. He saw it if slight yellowness that the signs of wealth and prosperity not conceal. In spite of the yellowness, beauty emanated her face, the kind of beauty of oases filled with date palms, and unassuming. He did not see anything in her featul was extraordinary, that betrayed the power she held. Yet MF al-Hafiz kept thinking she was a devilish being that belong world other than our own ...88 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrabim al-Fagib Ci aad Jeet S) cal Lue wih Js thei oust Siig 5 po lla Oi Sy > Lal Ll Gs oI lb Bi cist LS Lam cain of Sh 05 oF YS els 2 al Mpg de ef ol By ee ety 0 ISI O15 WOT! Pps te el nsf tas sl desi Jb pnt sl ope J Bee Ns Ole op GL S45 GH ig Gy Lad 5925 Of Ls faa E ite of asl S) ee yey Bal ae 3 GES! yl tea Bal lS oo elt JS de bow le obs aly be as ye shy WE Ye be Gy Yue by AE oole GHZ blal wt Js ose Its slg op Sela igs Gi lls bh, Ghat, put 3 Leaf oo ty Lee Soe Sle eS Ce Wiel, GS SNe Spa leds i yy Sant ba, Vy 0e yond ILS US Of pill De de GEST Ley IF Say te ys lol als al] ee Alb Se Wp Joes Loe dy Lene gl ty piles AS og eu d on Sale abst JS OS FNS BLS ob sdb Bye asad 55 lrg i fst pbs of ue 1 SI Me dons by Ried by 59 Lg Sy lll Lead JULY) alas shee oy MNS NN JS tote Sy lene Lal be Suddenly, all his suspicions were confirmed when he at the bottom of her chair and saw that her feet were like d hooves. He nearly uttered a shriek loud enough to shatt walls of the school, but then he realized that it was si heels of her shoes. He was afraid she could now read his tho become angry with him and decide to use her tricks to him on the spot into a pillar, a tree, a frog or a meowing ¢; thought of this danger sent shivers throughout his body ~ protect us from Satan! Then, he closed the religion book the class before the lesson had ended. When he got home, Mr Abd al-Hafiz was still shaki felt an overwhelming fear, as though he had committed crime, and some terrifying punishment would inevitabh him. He imagined her following him everywhere with donkey’s hooves. Sometimes she would be sporting two’ wings like those of a bat, or she would be a dragon, fear flames spewing forth from its mouth. Other times, he im her with claws like those of a mythical animal, or she appear to him as Satan, chasing him wherever he went. to force himself more than once not to repeat her nam loud voice, out of sheer fear and terror. After his morning prayers he discovered one 0 notebooks. He had forgotten his promise not to take it toge with the other students’ copybooks. He sat down, turning if with trembling fingers. However, contrary to what he tho there was nothing strange or bizarre about the copybook; not contain any magical words or riddles such as those ft in the Book of the Dead. Everything was normal, just as the other copybooks, except that her handwriting was and more beautiful. He made up his mind; with the obsti of a child, he grabbed hold of his pen and gave her a low despite the fact that all her answers were correct. He wt engage her in battle. He would not flinch before the opp kings that served her.go Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrahim al-Fagih In class he awaited her reaction, expecting to be turneg a mouse, cat or frog. He would neither yield nor scold, question was one of principle and dignity, life or death, H that she was distressed as she compared her copybook wi neighbour's. She was about to say something when he peey silenced her so she would cry, commit suicide or throw. out of the window. He would not be fooled by her wilines cunning; he would fight this black magic that she had bro with her until his dying breath. Lesson after lesson went b he continued to provoke her, taking every opportunity to rel her; despite her zeal, he consistently gave her the lowest mark As for her, it was as though she was not party to the fij she sat calmly in her chair, while her warm fragrance sp throughout the classroom. She took a strange interest in lessons, as if the entire thing did not concern her. There doubt that this calm was entirely feigned, and this compos artificial; no doubt she was Preparing something dread: him. Every day he imagined that this dreadful thing wot take place; he would find the school turned into a pile of as or the students transmogrified into monkeys. He imagi waking up one day and finding that he had become a rabb hedgehog or a pig. One day after another passed as he await the catastrophe that lay in store for him — an earthquake the arrival of Judgment Day. But neither the earthquake 1 Judgment Day came. If something was going to happen, would no doubt become clear to him very soon. When one day he entered the classroom and did not her there, he felt as though the thing on which he had bt his life had suddenly collapsed. The magic that had filled classroom had vanished, as had the perfume. He was once agi faced with the boys’ ugliness, poverty and stupidity as they ¢ reverted to their previous despicable state. The classroom hi become darker and gloomier; the sun that had risen along ceiling of the room was extinguished that day. fbb a bs >) be Ee) JJ sly Lee iy, AN Sy Lae De MAG sles yf Ley J 30 sedis Beet Stel LE lS ONE te yage ay lc Dep lentigo pd fold Qe Yb ee 8 ob Vibe ad Gey AT I Syl clatgleny 2 Ss ale des 13 Belge Pr CAM el yy Lam cae gas Cole sl op > hay ULE be i al lee pb 9 Les lye id He jy take JI Bale 12 eg lpall GL ols a, BS gan ye Lye LLacal gly egedlal Laer Lradll ols Fugly es AS ony yg Min ia LAU Ug ce Y Oh Stee ei) YI US sp of ey IS y paiy clei tt a 98 Sl sled 1A a tb of gf cole pS she i de pall ond dea hee Abd Lf gle ab ws Le i pyle Lee al Meet AND pp th FBI oye jee gry SVN) Boe esi Lot NN 3 Oly BY ELA ALY IB AES ; yop las Des) OLS nol Sie ee dy ead! SI Ley cle Line Sly faa See tS (iN pe itt gy thed wile ale BT ESN Baha yy AG Ley oe By ged VMN Isle cel BEES INS cl) nat) LONG y Laced £1 add slo gl LS tod) libs at) Gi.92 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader E Ibrahim al-Faqih He always imagined that the girl’s disappearance ; (tes! Ose Ae pall ct a cls! of Lasls axa aa school would constitute a victory for him, and fill hi LE pals eeu PLY Js alacl le ple al, dyajy & with joy and pride. He felt that he had lived on the ed; Le! (aigd dows V 4S con oe fl cp leis Joly his nerves these past days; he had fought her magic to gi result. However, this was not a sweet victory. Instead, Sibley Alb paces Aa & aK, on LS oe Sai de ys that a strange sense of grief had gripped his heart, while dyad y (ye cle is ab Me ol Sea ie eld She oly throat was as dry as tinder. He felt he had lost something bist SLE cyan Gailey ae 3 deni aol: {ub precious that had filled his heart every morning — a driy ftw ie if Ne oe es force and a challenge. For the first time, he began to Baya eer Coe ? ~ io on the entire episode, and was left with a feeling of rem Wye OS city 2 Bpdve Wi 28 2 CIS oe ? bs J bie Spiders were weaving their webs inside his chest. He had ye ay fea Joby cy Gis AVIS oy J mean in his treatment of her. He had been unfair to im 7 ANS ode (S5 abl els. oY als her as Satan, a demon or a dragon, when in fact she was on ’ i q H Led ee eo ad ol (nics dmall tnecent childalf he Hadi married youn +t ci ? 2 had a daughter her age. He stared into the classroom, Le gh ald Ugbelene y de pall L} Lee ofl \ ele Lally Stee looked as deserted as a ruin, inhabited by the diabolical bo} He MWe BUYS ae 3 dsl Gus Jae Of de piney He seriously thought of going to look for her to ask Va ptl [> ill La ee 25 Le gly call Lat Sy ae forgiveness. He would talk to her father, humbly requestin My ty) ball Ob duc slip il eas latter to send his daughter back to school, where he would t Boas Ureniae A ua ean ae 9 her like a princess or a queen. He resolved to do this at t Pig ne pass Yilatl one Baty add 3 OY) LF piles! earliest opportunity; but then the next day she was back, e lil e Rp el lige es a7 JsNy co pee 2 returned the students’ wealth and handsomeness to them as bo! cally ey Js duo Le Lily Sai ey ot jail dy warm perfume once again wafted through the classroom. The sun once more thone in class; and Mr ABQ Bee 9 ries leer igie SUL, Lyte noticed with joy that a flock of sparrows now rested in hi FN ots Stel 9 Ai52 ell ye AG 13) Glib ole Ole pl The tree stretched its branches and blossomed inside his ch MS eg Boge soy hadll pole of de For the first time, teaching was the most beautiful profe in the world. It was no longer a heavy chore to come to ¢lé rather, it was a feast that was repeated each day. The girl no rebel, foreigner or dragon; she was a pretty little girl, radiated, and to whom he showed love and affection. He W generous in his marks for her. He would grow worried if was only one minute late. He missed her from the mome! left the classroom until he returned the next day.94 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrahim al-Fagih Throughout all this, Mr Abd al-Hafiz did not realize ; ee asl J) Bit) a5 34 ad OS eli Xb was increasingly paying attention to his appearance. He c a asl ol) wed Oe 3 Vai oly Bisace wearing the suit he used to save for Eid, every day. He star F ig Gy JS eo yg Ager y Dhow ge slo ly opp IS apt 99 Ge 2 te eH shave every morning and put cologne on, whereas previ oreetrs Gb oe ieee, would forget to shave once or twice a week. For the fi Ns ee Boe gh edoly 0 Vp ade fog OlF ol he reflected on his past life. He realized that he had pres Shi JE Jeo sl Sky eae oe itl phe Vi ode 3 entered a phase in his life, believing, wrongfully, that h ef dhae Bul Hr al a5 af Ge gsy 193 ob nearing the age of retirement when in reality he was only Be Bee recta s al wee NI cee Bc oN agi wey aly cplyel Hew gl deere VI ewe five or forty-six. Despite the fact that he had a wife, wh # ‘ : ; f ‘ had withered, and children who milled about like ants in jeep Sil eal fe Jadls Oy ptes cull) JULI house, he was still in the prime of life. Most of life’s goodness fly clei y ALI JS tas oll 5 LL of les sweetness still lay ahead of him. He would be unjust to hi fea hes ail peat Lee ald ples y 0 poe lbs y dona lley to his age and youth, if he were to think of himself as an old . Be Gb hoa auwialol sli dol Did he not have a grandfather who married his eighth or le y CG wife while he was in his seventies? He again felt like a boy ger (SF Bde eed Ol y oh wd Seg ? Vive \aly ole same age as his students, new blood rushing through his W by pblacy Glam y Gy) p5 add Od Ser Ln say He saw a beautiful carpet on which boats, gardens, birds : 3 A al poly dg ele is aed hae Ally As cy teal pe lal 20! c+ sae OF butterflies were painted, and which stretched between his hi and the school; every morning he walked upon this c ’ sooner did he see the girl sitting calmly in her seat, spreadin light like a lamp, than his body would be immersed in a deli AS dar poy co (Lee pe ABS pity Letaie I} Be eth Malad Le LS tole y Lett cial j tb La md zo IE bis Nass y Lgl] Zyl oagled lap cil gery lage daze. He knew that the remit of her magic had increased and P di esd BLL, he, like the students, had fallen under her spell. He wo > = 6s ey BU Eat ae Bee Vy through the lesson feeling happy, finishing up very quickly. { mia a would be seized by a passion for her and wait impatiently ui SIUM Ol atl gall Geet Lt oe 3 IS eat) he saw her again the next day. Dell, OG) CEU BS lad Giyly Olay Ge Mr Abd al-Hafiz did not know why, fare mé SI ode ie Sul Obaly pl jt, Balad) Gilat, deepal hate staying indoors, as if there was something inside him a te: iP ay at aniie S ee ee Shea e ork was restricted by the houses, rooms and places that had ceilif F een ted cles LS ee: Seite walls and doors. So he began to increase the frequency OF BMS Hileay olisuy 0 Sy fet ged Gat gt re FY! walks outside, in squares and public gardens. He would loo the sea, addicted to thinking about this girl who had sudde entered his life just as she had entered his classroom, OUF the blue. Over time he began to experience a strange *@6 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrabim al-Fagth 7 say es go jn ae web lay Vee dle, fy Jal oe Sint Ses aly WE HUST Fo bp ee Bey ALE IS rete call By 0 SUI Ge JS Lowe OF aig pty lett anti OS A Lal Jal Sy cle PS chat dis fe bpelyo pV ela Jel citer sf gad 2 OF Ul de J ology Bly 9 le che JS Ll, | az Whe y> ary da 3 yh GA aed gl pall Lge sy 25 hy Leal) Spd ott cD ygonll ALI byl odey es ee ir al ile bhi andi de Jali e sib 5! SVs thy Wer peu lil > pac dle Sd aw yy mass ca B aaNI JS bas ley Sle We ib ee ir oe SL) pt ca 5 peal ode Sele of Sob Abe last elas , webs Dye re slo Nia Fd ght BSE ole il 6S Rally ell Bab cals ¢ pis el ca pL Ly peal tas gf Aes ct legls Oe Lo) 3 le al gt ee ier Be abe Lab cle gb cae Legian ye Labiy «291 Gl) sled eae 2 Sd Jobs & p+ plate platall yo fe coli ele s BAS A jicnsy ype eng oo leit! te Sle bis Bras cd, de ss Vc Lad face ISS Vy Le pall I} Mat de igs GEsSY ane oh, Jiet ols age aol yf lS towards her, which filled his heart with fear. It was a sens he did not want to express or acknowledge, except to It was a strange creature that reared its head from under th mounts and appeared detached from the mind and will, def all the rules and laws of one’s being, challenging all the e and traditions in which he believed, all the high ideals to he had devoted himself. He refused to recognize or believe since to do so would bring about the disaster he was exp Every morning he saw her sitting in her seat, innocentl meekly as though she was unaware of the odious struggle ra inside of him, which emitted a terrible deafening noise. these light, unknown threads tied him so strongly to h resisted and fought as though allowing his heart to give in wo result in his falling into a dark, bottomless abyss. If he gave thought free expression it would hover around her and gi to a frightful, massive shock that would cause all the bui in the world to come crashing down on him. The blaze bur his heart; it was the first time in his life that he had felt this k of inflamed passion, as though it had always been there, cove by a huge pile of ashes, until the arrival of this girl rekindle« cinders and they grew into a blazing inferno raging within h The biggest tragedy was that she had begun to come to hin a dream. It was not a dragon spewing fire, or a mythical creat with batwings; it was a beautiful young girl with an inviting g who came to him in his sleep. He would meet her in a wide, Of space, as though they were Adam and Eve suddenly fallen d to Earth, meeting up after having lost each other for many However, the meeting was a shock — a terrifying, sweet, hort! beautiful and loathsome clash. Mr Abd al-Hafiz would a¥ from his sleep in a panic, begging God for forgiveness. He stumble along to school, ashamed and confused. He did not the strength to look at her, or at anyone else for that mat though anyone looking into his eyes would immediately dise a loathsome deed. 798 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ibrahim al-Fagih As the days went by, he became increasingly con the fact that he was the victim of a secretly hatched eo and that he had been right from the start in seeing so; diabolical in this scheming girl. She had begun to dece; with her innocent and meek appearance, and she had him in her net. She had cast her black magic on hi masterfully ensnared him, and he now saw himself like a blind man towards a terrifying quagmire fille; turpitude, debauchery, godlessness and filth. He had b the victim of satanic, demonic or magic designs and This feeling grew like a satanic flower within him, aga intelligence, logic and will. It grabbed hold of him, me Bal te le als xk od FE AM, milk Jide cal obs 3 cl, Lae go de OS aly ol J pes) Was EAs oe 5) los ade Leynte (jlb,s 5p ae ge Bop epee ety le USL oy Bae allen 4B EI poe WS ptt an sly go cash ge J op Glat be tne oN al, eeayeistuiet ees ; pote 3 Glas SLI K sil peel Migs opel gl Bley jl aol ALL) eS osc sly cal My Ghaly asl! Legoy Lpie ol of SY aLaily DEV, abi, fal veel SLesl os foe DIS N35 don, Bp Lad Lt of BAI dey pai ad) Gall Nis Vues aelkd psi es Ob Qi 2 ULaly old B Si My IEW pry dlerey Bylgll ode J! ores cov! dg car he cyl pg 59 ily ce) J GAIT } a! pres EY oy alcadlly GS pSly GIL! oe bo pall de Ml alot! go Bo Ba oe EYL a pyle pe YY de laus te de li J Geel Sl olla bu ial asl 4 ay cls, SB be oe erly CU lS J yets Mig flim dle ae de LI, Cdl hy JUV y ay Gy Sh byt ldo pale OU ae ee jiu LE LL ry Lape ppt peo Let fo dae pill Sy 2 1S ideals, traditions, morals and virtue. This feeling coul have come to him out of the blue; it had to be by as a result of some magical power. From the outset, imagined that something dreadful would come to p it was an earthquake or Judgment Day, it did not hi Instead, something more dreadful and terrifying happe! had brought him to this chasm and made him —a teach educator — think about this girl in this shameful and te way, which was devoid of morals, dignity and virtue. the age his daughter would be if he had one, and he wo her Religious Education teacher. The only way to resist her spell would be to fight mag magic. And so Mr Abd al-Hafiz began to delve into old, y stained books with a frenzy that bordered on hysteria, 1 hope of finding something that would counteract the eff her book, which she had brought from the world of the dea ghosts. Much to the surprise of his wife and children, he the house upside down searching for a trace of this maj began to dig up the threshold to the house with a pickaxe: to the illusion that they had buried something for him tht ripped the covers of the copybooks and schoolbooks in s¢ something the size of a safety pin hidden in one of them. F102 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader 4 Ibrahim al-Faqih Language Notes ogether. The saying is based on the famous hadith (saying of the Prophet Muhammad): oles) Os y au Jase a 1. pel: interestingly enough, this is primarily used ah, U: note that this expression can also (more rarely) MSA ¢ iS. Note that in the text, the phrase mean: “What do you think?” refers to a bad joke, whereby be does not have its : pl. oLél; though strictly meaning any “feast day”, it is meaning of “heavy”; rather, in this context it often used to refer to the most important Muslim feast, the “difficult to laugh with”. In this context, one may te e25) 4 or “Feast of Immolation”, which takes place at the Arabic expression be a, meaning “very serio) the end of the, pilgrimage (Hajj), on the tenth day of the Pason), as opposed to 24+ #2, “light-hearted”, “month 4! 53. (4 p+) <4 (u,i): the use of the word (lit. “to spit”) here is f @lu: this expression, which consists of a | Feference to the SLi, a sorceress who ties knots in a cord eb followed by nl (“complete”) + )124 of the same ad then spits on them while uttering a curse (cf. Qur’an, indicates that something is done to the fullest extent, I sitra 113:4). however, that this construction only occurs with realization and knowledge such as -2 and 4531, 4. <2,ie: (also 2,4, pl. C2 )ls): this refers to a fantastic beings from the netherworld, known for power and cunning. In contemporary folklore, are regarded as a type of j= (see juuill 41S) or de (while in Egypt it can also denote the ghost of a dea person). The word — ,4¢ is also commonly used to d naughtiness, e.g. C2 de il, “you little devil” (e. child). 5. J4U &: lit. “oh, the shame” (< jle, “shame”, “dishont This expression is commonly used with reference to that are considered shameful. Also note the J aft vocative patical b is pronounced J. This const (which is highly classical) can also be used with a pf noun: e.g. 4sa1 L (meaning “come and help Muhamm 6. ge Uefa this is part of a common saying LSE okt) Sis, yy aly J=5), according to whie Devil is always the third person present (a metaph temptation and evil) when a man and a woman areNajib Mahfaz Najib Mahfuz (Naguib Mahfouz) (1911-2006), is considered one of the most prolific and accomplishe: writers of the twentieth century. He was awarded Prize for Literature in 1988 and wrote a total of novels, fourteen collections of short stories and plays, three collections of journalism. Mahfaz was born in the working-class district of ALY. . in Cairo where he lived until the age of twelve, when his moved to the ‘Abbasiyya suburb. Both districts provi background for much of his writing. After studying philosophy at Cairo University, he a civil servant for many years alongside his journalistic which included contributions to many Egyptian public (e. g. al-Risdla, al-Hilal and al-Abram). Thoroughly grounded in both classical and modern literature, Mahfaz was also very familiar with, and infl by, European authors such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Maup Chekhov and the French philosopher Henri Bergson. traditionally classify Mahfaz’s work into four chrono phases: historical, realistic, modernist and traditional. Mahfiz’s literary career began with short stories, whi initially published in literary Egyptian magazines later as a collection of stories entitled 0 1 2s (The Fattouma, 1983). His creative imagination is most vivid in bts and Days, 1982). oval, and in 1994 he narrowly survived an attempt on his When he was stabbed by an unidentified attacker, thought be a religious fundamentalist. The attack had a huge impact Najib Mabficg 1938). Despite his great literary success, Mahfuz ved to work as a civil servant in various government ents until his retirement in 1971. his early “historical” period, which included the novels h xa (The Game of Fate, 1939), =x1331) (Rbodopis, 1943) and LS (The Struggle of Thebes, 1944), Mahfaz’s interest in the shifted to the situation of the modern Egyptians and npact social changes were having on the lives of ordinary e, His main work of this period is undoubtedly the so- “Cairo Trilogy”, which consists of cipal wos. (Palace , 1956), 3 552)\ 25 (Palace of Desire, 1957) and % S23) (Sugar 1957). All three are set in the Cairo of Mahfuz’s youth pict the vicissitudes of the family of al-Sayyid Ahmad al-Jawadi over three generations, between World War I i950. This work is regarded by many critics as the pinnacle he author’s realistic period. fter President Nasser’s death in 1970, Mahfuz wrote the 255) (Karnak, 1974), in which he attacked the police and its nefarious effects on the population. Among fiz’s other works one may mention oe oY3) (The ren of Gebelawi, 1967); YS 5 Jab (The Thief and the Dog, Jel (Miramar, 1967); and 44 ylab -p\ > 2 (The Journey of | de>Ls (The Harafish, 1977) and 3 of gu (Arabian pite being Egypt’s most popular writer and a national ution, Mahfiz’s views did not meet with everyone's is health and all but ended his writing career. hanks to the Nobel Prize, Mahfuz was the first Arab author n popularity in the West, and nearly all his books have translated into many languages.106 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader The current story is taken from the collection L. pill 6 (I Saw, in a Dream, 1982) and is a typical ey Mahfiz’s fascination with magical realism. A tale of con; Siamese twins is turned almost into a kind of tragic con descriptions of each twin, their preoccupations and mood: witness to Mahfaz’s vivid imagination and creative pr In more ways than one the story may also be regarde allegory of the relationship between individuals whose inextricably (literally, in this case) linked with one anoth the contradictions and struggles that ensue from that Qismati and Nasibi108 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najib Mabfiag God had given Mohsen Khalil, the spice seller, everyth heart desired, except, that is, children. Many years went’ still there were no children. Yet Mohsen Khalil tried yer to be satisfied with what God had chosen to bestow upon He was of medium height, which was fitting for 0 believed in moderation in all things. He was overweig maintained that this was an attractive feature in both p women, as well as a sign of prosperity. He was proud huge nose, his strong jawline and the mutual love that ey between him and other people. Fate had smiled upon him by granting him Sitt In addition to being an excellent housewife, she was a bu fresh-looking beauty with luscious, rosy skin. j Chickens, geese and rabbits roamed freely atop thei storey house. Devotees of Sitt Anabaya’s cooking never ¢ to wax lyrical about her splendid dishes and pastries made lashings of traditional butter. Life had been good to the couple in every respect, exe stubbornly denying them the joy of offspring. They had | everything, but to no avail. Sitt Anabaya had sought the of loved ones as well as fortune-tellers, soothsayers and th gg ee ela abl pal "Ula Le one pe fh i Bane a ol O92 gas bb es °% UN vy qe ng Bey ok OS eel Bo BI Ob Oey of UW) Le ge olf ea atl, pap OWS GT Hj HU LS Jo Watt of ; op UM og ee Datel Ly ou gill pall SUL, syladty (tI old dlc oy “hd olay BSR Sat ae GIS) cell (50 I goad eye My JaMly cE Wl Joly 599 oe OSU Ges cle gs Maoh Le slabs Saal! yrlge, tl Glee aehy | | | | ; Abd open gs oke § OEY tes I Sy gt IS GE Le oe a fal hy AMI Gy yt Cae AI aye By ee s1j LEY! cm aS LU Mao p>VL city clol ly pL yt pe lee cae J LBS he ab gil tel | FAB) pe claw 3 Cid yy SL OI oe Gael SUI LY Oo) | CPO Ls Vipdhietop ay Vy EL nt pe BLEU JET) Ubi Ly ley 55 te lie co Coie amy al ML g3 SSI Stow Gey STAM 3 ph 2059 Sty Ob oe Isl ne pe olf 3 yUbaa)) Ley Bw a ey Cae lal o ge She even visited shrines. Eventually, she went to see doctors. Unfortunately, their verdict was not encour that the problem lay with both husband and wife. They that there was hardly any hope left for them. And so, 4 cloud of sadness settled above the couple. 4 But just as Mohsen approached his forty-fifth birthday Sitt Anabaya turned forty, their prayers were finally ani When Sitt Anabaya was certain she was pregnant, she cried “Thank God and Sidi al-Kurdi, I’m pregnant!” Mohsen was overjoyed and full of gratitude. The news! circulated throughout al-Wayliya, the area near the Abb district where the couple lived and where Mohsen had shop.110 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najib Mabfiz The wondrous nine months of waiting finally pa oe Ne pled cle y cent jas) Baud! gt) cab, then came the hour of childbirth, with the cries of | ; Ape) pe era ceee, oe a — - Dy ad ci aS Ma Sh) ca uy s soon as the midwife picked up the baby, she stared =” : eek ety. s infant in astonishment and bewilderment, and began to i Bas teil A) Mell eens ity mua the traditional religious formulae. She hurried to the luxy tla) GE fo J a o> bees ot east wing of the clinic to look for Mohsen. When he saw Pel yg WLe cL, abel Ly) — anxious look on the midwife’s face, he murmured in a tone: are “May God have mercy on us! What’s happened?” ’ : sot pf ene G gl She hesitated, and whispered: “It’s a strange creature, Sas — Mohsen.” Y ondl SN g pie dled y te yp lil — 1305 de Comet “What do you mean?” ic fis lower body is joined, but the upper half is split!” j : wtledsy jst Sls — “Come and see for yourself.” q Gendt Sle BS 9 “How is Sitt Anabaya doing?” i ; Web y> Lee ASE Sy te — She is fine, but unaware of what is going on around hi 1G gett Bem y sebe Ste (ae be gory Filled with anxiety and disappointment, Mohsen .. i heat ee net towards the baby. He stared at the strange creature, the ress J os hae © tt cel y plan y Unler 13 LAS ya all och, half of which was indeed joined, with two legs and an abdor DS NS y Lae OLE pres WIS y ager yy daly aitery opti Lage whereas the top half consisted of two parts, each with its 6 wept) ay > y bist SL Se; of avy le we chest, neck, head and face. The twins were screaming to} -larahe : ‘ fa a mF Cll doy fdty Betty SLVG yyad fo as if each of them was protesting against his situat s arte g Sty Batty SS, dA le é : j aS alt Ws demanding complete independence and freedom. Mohs seal All) J was overwhelmed by a variety of emotions — confusit oN pee col aL! abe! BL) elo gress bewilderment, embarrassment, a sense of foreboding about B35 Jol aI asin gay Slaw) Slide cp dio [bs Le ae ee — all of which gathered around fi BFW 21, tye yy oP Al HAL odle oye Gall Kyl Inwardly, he began to repeat the traditional phrase that normally used in business after a failed deal: “May God gts me profit!” 4 Indeed, he wished it were possible to get rid of this defé so that he could have peace of mind. Going about her rou112 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najib Mabfug a5 duties, the midwife said: a F gay gles ee Brom ay aS “The baby’s in good health. All vital functions are t uu ped eget JS als bdr dons — normal.” Jee ot pe de! os Mohsen retorted: “Both of them?” oly) Confused, the midwife said: “They are not twins bob baby!” 1B pow eS ola Mohsen wiped the sweat that had appeared on his fac : Naty Ady le. cael g LS — forehead as a result of his inner turmoil as well as the sus F sa: 7 \ ples heat, and asked: “Why can’t we consider them two babies? y= "9 apis Santee rd SOI CP imu Chis 7 “How can there be two of them when it is impossi adelsy separate one from the other!” 4 e Sonal Lew ped Yd y — “It is indeed a problem. I wish it had never been born Ble cp. leat of 5 el OU aS— The midwife said, in a preaching tone: “Whatever the Hoe x J raat ogous be, it is God’s gift, and it is unwise to question His wisdor ; : 1 owns Mohsen sought forgiveness from God. The mi . Wel So Usd ale Ul — OME tae i ; viele y dang AS ks will register the baby as one person. j t > ¥ ae zi io 5 j | opt ous ail Mohsen sighed, and said: “We will become a Lughiaam Bee Sadish ae Menta sliges and the talk of the town!” eS Lol i 4) b> J peal “Patience is a virtue!” 4 J Jaety ejlsck all — “But wouldn’t it be better to consider the child as Seu as WG ot a single abdomen?” 4 recent i ca “He can’t deal with life except as a single person.” 3 le peibiaag tel ee They stood in silence, exchanging glances, until sht L Voor pall — him: CL y oar 693 Call 0 eel pete V— “What do you want to call him?” } % , 3 Vg asets YI SLL bes, of gS Y— As he kept silent, she said: “Muhammadayn! Do vo FE asi Matte bles om _ this is a suitable name?” ; ; vale > cmale jb YoU, He did not utter a word, shaking his head in vesiguill F Fas b= Sitt Anabaya was shocked when she realized what was rehL cual YU, on. She wept for many hours until her beautiful eyes F rien is red. She felt just like her husband. However, this situatt© : presen 0} evi lis 3 Bay Le epdet BS an ys Ly ps OF go Leben al sg SS ey OLLI Lele Spee oo Wiygb Sry one114 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader F Najth Mabfig 15, not last long, as both Sitt Anabaya and her husband respon ale 2 Ble cw Cubed yb pare é Us of ne -4abl 55 to their parental instincts. i ol eesechy Sie fe up able J She started breastfeeding the baby on the right, and wh, i Sot 2 Bearer r remnls EY G25 cer Uy giary pe cae sf ge lS the crying stopped, she fed the one on the left. Instinctiy pals ¥ a a ees pacer she started calling the baby on the right “Qismati” and the cel AS Boe IM g pe ead es on the left “Nasibi”, as these were the two names by which & 3 Bla lols nai dbs Sab el Kb ho IS ty newborn had been called since the first week. c By op leghtel G5 d oly Atal CES aN ry poy of Each child had his own individual personality; Qism el es pels %. oe sea Lae oe; would be asleep while Nasibi remained awake, babbling, cryi ge KS ate or suckling. As time went by, the astonishment waned, exe SOLD, hy He SI oe Jt) Legli> penay tend JU, outside the home. What was once odd and weird soon becan Gh yo ol AU a evi cuaay familiar. agglal Les ghd 98 OS Lo lo GSI Both Qismati and Nasibi received their fair share of Aaah Pee eyes love and tenderness. J pis Of A pet dey Tha, a sal 4b — nt CLI obeel y When family members came to visit, the mother would s; laeKe i — “No matter what, he is my son,” or, “They are my sons.” j ie, ji 3 (Sb SS Hes jae Uzi! of 6 be pley As for Mohsen, he began to reiterate the phrase: “Ours z er ates : 7 Peet Eales eo leu tal ened not to question the wisdom of God!” Ol Ugde OlS déclall sks Yi Atwld dls CL Gls! , Realizing that childhood does not last long, he thougl Wy Ugalact Ue ofy cal gf fy coed Gas oly contd ee J about the future with worry and trepidation. Sitt Anabaya, f F S15 ded ges yl Levey geld clely Lessel eb her part, was completely absorbed by her twin burden, as sl rig Me = POOP e Ls (Ns one) GyoS conn Nd (Lal U5 5 bay had to breastfeed, change and raise not one but two childre eh oH ® na ae y —_ oo us Pa ; She had to control her nerves when one of them slept an Be Ny ct 3!2.p Out y Lemed Byte 13 IES cemead Ll coxa needed silence, while the other would wake up wanting to play de IS shy uf els cdl de sou at dsl, uleall Thank God, they had different features; Qismati had a de 453 sbi) pe Gen OW cad ot ee yy vetll Syley «wel brown complexion, with soft lineaments and hazel eyes, wh = a Reh 4 2 ; 2 ant vc OS Nasibi had a white complexion with black eyes and a larg Meee 5 LV eal By ply HG pea EA yoo nose. PB jal cauly goad Go 5 SUN 5 fall UG ab Sold) cs The twins began to crawl about on their two feet and fot hands, uttering one word after another, and trying to wall became clear that Qismati learned to speak more quickly, b had to yield to Nasibi when it came to crawling and walking, playing with things and destroying them. Nasibi remained the dominant one in their early116 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najib Mabfig which were marked by naughtiness, destruction, the J good ¢ pat Ol nt cheba) ol} y cL) 82 jlaey aa of chickens and the torturing of cats. Thanks to Qi Bly Aes oe 2 bold) Mola! Nas sleet) oot Leslic! submissiveness to Nasibi, the boys did not quarrel, except Beit, 2X2 abies = 4% 5S oF oa fo eb those rare occasions when Qismati would want to rest ? oe . “Lees hiss clal solos I ope ol Nasibi would prod him with his elbow, making Qismati Peles y BIL oye eal Sf ON pas ET Lal glory pl op Hes continuously. aN) ool ch Sy sland) youd Logue Oli» y «Sb! When they turned four, or just afterwards, they rb ee looking out the window at the children outside. They w. S15 ely i, 3 i, Js— raise their eyes towards the sky from the rooftop and a ’ oe multitude of questions: SG p ble oe a “Why does each boy have only one head?” wes LF wlll gles ky — Confused, Sitt Anabaya answered: “God creates people Sp ol wlyy ey Latls— way He sees fit.” a . 5 “Always (God -., God ... Whereis He, this God?” i ; ; Leet Mohsen answered: “He sees us, but we do not see Him, aan oe sly cet JS de yal gay ol FV rng Ula - can do anything, and woe unto those who disobey Him!” Bs Jey ees Bag ole Nj ped Con Lee bor SI Laghtony told them what they needed to do in order to gain His appr edosA Qismati grew worried and told Nasibi: ‘ “Listen to me, or I will hit you ...” 7 ; othe Vy Ut IS Gen! — They would watch the moon during the summer nij eed es ep tl ops Olde Grell J 3 ill Ob gs and extend their arms towards it. While Qismati sighed resignation, Nasibi would erupt with anger. This promp CU Jelasey Loi geet yay el de ie STAY cL Le Meal plage fa Mohsen Khalil to ask: . “Do we imprison them in the house forever?” ; thle om J yt Sitt Anabaya said: “I am worried they'll be bullied by o esUBY eee ale Otel children ...” a - t Oya 3 Hajj Mohsen decided to carry out an experiment. He Obit eee eel ee Co a Nes oi Cm pad i on the doorstep of the house in a wicker chair, and pl GIS on ell EL Ole AT ee 5 de tile J] eeedely his children in another chair beside him. Children of all 8 i ge ais dy a GAN de a) ous) soon gathered around them to take a closer look at the st: Ae pty cael 5 ae hg Sle tern, of be ee! creature, and no manner of rebuke or reprimand could si oA them. The father had no alternative but to pick them up pens carry them back into the house, whispering with grief: etl olay = problems have started.”8 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najib Mabfag However, an idea came to Sitt Anabaya by divine inspi: She suggested that she could convince her neighbour to s, son Tariq and daughter Samiha to play with Muhammad, The neighbour, Mashkura, agreed. So Tariq and Samiha ¢, over; Tariq was a year older than Muhammadayn, whey Samiha was the same age. At first, they panicked and did not want to become frie with Muhammadayn. Sitt Anabaya bribed them with prese until they became used to them. The neighbour’s children also led by their curiosity and sense of adventure. q In the end, Qismati and Nasibi were pleased with their ne playmates, but the fact that they greatly loved having around did not mean that their love was returned. They talked about many things, played various games a1 invented lots of stories. And so, they found others to wh they could throw their football and with whom they could p tug-of-war. Samiha became the object of their desire, with each of wanting to keep her for himself. When they watched televisio they would argue about who would sit next to her. It was because of Samiha that they had their first real fight front of their family, which led to a bloody lip for Qismati black eyes for Nasibi. This incident marked Qismati’s freedom from Nasibi; thenceforth, he felt an individual in his own righ From that moment on, both of them could agree and disagre One day, Hajj Mohsen said: “They are now at an age th they should go to school.” Sitt Anabaya frowned, her fa showing the guilt she felt inside. Then he said: “This is n open to discussion!” After thinking for a long time, he addet “I will bring them teachers. They should at least learn to co in so that they can take my place in the shop.” Teachers came and instructed the boys in the basics religion, language and mathematics. Qismati’s response learning was very encouraging. Nasibi, on the other hand, h poblle EB ole AEE Sa le om le oS, pb 53S BN ly bet ce all ee Ley Gylb L! SS toe Ul ple pet oy 9ST GIb OS y rey Gull ped alse oe of pe tell poy pW Sieg ay Bplay ¢ Wee) > Legh ay Ate oll Legal} > Ugh i La Ley pee Lots tt Cadi Jb inet Ny Swat! & 959 8 Je 3 on phd al el cna Js J 5 clase Jobe cpt phuall 8 SI) ue y. OUSH © Sly Bee SE pS boyy Bar dees Fly colt le ¢ bad oy sty Dsl pgaec 13] sole SI egltt J] Lage JSy cele a aN oe De le Ade WS ae Syl 4g CS ee (BOL gH ope coe F ley teed ne 9) real EE YoU LS gil Il clad NN oy Yous pT Ajb os ob pe sly ep ld cL Jy. sts) Ra yal RM Spel eee = pct DL Uk yy ttl oll Bly Slee tory pid I) Glee ob ail = JG ill Se, Bde eS JBN de tae of Go ccpelall Ld eur - OS) Slrly LL y dally Gpll Goole Lew ply cO yoball cle y peal Bi ace pal ge LAL IS genet LA deren doe pls pled ead120 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najib Mabfiz no desire to learn, and hence was slower in his understa As a result, he resented his brother and disturbed singing, playing and childish teasing. The diff t especially irritating during the religious education | which Qismati took to with enthusiasm while Nasibi di ; total indifference. The teacher was doubly annoyed by stubbornness. Mohsen reprimanded Nasibi on many 0 ca but could not bring himself to hit him. 4 At the age of eight, Qismati wanted to pray and fa despite the fact that Nasibi was not interested, the latter f himself participating in the ablutions to a great extent, being more or less forced to bow and prostrate. Realizi weakness of his position, he had no choice but to resign hi to the facts. At the same time, he became consumed with Nasibi was ordered by his father to fast, but he tried to! his fast in secrecy in order to allay his hunger. Qismati, how was quick to protest, saying: “Don’t forget that we shar abdomen. If you take a single morsel, I’ll tell Father.” was patient on that occasion, but it did not last, and he sté to cry. His mother took pity on him, and told her husban ““God only demands of a soul what it can bear.’ Let th be until he’s one or two years older.” Confused, the father replied: “If he breaks his fast, h break the fast of the other as well!” The problem was only solved by the Imam of the Sidi a pe lel sy AM de Ge US ol ny LEM; ps gine DEI ks cAilwall GLASLally clially Qoell Fd yc a Cie le ead ile al gl el iS opih ogiy cO0le ot phall j Glos SLAW iy ape op gal Dogetiles- ppery ha of aad 5 ol aa) & gy aie y Heel gp ta lees V tis Sly ati any of YU foe Haas 0 gat Mo geelly Te Sl de Lat pee pete Ol Igy pleatlresl only Uae y lim poles yey gil yl E WUE gl cad GSy lad 3 Vlg cdoly Lede, of ns Y— opel italy ded oI, cD Ny S55 Shope i eee mes wale Lele Sy go 463 Mga yls ls y a Be SM I 1 SV jail bil 15) 25S, — Spall O) SUB 5250) Ge pl VY be J USe oy 5 Ba eg rest sail 9 sm me pe ple Oy Dey carats ISAS sy Intl, Vol as Uf eee eee SEs clea OU gf Lage Opty SLAY B JET plo 5 yd tals Cue mosque, who claimed that it was the intention that count Px, EES a Waa ges wie, VS “1 Woe Leased ct Vy FV ete Gey Vichy b Qismati’s fast was lawful even if it was broken by Nasibi. en bet. Qismati continued to fast even if Nasibi did not. ISLA Lage pla ASS Each of them had now developed his own personality. increasingly grew to dislike one another, and the mo in which they got on became few and far between. Tear their mother said: “My God, they cannot stand each othe neither can live without the other. How can they go life like this?”122 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader She went through hard times as the twins argued everything and anything. Qismati loved cleanliness, | Nasibi hated the very idea of bathing unless he was ob! do so. Their parents mediated between them, asking Qi. give up some of the cleanliness while in exchange Nasibi w become a lot less dirty. Nasibi was a glutton and never had enough, which ca Qismati indigestion. Qismati was fond of love songs, while Nasibi loved | music. The major source of disagreement, however, was by Qismati’s increasing love of reading and knowledge. W, Qismati was reading, Nasibi preferred playing out on the tet and annoying passers-by and neighbours. he would spoil his concentration, after which they would en in a fight that usually ended in victory for Nasibi. Qisn would try to use negotiation rather than senseless violence: got my hobbies and you've got yours; but my hobbies are m suited to our unnatural circumstances.” a Nasibi replied, severely: “This means that life will become permanent prison.” “But we have no part in the outside world.” “On the outside, there’s happiness, whereas in this there’s only grief.” “You always annoy people, and so they mock us.” “I can’t but behave like that. I am even thinking abo flaunting myself in the street.” “You will turn us into a laughing stock.” At this point, Nasibi shouted: “I hate being imprisoned. envy the stars.” Qismati replied, derisively: “You're out of your mind.” Nasibi’s reply came fast and hard: “There’s no way WEIS ever agree.” Bale ASS 3 Nasibi could tolerate Qismati’s reading for a while, butt q Najib Mabfig ced clely cledl GOD! body A pel gle owas {fac al) fees ol YY ple SG 0S gels Bled op gt oF Ged Jeol le 3 a) By Aas pad has OS LSS aot V ott as Ui astell ABU peal Ge oe de tabll guy es foe cg HEY 3c) a) A ped He 1 (Let! oe Los B of ei JRO! G jy Daily AL Stang oa Gg all Jade SM LSS Sygpasl tse Sy Bel AVS SMI lag de tele pea ot Se sty ge il ptaly oS J ale es GS MoM pb Cael ops Va L2SUI Lt ae A By pena shes $y) al Shige GS Soblge Wy Sue J - Uy) 1 Sly iS oe Blow anal Jai wld ame SLA J youd of AUS oe = Ae ANG GU ea YESS Bt) Guy Gall 3 doled — ed Nl wy Peodl: Lele 0 Nlynd -L) SLs Ah — Sl asl 9 Sal Gl fp lb bobs Jo l= waedar by IS peel Le free — leraicl ppl ely ome St ilo teen god Jl hiss oe SN he rel j25U cena Slab GLENN My Jame Y—124 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najib Mabfz “But as you can see, we're one, despite the fact that two of us!” Lol Lil 2) 6 J LS Joly LSI ii daghie 099 bedi Of the Gy Zeal go oda — splat Fy dae di] — - (ee Atel Bp od ELEY J] Olli Lalas 6 ob Lely Lenyie Lagde Qatsy JU bt y pH rey lee Lgl del em SJ legla d of oadk ED A Hl ng OF Wesel els — “That’s the problem! But you have to submit to me resisting,” “You're stubborn and you love to argue.” R Their parents called them into the living room for a meeti They no longer had any peace of mind, and their happiness ruined. They believed that tragedy would strike the househol they did not remedy the situation quickly. Sitt Anabaya ki Las them both, and said: “You have to love each other; if youd = J problems will vanish.” Vea Soll eo Nasibi said: “He’s the one who hates me!” AUG ool ee iS But Qismati retorted: “You're the one who hates me!” as sib est = Despondently, Sitt Anabaya said: “You’re two in o inseparable, and there must be love.” Hajj Mohsen then said: “Reason demands that you get 0 otherwise your life will become hell. It is not acceptable fe one of you to oppress the other. It is possible to live t in harmony. Nasibi should be patient when Qismati wants. read, and in return Qismati should willingly agree to play Nasibi. You also have to accept to listen to different kinds « songs so that each can enjoy his favourite music. As for relig that’s not open for discussion!” vagke dle co Si DN oe Vy Lae Yael 3 OWI LS] - thls one cH JB G3 cll Y Lae aL! Aa Vy GU gh LSI SA = Eg ie cai pralld (St GU sy « ap PV BLS SAU > Ol cand de Ud lie oy Gel ab pend YU cali witel, JS gcared Vie cle JS Sy weetie Qismati said: “I’m all in favour of harmony, even if it wil Ab ESL cost me dearly.” Nasibi kept silent, and Qismati added: “He tee Sls th ho di ’t like hi 4 ill he b dy for ; eee =) tess je one Who doesn . 4 ee Wil ie be ready Bs o . 65 re ley eb ola! as dl day you ask us to work in the shop! y ie te L 53 The father replied firmly: “There's no escape from sk se eB ealk sna er unavoidable!” oP fad) DS} ab Lye ppd ant de Vy GES Coe V4} - Sitt Anabaya implored with vehemence: loss eeu oY Sui Lay ae ed EY elo y 8) pe Jy die Cw Coley‘ 7 itb Mabfig 126 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Najtb Mab a: ; Bln amy Gi LL Sle — “You must love each other, as this is your salvation.” ¥ - spl gh es) However, the parents still did not have any peace of Dt als ers ee, Jl Lag) Gees d oy Ny They looked on, fraught with worry and grief. 4 Uh eh ga ll Ea Uo2 he Lager GES Joe 9 ome dd Nasibi hesitantly tried to change for the sake of h, ‘aa Pr; af 5al jh AEN Se all psa pee vm le which involved a constant fight to overcome his indomj - ee Zs a oS Ua . als g Solel aabl yu: instincts. Qismati, for his part, embarked upon the ni ; gS se anny Ula tm oo 2 aa Cty Vad with greater determination and will in order to put an ¢ py) A} legeegt odclai tial J) Glo, ae ces his ordeal, appealing to his parents for help when neces; ’ A Js ey gldy let YL 3 i SU) eal dco! As they reached the age of reason and were on the _ . ‘i x , et \ =a Is. Le FV las dw adolescence, their problems reached a peak. Their suppres Bele «68: 0) oe | yey co Mee Le dreams began to manifest themselves, threatening to exp lc bs MISSY Age S oto lagle 2 3 o eae Rk aie Each of them developed his own way of thinking, and rep AN oy 38s At Dall SYA Ul 9 LW, the other as a threatening intruder, an enemy that mi st RP ebay ae wld fo Ci ae shee der ys defeated. They were both fed up with the hateful unity that Bl i f Ls 43s OLY b sau had inflicted upon them and from which there was no esc Bee Pitan, Ald) ral Sols eee 1 5 They would clash in a vortex of fiery and crazed outbursts eed IE OT Mid wb 8B patel crt eal G raging wave would emerge from the depths, removing any s weepdle BLL yas at OF oS Y ead il — of shame, while impetuosity superseded regret. q Ase ogee coed Jus Their anger would grow and they engaged in batt f Le fp prenlt exchanging the harshest of blows. Afterwards the hostili Wk sl de ebb B poem ; would die away, with the combatants becoming immersed ; Jy OK Lull soe elt silence and distress. This lasted for a long time, until Qi : BES si) ll op dL sy Le ead — said: “Because of this curse, life cannot go on peacefully.” oo we gall Calmly but petulantly, Nasibi replied: “But it will go on li E r BRE this anyway!” wees ISS 93 pare Ol Qismati’s hazel eyes grew darker, and he said: “We ee od Js condemned to be without the harmony that the rest of mankint : LAL y yap aol — enjoys.” ‘ | sane “You're sick, and so are your ideas.” cemnct esaras 2 Qismati replied sarcastically: “It is clear that one of us LOY) dy Bole WU dale op & JAS sick.” 4 dyi> Lal S- Defiantly, Nasibi retorted: “I will no longer give up any my rights. There will be no more truce from now on.” “But I’ve got rights, too!”128 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Readep Najib Mabfitz They looked at each other, defiantly, sorros dialogue thus ended on the worst possible terms, 3 It was then that they saw Samiha, their childhood fri a new light. From the window, they would watch her con go, either on her own or in the company of her mother. awakened past memories that soon faded. That day, however, they saw another Samiha, % of youth had matured her, adding even more radiance increasing her desirability. Qismati got drunk on the of temptation, while Nasibi’s wild imagination got the of him. Qismati’s heart was touched by a ray of beauty as a flower is touched by a ray of sunlight and opened yj it. He wished she were next to him, instead of that Nasibi, and for the first time he felt that Nasibi was not. a physical burden but also an insurmountable obstacle to true happiness. Nasibi continued to shake his head in bewilderment when he saw the girl waiting next to the entrance of her he he rushed to the street, dragging Qismati with him. Sa saw them shooting across the street, then took a few steps b and smiled. Nasibi lunged towards her, extending his hi her chest, which caused her to panic and run inside her This animalistic attack drew the attention of some Passel in Wayliya Street, and so they returned home, with Qis Bee 7 oe UBL chsh ese 2 Ys 6 bd oy Uytbsl) aaj eae Wj aa) ee 3 5 a 8 A tas $5 ON ado Sah by Lally Bd oe LLB py a LU tse} cg Ai ae te Ay lee le ee a Bs is ab ae SV penal Soe om de J Be EB Nt pel Aa LS nt! Ba 185 od ges Ob pti Sy re ones Bgl J peat UI Aidt ole Gb Gee ja) A Gal bs Je teen tes aay See egy Bee Carl Bim AS a OW er Br eed egy Ce jid Leyte J] at lee pd Gul Sy E Jp gos 3a ae jal ail tl dog) cally te see SVy cals oe oy ee ee SO iy Chey ond aby ol 25L) WO poet. cat ey esd Lei] — spb de NI cake y oo pl de Lgl gene Aone ol EWG od yp RL cis pe OS a eee = berating and cursing Nasibi, who had come to his senses ai fees gp grown quite submissive. 2 Qismati’s fury bore down heavily on his brother: “ 153 0 93 Ane Sesers < scandalous! You’re nothing but a lunatic ...!” 4 ele gna Jl Nasibi was at a loss, and did not reply. Their mother kn what had happened, and was distressed. When Qismati t her the truth, she said to Nasibi: “You will destroy yourself © day...” Qismati lashed out: “And he will destroy me along him, through no fault of mine!” Nasibi said, boldly: “We need a wife!” The motheri th Mab 130 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader ; Najib Mabfiz astonished, at a loss for words. Nasibi continued; ; elias ae “Since you gave birth to us, you're responsible for : tee bole 5H ite ae ras married to a nice girl.” 4 Djs es cp ey Foe Dy aS) LS — Qismati said: “No girl will agree to marry both of. p. Nasibi replied, defiantly: “Then look for two wives Qismati replied, with sadness: “We are doomed to ourselves!” Nasibi said: “Then let us consider ourselves a _ Na a 0 reer g5. oF gol — dual as this is, after all, how we are registered on th Opa gant Js certificate. 3 ; ser pee 05 Ruefully, Qismati retorted: “An object of fun, n fg ees J marriage.” I ie Juss Their mother was unable to stay in the room: “The Ha have the solution!” Nasibi erupted in anger, and said to his broth ; Te only solution is the one we find by ourselves, Let’s chy WY ie a ane midnight, when there are fewer Passers-by. Then we will S55 ay 3B ptt ole of ev! ohaly into the darkness to look for prey. 3 P Ib cL ue O55 - Qismati shouted: “Your imagination is running wild!” 2 & Bet wee ta “Don’t be a coward.” 2 WB y ceo at By “Don’t act like a madman” ppl Gate (ce ed til ale js | Na > Y— Hajj Mohsen said to his wife: “This issue has never be all fio Gp Ogle go LS Lely Las pen — k tet ped Jl : : : chee lelyy pag gles from my mind, but there is no family that would happily Grp us their daughter.” & . “So what's the solution?” neh gr Je The father said, his voice fading away: E wlbe gS Y- “A needy woman in her fifties will come and look P sb pt SSY- rar gd nt CUI By Mas oo Fpl ie BY Dy og pe ls ce ed — $21 - waite Spey fr Ji Js Mages ep yaa aad 3 Sal le ee132 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Readep Najib Mabfitz 7 a5 ¢ Maly JU asl at sl ccley them!” hg: Spbs bal, J fe ae ti 5 a p. Us Kv GIS Citely cle: ale Such a wretched creature, in both looks and circus eu ao se SP : indeed came to the house. They fed her and cleaned sas eS Wylgh AN adler ons US ened so as to make her agree to what they wanted her to ¢ oo SY) Seng ch peatee LAS Ud toed was followed by a period of calm, at least on the a 2 sul 3b — reality, Nasibi mistreated the woman during the dayti . ‘ - ; compensate for his nocturnal torments. Qismati, for hj. F Da ae ge hee appeared gloomy and disgusted. He asked Nasibi: “What 1933 A fey done to deserve this?” i ib a3 iy drew SU aN lle pe Nasibi answered, fretfully: “Is it my fault, then?” adh yey opiates dene 5. a ie ¥ es Qismati did not reply. He remembered Samiha, who Waly gba pt Leeds ol Aly oll ae er stolen his heart, and his suppressed emotions exacerbates Satpedl al angi! Sa dey CAV doles, Lette! ae ES 2 grief. The truth is that both of them felt lost and worth : NW Lealesy .cpad col: ate alter Joy but neither felt the pain of the other. Quite the contrary! p05 3 JV ith l = : : NS Age hope eV accused the other of being responsible for their hardship BY Jaane bop OS J Lary par eH OE LM ox 9 iy each wished he could get rid of the other at all cost. jet deal pete y gale Ogle 3 se WLLE ers el Their father asked them to work with him in the shop BB yo) gall daw gee hte og geld Legend, 2 Sp Wl) cl yy Lady «J gall Le gee am only for the sake of experience. They could no longer a ie Re. eels taeyie Ale Ole wy this, and so on a calm spring day they started work. They w Beal pmo) me ey OH Le a8 oan els dressed in a pair of grey trousers and two white, short-slee F ia alls Gy C| am shirts. Their hair was cut to an average length. Confused, dl ppd WE Vy fost! 3B el = stood behind the counter. Very quickly, a crowd of custon gy ot 5 AWE Cail 5S and onlookers gathered, until half the street was blocked, H BEN pond bar Se Or SE og , x \ cy Abb Gy ire Mohsen addressed his sons: “Just do your work, and don’t peed jyall oo tall baths ¢ tl oe Mae ce eds any attention to the people.” PA op Gye le lglg GUI Ball 25 eras end However, Nasibi was gripped with anger, while Qismati’s ey! E ob, WN: “pli aa slg el pr] g OSE > y .... : 9 coed ae gl ye were soon filled with tears. All of a sudden a press photograp Beat a CHS r 5) JL) seal pla Mime Dy yall phy oat made his way through the crowd and took a lot of pictures GN ban y 21) SLs] 8) aa Lal Meee 9 ar (tetgtll the two brothers. In the afternoon, a representative from #l OS SY GLU 4 Legal pe 9+ ct 7 ims Ge television station arrived, seeking permission to interview th two young men. However, Hajj Mohsen resolutely refuset his voice betraying anger. When the pictures appeared in tl morning papers, they drew even more onlookers to the sho while sales dwindled. Hajj Mohsen was forced to prohibit thet134 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader 4 Najth Mabfiz 135 from going to the shop. He told his wife, with sinkip : 1093¢ Cle ol LY Jy “So, the business will die with me.” 4 tS slgsl Cie 3 jew ai Gyr Nasibi exclaimed, in anger: “Why didn’t you get rid i Lie 5 Jeles UUs ie y birth? Why didn’t you show mercy on us, and on yourse P tes Hajj Mohsen said, deeply moved: “You will n o> 3 ber ff ¢ poy eae ¢ ‘ iz hardship, and your inheritance will allow you to lead a : yet 36 2 cH Jus and dignified existence.” by save ate! ii (presen fee ZN LSS gioy Le OU jong haul pnall Bi 5! Nasibi shouted: “Money alone has no value; the Bs 1s FI ie ro oe Shes that we are both dead! How I wish I could work in the bus oe ? cen + buy a car and marry four wives!” Spd of caf pS kee Lil asl! code y JL ang Y — Qismati said, in a sad voice: “I could have been a tea taut eo coils Ble culs gone into politics.” "i & Ne eonG Nasibi looked at Qismati, and said furiously: “You I 8 Q obstacle in my way.” ‘ ee) uly dba & SY aldara) sates Qismati rebutted: “It’s yox who’s the obstacle.” 4 y gee Jy ee UY rl By Hajj Mohsen exclaimed: “Why don’t you accept reality ae Aes J Rael) Lb! — seek your happiness together?” ae I oly _taned Jas Qismati said: “If we had been born with a single head Jae S 4 two separate bottom halves, things would have been e F bal) cof eat — Hajj Mohsen replied, imploringly: “Happiness is not ic elas to find for those who truly seek it!” ae P Pee ‘ syfi- Flas doled Sb Oban y ail JL OLS YI Qismati said, angrily: “This happiness is the reason for Joye 2 : 5 Jus misery!” Then he turned towards Nasibi, and said: “Stop b ' ad so arrogant. If you took a leaf out of my book, you’d P YAY) Old cplade clint, 1, Gils J—- the best and happiest of men. If I followed you, prison tele y cu Js be our fate.” 7 7 F Bes z bad Sd Nasibi replied, mockingly: “Nice try! But that will n ? Gdias ade op de doled Hele gow gens Ja Veals Cone (gt Bolen! ole — SUB gna ou Coil gl play ab SL 2 pail ALS gatly lege ye JOS coped Uae 0 SI UT thas le pei SB136 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader 5 Najib Mabfitz work! We are completely different. I do not love know Sut bu oul on ome ee = for politics, if you elected a government, I would im; Noose oj) HSH 2 1 O} ae aa side with the opposition, and vice versa. I will not foll 135 pl fag hy a dye 3 (Sale and you will not follow me; the fighting will not subsid te oli GSI Sl Impatiently, the father said: “Try to live together in ha i ; Z : 4 ee 5) ke I - again; it’s the only way! It’s your destiny, as is your ur Las atA of LAS «yA i cae po VS gh S} Lex) Reluctantly, they again attempted to avoid conflie, ory celle JLo BMD LS wD gloadl LS} na yWS loley disagreement as much as they could. Each of them mz ec . ne ah! rend jj oe) ’ we of Mem gr Ld sired effort to put up with the other’s presence, despite Qi mee ba JS pled DE] De cil (aldue We Cds jay Soab pa UT ol ne fl Gnas obey 4 4 . £ e 3a foes Ala) 3 Se peed pd Ep A IS hidden unease and Nasibi’s inner scorn. They seemed like two friends without a friendship, i alliance without sincerity. They each lived half a life, ang halfhopes. However, age prematurely left its traces on N; aes ol gry Sts chs face, revealing that he was rapidly approaching old age, per ee) Farort : Lg Sy Uhaall ants as a result of his excesses in most things. He started to comy Sigel NEN ables 99 ae age eG about a loss of libido, an allergy to drink, and indiges sub a6) Neither herbal potions nor conventional medicine succe deal) le itn — in improving his condition. In his pain, he express ao a fre Lexa ane suppressed rage he felt towards his brother, accusing him: eS . cb 1a) Hel. — were jealous of me, damn you! “ Qismati murmured, in a conciliatory tone: “May 14 CLs forgive you!” F oe . Ba ei set d s f | ctor femetend eee 15) cg Cts He replied: “Don’t look down your nose at me! If I Sy alate J) wens i ; 153 doe you'll have to carry my body till the end of your days and yo turn into a grave!” B53 G55 oN cp GBS) ce anal s Hy Nasibi’s health deteriorated to such an extent that he " P TSU dace oy ae gripped bya fear of death. Qaumitele Bory for his brot jeastemeel een decline, and tried to cheer him up: “You'll get even better i . ie ee : you were before!” Bey) Sales cls iby ied bys fiw ob Nasibi did not care what Qismati said, nor did he believe ; 1asU) aad ob ye Md) G2l3 GI- ae et he woke ae and shouted: “I'm going to # BI pay, al oS 3h alr aS) cSy ty ome of the weeping truth! es: lt irons Nhs et Sitt Anabaya rushed to him, realizing that he was dying. § Py Lal 05 Say cope ail tinal Beoly held him close and started reciting the Surah of Fidelity.138 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Re Najib Mabfuz : Se Mell ng pall oltel he stopped breathing, igi Jaks cde SE vMoM re ; SN Ll oie, OMad I5L Qismati wept, but was suddenly gripped by fear a pies Se Bee ie Oe having a corpse joined to his torso. The two Parents c 2JBy JL amt a confused look. What could they do with this 2y1 J+ VS Se peta ULE Ui! — they could not bury? They hastily summoned a do . alas: examined the situation and said: “This is a very complex issue, but there is no soluti 1 mummification of the body if it’s impossible to excise And so Qismati lived on, carrying the mummified, his sibling. He soon realized that he was going to be and half-dead, and that the newly acquired freedom h often longed for was nothing but an illusion, which h into half a life or no life at all. He decided to immerse in work now that the obstacle had been removed, he discovered that he had become a different person; of had suddenly been born fully formed but whose enth had dwindled, his inner urges dried up, his zeal abated taste for life dulled. He was a person who had relinquish worship and innocent daily pleasures, one who lived und surging with dust, devoid of colour, clouds, stars or a ho He said, a deep sadness pervading his very being: “D in the universe.” Most of the time he remained silent, withdrawn in a lethargy. Then, his mother asked him: “Why don’t you ente yourself and do something?” He replied: “I’m doing the only thing I can do, whicl wait for death.” He saw the darkness descend upon him, holding © Promise of peace. 4 - woke ts Sule ead ple sn Bag BI ly ee Healy oe Ba tines ol SoS) fp Ney na Ugly clang Y]cnad labs Ul 3, GU Jj Of de 5p aL Jo i ee Ol 8 ¥ Sey ad atl as ay. pT ade Gant ol Seb AB yd Lat y cated CBW y daly Cor 9 cre Le clas OF tes ate tpl Le gl Ol ply solely Beet col: JB y HY 9 = Vy re Vy 558 0S) Go hl- rads tu at Lely leks cig Ib 35s Segoe fais Hens LS YI ebb welt ast Gh gee a fall GI etl Lely oyoe ye DBI Of as Ly140 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader b w 4. Bay Co ig Abad di J w a 13. » <—: general term of address used for women (with first name); it is equivalent to $42 in MSA. The wor Language Notes A: erally pak: lit. “my destiny and my fate”, common expression of resignation, C8. mal y Rt “marriage is a matter of fate”. The word ag sometimes used as a phrase of condolence, e.g, (“such is fate!”), whereas it is also the etymon of the word ‘kismet’ (albeit via Turkish). r «= lit. “[paternal] uncle”. It is, however, often use term of address for an older man; 32 is another fo Usa: lit. “perfume seller” (J2¢, “perfume”), this isa who sells herbs and spices as well as traditional medicines. him what he likes and hopes for.” 7 - 253 (>55 (u), “to scatter”; cf, 353, “atom”, 4,53 dilb, “a energy”). Synonyms include JUbI, 125 (pl. JLuil) and #2: this is also often used in the sense of “time”; cf. & Be ey abl Cay od ne Sable lit. “with exerti the soul to content oneself with what God has granted withheld”. agi (ECA) < «ly! (“beauy, magnificence”); used to ref respect based on wealth and smart dress. 411 LS: lit. “luck loved him”, also used in the phrase 2 Cu», “housewife”. (55) J}: contracted form of J} BLSYU and Sk dF - oalsb: pl. of (1) Garlb a traditional earthenware coo Pot; (2) a dish made of meat, rice or vegetables. ingredients vary from one country to another, Albi: pl. of inl, round layered pastries. 42) 3): a popular district in Cairo (also known as Najib Mabfug ‘Ji: lit. “swimming in” (i.e. “soaked with/in”). : unclarified butter, ghee. A 4 i: “seeking the advice of loved ones”; the use E Gconsultation”) in this context has a religious tion (cf. Qur. 38: 559) 3) 54), : ee lit. “People of God” (i.e. “God-fearing people Ds Ja is used as a head in a genitive Cen (421) in the sof “those who are”, e.g. ¢S) Lal ol ( "you are generous ”), It also often means “family” or “kinsfolk . Indeed, this latter meaning that is meant in the common dng 995i (see 24:8 41K, note No 50). al giily Catstsl: Sufi terms denoting certain ranks; in story, however, it means those who know and are ted, e.g. ail, 28), Cf. MSA 152 (“he who knows “fortuneteller”. “ ‘ ; : AN) EY): pl. of cy, “tomb”, “grave People in iim countries traditionally go to these shrines to ask favours or be granted wishes. In Cairo, the famous ines include those of Hii ALS), 3} 505) and ct. | Susi lk: “Goodness gracious me!”; 05 & dLébl! is often d to express astonishment, or to beseech God’s kindness - + introduction to an oath, such as es E3 (“by the ophet”) or ail (5 (“by God”), which is equivalent to iy eed 54.: a shrine and mosque in Cairo. | 3). a large and popular district in Cairo. Z “labour pains” (<2 (a), “to be in labour”); also eI midwife” (ECA); MSA 5.34 aL. The word pS* pl. «\-S>) means “sage” or “doctor” (cf. MSA <=). see bxall AIS, note No 42. by Ghai 5: “may our Lord show mercy on us”; generally142 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual R Najib Mabfiz used to express astonishment (see also above, 29. ae ek: lit. “God opens”; in this context it is bes 1 as “better luck next time”. 30. dale , disability”; cf. ale, ce pad’ aS, note No 43. aed AS Y a: CE. sitra 2: 286 (“Impose not on us i we have not the strength to bear!” Ms h y als Ji: “divine connection”; 33, “destiny” (also it. “daughter of lawfulness” (also “Miss Right”); (also “Mr Right”). “4 show”, “scene”. 7 lit. “after the end of the appointed time”, or (233 (lit eee apportioned, made ob] fier one’s death. is a religious duty or obligation for which J) this is a reference to séira 112 (29441, “devotion”), will be rewarded (whereas omission leads to pul is commonly known as %1e 32 we (Beirut Blues), a novelist, short-story writer, playwright and essayist. Ri of ten letters written by the protagonist Asmahan a conservative Muslim family from the Ra’s al-Nab’a ebanese civil war to various people both dead and she started writing at an early age, publishing essays in # J, the English translation of which appeared in the 1¢3) (An-Nahar) from the age of sixteen. After complet received a great deal of critical acclaim in the West. In university education at the American College for Girls it shed a collection of seventeen short stories entitled (1963-66), she returned to Beirut to work as a journali ps -S (I Sweep the Sun off Rooftops), the English sO) magazine and then at {4}, ' ‘of which was released in 2002. I It was during her stay in Egypt that she wrote h lish translation of one of her recent novels, i} novel &2 |%5 jbl (Suicide of a Dead Man), which de 43 (Only in London, 2000), was shortlisted for The relationships between the sexes and patriarchal con m Foreign Fiction Prize. In the novel, Hanan al- Middle Eastern societies. It was eventually published plores the lives of people caught between Eastern and Five years later she published her second novel, Ole cultures and traditions. In the 1990s, she also wrote (The Praying Mantis). 8, which appeared only in English translation — Dark In 1976, she fled from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia bec: Tea (1995) and Paper Husband (1997). Both deal with the civil war, and came to international prominence wil fF immigrants in London. F next novel 3 4 j SSS (The Story of Zabra, 1980), which wi tory “Yasmine’s Picture” is taken from +! > 95 ES Sy sp) CLA (table Ge pe oe SL yy SLL152 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Readep Hanan al-Shaykh 7 Sy peel SS ad 2-35 kitchen cupboards and looked at the bags of provi Day OATS Hs EM A OH AS a tins of food, the crates of water, the pile of flat bread Gp fas 5 Gt Bey Se BOL GAN HEN oe the fridge and several gas cylinders on the side of the by : OSS) “If they were so well prepared, and if their flat was . a secs < 39 lS J3Iy why did they leave then?” Moments later, he blamed | pees ee eo ae rretre for thinking that all people need is food and drink. Le pe lly pala Ob 0 ad en es He walked around the house, going into every room, etd OLY! content with just looking; he opened cupboards and dj eS : Breen eisai recite eb oe Ly ae 9 omen His wife smiled and told him: “So, what are you up ¢ pi OA . oS wag yt \ i) answered with a lie: “I am looking for a book, a draught Bple 2 8 et te J se anything to pass the time with.” Uap ght eg le Lila Wyle de col le fain 29 ‘ She said: “When Nawal met Yasmine in Europe and t in het, ugsl 2 el oie Jy Uy that I was pregnant, Yasmine made her swear to make m % aa : 5 Mass os for babies’ clothes, maternity dresses and anything el eels JAN eels os eee ee cae was useful in the flat.” She fell silent, then added: “They eg be eke AI I ab pene by = a course, happy that the flat is safe and sound, and that P Bs cy) sll. Ugerrs dati orgy (pe pe Uke like us are looking after it.” eg Bh oe 2k 0 0G Leman ey Annoyed, he replied: “Even so, isn’t it in our interes _ apeeaee ie Bb dry (OA lols here, out of harm’s way and close to the university hospit ge Chee sl) thantes orl je ior 2 pe case something happens?” She changed her mind and re Be Ly pes SS bie Ll dy Lay BF Joo while smiling: “Yes, you're right, you're right.” i BSS 5 ak yay lee OO Ue Ley ope He entered Yasmine’s son’s room and stopped in fron A Reiser Bats bless Ses wall covered with pictures of the boy, from the day he w fo paey aid Bye gl eget Joos Se until the age of three. There were pictures of him crying | pay Lepas Loy iypall dle ata pi Usted licking the baking tin of his birthday cake; with his for tle sell covered in mud; of her hugging him when he was only a few w fe ., 4! 5.0 Suyb acid ool UL Ggty dent Jory e old in front of the white lace-draped birdcage. Her hair ¢ E 2 Bees ca sa peo down to her waist, cascading like that of American Indians. we ely rls oe GES eats ah Then he gasped as his attention was drawn by one © By by etl leery LE Ub & Jes o pictures. He paused for a while in front of it. Her ti complexion was revealed in an ankle-length sleeveless d which also showed her cleavage. He examined her fi appeared sad, despite the yellow and red flower behind het She seemed lost; the picture showed her son holding ontan al-Shaykh 154 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader ee Loh wey B20 yt? als Uys GLE ally ol inal - ay Sle Sg hy (2S 2 9 Bs NE Sos ee Sgn dy Sos j pcoedl oF Ht iy ded Leteel) eS a hype Of Be (lf te ob dai ely yes OLE be) cl Got ba Leo yr5y eiS .ab)) aslall LY ab, 3 de sera cett chess JS Gp Jalal A oe cont op Leal Roe Pin cla yne Lar 5c FU Lead y Ugh Out EM yn Jb AS IS, cl 433) Gy), Bd Ala ry roel re ly ulele aes JS Bab yyy od glesl ile te oe S Bip Jy) ee Las 8g 2 galt ¢ A oH W cpe ky By I By pe hy Lady sm nat may Ge AE gery Le Cpl oles ent de AS SS cei side oo UL gh, a) Stn Jy Sele otf creel Jae? MG ff Sb) Shed tea) ge Bd y el SO SIs See ae 6 CaS et ad Gob Si chs GL sy get y O1 Sal) 245 Joy dtely dee GOS : (SY glee WIS de oF Heer Waly Se gy CIEE ts GSA LT He of hla fabs ily 53 Lyi] tL scarf while running, as she tried to grab hold of him, This is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my lij as thin as I imagined. She really looks like a movie star, not stop himself from going through her things and ey them. He was like a thirsty man chasing a drop of wat After a few days, he noticed that his preoccupation pictures and her virtual presence had a soothing effect war was raging outside. The quest for her secrets was { thing that broke the monotony of the long tumultuou His wife was absorbed in her search for baby ch all the suitcases and nylon bags, so that she could was and get them ready. When she noticed her husband perplexed in front of the photo albums and the thick en with papers, she just said: “Don’t forget to put eve as you found it.” He saw a picture of Yasmine as a child, wearin underpants and sitting in a wooden chair beside fij another one, she was clad in a black university grad gown; it was the only photograph where she was also eye make-up, with her hair cut shoulder-length. And th was the picture of her as a hippie, with flowers in her haii drawings on her face, jumping high in the air. He went through her letters, one of which was fro! friend Nuha, who wrote: “Dear Yasmine, I read your sentence which says: Zina, tell her to study hard so I can pass my exams.’ stop laughing; really, you’re so wicked.” When he found a diary, his heart skipped a beat. Mut disappointment, however, it was empty. Then he found an two diaries, in one of which she had written a single set “Is it the multitude of diaries and my desire for writing # stopping me from writing?” 7 He closed the diary and sighed with satisfaction wondered: “She’s beautiful on the inside, too; she’s intel156 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Hanan al-Shaykb 457 with an unusual attitude.” Why hadn’t he met her or Ds NS ter 978 SEAS 295 Ser lene J» like her? Instead, he had allowed his wife to choose a od ase be gd cdl td! de ole gh 0d gS Glu oc» him. He should have known and met someone w e es a et Bob oy tn Ge cloths hues and translucence of the water and sky qui 4B LB bype Bees “2d lS ape ane ede heart; someone who loves donkeys, and keeps a stat 3 aS Lgl ph oe (Nay cpl fet! Cal hay small donkey made out of white gypsum; someone who i 3 ent dt bess 3dr gl Beeld! My seltayl picture of a Persian cat and writes this dedication und 4 a, Me cs hase. tee hem 9 ol gla NI ley “This is Silver, one who is beautiful of hair and Hea Bee J) 6929 tet ot ty SS Bp lab ch A> Leip sly see eUUES ) Tl paintings like these on the walls — water colour in Who gave her this book, which had the following dedicat the one and only Yasmine”? hen Yeas oF Blt et oda of (> fe 13 Then he got to her music collection. He started to! ; SS aw of JY Shay be dg j i Shy gand C3 gl 4 OF Jao Y Shang Le detigll Yeo 95 the records, which ranged from Sayyid Darwish to Pint ec ase 2 from Abdul Muttalib to Vivaldi. He shook his head, US he tape BSD Jk Cre 3a ON be Aue strange moods she has.” Suddenly he stopped and thoug! pt Ss lee He ell Olea a bell os did he assume this was her music collection? What abi PN ob 5 > dl Lie 2 ed ds ee “eas husband? No, upon inspection of her husband’s papt Nee YI sf sLasla caed pe oh idl his engineering books scattered about, it did not seem Rm IT RIE FR IE IE had time to listen to music, never mind Arabic music, T goth ph ani US > LS Hee UI pol SIF BI eG indication of ownership was the drawing of a jasmin T Agilesh 3 Bae LAS oye jad) pe SI de sits eles on all the books. There was a book about the singer res ck aw LB al battle AP aly newspapers cuttings about her and a collection © , i ne ees =e by both foreign and Arab poets. Her touch was Bs 13 oom os) oF AE Ble eye 8 on everything in the house, like the bottles of colour wing LE hg ope Gets Ant Jory Cre Jb . gles asl from Petra, pictures of donkeys (always newborn), wind P > Geel Oe suspended from the balcony ceiling that produced so whenever there was a breeze. After going through her tht suddenly felt tired and dozed off in the rocking chair. Suddenly, he felt someone’s presence in the room a Yasmine talking to him; that must be the sound of her ¢: He got up from the chair and started looking in the roo! he found his wife asleep. He became annoyed; his quest on for too long. Then, he woke from his sleep, and smil realized that he had only been dreaming about Yasmin158 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Hanan al-Shaykh The fact of continuously thinking about Yasmine p more tense and repressed. She did not know him, but her. He knew her secrets; he had read the letters she had her husband before they were married. He had touched her seen her perfume bottles (including the empty ones), her clothes, the pressed coloured cotton in a glass jar. He h d the medicine she used for period pains. He knew every lit about her. He saw the reflection in the mirror of hims: her white bathroom robe with the picture of a wild mu embroidered upon it. He truly knew her. He loved her, — At night, he slept close to her, in her bed, feeling her and turning, sensing her “fear of the explosions”, as put it in a letter she wrote to an American friend of her leaving, but never got the chance to post. pests 15 6258 ce Nj el gall peel 0 SS , 5 Jo = 92 Yb, Fa cle ol ed YS a oS oad Y len clgatls a6) > a jbe ob-b- 5 ch sLaclal : AT Bele ch werk Polk 3 + SM! oylll Hele Sy) ee TA J nti ly bol Gal 3 Upon Slelgi ya ail og 2 phd ale 5 jell BY) op he Ll te ee 3 le Bele LS J Jigs (iS al dnd ES UL Bless gs et Sa eT Sey dls cr tolpe toh gs Sp AM LA LS y cle Bo sei) re lary} Bilge} cies Se dela peel CIS 15 dy axe! 4) Should he get her address from Nawal and write to her? Sub lye 2 M2 OS. dl ys CHF Oe is i) he wait for her? Or should he travel to London as soon as F : : ; BL) G55 bce HUH Lad a) bs gh ay ols as al gave birth? He sipped coffee from her cup while her yello ‘ ; it i nas F twittered. He got up, and extended his fingers towards pal he aed ee gl VE hm 35 oe al ees aa asking it if Yasmine also played with him like this. all tof Slides aa US 5 a Jo 8 eo) ie USF By He ee a oe ae = pa Beit ol ig ee eal Ke ae stopped watering their plants. He stared at her pictures ft ; 7 Silong time thatone mightitwas as if Vasraiie sean te US sa Obie gh ps OU pS Ober Lele cal SEG a> hess indies Loy Oe OU ju Laci go Vih GES y tlie, ot te anid dey cpl d at him. The shelling had stopped for a week. He thanked Go his wife felt labour pains at dawn that morning. He left at the hospital, and returned home, completely worn ou opening the door, he saw her standing in front of him. suitcases and a coat. Before he could ask what was go there she was in front of him, with those large hazel like a cat’s, the high forehead, fine nose and full lips. out her hand, smiling, and said: “Mr...?” He did not embrace her. Instead, he found himself for her hand, realizing that he did not know her.a an al-Shaykb 160 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Hanan al Shay) (rather than O» in MSA, where ox is the eaccusative form). In some dialects (e & " oe also means. “punched”, “hit ! =MSA is S18 +o). used primarily in Levantine Arabic Language Notes 1. S44: passive participle (JA) rl) of 5 used here in the rare meaning of “fica the far more usual “to suspect”). This usage, th yn, Sy LCA/SCA; MSA. J sis is the unit noun (“one cake”): mneral) is ee ressive particle : ja, Jordan and Palestine). ~ c a bee. in CA, is more often used in the colloquial ( Ci ; the collective (1.¢. 2, dite: dial. (; the firstpersoml agg n the secret services in Cairo during World War II. the verb _+3 is elided in the Lebanese and Syrian @ by SCA/LCA ae Olt oF blab, SEGA a gluse iar 15. cab pine: (54%: “happy”), MSA 0-3 © BEF i i ha lid fo: fruit, jam, etc. that in nearly all colloquials the standard r esMuhammad Shukri 163 proficient). Subsequently, the book was translated ten languages. Later on, Shukri released a second sf autobiography, +Ua+V! Ole} (The Time of Mistakes, ich later appeared as jt) (Streetwise, 2000). Shukri s publishing debut with a short story, sb de asl ‘ on the Beach), which appeared in 1966 in a Lebanese Muhammad Shukri ournal, yet it was not until 1979 that his first book ‘ under his own name — a collection of short stories sll © 4 (Crazy about Roses, 1979). ks to Bowles’s translation, Shukri’s fame spread within st n literary establishment, many of whose more Undoubtedly one of Morocco’s most famous, if not i ant members visited the author in Morocco. Some of twentieth-century _ literary figures, Muhammad — counters, such as those with Bowles, Jean Genet and (Mohamed Shoukri) (1935-2003) was born into a yer ee Williams, were later immortalized by Shukri in nis family in Bani Shakir, a small village in the north of if tee Ob- (Jean Genet in Tangier, 1974), #133 gee Soon after his birth, the family moved to Tangier, wl (Tennessee Williams in Tangier, 1979) and J3r5 Joy Sy remain the novelist’s home for the rest of his life. Lit Bowles, the Tangier Recluse, 1996). 3 F late to Shukri, who remained illiterate until his early t s oeuvre also includes such novels as JIU) 3.4) The extreme hardships of his poverty-stricken childh Market, 1985), 225) 53 >45) 4) 5 (The Seduction of the depicted with chilling realism in his first book, .3! ow, 1998), and the collection of short stories from (Naked Bread), in which the reader accompanies the pro he present story has been extracted, 4«:4\ (The Tent), on his forays into crime, drug abuse and prostitution. written in the 1960s, its explicitness meant that that i only be published in 1982 (in Lebanon), and it was two decades before it became officially available in the native land. However, the book already enjoyed fame West thanks to a translation in English by the Americ a (and fellow Tangier resident) Paul Bowles under the u Bread Alone (1973), whereas another novelist and com} Tahar Ben Jelloun published a French translation if Interestingly enough, Bowles’s translation was not ba! Standard Arabic of the original manuscript, as the was not familiar with it; instead, the source text was S “translation” of his book into the Moroccan dialect (if appeared in 1985 amidst the usual controversy and furore companied many of Shukri’s books. lis work, Shukri - who may be called a poet of the @ssed — reveals a fascination with the underbelly of Society, the trials and tribulations of which he €s graphically, with great poetic force and compassion, d of voyeurism. following story is by no means an exception, as we the nocturnal peregrinations of a young prostitute ing with life’s deceptions.poly jal jhe «bust ob yt Gt cael ha dl ob Nerd ere ea i. NULL Lyall dey oe let 3 pheall «_ DUI! i. ei it ’ F a Bi 1 st bee os bn Je eel BD) jars cS prdlecale Bl pul de Sole gle tel ane Me by bed) de ee Lilie cals Fee PM ett gi and SF dla ad Gjs5 ol jill fee AHS Sort Ol bill Lee teem leery ety edn y Ll Chal. BNF OSS cm Bp octet ow VSS cle GOS gents WT abe Boe bell ne fell pall gerbe pore Cres Va ad Gained ob MN ebb o gu) ob bl Cy oo ee Bee AL tee GLE BUNS baa. Yi cS 5 of play UB pads He Slade | eg LEM BUH Cole Gd) eer IE j LelLYi eda 3 bil ell — 1B) Cole JU- we abl 3 SUL ele pte OF Oyo Lagelibiy fp phat) rill de olay cade The Night and the Sea She began to feel as if the beach was hers alone. In the an old man dressed in rags limped along, throwing bread to the seagulls. She stopped and looked at the sm: huts, most of them without doors. All the bars were clos little old man was leaving the beach, tossing the las from his basket to the small flock trailing in his wake, head tilted to the left due to disability. Some of the bi followed him. She took off her shoes and flung them onto the sand with her bag. It began to rain. It was a warm rain. The rai soaked her hair. She let the waves lap at her feet, raised h and closed her eyes. The raindrops trickled down into he mouth. She loved doing that in the shower as well. She picked up her shoes and bag and continued W barefoot, contemplating the footprints she left behind. SI increasingly sad without, however, knowing why. She er small puddle along the long path leading across the bead She entered the Atlas Bar, ordered a Bloody Mary an headed for the toilets to dry her hair. In the corner of t a young man and his girlfriend were seated. The wome sobbing as her boyfriend tried to reassure her, swearing b that “Nadia” was just a colleague from work. “So much rain these days!” said a foreigner to his friet English bar owner, who replied: “It’s the year of the floo Morocco.” LS _ Widad sat on a bench and looked at the two of Lana Ny eo BE without understanding a single word. She caught the eye 6 Seeds cS 1 SUNG gw OL e2) ek By peel oS leery at GLY eet . p 135) aw! foreigner, and they both smiled. The young man put a coin in the jukebox. His gitlf stopped crying and smiled. He caressed her hair and fac cupped her hand in his. A record began to play:j ; 6 j F id Shukré = 166 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Read, Mubamma: hes Leeds a ct UN ce UL UT el] bo “Ob God, please don’t make her suffer for my coroneg ane Gs GEES pe = ig OU es Suddenly, the door was flung open and Zubeidg. eae ME Se B29 Pot ser drunk. Tall, with bulging eyes, she had the kind ¢ a Bre cell BA oO ie was always ready to pleasure a battalion of soldiey r RL fig de Seely Maes AS GED Oy ; le ke dar) ESdly ed MG k victorious from war. She exchanged kisses with W isle S dee aaa ep Of v3loy oS ls barman placed a glass of wine and a sugar bowl ir at Bp lt ee eat Ny ee \ > solo loan CIB dep Jad Y > cl Zubeida. She scooped a spoonful of sugar in her glass at aie it in. Widad thought to herself that Nabil had a simils ay joo SH eagele cp 351 pbl sre ine el a scl a yle Cal yy Lael canle putting salt in his beer to slow down the effects of the al Zubeida said to Widad: “I haven’t slept for more th, three hours over the last three days.” She slipped 0 wage el Oh non BR and stood barefoot. “I feel sick. My head’s spinning lik PSE Ya J rs SN glee aes ne Widad’s words froze in her throat as she thought of Y piel O92 pene she had slept with and whom she didn’t love. Pooese Wy bs She turned to look at the sea. The horizon was c + my Jx dally ra ve oa co Fa mist. Night was falling. Rain buffeted the windowpanes, by BE Be 3 Feo as nea Fa owner and his friend were chatting. A thought like a p By uty i Yost by eet gl LY! oe ie ! flower blossomed in Widad’s mind, racked with sorro _— gel aes ad oT GLAU ob f ab ,8 i i E ais) aus te) viel Gp 2 the things she had never had. She couldn’t stand ai - al Laake o ss cdots glass, and beckoned the barman to top it up. Lightning FENG lise lady ped 299.0 ie followed by crashing thunder. Zubeida trembled. She ex eS GeIY— an enigmatic glance with Widad. Outside, the sea and aj G) calles tel) § clay abi thd wah were raging. — 5d goa Bn Ue & pi wee , : a SNS UF ge Oden) “I can’t stand thunder,” said Zubeida, Epa Bices ea eee Suddenly a white cat appeared in the room. It sidl SAD oo te BP : Zubeida, looking up at her affectionately, meowing. Z cla looked at it, horrified. abd 3 = Yi] — “Do you like it?” she asked Widad, r . habs 1s — Widad answered, surprised: “It’s only a cat.” BK Jos oi cals abd > 2 LS i of “Not every cat is just a cat. One day, my mother was TI oj by Geel Lo Li fees oe Ll “il : 4 Be ele P Lea a fish and a cat came and meowed innocently aroun! Shy x ay Spl jy dal Gale ony be Le When she tried to shoo it away, the cat attacked her, sin teeth and claws in her hand. Two days later, the cat retP 6. Mubammad Shukri is 168 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Re, OUI I Lad ell ae bre dpe Glee Cycle ike ee pt Ug js gt ol le Sor : wl ose Bpfey teee 0Sm Wp Lege So yate A ALS Leek AY cam Me bee Al ae é all sly Li clalasy the house. My mother found a Pretext to punish ¢h locking it in a small room. After a few days, we oper and found a ghostlike creature that could barely mo walk. Its eyes were filled with madness. It was a terri “I told my mother: ‘We're going to feed her ay some water. ’ She shouted: ‘No, you won’t! It will die, It’s possessed by Satan and you have to kill it! Take far away from here, toa place where there’s no food.’ “My little brother Mustafa and I put the cat int 33 dae Of ot ep cull oslo pe (2)! and took it to a remote, desolate place, and we left ol es sme Ae ‘ : Ww ise ub asked my brother to wait with the cat until my return JE fad Le lly ISM ost oF eats asked me why, I told him that I was going to find > is something to eat and some water so that it could s1 said: T'll tell Mammy! “We left the animal and went back home. My little was skipping along and kicking empty cans; I, ho ve quite sad for the cat, which was about to die of hung night, my mother felt the convulsions of the cat. The fe morning, my brother and I collected some food and di went in search of the cat to give it to her in case she alive. We couldn’t find her. I tried to convince my mo somebody must have taken it home with them. 4 “She said: ‘Never! You must have freed her spin the ghost that was strangling me the whole night.’ afterwards, this incident continued to haunt my 1 because she never rid herself from the cat’s ghost until she died.” “And so you waited for the day to take revenge on your mother?” Bly a AE a la Slay jis yo Lae US F fe le f aL EUG Bb Lege S yore ol abel ME eg ete BU So abil 6 es Lady Sly LIU Sy LE LL cl BA ite Nj Lb ils 13 Fob ol gal of Syl lene de Spb ols fe roSG le oo Seg ot lrg cb BOS olay lal ; Les 4 GS wath) BUS te ole ol cle ae woke (ge ahd aed Hebd os OLY plas YI LE ¢ pl cal cde GE aly — ge Bt Ys out 2 35S dant tut Bldg S55 LagenlS Lyd Ske of GY Gy Stn) Sb (Andy ee BE ft eat bil fay co pey LE Ley asl “Me? Never! Animals don’t give me any pleasure an} Zubeida asked the barman to fill up their glasses. | thought about Miloud al-Farsi’s cat. He was a bachelo shared his own food with his beautiful cat, whom he and who slept in his bed. When she grew old and sick: id Shukrt 170 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reage Mubamma Wyk Led Eh ed LAL oye gS aly UL pL beautiful hair began to fall out, he filled the bath eee Res Al eh eS grabbed her by the neck and held her down in ees. Sy. Jp aN Mc Us Ogee § Sy: J % , the: A Es ect she died. ; pads Haase VA ed S59 SF CA) Ap Wir AWA CEE Oe on SS oy" r The song continued: “J was twenty years old when time on silly things.” He took out bis diary and wrote in it: “Hope is fat that there is goodwill. How many times have I embrag Wer oe hated, for the sake of a fickle woman we both loved.” vad. ou slay OL He looked at Widad, lovingly. She asked: een writing?” We “Thoughts and feelings. The night of people and my ae Evil nights. Lonely nights. The nights of two beetles of the sar as 1 am who are fighting over a dead mouse. Magian ni Magians used to like melancholy nights.” He was sitting close to the window, looking at the writing. Widad was in ber nightdress and lay on the edge of her legs touching the floor. Suddenly he Jelt a slight irritan wrote: “It is man, not God, who causes pain. He doesn't fe He is omniscient. As for people, we are often in pain because so little.” B Pore es BES Bs » ‘ Soph) got MS eet de OS 6S Qe ee g ME SO Bdeoy Seated Jn dial G Ste: OS fad 2 NV de Wena) FA Be ou BpeN > LEN aN og Wop Ss pe MYDS oS pl lS Hes A Mag F B34 ads -» Gh, 2 JS) gu GS Sins ttt Nc paytah als Gee la dp Ae eel Mee BU 6 ed Ado Se Shins [53 ches glade p hy Ny e023 UG Bee BS Gop pylon bhos io ee aS AN A MeL acN S 1g silan ¢ Babyy WN Ge de Lgeid par dllly pNBile Ye Mess as gla 0S Ae Sloe Pah Ga od US 8 GER HWS He didn’t know anymore how to select his thoughts. He Srom his glass. Widad felt like an orphan in front him. He whole future abead of him. He would finish his university stu Sraduate as a philosophy teacher. He would have another a while she would continue to sleep with men she didn’t love. It occurred to her to kick him out and never see him aga Slat. However, her heart began to throb. She changed her mu looked at him, filled with love, while he was engrossed in % down his feelings, many of which he did not understand. Nabil was sitting on the sand as Widad went through h rituals to soothe her nerves, walking along the edge of the 8 the water flowing over her feet. Most of her vitality retui continued to record his feelings and thoughts in his book looking up. He thought she was like a flower without a stem.en 172 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Mubammad Shukri wrote to himself: “A forest night with its owls, bats, crickets Soxes is better than a beach night. Here, everything is buried sand and there is no life beneath the waves.” Tt seemed to them that the sea was split: the green is close Sarther away. The horizon forms a string of white flowers, ser the mist. He picked up a handful of sand. His eyes were in hers, with desire. He closed them. He felt her breath warming his grip of bis hand on the sand loosened. They hugged. Nakedne made him yearn for her body. She turned her gaze towards the faces arranged in a rox the length of the bar. A lone youth was talking to a red he held in his hand; the woman sitting opposite him on, as he sought her advice on what to say to the flower, felt she was an object of desire to all of them. Samir at her, showing his jacket for sale. She imagined them | turns raping her. The bar was filled with men. Five or si women were each drinking with more than one man. SI her glass there, while other glasses were awaiting her som else. Widad hated herself for being desired in this was afraid that someone other than Nabil would love het reflected that in passion there was some love. Her punt paying good money for her. He was an old married was kind to her. However, he did not show up tonight. Nabil had written in his notebook: “I don’t understand W except if she is far away from me. I feel as connected to her to my own life, while distance brings out the various dimenst this connection; I can’t even enjoy music unless it comes to exquisite vibrations. The natural view appears more inspiri it is enough for me to look into the abyss, while I am overcol vertigo that fills my head with hallucinations that haunt me Ui do those who are treated with electroshocks in mental hospil true soul stops on the other bank, at the top of the lighthouse mad lights reveal what floats on the sea. I am fed up with thos are reasonable towards themselves, as well as with raving madt Kay ebay ead HUE wh ee ANS = prs de Nae Gosme se RE eee ORREANES Se Sages i) Beye Ge Sit Bi Ge et aia) wd HN Mer oS pli, pol Legions b P \rnder: dds Ledls & pa al) Las “ye Die Noell Sab de Bhalla de 3B al Bale asLlal 304 Sel ar B5y3¢4 Sa rcst Sh ale j sete or Sete Ug slay Corl bo pl bg la a glass! le 0 pl SE pyr gb de ee Led bags Bly IS pol ae et net dere sd Bo SG olay Shin Le ess pig Sy Le lS OS ca) i Beat sol ld JH a Sm O28 Fi 4 ai} Led Ug) aba Liye O! tt Uae Bet fea) o~* *) Wd eee G Lass VI} olay geil V pil 16 Se 35 5 fos OS estat 2 EH tad) 3 ens Gt the Ud) gl Ol se Le SF JSS de dl OF LV Lee ST Y all Bi) 55g) J) sl of AS om Ute GSN gh gral u Gl Ste LS fe ell! gle sll ot pt bey shy) BAL) oo} lil) Woleall 9 iL 4S! ola Les Opell Goties.a 1S 5D) de o FV) abel bg Ni ge fA cpl y pgentl eo Dial ys Cate A. pe174 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reg Muhammad Shukrt She was still sitting alone when a black Mon A oe be Bay SL NE walked in, handsome and smartly dressed. He sat two others at a table and started to recount how he girl from drowning on the beach. Suddenly, he sai voice: “I hate ungrateful people.” Widad could not stop herself from looking at stared at her with his left eye, his mouth wide oper tongue running along his lower lip. She thought t “He’s trapped me. If only I hadn’t looked at him, slept with a black guy.” j A small child entered, holding out her hand int space. Widad beckoned her. She grabbed her outstretche “What's your name?” “Rahma.” OS «3 ‘ Spl ep its aI AS ak Ty Uyle Soler te Je S pa: JU sles Jeb Oa in Y call pala St gl aay Bok wal) Ba ope ent gf of olay ches ¢ ju we Si tekealN La acd le I py Why | bie Ad esd wall ae Ba Of clog oUt .Z 1a) 9 ey dal alib cl+> 1 > gall Lay os GS GLa Le — dary “Where’s your mother?” Ge fy “She's waiting for me outside.” Flea She gave her a coin, and gently turned her away. co ook Widad looked at the hand as though it were a cro lad, Ugh poy BA bd chee! alighting on her shoulder. She felt it slipping down h This was the first time a black man had touched her. at him in the darkness. He smiled at her, his eyes filled It seemed to her that nothing could satisfy him. These! for a man who longed for her without her having desire were like a dark night to her. She remained feelings towards him were blurred. His claws dug into ht and then he said: “Are you happy?” She looked at him silently, as if in a daze. He appear! like a child that does not deserve any punishment. He kis on the cheek; his nose was warm, his breath heavy with mixed with a strong fragrance. She had let herself go it places. She got up and left amidst the rapacious st drunks. The black man followed her, swaggering. Set is ep BREE ele oy ol, Be yak 3 ao lene 45 Jil a Leek se we Bats of cl J lal Le} Je dle 3 cher DJS, dnsly yee HE, O90 Lyegete Jory cll atl tl, bis alo op LW cliny Sale lb Glee! alured Tay ypr cal Ja Vas 1g) hy aaj oe gt opi af O42 al] be deg Byyeddl 5) anlat aae de : Sy ob toy SL AST gE OLS oj Sls Jil el II)176 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reag Muhammad Shukri Language Notes “gis, or a “drinking place” (pl. 22,124) or 6. i the feminine form of O5U (pl. dU). this word is used more in the Maghrib (especially o and Tunisia) than in the East, where Pea) is widespread. also see bill 41S, note No 59. 1, SUL: sg. Ol or BL, lit. “a place where sold”. : this is a very uncommon word meaning “b, 3. ULé>: dialectal expression (MCA, but also «, other colloquials, such as Iraqi); MSA: Seg ‘mM as, 4. oS pl. alssf lit. “a corner”, “nook”, it general any semi-closed-off part of a room. . hae uals, (pl. Sas 733) < aii (“money”), pl. > “coins”). It is synonymous with 25H 42b5 or > SUH: the basic meaning of this word (inde “storyteller” (« SS), which has undergone met extension to mean “record player” (“phonog word 0 54 sl > (< “gramophone”) is also comm 7. SSX: the feminine form of the adjective S5\K). This is the common paradigm of wot pattern (e. g. OES, £ Sesg pl. JUS — “lazy? in MSA, there is an increasing trend towards a feminine, e.g. a Xs, GUI: (High Walls). He was also polit tars to be a composite of a number of idols of the Egyptian involved, and during his student days he played an activ and stage. Above all, the story constitutes a journey on in the nationalist revolutionary movement (as a mem Part of the protagonist, to which the reader is party. It far left-wing group), for which he was imprisoned for two J ‘Contains some of al-Kharrat’s other typical themes such (1948-50). 4 liness, estrangement and alienation, not only from the After his first collection, which was published at the aut @ around us, but also from loved ones. expense, it took over a decade for al-Kharrat to rel second book, another collection of short stories entitled S «2531 (Moments of Pride, 1972). Later he published Ot css SEs) (Suffocations of Passion and the Morning, 1919) the same time, he concentrated on his translations (from English and French) and criticism. It was not until 197 he published his first novel, the seminal cl Lely (RamAt the Theatre ; $ 5 & “Masks are the temptations of truth.” ’ aoe r : 5 Wd\ OW) \ That night, Opera Square looked magnificent. K DY Fey The street lamps were aglow with white, radiant light, Laxegs Ugahd ysl Olde olf the palm fronds rustled in the night breeze. The stat any dade clan bylaw dnl Ly P<) cabal Agle Ibrahim Pasha was lit up, proudly showing off its bro: ee ist, sl 2! JU, wl as Go i , I entered alone. —* o ie ee < if S ; The marble staircase and the ancient iron gate gli ths PE ia while the red carpets muffled all sounds. I noticed tha : wStey eles lowest box, which directly looked out onto the stage, was dorlesiy eal 4a 5 std) Uy He JI Poa) empty. My seat was comfortable and alluring. I leaned © 12) crimson-lined balcony railing, and said to myself: “Why P es leae they here yet? It is nearly the appointed time.” Then it iil Cll A oe Jail aes e Mot ee) though I had completely forgotten about them. 1 cle JJ oa aol Su Ay ie (Geb ol. We The murmur of the voices, the movement of feet an igs Of sled! £L5 51 tigh ISU rey cob) Liesl peaceful hubbub rose up to me from the hall, studded | : turning lights. The red, plush velvet they lit up added t B LUE pg impression of luxury. Then the three knocks came; the | ao J dana, «solg)) ably pW > y IS ob ols were dimmed, and the din and hum gradually died down. Tat) Be SU BALA 3 pa CAS g 68 Gall gill lous 8 gta A man went to the front of the stage, in front of the taking short, heavy steps. He had a stocky build and was he te a piece of paper in his hand. I heard my neighbour whisp , shay, Cela) y abl) Law ye) po) cai dl oil clear voice: “Muhammad Bey Sabri, the director.” Go Le fey lel Ul oe at! Mande cle The opera director stopped in front of the microp: oe A oe A 32 wuts stand, ie its large disc. It was only now that I wondered in HE ES Sane yy Oe Sars presence there. He said: a i “Ladies and gentlemen, it is with much regret that I hay oS chal 42 yh °O ghy KM a go lal lll pte Gi announce ... I have to say ... announce ... I have some vel) 3. "pl see HL ety news ...” : weal LG case lef The heavy giltembroidered curtain opened with @ Fr. ie (teu san : audible metallic sound. Ge BASS pes ip js) de il) aL at) 3) cml However, the stage was deserted. The set was that La 39 9S LEAS 5 S9. gE Cpl Sy182 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Idwar al-Kharrat 183 traditional nineteenth-century European reception ; hyo eile Lem ys pes (pel! appeared dreary, with faint lights. ’ uy! fistl 1s a de MERSE IS inal is ey At that moment, I saw them, all the actresses, who a ? cae J Sia 4 i lined up on the stage in a single row, with the actors b gl all er ! them in a second row. The actresses’ stage clothes were gtd iI AB ae Ob gl tell LI tel tee ig raniones they ee be a Sy dnd Bye gel pear gob) 5c HU La bbe aid ts as though they had never been worn before. The multico! aya alle 21a een ay |) aaa, satin — blue, green and purple, glistening, heavy, puffed up, Badly SSA aly Ge gly ASE ULy Tati, riddled with pleats and embroidery — looked stiff. The 6S QUSMy a Slay Aa, I dbl) OL IS suits, on the other hand, had jackets, wide, flat collars that: AS > O92 opetby 3 pole cole | lS tight around their necks and a multitude of buttons. cgle ls aca J3 They were all silent, solemnly standing, motionless, q - ie wes expectant silence descended upon the theatre. by SS) SL ey pet 45 cal See op Sar A tall woman with powerful charisma emerged from ely g) Sp bao y byes nlf cba call ae cas i pall OLS row of actresses. She moved towards the microphone. It we a eilak ‘ Pier : i 4 Sly eal JE op Dy bat Nj Lt gl wai Gb though the director had disappeared, yet he had ayy oc am aca taken one step back. ’ Yost) lene om Sli pL NS Gb do pee ils It See me a she had that aura oa I bee J) prrpte Cals S aac) reel a pall Iya y glory of the theatre in the Twenties, when she was the p Biel alc Wyslvatoreae Geaitaitecs ear of all the students who undid the reins of the horses Z. i eo" . ES ees royal carriage and pulled it with their arms tied, vying with Bab cl AL pl olale 8 pall pall EU Uy BL another to tug it from her house in Fouad Street to the the BETAS oN bts 5 dy cde Le SL peal yaks in Emad Ed-Din Street. Belg on 9S Re tal yo gS clea el Bil Bee She was the Sarah Bernhardt of the East, the Small Bi \ psi Pt tee ciot Hamlet, Cleopatra, Shajrat al-Durr, Desdemona, Bilqis, 4 SOME eeye Bos ej Sai Queen of Sheba, Juliet and Layla, Zubeida the Barmakid, eb) oe GLU abe OL! ay Bicd op a ja) an Hanem and Layla Bint al-Fugara’ all rolled into one — so mi . ASB ope Glee ES ce pall as ee an living facades, so many lives! i eee TH I stopped, alarmed. I had let out a scream without f Abt tele Ci, realizing what I was doing. Some people from below looke : opale 6 Slt reSBy at me. Two firemen who had been standing next to the $s! proceeded towards me as though they were going to stop” from making any movement. She paused for a moment. Then she said: “Ladies gentlemen.”Idwar al-Kharrat 185 184 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Her voice was trembling, revealing the burden ait uss ow li! op tek Sue pin eye OF heavily on all the hearts. It was as if an invisible sp AAS acta) = GEM ne spreading throughout the entire hall. 4 Berries Luly t After seemingly collecting her wandering thought tJ y8 A) stot se etl andi crema! EIS great difficulty, she continued: a eal ow Gaul, pd A] gale i gle = “Ladies and gentlemen ... It pains me to stand here in’ 5) il! eA alld) cpl 2) by Xs! cal of «dal of you in this hallowed place and announce to you the d ball, 3 all Lele of a magnificent flower of the theatre, a star of the at f os . Son gael Gas ay cP liplepe HS dazzling ... and brilliant actress ...” Her voice broke once again as she uttered the name o} % Todds oe ae Le pT ged ls I6 deceased. B) lb! se Ug) Leen «JAB shee Lig oye Cad — As if mustering what remained of her strength, she ad «A short time ago, we lost ... despite our calling upon the 1 experienced doctors and raising our hands to the sky .. ; immediately took her to a doctor ... but God decided of gare OW OWS All eapall WIL Ot ee we've lost her ... may God have mercy on her soul.” seal Then, she completely broke down in tears, the sob i reverberating throughout the silent hall in a strange echo. — Everyone in the theatre gasped unconsciously upon the name. People rushed to their feet, and everywhere there : ot gl IS coal abs pV cael sobbing and crying, interspersed with the short shrill cries MeacN\ « 4 i Hee lee women. All the lights came on, and the doors were opened. — aay SI oe dee o Vase peal) ol St ea) Cd ops pene ana all In a space next to the wings near me I saw fake Ro J columns made from light wood; an ancient triumphal COGN oye lal Bio las UL OI; Oe pISUT arch, which was actually plywood; splendid, green, glis a So £3 G5 i tll ol pi Vb gly gy ceramic vases made out of cardboard; huge oak and or, s ¥ forests that seemed to run until the distant horizon, in SPU Be al ed LS a tJ de Socal a fiery, red sun went down on a dusty panel; Louis XIV cha BN ae oe Hay N ged sl pel cela ged Ane J I gl clea, iled on top of one another; black marbl tables; walls Bl out ee aero ; eine tea ee de of a a ae surround k oe, oi, md = a he ee eral elegant gardens with tulips and violets; cemeteries stretching - wall de 3) de Sr ab aS 2 ob in Coptic churchyards; a bridge across a small ditch opp? BN Gey BN y debs al bl Ope y Mia OST «DU a country coffeehouse; tall minarets and walls of mos Abs obs J! 2 oly da; al) isa) pou streaked with yellow and dark brown; imposing staitci By... SI A 3S cel bY! GS 31) lalla sd) J i Lge MI glee ie eg ab oe US eg tela CIS Bed ep SE poy Sy etl pel ccndily WI Co186 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader J with wide banisters rising towards balconies, their ; railings inlaid with bunches of flowers; the squ: of Cairo Central Station; ancient statues with brokey wooden platforms and estrades; gas lanterns perp streets glistening with rain; large pulleys with thicl ropes; towering stepladders; and thick, dangerously dz cables. All this paraphernalia was dimly lit by yello which went out and then faintly appeared again in the passageways. The wind suddenly rushed along the paint and cardboard, gently shaking the pillars, forests and ¢ softly stirring the fabric. The smell of the dust in the to my nostrils. She was standing there, alone. She was staring at me, as though she did not see me. ~ I knew she was dead, and that my love would not die There was nobody who saw her there, nobody who hi cries. Did I call her? It was as though the shadow of a smile was engra\ lips. I knew that she would be in great pain, not of 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 lik Until I say so.” I said: “Why the pain?” She said: “An unresolved crisis in the soul has consum with grief and sorrow ... pride stood between the two of it because I was only free here?” 1 I said: “Is there no other salvation ...?” She said: “To refrain completely from seeing each oF I said: “Should anyone be required to carry th burden?” She said: “This is a deserted place. There is no one he I said: “Neither a procession of celebrants, nf Maries?” Idwar al-Kharrat By epee tae Ld cy prjl Jas ale Fi I pte Are USAT py SU HIN pS Lge gy de SL | RES cpl alle g I Gp Sey Bate US y tals SLE Ley Jel aj oe dy fethy AE OLS JI ode Gy Mas Heal IV, ; Bed Gla de tbs tell Ce BS AL 3 de piles SA fey He UL y SUL SL Fog sal AOS toatl J ~My clade y cy BAY WS, hy hd cals OY & Oly cde el Goi Ms fe epee tol aed dell, tol So) alas! Ib att de SIU, By Sb nw Y neg Y Eee Ul Us plete, SAY ie SL) ye ci ST OFS} MiRe je de fey 8 VIG AYU eb gay et SF oly pS. ian 5 sis) 9 50 pine de jl IG Slim b> sll 3 > OY * ares ; Sle gb pals ¢ baal s I $ Jal la JS sol Suey of of es ded gd ed ate ge dole ode oI MSN OLN Vg phil 5 ge Vg edi 187 Bilal depen ita oly188 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader She said: “And torturing soldiers with swords or spe I said: “This is not because of you, but because of ther She said. “They’re not there.” Then she said: “Also b of you. Did you know this? I said: “This burden I carry inside of me is deep-roo am I. Is there no path to take?” a She said: “It is as if I haven’t spoken. Nobody's hear It’s as if everything I’ve done doesn’t exist.” Then she “They don’t want what I give them. I give them my d my exclamations of joy, my cries of love and torm fragments of the soul. Nobody pays attention to me. They: want to ... they don’t want to.” 4 I then said: “One is the same as all. I, for one, hear yo 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.” q She said: “My tears are for you; you who don’t see.” I said to myself: “The light is totally dark. Of course. were you waiting for?” q She told me: “My mother’s village in Sharqiyya provine razed to the ground, as if it was a dark ominous cloud heavy harmful rain. When it actually rained, its roads chan} deep rivulets of clay, the cattle leaving deep, successive in the soaked soil. I would say to her: ‘You'll get electricity! the dam, television, porno videos, chickens from the co-op subsidised bread at 10 piastres.”” She said: “Their lives revolved around the daily sleeping on the oven during winter, and on the bench pe against the outside wall in summer. Friday night was the for lovemaking and recreation, whereas other nights spent in the mercy of God. The rest of the time was chopping away at the soil with the hoe and plough; P Idwar al-Kharrat By Bye adel ager Vy sel opt on bled oe Se Sel pad oS Sods Nes Lag tlbst og te Dp op ey Leal ul ele 3 SW odie fom ye sob Bat asi. eee IY Bhd alsy stu oy Stl tl pol pad hel oe Oy Ved BY dated pb Cap lilies cobliey > Olrne Oph py ply Ul Sat eee LUT teed ISU ye dey suf os vai bay Bie pe Bel eb NL IG agit Ob) go 4a! obi . Og FV pl pS eyo SB $ as OS 13L Lab Sees WE oi de et B elas os 3 Nu ss ensScsyan pte, de gl dl jie Byreall 29) 3 alee 5 ple | de piled A Sy coped ine Bs asides tales pl glee Jal Sy r NPB te gl peal Sally det el by pill Beto ep. pre 99% CS Ae gly yall: se BVALS |S y "ine pall deat aL) Ol pl Aeolian cline MEdorall Neath) 3 Ball ol pally -LL 2) Gee ota gaa 2 al) Us «stly CAD ay P BBy Sell & wa by IS ja a3.1, "7 au TY GEN ST clea SI cys fal GC tslyIdwar al-Kharrat 190 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader ia and anonymous complaints. The food consisted of pitt fermented cheese and sow-thistle every day, added with religious festivals. And then there were the visits to ha of saints for baraka, requests for intercession from Shafi‘i, Sayyida Zeinab and every member of the Batniyy for the Prophet’s blessing, noughts and crosses and q fencing, ancient rituals going back until the beginnings taken to heart without thinking, without formality.” Then she said: “Daily ugliness is a mask; it’s de contains primal poetry.” I said: “There is nothing that can forgive uglines and oppression — or poetry, for that matter.” “What has happened to us, and to them? Egypt stin the rotting smell of oil and money from the Gulf, with our dead. Bring the shovel and the mattock. They fell vi the attack of electronics. Yet, they continued to say: “ unto those who are calm, righteous and sound asleep, u1 of what is going on’.” 1 The big projector emitted its glowing light, which reflected on the stage and shone through the curta the wings, leaving wide, deep-black shadows on the resembling thick, iron bars. The bright ray of light blind Shy Sly "AAD hI Byle5 Coley gal ll oll Sy Mp Bey dled) GLYI oe eA by ot pede tet Spe Sp, MLL Sal! Lash By nS o> 12 J BL char gb os Sydnee the See Sh eds CS ep ely NU NY 9 ly 2 My CB Bre ston bie Bol, pee Ct Goals WS BL ct yey Bibi Selly sj ole bby coe ed poly ely xy eld! B52 20 gh gle 0 gles gS) ob IYI Talos cle Sas tabl\ Blycl ili Weal) 1) Soy ess eee dl SI Al oy gs disy coll ats de ce As dade Yate Le YBIS 21) KUL tase Wai oS, AL dal F pal AH ylincl byes y gle 28 jy oe HS wy BON Ue ile a, IS Al Bake yt view into the darkness of the wings. shay Ge gery ict! The centre of the beam shone on her. ‘ edt cles «Jicll Wie cay tl ode Ugilelely Yi i She appeared small but tenderskinned, her plump, ° cae ly neo 2G? O92 451 gb limbs in the middle of the stage, her face radiant wi Her voice and gestures revealed this freedom, this flauntit fact that she'd given herself to the audience, yolunta unstintingly. It was as though she had originally not put on those ¢ that skilfully and deceitfully hung from her moving bodys made it seem as though she was returning to original inn and no longer needed covering or nakedness like the wild | that looked around to ambush her, true to their nature. Sc UU de geal 5 AG Sul gas Y als Pe Le aly Sl ope alS yay Gi Aocd) Gare de CAB et Ete gl LY be cle flee Norby apace od caelall192 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Idwar al-Kharrat Lasked: “Which is one of them is a mask? ... Is not hidden behind a mask? What does the mirror say?” Who said that whatever comes out of a deep-rooted disposition is nothing but a mask? Who said that not go, here and there, or anywhere her passion took She told me: “He wanted me to belong to him, pSIebt LS ep Bb gdostdl guy os dtu bedroom, as I belonged to all of you on the stage. TI 5 7 Sf of cele IL: LUE, fe AUS op pall ts impossible, entirely. What could I do?” as eet hr - on ee I asked her: “Who are you?” a - a... ae Wok He was waiting for her by the door, pale-faced, angry, } ay clare cl pee cae gM ale OUI de Le es ol a ie a a Pe Sele na Sg be DS OU le oy aa GF cilbily ll. tb de Ges run towards him from the door. He was waiting for her, aa sie 3 look on his face. They both got into an old Volkswag t _? ez Sh sl at ma J? rn lel a broken bumper. The car disappeared around the MS pl sn db J +S ty SI Abu‘l-Ala Bridge. 5 col gz spe Shes FB ad LL SUIS old Ol AS we col JS ope @ sab ol yh ad Cg Ab by Bday dy pe Se Lal gh sts GTA Sp WSL Se Lal) 3 Lal gt all ss LSS tne ime oe Gilad JM alls O) Jyh cy lal yap de clr OV, Le EV UG Sp All that remained was complete emptiness. The dreat suddenly left me. There was nothing left, not even a image. Yet, a strange feeling emanated from the darkness.194 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Readep Idwar al-Kharrat Language Notes ‘glee: a major thoroughfare, which runs from 26th of Street to Bab El Hadid Square (near Cairo’s Central on). It was famous for its cabarets. A) lit. “the little eagle”. A reference to the play “iglon (ago5) by the French author Edmond Rosny and nslated into Arabic by as BE and os vera | Ie was iso one of the first successes of the Egyptian actress abu 14 (1908-96) In it, she played the same part that Sarah nhardt had made her own on the Paris stage, which d her the sobriquet “the Egyptian Sarah Bernhardt”. +: the only female sultan of Egypt (May-July 1250). nowned for her beauty, Shajrat al-Durr (d. 1259) was a Circassian (or Turkoman) slave purchased by Sultan ee .g\ She gained mythical status through her organization the Egyptian army to deter the invading French troops ed by Louis IX (Saint-Louis) while she acted as regent in the bsence of the sultan. Her remains are kept in the mosque 1 (aE: ECA; a contracted form of the prepositig 2. | 2931 Olas: square in Central Cairo, near the form house that burned down in 1988 (the same year tl] new opera house was opened on Gezira Island iy co 43) gu) — “The National Cultural Centre”), Opera House was built by UL el), who also. Giuseppe Verdi to write an opera ~ Aida — to inau the building. 3. EL tl): Ibrahim Pasha (1789-1848), the son founder of modern Egypt, Lal, ee ae (Muhamma d, 1849), took over from his father when the latter, reign that lasted for half a century, became medical to rule. Unfortunately, Ibrahim died a few months in own reign. He was succeeded by one of Muhammad grandsons, ‘Abbas Hilmi (1813-54). The equestrian of Ibrahim Pasha at Opera Square was erected in 1872 is the work of the French sculptor Charles-HenriJo Cordier. 4. ¢h: (ECA) despite its spelling in Arabic, this commonly pronounced bey (the colloquial pronun being reflected in the alternative spelling 42). Origin Turkish honorary title for high-ranking officials, tod often used in Egypt as a term of address indicating res flattery or sarcasm. In other countries (e. g. Syria, Lebai and Iraq), the form JL: is the most common form. 5. Osby Sd: MSA 3B) ZSA, . (ECA) it is used here in the sense of “fluffed (< A451); the MSA [Ai8! denotes “puffed up”, “ru (feathers, hair)”. 7. 238d: (pl. gbL+) a horse-drawn cab, also referred tO caléche. hat bears her name. : this is the name by which the Queen of Sheba (of Biblical fame) is usually known in the Arab tradition. eB: the female protagonist in the legendary, ill-fated love affair with the pre-Islamic (/abiliyya) poet cs ¢2 3, also known as 0 5 (“mad”). 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. IS) 3455: a reference to the wife (and queen-consort) of the famous ‘Abbasid caliph, 423) Oyj (d. 809). The adjective {43} refers to her relation to the Sui, (Barmakids), a Persian family of ministers in the ‘Abbasid Caliphate (a dynasty that ruled from 750-1258 and takes196 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reade Idwar alKharrat its name from its founder, «#2 oy Clb wey Prophet’s uncle). 3 14. +1 all 2 A: famous Egyptian film (1945) dire S445 53, who also played one of the leads (alon; hugely famous actress and singer >) + J) to whom also married for a while). y 15. ASV: ECA (< Fr. placage); MSA: niet iS 16. 5 sll; (ECA) MSA: Oban, 17. § 1350): ECA (< Tu. képru); MSA: ro (pl. phot), 18. SUSI al ECA pl. of ISL: (< Fr. praticable a Me .. aSts (lit. “birthplace” or “birthday”); in Egypt, : “s Ss aoe festival celebrated on the -. Be ligious figure, usually near the shrine or Bes which that figure is associated. Cf. oe v3, F ce (sg. ea and sg. 4) mean “saints”; Bie omer refers to Christian saints, wHereas the latter is slim saints. F cs BE famocs legist (d. 820), and founder of a ious “school” (madbhab). carci of the Prophet Muhammad a laughter of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (the fourth of the so-calle: Rightly Guided’ caliphs). Sayyida Zeinab is the aint of Cairo. She has also pee her an sees large worki around the homonymous m ; ein a a working-class aie oer the ‘tad hich used to be known as or S42)! aL (lit. “the small screen”), by contrast Citadel Stata mosaic, w 33 ee oe f ts form reflects ECA pronunciation (and, indeed, 2" a rs ee ine that in many other dialects of the MSA -U. 5B I, “the one who wears glasses” (lit. “the fath Se tical of 5, MSA:O3, pl. 3K glasses”). ’ : 22. dlacall: (pl. bles or bL24) this word can also d type of ancient Egyptian stone tomb (mastaba). 23, t= fall aaik1 ah lit. “Friday night, the night of tl This highlights, of course, the special status Friday enj in Muslim culture. 19. U3) okt: according to the Gospels, the Three Wy (ie. Holy Women) discovered Christ’s empty tomb the Resurrection. Except for Mary Magdalene, the ide1 of the women have never been ascertained. 20. O » sid: reflects the usual colloquial pronunciation in Egypt and in most other Arab countries; MSA 24. 4! & jh: lit. “God grants relief”. This is an expression reassurance, the implication being that God will m everything alright. é 25. lia: (ECA > Tu, arabal); MSA: plat or Raye |: (ECA) bread made from sorghum (iw sé 35). : (ECA) seasoned lumps of fermented cheese in a th a tlSalwa Bakr characters tend to be weak in comparison with the «y's most recent work is the novel <3 5)\ 31 5» (Waterwheels 2003), in which the author investigates the changes in jvidual’s life as a result of political, social and economic Salwa Bakr the following story, taken from the collection (2003) ars the same name, the word gg (“hair”) is used as a phor, with the hair connecting the two women at once ble and weak. The bond that exists between the two ing female characters is vividly described as being as strong umbilical cord, and yet as weak as a spider’s web. the surface, the story deals with the urban life of two en who seemingly lead a humdrum existence on the Salwa Bakr (b. 1949) is one of the most distinguished | Egyptian authors and is known as a novelist, short writer and playwright. In 1972 she graduated from Ayn | University in Cairo, where she studied Economics and Bi Management. Afterwards, she also studied for a degt Theatre Criticism. After working as a civil servant (1974-80), she a respected film and theatre critic as well as wor journalist. In 1985 she became a full-time author, and she has published seven collections of short stories, novels and a play. Her works have been translated into va languages. Among her short story collections are 3 jlo pai3)\ (Zinat at the President’s Funeral, 1986); 23 y de “ eas (Of the Soul which is Gradually Stolen, 1989); and < 320) (The Peasant Women’s Dough, 1992). The major themes in Bakr’s work are her preoccupatit the plight of the poor and downtrodden in Egyptian s especially women, who not only are subjected to social political injustice but also suffer cruelty inflicted upon | by men. To endure this harsh world, women must be and learn to become survivors; by empowering themselves are able to subvert their men’s so-called strength and bre: circle of dominance and subjugation. In many of Bakr’s sins of the society, with very few distractions. In fact, they t two different generations with different pasts, values expectations. The older character is fulfilled, living ina past cherishes, adamantly refusing a new life in the West with her She is content with what she has, clinging to her heritage past through her “ancestral” hair, photos and belongings. younger woman, for her part, has no past to cherish or lean She lives with the uncertainties of life, burdened with the Onsibilities of caring for a disabled child, in constant fear the unknown. he story is also about interpersonal relationships with ters. While on the surface the reader observes a conventional, er superficial relationship in which the two women emingly only have the marghile in common, the story also Sses the issue of single mothers in Muslim society, mplicated in this case by the fact that the child is disabled. One may also adumbrate a contrast in language registers, than elevated vocabulary and formal Arabic prose juxtaposed #h colloquial Egyptian.Ancestral Hair 13 LY ‘yg Fr y galt or Wnt’ ju Aba "iS bgt Glos db Yl 3 2h Se Yi jy ole: clr GU LS My Co Sl es bs Ley Sady WL 5 AM alli come Cee ca ay Lene gE LEY aacall GI pl Le al ol J sil ALIA gl ssl ole ps Ws, Lai ks oe Sp ebb gs teal Lele as a) ess) yl fA) fo all Leder de bas aU) 5 Ba jen ttas led po lgay ga lool: sol co Be el Lae y epee Lol B pe pe tee dey | Ble ool eo rar bo pe pl SY) eas OSSy Ler gles of eae Of te BH I 9 on) de Ma 3 aly deal Lo J] OLY! & TY ; Ske BY Ges Y Gels iby Ge etl gol of ENS besi of [51S BV oly lel ow etal hall ol gt (9) dole 75 j gle JAA DU thy 2 Mabe SI tw ela obs bt tel Jo eS lee he A) eas Foley plmad cota bol Le BIg yy Bel pues Lotat Jol tells Lalall Jo Sy coy all slay Bye ae Wala Lhe oo) ELS WL Sometimes she seemed to me to be a weird genie who hu; braid from on high for me to climb to the summit of her I then lost myself in her maze as though caught in the im thread of a spider's web. What else could have tied me sixty-year-old woman with her six teeth? She could barel a newspaper, and moved with the grace of a turtle. I some blame time, that wretched thief that seizes the days o lives and mercilessly denies us the opportunity to reflect ourselves, or others. Other times, I blame the savage geogy of this ageing city we are destined to live in, for casting u: one of its growing protruberances, like a fungus on its flabby body. It occurred to me that what tied us together was my u from society as a divorcée confined by a twenty-four-yes son with Down’s Syndrome who had a wild body but the and innocence of a nine-year-old child. ‘ As far as she was concerned, her vision became clearer age. Her two sons had emigrated to the New World some ago, and she had tried to give in to their wishes and liv them, but in the end she had preferred to return to her world, to life in Cairo, and whatever was there. 1 I would always spend my free evenings with her. mornings did not start until I crossed the ten steps sep her door from mine, so that I could ask her before leaving building: “I am off to work now. Do you need anything?” Was it perhaps the narghile that tied me to her? I had gt addicted to smoking it with her, despite the fact that I had even smoked cigarettes before. We would place the mdi between us on our balcony at sunset, with the man-child sit in front of us. We would exchange puffs, causing bubbles im water that punctuated the topics of conversation, ampu202 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Sala Bakr Sentences without hope or a future, with a single purp affirm our presence as living beings. “It’s been quite humid these past couple of days.” “Umm Khalil, the caretaker, cleaned the building last night.” 4 “Careful, my darling Mamdouh, the coal could bur hand.” Yet, I told myself that the narghile could not be thing that tied me to her. It was possible that I was al some kind of despair, and for good reason. I looked as a widow over fifty, while I was only approaching forty, Sh I not get on with my life with a son who is my disabili bird whose feathers have been clipped so it cannot rise ¢ How often I wished I had had another man, rather one who had placed this yoke around my neck and ran off another woman, who gave him boys and girls that had into the world with sound minds, growing and flourishing the passing of time, like the rest of God’s creatures. : What man would want me with this huge burden shackles me and increases my isolation from other peo from life. I never venture out except to go to work, whil home is where I escape from the world; it is the only ref have, where she and I could smoke the narghile. Meanwhi son would sit in front of us, with a vacuous gaze like a mi circus clown playing possum to make people smile. All we knew about each other were tall stories 4 inexplicable mysteries, despite being neighbours for years. When we first met, she had told me the trite story of life, which had gone unnoticed and would probably end i same way. Whenever I looked at her, I felt that her face her life story. Anyone looking at it would not remembet of its features, for the very simple reason that they would bother to take another glance in order to store the dei their memory. a,» hb cLolS Goyer y oF OEY! pe Pg jie dylan) yy com aby Le Tc tel dhe po} Jil GS Se Spe prt ger CEL phe Ls HD ng oe Mle OST he OS BM gos Be FF dE ee lyin Lote coment crit 7 Mb ate) (ad ph PdaLd 5! ‘Ae BLA bal Coed pl des do by A AY 18 dows CUE,™ J Ghee ee st Sey SB oll ey Gil HD BB IE ALS AN 99h A Fy gal Doin a he Dy «ee de Ca seal stl Me gin sil naa Doe lt Uylly ly pep de bey gee oily mfiot Mig oe VY) ad oye Vy oe Lad Vc sf LA Bly cg y coos He) a> ec lll o> oll Sle SM aS Sl eee Sie Be Che He ol be LS EL wolits be lon Spb oV ey clit op oe ge aly le Galle BN gis ie 5 LS Bly ee J HES AB Gael W por Ol pe oy jell Sc Le 52 foKeny cel Ugberdh oJ ale 41d Baw Ue Ne yo 5 pI LUE il yo al chal Labs BT os gry or BLY aloe oe LI 5 SI lee SG 4) all Le MU = DN dee opulee bobs 315. i bles OWI Jluo) 33 SVU oeSalwa Bakr aa 204 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual doielesten de ppl gel tee Ya] oss S om a Wp cabo oa SS opm de Ay « Sill - yds hs Gps off os oh However, I started to look at her in a diff that day when I paid her an unexpected visit, | in the morning of one my days off, while my bed like a beached whale, I wanted her to lend me. “Have you got some green thread I could use fee sal Wetinnce olive-green skirt? It's torn along the side and T can’t] oY “gir tebe ee ‘a Ga f to go out and buy a whole skein for that!” ’ P WEE Sags jal J ph tales a She replied, seemingly engrossed in something ; eM oe pl Jal Wage Oy by IG here, and look in my sewing basket.” 4 ea} ae ls - bD Gp $9? 62 T said: “No, no ... I left the flat door wide ole eae -eb Mamdoub is inside, in bed. When you find it, brin , fla your own time.” os wel de as Ob eS 5 Biel a Ni: , welge de J gale ASE Us a pall “Do come in for a moment!” she said, while bec} to follow her inside. Then she added: “Come in, and look for the thread in your own time.” a Fanaa I followed her into the only bedroom of her small f Vz esd BB be 5909 thes Bi go MI sae SLE was big enough for an old, lonely woman like her, Sh , SDL Ag) 5 pial ABLIL Be ll p gill BF Leal yy Les the wardrobe So as to give me the sewing basket, i Bde yall LD aL led GY yall coed gle by made out of wicker. She noticed my raised eyebrows —- erat Foie y at the enormous pile of hair on the white bedsheet, w pil US 2 sited Se be os th er f 1s lit by the morning sun and revealed a tapestry of in tee mat teal ple ILS iy cold pall GDL Gy’ colours ~ black, purple and silver, Bc 5..,,.2il, dey ae oe CIR Gb gt Be By OU il LIF Sue ca byt She sighed: “Look! I opened my pillow before I g I thought I’d better air the stuffing at once in the sunlig Q seen Pe Gs ily pb nS Jol antl 3 Mabel, “5 AL pillowcase is worn out and torn, Jintend to make a ni T looked at the long, loose braids on her back, in wider 0 pe “Oh ... the pillow is entirely filled with hair.” Pac arene ee b a a , GI ul! Hy es! “Yes, my mother’s hair. It used to be her pillow. E Meh de Dad a Li i nis Luiuly aa me she combed her hair with her ivory comb after her ba ope lls a. ook used to gather whatever hair had come out, and putitina cotton bag until it became a pillow. Look, this is the bl. from when she was young; that’s the red from the tit started to dye it with henna after she turned grey. grew older, she kept her hair in its original colour. CL JS lgae Job as Saal JI at oT F G28 SB AE ye SN gi a al gL aS aNd 378 ale Lote MOD be 6S FL Lb cad Glad ot Ls de el a> Sow206 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual R Salwa Bakr 207 “She used to have a plait like silver thread. Unfo when she died, I was in hospital. They stopped attending her funeral, as I'd just given birth and would be bad for me, that I could lose the milk in my If I had been at her deathbed, I would have cut her b: taken them. May God have mercy on her soul. Thank. have a bunch of her hair in the pillow. I also kept two. and an incisor, which she aoe out before her death; ] them in an old satin purse.” “Ah ... two molars and an incisor. Oh, my w. exclaimed, as I grabbed the sewing basket and rushed b my flat. q Was this incident a watershed in the way I viewed Me Fathi? I don’t know. All that happened afterwards is th thinking about her, with the picture of the hair on her bed imprinted in my mind. When I was back in my flat thread the green yarn through the eye of the needle, my remained with her mother’s red, black and white hair gli in the light. I had mixed feelings towards her after that day. I no le thought of her as an ordinary woman who goes unnoti¢ a matter of course. In some way, she had become a my old lady with peculiar idiosyncrasies. Since that day I to think about her world, something I had not done b Whenever I entered her flat after that, to smoke the arght drink coffee, I would pause to look at the many pictur covered every wall of the flat. I soon discovered that sh not only hung her and her family’s pictures on the ws also that her family’s history was to be found in every ¢ of her flat. The pictures were not of herself at all; each told a story ab the life that this woman had once lived. Even her small ki had a picture of her mother and aunt on the wall abo old, round marbletop table in the corner. It showed her mo f peS SLUR L SL Aad AL LS 5 pid ete Up Nyy TL eS BY Me A apm oe Sey es Bho ot ett ol! Bat) SS ld oF ery al ead li pte ode a pe IS coy corer Gaal 2 pill LS ee 6B AL AS 3 pp dake Bd ale gs JT ly ob 81 LL roracmena Ts eke Sar y. Desi go pista agen cas Pag co 8 es Sedlb pl pulses ar 5d Js Dy brat al Sh aoc say SU lel ab Capt cle ese! Page eM Af at bb ead yet ley ulaally AS oli ce gd) US de YE Gols CIS add us 31 Beles ce god le ou Gale Lal Y (ol dala tLe FB SN oly 6 gl AUS Le col by ctl Lead YI) aalé Lake SJ eds 9 LS peat LS op ce ab ST STE sill gle HM Bacall 5 pall pL SU (SLI 5 geil Sia oH ells Ne poy lay po ale Vil ats ad ly a My Oller IS WSS) IS 3 BW HU AS ly) fed BL de Blow MU OUI ALC CIS fb Mut ers SSL 5 pal LAY Byes ee c pteall as ce coy: ON aT LI odie BS NN ead el oe all olb Saal Gb BUI de cle4 Bak 208 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual k peweietr cutting up a huge fish while her aunt enthusiasticalh its tail. 2 Everywhere there were pictures of her uncles, her deceased husband and his family at the seasi at a school and at the pyramids. The only person was one of her as a bride, or so it seemed. It showed radiant young woman in a white silk dress holding. feather fan, the sides of which touched the upper pg tightly-wrapped chest emerging from the wide Opening garment. QB Le a ae Gh Bg GS I Od Ppa teslal WL ely LealecY pp0 1K JS 9 ole Ghose cee els Olah Rinle b cpl ally Shi acseNig tek Ste ke ae old csr tid : pep tet hn La ae gp bl oe On Sri BL 5 peste cy Gl opt te gt Gil Ble Vy Su tg! «db del Hole ai 4 caacill & peal) Ybor j is slge CLaiMl ye pall ope Her short, clipped sentences no longer sounded o CD phil) ey gtk aol OWS (aarp al LL “te 3 - me; rather, they filled the blank spaces that the pictur : eee ates ge ee aS | aan OS Ys od yo a to reveal: 4 8 yay ans PLL ML ol ASL. Upt ustit a nue Wl i AB CAS ly lll F UU op ISS NN ge VI tly ge Stns Vg} cage oe OE oe Soul Lego ad Aad Gl) HU cel Upbldey cy sel BSS ah gel ope Ml gee alee ll MY ole — ad) LS IES oy Nz Jats D ptt CS ly « gall AY eS oy Dendy ary il SL BALE 8 SN acl, JUL SS pl oe O LSE ool al ols — Sb GE hae 5ST LIU oye Uplel Weel OY cl a dalle pee Ao 2 a mn et ke “My father, may he rest in Peace, used to smoke th after his afternoon nap. Would you believe it? The smoked it was with him! I used to draw one or two pu it at first, until I made sure it was fine. At the time w to buy dried tobacco and soak it in water. My mother t Prepare it and cut it for my father to use.” She did not speak about her parents except in passin; telling me a story about her past, which was the only c by which she had lived her entire life. I myself began te for a certainty of my own, which has pained and tormen soul. “The postman brought mea letter from Sami, my eldes just before the noon call to prayer. I was busy dusting the: cake tray that belonged to my aunt, may God have mert her soul. She gave it to me on my wedding day. “My son Fouad phoned me from America last nigh eldest daughter is intending to come to Egypt. She is a bi because her mother is originally from Italy. But she has th skin of my uncle Hussein, may he rest in peace.” “Oh, how lucky she is!” I would say to myself somel She was content with everything in the world. I, on the210 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Salwa Bakr ain hand, am consumed by fear a thousand times every day. J frightened I could scream sometimes. I am scared to lose and income (what would my son and I do for food?). lam that the old building we live in could collapse suddenly, |j many these days (where would we live if it actually happer Tam frightened that my life will continue unchanged, hope of finding a man to be at my side and share the tri everyday life, or give me some joy now and then. ‘ However, my greatest and deepest fear, one that increase the day, is that I might wake up one morning and not find only certainty in this world, that is, my old neighbour Mou Fathi, the beacon of tranquillity amidst my spiritual anxi and the key to my life. I am scared she might suddenly die z leave me deprived of my daily dose of spiritual stimulati which gives me hope to live the next day. What is death? I often wondered about that when I having thoughts like these while feeling lonely at ni observing my sleeping whale and his snorting that would into a never-ending crescendo. I would ask myself: “Is death li an absence?” If so, of what? The absence of outward appearan features and body, the absence of the spirit or the absen a shared moment? I searched for the true definition of deat This remained my obsession for a long time. Whenever I 4 off work, I would play a game with the computer. 3 One day, after inputting some data, I asked about deat and got astonishingly naive answers: the decomposition of th body and its passing away, the disappearance of a person, th cessation of heartbeats, the stopping of blood circulation, end of brain function, etc. However, does death not have two sides? On the one hant there is the person who dies and, on the other, the person is shocked by the death of the one who dies. How do we evalu: death from the point of view of one party and not the other Hence what is the assessment of death from the standpoint © the other party? sia GE Nie NIE Jp Bley SSSI gst Bt ASE eel oe) RAW ee ely sib y sail of GE Bee 4s Ul Placa) Bla) es of Gbi as Of Set. fad US Cede Send cal (A ea Beg Sd SL cle SI ey oy OLIV I Aes as gL 5 Be slay Ley Hl jo OS Gilly ae AN Be GS) wee gl eb Le SE cle OB as op pel ay yy ols) ESE ot Be Spel le gle Baa Jlie D1 oll wtb «5 6, sb of ol GE os Ted Fl IG! oD LY SS coy J Wop ADI Nhe MS) fof Late dole JLT as fo tl ab Bonet le iy ill) Soe etl WS Bey Gal Le +¢ baal Bly ISA OLE MSL OLE SOLA pp ol oy JUST Be: | i bP Sell abt Ole lic gH ole Mud, PEM be oS ai > abyb B grote ells Jb Fc yal Sole gla op je adel of te SL 5 2S ee tall Coll dee ao Vo lby LI YF stg 3 aha SUL! J es cL Ub yelp) pel Syl bye Cll ole GS Sy tte silly ot sil ob b ost 3 ES, PAL OSE FV bop bdby oN wWaUSfo EW SG bb Rt oS ee ee212 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader , Salwa Bakr I again put the question to the computer, with am gp ald 4L-Y! cS PL a po yereSI Syn oglel coy eal : ab Yad JY pil gad VO AY “The eye does not see. The ear does not hear. The me ao - i ; GE aa> AST aloe} Sd cd ppl Gobe does not kiss. The hand does not touch ...” : Beg fo > gy =i ge oe Nes My dear neighbour’s answer was more accurate than der > yh GE JU) Gate a 8 pe Sil a Lal Ged ol given by the computer, and with a speed I was not expectii wy egies 33 Apes OI ol cel ot Cat Hy oo Le all. One day, she came to see me after midnight. She had b pee oe pace Lyi] CSG deel y cll Be o oul knocking on my door persistently. When I awoke from q C ae j Ypeb -L 78 Qh ell See 6S ae gle poe « pe sleep and opened it, thinking that a catastrophe had befall : my child, I found her standing in front of me, looking ah. Ww BY Gay) Se be of by WE Ke, faint. She said she felt very sick. I quickly drew her into: agit ai flat and made her lie down on my bed. I ran to the kitch J) cde Boat ite y epee US dae, ed] ote Lue to get her some water, as she complained her mouth was d i Soon after, I ran to the telephone and called a doctor from BM EL nie Gad Je Gb de lel Jey Se nearest hospital. Then I rushed back to her and found her lyit gu Gls! Clee ed OLY Ugde SS apad Spies on the bed, motionless, with her head slumped on the edge api my pillow so that her braid was dangling on the floor —a F . . - . =e i braid that reflected the scarce light from the lamp that hu Felis Na Leake | et BS ce lp Bots oe beside the bed. obi gt edged dS og ale I just stood there, nailed to the floor. I wanted to sei ei Le cg UT Le iS lg Ute 2 Aaa cleo ad 05! but a reassuring feeling engulfed my soul and filled me with Byala Yi) alan Sy Se Yl eS yah s5y etaln calm I had not experienced before. i ; ’ a What I had dreaded for so long came to pass, yet thet WSLS Joy fab Vy beg the J Ye ol Sole was — calm and reassured; I realised that life was possible. Int Me EDN ai) odo pnt cp pele Gd oe eek boty last moment I spent with my neighbour, there was no nag) By SLE gg y LET uly nt 5 aN eels between us, and no man-child sitting in front of us. AK Yuli 5 ade ol “Here is death, expressing a tangible definition, a : ath acai object; it is the regret for a past we do not wish to end,” Is Ms pola lS 2 yell + & Sy Bere Ot tS ey to myself as I gazed at her wizened face, upon which death h ee IS oo Lite ay JS oye cli ash dla a ce ot drawn an eternal expression. j Be ghee gc ee Geers SE iho, eS In spite of that, I felt regret, whereas her death caused a 2g Oe I eee eae a overwhelming sense of ambiguity and confusion; when was confronted with her death, it struck me that it defied definitions and understanding. I felt that I had been robbedSalwa Bakr 214 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader all cAY Ae dete ox gael of ont , Le ol JB cs AN 5 ULE LG al et elect ote Dazed, I quietly went to my wardrobe and took out Serer Calan! aby ce pe Laid oy all He scissors. I walked up to her and briefly stood there looki ped! es jle her once more, before my hand grasped her thick soft braid i fe 2 eis us fy de US) as! ctl tly nt aI D) oar # something, something dear and precious that had been from me by force. cut it resolutely. There were a few black hairs that had withst / . ; the passage of time. Ls cle Hleas} nid) lel ly HK oF yy OE I headed towards the mirror and looked at myself as I pl \ : ual G3 ale Ol pol Qed 6 yb GM! the braid on my head, like a garland. My soul grew increasin F calm as I declared to myself a certain victory, while the sh sound of the ambulance siren penetrated my ear.216 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Salwa Bakr yl, ECA and many other dialects, MSA 4% > ul (“Tam j ”), The verb J (i) means “to descend” or “come irs” but in many colloquials it means “to go Language Notes ing out ; 4 n from sta! 1. ys: this word serves both as a little-used plural of “hair” (though more commonly A+) and “feelings”, 2. GLK: pl, or Glo (< aL. (u), “to precede”). Note also " adverb (ils (“beforehand”); other words for “anal i; | jo). It is the usual construction to express that one include sLYI (pl. of ol, “father”) and 244! (pl. of ants something (where MSA uses a verb like 311 “to want” “grandfather”. or 34, “to like”), e.g. OLS ple (“Td like/want a book’). Itis \é: (ECA) fem. active participle (of 31, “to be in need/ ; of’), which may stand alone or in nominal sentences 3. Sake: sg. of Lex, “female jinn” (see 34>4 1 pl, note Ni flected for gender and number: 5g (£ Biales ph ais’), 4. Sp JS: “umbilical cord” (cf. 34, “bellybutton”; ith the variant \> (m. ), dle (F.), (pl. ). “Tops: Ie: though this word is also used in MSA in the sense 5: (pl. (Jl), Variants include: & ¢Stall B € need”, its semantic field in ECA is much wider and, in Note that @+ also means “text , corresponds to MSA «+ (“something”): eg. i ae “fabric” and “tissue” (biology). The spider’s web has mat Mie (“Do you want anything?”). religious connotations in Islam. It is said, for ins i> 5: originally a Turkish word, the more common term that when the Prophet Muhammad fled with Abqll in Egypt for the hookah or hubble-bubble is +++ . (one of his companions) and hid in the cave of ata | Jk: “the day before yesterday” (ECA < CA + JL, spider built a web around the entrance to the cave so th sterday”), cf MSA ot SB ehor wt o3 the enemies of Islam would think the cave was inhabite - ECA; MSA +1, There is even a sira (44) in the Qur’an that is named aft WAG -jY!: lit. “the disability child”. In this context, the the spider. disabled child has become a disability to his mother. oe 6. aA5LL) aall: lit. “ageing city”; the connotation is el abl gle: “God’s creatures”; GJ is the pl. of Jie negative, with @5Lt being derived from the verb els ( alongside =U 14), the passive participle of the verb G+ (“to age”). The use of this adjective in this context is rathe “[ul),and thus lit. “(the) created”, unusual, as one would have expected es or Ges, whi Se: “Cosmos”, “universe”; unlike similar words such have a more neutral connotation, e.g. 468) aL! (“the as {43) or Ui) this has a more mystical and religious city”) or 44a/) 441) (“the ancient city”). q connotation in that it denotes the hidden world of spirits 7: Sl Jali: lit. “mongoloid child” (originally a calqu and souls (cf. Qur. 23:88, 36:83). from the term formerly used in English). $445; common across Arabic colloquials; MSA $5 J+. 8. Wi gh: lit. “the Mother of the World”, an epithet usua “In spoken Arabic, the interrogative particle is normally used for Cairo (and attributed to the famous fourteent deleted, its function supplanted by a rising intonation. century Tunisian historian Ibn Khaldiin [1332-82], Also note that in most dialects, the second-person sg. has been called “the father of modern sociology”). Bender-marking final vowel (L and <1) is elided.218 19. 20. ai 22. 23. 24. 8 25. a 26. 27: 29. 33- 34. 35. 36. . ByU: ECA, MSA SU pl. of lL. Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Salwa Bakr uS (pl. J5): ECA; MSA Ls, i No smoking”, for instance, translates as C453) es). ait: ECA (> It. gonnella, “skirt”). In Iraq, Syt (pl. 2). can mean either “house” or Thome” (e.g. Lebanon, the commonly used word for a woman’s ; 4) “at home”). In the story, the protagonist does not live 5. ‘ house, put in a flat (425, pl. 324). “olive-green”; cf. <3}, “olive (oil)” (pl. 0333). — “nap”, “siesta” (also 6) Tu. ); MSA 3. , Al BCA, “the fact is, because”; MSA 3 / SY. Gath cf MI CUS 3 NTA a. Sp: ECA; MSA wl, os, from %1, (“con ne: > 7 (u), a pass by”. “rest”). 4 ECA; MSA 3344 from 345, “to make ready”, 22 ECA, imperative (sg. fem.) of the verb Su prepare see”, which is a common cross-dialectal equivalent ot: ECA; MSA 3 32> ,“he brought it to me”. MSA oh. a ECA; MSA wale a: ECA; MSA ih ee § ECA “letter” or ey (); MSA, respectively, b (u): ECA (“to put”, “place”); MSA eS 4. j and Ol = ier 35, pl. 2955). . bill Sa: lit. “elephant tusk”; here, it, of course, “to dust”, ECA; MSA La JI 1 / 21a Jit. “ivory”. q } pea my wedding day” (+5, “wedding”); MSA 343: a type of cheap, coarse cotton material traditio used for upholstery. ECA; MSA 33 “funeral procession” a : (pl. Jail) refers to a woman who has recently, pon (cf. -lé, “childbirth”). i oe. Lu: lit. “the hour of the rising of the so’ cae Aes or last VI, WS cs 5 iis lit. “one thousand mercies for | The word all (“one thousand”) is often used in Arabit emphasis, e.g. Ss St ‘a thousand thanks”). lt, ECA (“satin”); MSA ObL., te jl ws: in ECA, one does not “smoke” a arghil “drinks” it (this is, of course, a reference to the fact th filled with water). Interestingly enough, this usage ha been extended to other things such as cigarettes; e.g 3 lex, “do you want to smoke a cigarette?”. In other dialects, +5 (“to smoke”) is the usual verb, as it is imFuad al-Takarli tor, who is also the protagonist of the story, adapts hardship following the death of his father, with his ‘and three sisters forced to eke out a meagre existence - father’s paltry pension. This reversal of fortune forces mily to move to a smaller house, while at the same time ring any dreams of his ee a oa eae ce a> = 4 B f the narrator's father has not only made him the Fu’ad al-Takarli ic breadwinner but, a the only male in the family, q guardian of its moral reputation. He is, however, awakened from his usual lethargic state by a chance ‘ater with his childhood sweetheart, who has mae ue 4 ‘Ia ing the head of the company he works Fu’ad al-Takarli was born in 1927 in the Bab al-Sheikh | h Be the nara state is one of fecklessness: too the heart of Baghdad. He graduated from law school 4 nd self-pitying to make decisions of his own, he allows eee Fe rane a 1949, a began vn c sIf simply to be carried with the tide, which presents the inistry of Justice. He became a judge in 1956, before appointed head of the Court of Appeals in Baghdad. In went to Paris to study law for two years, after which he to his native Iraq. In 1983 he resigned from his post to devote himself to his writing. Although he had begun writing short st 1947 and published a few of them in 1955 in the Beirut literary journal Cys, his first collection of short st entitled +! «sl (The Other Face), saw the light only in His first novel, x3! a3}! (The Long Way Back), was publi in Beirut in 1980, and has been translated into French English (2001). His other novels include +3) ¢+(The 56 Sand, 1995) and ¢ > 3Sly OIL (Joys amd Heartaches, 19 1990, al-Takarli took up residence in Tunis, which would ré his home until 2003, when he moved to Syria. Two ye he went to Amman, where he passed away in February 2 The following story is excerpted from his collection CW) (Tales from the Invisible World), and focuses © way people deal with change, on the fine line between content with one’s circumstances and submitting toA Hidden Treasure Vols OU on 5 Inside some people — not everyone — there is a , fasta! ll op AUUISY «> gid) pou LE 3 contentment and satisfaction which can overflow 2 : on d bi f life b te J! jabs) Yb ge y SLA! 8)» coll Ce (hd aot time, make the pressures an itterness of life earab J ; 1 ety Olea Ne Asp ey abundance of contentment transforms the curse of p poy sale cell soll jx) e- i into an acceptable situation, and deprivation into son : Olen 3 Jew SUG Lal ol Sy pS that can be changed or forgotten. Fe pel le —" glist, A gu - Uo ys rs 1 OW E> When my father was still alive, my mother, sisters ° u L . isy Lu ie Lub Oe aw Se used to have a modest lifestyle: we were well fed and adeq es tay 5 4 LS aS able clothed. We were descendants of what could be called Bg fk ol po Bae tall ILE C0 gh ph LS HS es and respectable family, which had more than once wi Ska of «gl cy Si eel ple Goble ois reversals of fortune. As a result, it had gradually lost its y ; a tall oscil, and social status. My father grew old, and we had to ma ' sit cMablan tu 5 ; jy cee peel ly SW, Ul (SUL aa, I LS with his small pension, ] Bi Bj) ge fal te OO I Sito Tand my three younger sisters were born to my father aS ody» ISL ENS & 2 scamadl jyler by e Sally 48 his second wife ~ my mother — when he was in his fifties, w pr cela gl ce ale Ob jl SL of pe sls ox ys! was something he neither wished for himself nor for his BE) 0) 3 tae ope lye phe de dKey YJ oy children. However, it is impossible to predict when childre — reer ee be born in a marriage, and it was only after ten years tha BE JS ope ay Legion y ii Lend G5 i : Almighty had mercy on my parents and they had us. On th ls ban we were a comfort to them in their loneliness, but, on Vi cli. We jl by ati 2 orl Jinks, LTV] other, we added to their financial burden. nia ig ’ { : 3 oR oie 2 ps da: tld Sly 39 My three sisters and I never felt the pressures of hards pedi Sug caylee glad 2 oF at i except when my father passed away after succumbing t Bo ide gle y “Wl ey Claw 5 por op Oe & : illness he could not ward off for long. I was only sixteen te time, and for reasons unknown to us, our world was shatt a Si yssl chee gil LI) Gall 8 es and destiny treated us harshly. j : es | ern ' od Gl ge deel Iwas in my third year of secondary school, eagerly awall se BY) cote lt Bl at the day I would complete my university studies. However, I Oi i» BESS lal Cole ole oe ih) oe not determined enough, nor was I able to resist the distractl BE c-stt! 2M 3 ob Wl, (cet) ly ale GILL 3 Ctl op etl a pl Lb, , that surrounded me. When the landlord of our house in Ra ' oe Chol on the outskirts of the Bab El-Sheikh quarter came t01224 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader : Fu'ad al Takarlt 2a5 Roe ence one us to pay him the two months’ rent we owed him, I was oh ISU sya eS Comey oe J J pel ees even to apologise to him in an appropriate manner, lee oid alate, abs oS some reason I did not react to the rough and rude way h 3 eeu eas “eat ul, gall lye C5925 to me. My eyes were filled with tears when | told my ¢ o>) : a —s PaO TOUI ETS what had happened, and how that lowlife landlord hadi DP tate eV Gly cSoesnd J ed ere: no respect for my father’s memory or our family’s rep dob, Je She embraced me tenderly, and said: “May God Ala AS Helle gl gh cal GS #4) 3) aa} — him! You're right, my son, your family is honourable Ponte te fa ‘ shbble q E 5 IWS tol LAY LY pi lie Yo suey gb family may not have a lot of money ... that’s not right, We 2 J And 9 Tey one should be expected to bear this. Come on, let’s get of Petty Ae! cal io Jy ulasu eal Le Gipdiy : together.” 3 al sie es 3 UKs JES tery of de elo ES We did indeed organize our affairs by moving into a 1 al jal Lt isa Jglsl, Least ghee aS) and cheaper house, while I quit my studies when my ' ee 5 : is Bic QL GE os BN le eet Cnty nal dog Gile La ps op apt232 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Fu'ad al-Takarli black eyes, black hair and a pale white complexion. Her mo leave her with us. I never knew why. She used to belp my mo sisters with the household chores. Khadija openly showed her Sor me, never refused me anything and was always eager to ple 1, on the other hand, was at that wild age of fourteen, res and too proud to pay any attention to young girls. Khadija. throw dageling glances at me, her rosy cheeks blushing wh talked to her or asked her for something. My mother added: “How can you ask who she was don’t you know? She’s the daughter of Ali Asghar, a ser major in your uncle’s outfit and his aide. Her Poor m was very fond of me, and used to come and visit us and k Khadija with us so that she could help me out around the he and play with the girls until her mother finished the houses at your uncle’s house. How destiny can change things! Did say that she’s the wife of your managing director? Talk ab reversal of fortune!” Afterwards, I needed to restore the hidden balance of simple and unexciting life I had always wanted. Unfortunate the memories would not allow me to do so. We were free as birds that summer holiday. My sisters, Khat and I fooled around and played in our large house to our b content, with the innocence of childhood. The Same we used to p most was hide-and-seek. It was an exciting game, full of cunning, we preferred it to all others. As we played it so often, it happen once that Khadija and I were hiding in a dark corner bebind a p of bedding in one of the rooms. We were wedged together next tot wall, bunching in fear of being spotted by my youngest sister, w suddenly felt the combined heat of our young bodies. Next to her, 1 my shoulder brushing up against her heaving bosom. Her shining ® radiated with delight, framed by the black hair that cascaded aro them. I was shaking, subconsciously wanting to move closer to b and put my arms around her. I felt deliciously dizgy and drew close to my chest; I started pressing myself strongly against her, feeli the curves of ber body while she gave herself over to me. Josstus. 3545 Ah GAN dad Upals US 89 ay is” inky Aye wt tS Seg BPH IS 9 J) oa Bras St AY) SHS os os) ‘ Geise i ps Sp ate tah) Sd Ged Ge Was p> 5 aU) fas gold Clouds) SAS gt seal Seba SSD fas Jal WIS) aod 32 yede Sally cal den el ll at HH! Geb Vi US SESS ye JE - Teas ESN Lely Ua a LUE Spl CF OIF il La LSI eo Gaby Gels S Ute let ge hE Guar pS tj Wi) I 16 jay WE cy Jb ett 1 aay i clgin f all dlt J ADU O jl pl set OF tls ter Ge OS agllode J tll JAG! OU SU Sy tbney dhe . oy AEN) apa dled OE 3 oy ghllS\)\ pS A W3c5\ 5 ea gc pM Ls ALS pSMee Gaby # FASE AV gp aby Py MASA SE OS Rp he dey ggNN bcs! Sua dhy sy G ANI CON) PY AES Ay) ted bg) HE Gee cay ards BS urs (di gle Lan, ed Oe Gl GY MRE > Js AgBV UIA 9) > Coortly us pall ei Sead Vorb) pL Nye pre G8 BS Gol idles, ge Gi oN) abl) es) ay, OL Ul, LS Delgesls jsiy JV all MAIN woasy GES ES 5 By eae, Wa co yy Gyde Mees LN ye SE JQVe Sem OS 5 Sloe ies234 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Re Fu'ad al-Takarlt Memories do not vanish from a person’s mind for Indeed, they can be a source of misery if one is not 3 I was in the middle of something, concentrating 0 when I was once again summoned by the general “Thank you so much, Mr Abdul Rahman. We heating yesterday, and it’s working fine. Of course, ¢ thanks to you.” All the while, he was busy opening drawer, and never looked up at me. “Were you and ¢ neighbours some years ago?” J I told him we had been, and he raised his head, he parcel in his hands. I didn’t like his look. He offered parcel: “This is a small gift as a token of my deep a T hope you'll accept it from me as a sign of friendship,” I was embarrassed, and began to stammer. As he added: “Today you'll be taken back to your house by so that he learns where it is, as my wife would like to mother tomorrow. That is, if it’s okay with you, of cours Afterwards, my mother gave me a full account of th gee Dy OLY 569 ge OL Se SY oa pol faa Bab ges fol Lek ee sles pla) ll tell Jest cae Dash fem Uae St HN aga De eS Bi ch 8 os 8p Sally lsh ome! at Se bop eb ie a J be co jb Gl gi JB cory al Ol am pst on sgh cgi ak paged gh aba el aL) J ead Bt >! ABB et cp gt lt Meat Ben odo hey 5 rap de Jt) pS I “She leaped at me and started to shower kisses on me, WAU, Creme 13! (ae LGA y BAS hands, cheeks, shoulder and hair. I was even afraid sh i aaly ee drop her young son she was holding in her arms. She’ ¥ him Abdul Rahman, out of affection for you. Do you see? “I was saddened by the difficult times they'd had, a1 terrible hardships they'd endured after her father retiret later on, after his death in their Turkmen village near K She told me how her mother, may she rest in peace, to return to Baghdad, to us ... However, she became dit through illness. 4 “Finally, she got married five years ago. Now she’s here. She asked about anyone who was in some way com with Bab El-Sheikh. She was on the verge of tears whe recounted that her heart had nearly stopped when she in front of her, in worker’s overalls and your hands all gf She really is a genuine person! If only you could see how presents she brought me and your sisters.” j Bas os Bf eV ONS phe Lely Bogle de oH). MeL 9 cw ce shal Leal gdb Of aE es a AS be al deal JU Sl tl wElasl bad gor te BY tS Spt y Sigg Leal Ae oe aA ‘ils AS sy Boyd of Bt yoo p lyl ool {eS yt la SSS ole SRR a i Es oye IS Le JUS CAS ee LH ge ly OL Nels de ay Joi. Lies Spe d Lal Yat oly Vokes ol glale Lith y Lyall SEL) cae 23! SUE Sy Ya ope SLES Jebel 6 5 oh Nie el ats7 ‘ad al-Takarli aay 236 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilinguat Re geeee I did not know what to do with the m subsequently began to besiege me wherever I went. conjuring them up over and over again, Perhaps end up being consumed, their effect eradicated fro It turned out that during our chance encounter sh versed in the relations and delights that can exist bere and a woman than I was. As soon as I hesitantly put her cheeks to kiss her, I could feel her arms around me, seeking my mouth and grabbing it. It was 4 gentle, yet bu It completely threw me, and took us away from the work not discovered, and, in the end, we left our hiding place te game, intentionally making a lot of noise. Not a trace of remained on her hot, shiny lips as she ran her tongue along After the meeting, I did not know what had happer universe. I had fallen victim to a constant state of b which worried me more than it did my mother. I wa that nothing new had happened, so what caused my at work and an unusual loss of interest in the machil around me? Everything was normal, and had been in since time immemorial, except that this heart of m continuously agitated. a She invited all of us, by way of her important husbs her grand house for dinner — all of us ... all of us; my my three sisters with their husbands and children, af “All of you ... all of you should come and visit us.” Faced overwhelming desire, we could not but gratefully ac invitation. ' Our moment of seclusion and kisses, which appe: to be engraved on my forehead and in the sky, raced | my mind, conjuring up images of other passionate ened I remembered my hunger for her — a special kind of that consumes the mind and body and everything in I could not bear to be away from her, except for the bi moments, and I did all I could to spend time just with! god ist AOL SH ee abeci bel} F 5 Je FES DS eis ay po AES 8 Nazi g ORE UO 7 a ch os) aad Date tes WS CIS Qo 35 ie Uo gs a) 5468 xa GN ds i Bg SESS Ly c a . " rears 2) aA op usted op) Ds tye Sb bs Fs dvosde ie le plan 9 60 9S np dar GL cals te calf A jerw J ally GE Le GST Hl AS cen J 85 SJL obi, Joo) 3 sblsl We Ls susidl c Sg bed gS BE pepe OF cop) es yas OF ot JS Peay oe a Vg hall oy lal a ol 6 SiN Le 2 Wks SM Bye M ler gs 26 sUlS lass Lp S5S) Ny Uy Bl gt LIS LIS sole lab J slay Dh cdi in pL ld Sod y Lda ge SIS gS ceil cn SUS Je OF ne m che nal Lg My Le all lly 2G DY ge SM je J coll, gas Geb ceed ae Ol gg op (the yl "pled Uo SE Lees eM GLE lps VY] Ui le | 25 acd age ley tetlyc rs FESS Nb Le Us SJ lg 2 lS Late ster ol238 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Read, Fu'ad al-Takarlt 239 was not always possible, and as soon as she left me, AS GIS Ee Gre > Ahad ag oe isle O! for her returned with a vengeance, burning my ches Dy aasd) fone op Bl pt op jae pe entire being. 3 Ue E 4 ; 23 Wy cludly hy Lm Sie a JI Ol a jlo We had to be careful as we walked along the g Bie any olathe ere Oh ee towards the entrance of their house. Autumn had DA et cla! Jno of tale «Sally cer pel Sy surrounded us, like the evening and sky with its poig, 3 sl shades. I walked beside my mother, trying hard to contro Hot si, dali Balai come cLtall 8560 iS and to act the way I normally did at home. The dinner p, - ; oY . AN ee a festival of emotions, sad memories, never-ceasing ye 5 peeks hg ~ bright lights, cheerful noises and children’s music. She SY) ob > si Be td Seat! lib y Lema ae to be in harmony with her husband and her beautiful chil ib Wt! bs cals iil ne Ret Vi east Sao 5 Ss She only occasionally addressed me. Yet she wor a — a # Jot Wels vy rues everything and hang onto my every word whenever I sj eet! a ae alee) p o igi times I noticed her looking at me with our usual gh se JN BB plal Raddy CAS sLgee bajar gf ely ASE VI} pH - oe cf for ae than one second, — ti Be calc. 55 J) bs Rat SUL 35 pas clo yw Dy ? ront of the glass shelves in a black suit, embroidered witl i eat of ss Ae ate x 85 a: Sof som YO > op be le pearls, looking at me with a contemplative, radiant look th Bel len a 4 3 as ‘ 2 te t. RT ala ae marred by a touch of hidden sadness, Whenever our eye Sle all gt Lynd 6 pas LUG is ST ager J] O ll ages about to meet, she elegantly moved to the other side of the: Gage ted agdl ole 2 cht Gane 3 It was the same look she used to have all those years ago. BN So cae cD jie 3 sh PANO é It was on that noisy, joyful morning that we stole pi i : r reer, moments from time; or perhaps it was fate twisting the arm 0 BF Kod 4) 2 SS GM Ben 5 ROR ; so that it would grant those golden moments, against all 0 NaN a) Mas pa idee April) Maal) OS le quickly went up to the small room we used to call “the Kaj DS JS SP SSE WOKS a es SDN We did not speak much, especially her. We rushed behind a patie . phe Bagh U odd . \S USN in a narrow corner, locked in an eager embrace. My hunger. wl GN go GIS ions 9 Bagh U boul. peel OWENS this amaging girl, was at its peak. The kisses drowned us in Lash ws og) anal 0343 OY) ths Ad GES Bees) obliviousness to the world, and I was eager to remove her do Shad 2 oN, GW oe OL ee pe Go a my trembling hands. She gave in to my every movement, co! SIRS 83 Besa Su ake silent, kissing me ardently and drowning herself in my ee ten aR a soon we were naked and kissing, in no doubt that we were ab F JE Wane pA OSs eee \a jee Ge Fg tales os perform the wondrous act of creation, when suddenly I was §F Dre aed MV aes JUSS Je EN (ors with an unprecedented fear as I looked into her eyes and saw @ 3) BGS cx lane 2 G5 PAW Le avs 3 aN terror and deep sadness ... weal age Geslly240 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual R It was that same look she exchanged with me at standing at a distance, behind the sparkling glas: the link between these two looks, so remote in tim know then, and I still do not know today. At that moment, I pulled away from her, in a flash. I rey well ... Ob, bow well I remember the warmth of her abdo bosom, her tenderness and our intertwined limbs. The st peacefully. Unfortunately, my mental state, like other asp life, took a turn for the worse thereafter. The dinner ended as all great feasts do, with the excl presents and telephone numbers, kisses and promises visits. We were quite happy as we returned to our homes. I simply wanted to ignore what had happened, determined to draw from my store of contentmen satisfaction in order to achieve this, if it had not b another look from her. She was enthusiastically writin her telephone number for my mother before we left, ¥ stopped writing as though she had forgotten som raised her eyes, for a moment, towards me. Her face was and the way she looked at me revealed a hidden and ob desire I was able to decipher despite my bewilderment. When we spoke on the telephone, she said, in her voice: “Thank you for this call, Abdul Rahman. Thank yor 1 much. I wanted to talk to you, and you’ve made it easy fo1 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! you all; you above everyone else, and, of course, the rest of family. Forgive me, Abdul Rahman, that I won't be able to 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? } Y didn’t ruin me, though you could have done. Don't | TF Us Gl ky Sle G che «che ad Usa VI ws Fuad al-Takarlé 241 pap Nees A el os opt ov oF WYO A. alge. add) Slab GE Gey SITY, Geld SOLS fb edsetall By lh ap) dep LUG SGT hy Ye 2 ty deg cig Leng Lela I = Lr ST gS. By ei sal ES hen droll Gy Udy Llasl sony LOS AUS has 9) ESI HN, Lagll 1&5 Ube all 5 LAS eh Ole ee stl by slew Uy gob ald) i Jolsy ol bby ryegby ; ga Soule Ble YN gle ete epg pearl IS Jeal of fies IS yee ce 6 shh VS cogll ole LAY deball nolel CBS > rl OF SS Gals We pit oy bes lee dle MS) cally cit ilene cabs cle pl cet Ul 4 FS pd Aan! (gsillawil y hth, Shie gry OS aah See bgegil Of gl lal gb y calatel 65 ime Maal LE p 1B pee BIN pe NE Fees is SN Sal ode Se pe de yor J tek J Sal - pS Stee oS pla gh 2d eld haet of heyy - AGL aaa Ty Vol cat Si pany gate Slime pgwY Gil - US Sy tly Ged Y GY gene GEISY a vod ge Ls gil VOUT GE sb oS GS 2 oil 8555 Vi fda J98 AS ol -242 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reg Fudd al-Takarlé remember? You spared me. You spared my life, and I¢ forget that. You’re the one who granted me the life P now. Anyway, how are you? Do you know what hap me when I saw you ... that day ...?” She stopped talk a moment, evidently struggling to continue the cony “Your mother told me that you’re happy with her, Is th, Abdul Rahman? Tell me you are happy. Aren’t you happy “To some extent; to be more precise, I’m content eh AS Sy ole le oe gil i ale sLusl BESS; feces y gd) WS Hal, SLT Uly J perb : PDN 3 5 FS lS Be seek IS all Lye ne St BS CI - Gaga can ae cht Bh ode cp cee GU SUT KE SUG HVE Le Jy. i FHSS fo Vode a es. circumstances. I have an ample store of such feelings.” 3) Aine “Is that enough? Is that enough for you?” a: “What else can I do?” tget Uptawe T heard her sigh.”Can I help you in any way ... asa ff I did not respond. An embarrassing silence passed, She asked me: “Are you still ill? I mean, you know ... “More or less. I’m of no use to anyone." “Really? Oh, God! Our happy times didn’t last for lon The next day I sought refuge in that store of feelings I proudly told her about. I only found hunger, misunders and hollow echoes, which rang out the name of “Khadija”. Wares Gael bell - gl gti sloy lett pbs cl gel Ley» J pS 54 BEY Ly - Segb Saad IU gh ead cell b lie - wl ce i A oa WL SUS pel Borne! tt) Lend WS el LI cle y pgile pny tleall Y} al obi244 1 zs 4 Pal Yi: - Ly OLB Sle: lit. “time was cruel to us”; jb> (u), . Jae! +L: (pronounced 1a’s al-chol) a suburb of Baghd: Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Language Notes : “storage” (> 55 (i), “to store”). ' { SLPY > J+ ¥ “not” + “seen”; cf. OWN, “the world”). The use of the particle Y is a common featuy MSA, where it is joined with a noun or adjective to rend 3 English “un/in-” or “non-”: e.g. S SY (“decentrali 23LY (“immaterialism”). Note that if the article is there are two J, eg. 4Jy40U (“irresponsibility”), “stepsister”, “half-sister” or even as a form of address for unrelated female. “Time has betrayed (the family).” Si Cl Lage ait fea lit. “God opened the door livelihood to both of them”; in this context, how means that God had mercy on them. 1 Wal ; Eh: lit. “the world descended on us”, i.e. thin declined in material terms. 3 tyrannize”, “to commit an outrage” > 55+, “oppressio! “injustice”. at the end of Bab El-Sheikh (see next note). Note that Iraqi dialect (like some Gulf dialects, as well as Palestin i has the sound “ch” (as in “Charles”), which is usual represented in writing by the so-called “three-dotted jim i.e. g. This letter is originally Persian, which has provid other letters to render “European” sounds: (for “| and $ (for “g”). Note, however, that in Egypt ¢ is us “7” (as in “genre”); cf. gla, “garage” (since © to denote 17. Fu'ad al-Takarlt sonounced “g” in ECA). In Morocco “g” is represented by ec-dotted kaif, S as in the place-name psi, ) GL: one of the densest populated areas, situated jn the heart of Baghdad. Literally meaning “the door of the Shaykh”, it refers to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Gaylani, (1077165), whose tomb is in the Mosque that is named after him, and which attracts thousands of visitors each year. Fuad al-Takarli was born in Bab El-Sheikh. “a ool: “days of glory”. BE 2 led); lit. “the train has not passed me by yet”, i.e. there is still time for me to get married. . By: a small town some twenty kilometres outside Baghdad, known for its oil refineries. aa athr a: lit. “law of society”, meaning customary procedure. In another context 2) or eo a refers, of course, to the Swnna or conduct of the Prophet Muhammad. : . <6) ja3: this military term corresponds to J3l 3) (pl. +\3%) in many other countries (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon). The word +33 is the plural of 4,5, which is, variously, a “sergeant” (Iraq) or a “corporal” (e. g. in Egypt, Syria). . Gl 4: this term is restricted to Iraq; in many other Arab countries, the term ee is used. . . Ail) L: on the use of the vocative particle (with J) in this exclamatory phrase, meaning: “Oh, what a (strange) fate!”, see (J sl! OLS, note No 5. zy 4.:3\: another common term in ICA fog this game is as or 4La4l (in Egypt it is known as & x1), 18, aLas)) 19. <2») | 315: lit. “they tasted the two bitter things” (> I> (u), “to, taste”). 20. GUS) 44535: “their Turkmen village”; most of the populations of the villages around the city of Kirkuk are Turkmen (a Turkic ethnic group found also in areas246 21. 22. 23. 24. \ tl Cevaill Laile: lit. “fate came to her eventually”, Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader around Arbil and Mosul) and Kurdish. ,S¢5: an oil-rich city in the north of Iraq. Layla al-“Uthman got married in the end. cbsll: note that in this figurative expression, the refers to “thirst”, whereas in English it is “hunger”. OlK44S: an old name for a room built inside ar room in some traditional Iraqi houses, where the jn Kuwait in 1945, Layla al“Uthman (Leila Othman) is a own novelist and short-story writer. She began writing at a early age while still at school, and published articles in many periodicals on social and literary issues. She is regarded as ‘of the most prominent female fiction writers of the Arabian sula. Her collections of short stories include «Ui 3 aljl (4 in in a Vessel, 1976), 4%) (The Departure, 1979) and a a Love Has Many Images, 1982). Her novels include abel, af J) Woman and the Cat, 1985) and 73) cv ¢ 78 poery) (Sunayya 1s Out of the Sea, 1986). Her most recent novel, %St-! (The 2000), portrays the various political and social conflicts has experienced in her native country. her fiction, al-Uthman deals with conflicts between men women and with the outside world, often concentrating specifically Arab themes and on the position of women in idle Eastern society. Many of her works have been translated a number of European languages (e. g. Russian, German Swedish). The following story deals with the aspirations, dreams and trations of two women belonging to entirely different social id economic backgrounds. At the same time, it also affords reader a glimpse into the complex social fabric of a society N flux, inextricably bound up with the theme of guest workers. of the room is very high. Access is provided by a staircase. In some cases, it is simply an attic. It is used for the storage of furniture, etc. It is also knoyNight of Torment 44) ld With yearning eyes, she looked at the perfume bottle th give WE) dL) 3 iW! Jobe) OY; Ls been left behind, next to one of the washbasins, She ¢ Pe vla gi) oad is eG PF cleat clea] ais strong urge to grab it, open it and spray a little on her ee ane 3 315 —* lau & 3 abil Le Saale lS Tw palm, in which she was grasping a quarter dinar note give Scr ol Js ted - a Rear 2 her earlier by the owner of the perfume on her way 9 el ct Ge de GALI YS tobe Od! oI oly thought: “What if I took the bottle and sprayed it all 0 ; Geld ISS bor so Ace fragrance could spread like that et. By OSM af MI comet Le M8 gg Ugh of [5 other women? 4 o Sone ae Aude 3 gto cles) Before she could give in to the urge, however, the o BNE oS FV hae cy ctealy cL dade 9 rc of the bottle returned to the washroom, marched toward bac jt Of de ep Sale AIS 3 ark jaye bottle, put it in her handbag and gave her another quarter 4 ela as if to reward her for finding the bottle in its place. Then ays ef etic onlie ’ Be Ere was, bul | f |S chal quickly left, her fragrance lingering in the air. Baal eal ON 3 cat HS oUt Jee bey s re Her veins seemed to extend like fingertips, gathering ee GS eet cally cated od NS) Ml ce be smallest particles of the fragrance that made its way from «asl IS mou Le des nose to her lungs, which were saturated with the toilet od y= NUE 3 Ls plod 3, sbi pal yell Uglos clay of Le However, soon after, the smell of disappointment disp — - \ i Ht Nl a \ yg)! 3 cee every whiff of the fragrance. BS Ab 53S La he Slap illu Joall el geil al pe Ge Since she had started her humble job as an attendant it sb yalally desta) 5 ball ladies’ room at the airport, she had been inhaling the b Bd ag tll gal call saa « Set Lee Se nl nauseating air that flowed into her windpipe, soothed only burt ra 2 f i ; BW pd) ou db ols J aaa) ogee, obey clas transitory fragrances. GA SU le, Cla all) EY! LK She was sitting in her plastic chair, taking in the daily arr ; CER 8S) op a NV pt el Gad oj ly with languishing eyes: women attired in colourful, ele Fy ull) ys Yas poled ye Is PI Be clothes, girls squeezed into tight jeans and short blouses, fr ears eset eee Cala whom were in a hurry to relieve themselves. Her ears regist ely. a Be es as Ogee! raeae c : 1 We the rustling sound of women’s clothes sliding down # ieee bodies, followed by trickling bladders and murmuring bo Poet Gilet, aad) de eet) eetN oy ore and then the waterfall of the flush expelling the waste, lea RPL L025 9 coli anes LID 8 et ery glk «Alok only the odour in the air. When the women left the cubicles, they gathered at250 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual R Layla al-‘Uthman 251 igual Reader ; oe washbasins to wash their beringed hands, examine thei Jy 8 Sal oe ah Set ep pee Hi gl | Lesal i Ply 2p oe ort the mirror, put on lipstick, apply blush to their cheel s ; oe BE W olebe Sy ybe op ale & 3 3 up their tousled hair with colourful combs. Finally, # =" F o > . : : MW olla a! c. Wy cpl cp BL Gone ley 33) Sc a ol douse themselves with fragrance from see-through be ! rush out in response to the announcements made ¢ oo rate dl public address system: “All passengers going to ... plea ry Ny 2M! de 3 pull Gi yV) bust Ueber fas I, W255 clas! ol y-V 3 bs or Sy dt. abel She started work by picking up the pieces of paper 3 Ab "a ee ot e ceed 3 mn zi on the floor and those left on the lids of the bins, 7 ces SES eat egal cy DH nal Ladle le checked the white washbasins, cleaned the scum left ont 5 OL ST olald OSU SUA, ge aig with a brush and poured a little Dettol down the plugh BS; i bp Gaal Ole ay (onan ee aby le up the loose toilet rolls and generally readied the washro i 4 pave : eee 4s Y Gill Yalow Vy ogee ES ne FL NS the hasty passengers. She would return to her chair, ho} 2 i awaiting the generosity of some of the women —a qu: as don lee 3 hele 6 2 O15) 18 + IS ent og set your way to Gate Number ...” et dinar or some seine ar ee ee how Liesl, Ug) 251 clgler clgsi] des eos) Norio without even noticing either her or her constant dream f - af - so} doe lected eS oe ctl pred clgail Joo @SI doe jlaze Loeb Vly el she would be left whispering to herself every time: pt tk J a ow ; = if ara T'll own a bottle of perfume like that.” 6A) SN Sal) Gb cdl cary pl! Jeo Je sell le When she went out into the street after work, the cot ped rw fad pte ol IS YS B SU aol yy WF smells of exhaust fumes, people and food rushing in gdb ety SOW LED dou, Sp di EN nostrils were sweeter to her than those she endured in the p f peers, Rete nes sy jl washroom. As soon as she opened the door to the PPD OAS © Jana eas pc a ? annex where she lived, she smelled the suppressed odours ft ep 8yd gly alas Ub) Lig fey dal SE nid towards her like gaping maws, dispelling the street s Miles) to Gk SU Gx gj dy pale US ope she thus leaving only the lavatory odour on her body and clo V3 | ORES A (MBUa aS y YELo gemnel) oy22 ‘At night, she would be engulfed in grief and b ] c pin ike hs by images of women clad in their expensive accessones ee ASL iii pe oll Ky Ferd .Gryll fashionable clothes. She would slowly exhale in an atte! ath catch the slightest whiff of the ladies’ perfumes. Howe¥ soon clashed with the smell of her snoring husband, to her. She filled her lungs with the oily smell of sam® and potato kibbeh, which her husband had eaten in the] restaurant where he works. She would suppress her overwhe grief: “Surely he must smell the toilet odours on me.”4 ak Uebel Bsa Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader ayia Uta She was carried away by her desire, imagining her Bp fae tank x at pl Ja pall Ober a me a perfume bottle, making her most hidden dream come tg we sbedlyy JS oye Ger de PS oe 5 I spray some of this fragrance on me, all our bad smel _ ares ll pleo 3s Ae AS an vanish, and we will embrace each other tightly.” She yp mele > ea eee! sleep and in the corridors of her dreams found herself ¢} tens of winged perfume bottles flying around. The day you dropped a dinar in the toilet attendant’s = Sys - pled TI SB chil ey ob 7 EL By A) ia ESD 5y Ales Jou thought you gave her a fortune, but she gave it back to yo whe bj ar surprised you by saying: “I want your bottle of perfume.” F + lipaDly Ald Ack LLAS y Lgadly JE eget of oa You wanted to remind her of her situation ds you once aga peor ee ri an "i or sal) — out the dinat:“The dinar is more useful to you than the perfume, «al oe asl be However, she continued to refuse, requesting the perfume in st ae 2 hss! Chey ELucslly aud, Je oye GS You could not tolerate the naivety of her warped aspirations ; . P. Aga yallazy ct Lald gle ops Sey ¢. eM Ugales examined her shabby clothes and her scarf that was frayed at the dt > el) A perfume like yours would not suit her. She sensed your conte n (eis oye i tbhbLebo a. Bj jhe tools tech She slowly rubbed her clothes while staring at your elegant outfit, E> Fags ELS de 5 ay D pate s gg: Lene geome wanted to remind her of things other than the clothes. With a circu i oh BUS cp sl Wow SM ne ee ea Sai of movement of your hand, you indicated the size of the restroom Cal SAA ey es Sac Ali po eae pict! raised your voice, in an attempt to suppress her lustful desire fo 4 \3lL.— perfume: What use is the perfume to you while you are here?” Ae city jas Sais 3 She smiled at you, feebly trying to curry favour, and then b Seer (lds 8 2b 03% AM Ce! Jou, tears choking in her throat:“I'd spray it on myself at nis e ne ms attract my husband.” 4 i eee Overcome with astonishment and sadness, you felt the pang gai obend SB gO) regret that were about to mollify your heart. You did not hesitate. Ho Jus pal ural oe oe sO pbly Leal ol o tebl got the small bottle out and gave it to her. She joyfully leaned forwai Biol cig! nag jomsestoes ol .gso2 5b obs to kiss your slender palm, but you quickly pulled it away and ram aor d joe Clerks USS aba Ge when you heard your flight being called. be 3 las le oy By a 1 ge In reality, you were running away from a memory, its mo BOY), > 3 Rameternrenny in eo i i iff fs 1 ul embedded in the lake of your life. At that moment, those diff le all oy Jail at cil Zl Ol ell AG BLU S pa years that had been heavier to bear than a millennium exploded B shy af ul chesdo \3 j of bdo! oa F os front of you. The toilet attendant had unintentionally brought Alten Job Shuel SE j 1 LAY! ol > Le cael memories, just as you finished fastening your seatbelt on the plane. Oe pend os 5 cols etl 5 sll go MW ele da ce You closed your eyes and cast your mind back to those painful 6H al Uy; 2 as ot, et os 2 ect a) SYa al-'Uthma 255 254 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Layla al-‘Uthman b Fae gl Ayla [Bl pee Aw pore nights that went by as you lay cowering in the corner of the aie yl P 3 oe having endured his daily rage. He ignored you, even though sweeter than an apple and fresher than a rose. He ignored By BUS ope oth ly CB ye ae fps Che ALS Gal JS pb yy Labty Wales 3) Bil pp cts SET YY) ach pees ul ote clas 3 pb petl ous) Sed pou dle lJ ashes obey et, ud JS O49 eastle S554 Sloman S12 3! cle: gad) Sle re , ap 4 tbrtel a pS y Ghul ye! Lb Ole 5 de oll gel UT ols calls 3 pay gee Crs OS 35 GSH gh Bee Jeol oS OL ods BST obs oS. Al AIE Ubd Rabe Bb eadle Wales aad IS . Agi pe Byy eter Jeol : ce ge > gil AI GU SI Js 2 Hal cal CPG Bp taj or 3 Jom Sale ae le eS aa Fea apy 55 Jan UE Sipe EF peal SULT Sy (Seas b longed for you and desired you. You had been warned th a “womaniser”, “drinker”, “selfish” and “bad-tempered”. ¥; mind was set. You had been smitten by his good looks and save which drew you towards his deceitful, shallow exterior. Your was another reason: “With my beauty and intelligence, he will me above all other women and I'll keep him on the straigh narrow.” Early on, your life changed and your dreams were sh you did not captivate him, nor did he surrender. You smelled ( women’s perfumes on his clothes and washed off the traces of makeup. You imagined what they looked like, wondering wh they were better looking or smarter than you. The worst moment you discovered his affair with your closest friend, whose f body and voice were so familiar to you. That particular night stretched in front of you unlike any Ol night, as he came home highspirited and drunk; unusual for b he was carrying a parcel in a coloured wrapping. You were suddet filled with a joy that touched the deepest of your dashed hopes, you wondered: “Did he remember me and buy me a present?” You waited until he went to bed and started snoring. overwhelming curtostty made you open the parcel. To your amag it contained a luxurious bottle. You opened the pink card and readh sweet dedication to your treacherous friend: “Your favourite perfit that makes my head spin and makes me your slave forever.” Your deepest hopes were crushed as though they had been ground. a thousand millstones and turned into frantic grains of dust besiegin you, inflaming your innermost jealousy and stinging your soul wil stupid hope: “What if I captivated you with it tonight?” ; You went into the bathroom and rubbed your soft body, which b been untouched for more than two months, and put on a diaphanol sky-blue nightdress. You held the perfume bottle and poured half t DF pl) A pad Bb cad cot bley HA ay Ss Gig epg) By) cad FSU eke BI ebedl tg goat ; : sas) Seta) Gia) ocl va} tls Beal glaemay go Se GA) pad! 5 jhe GE 13 fee yd Gay Al Geb tb Sip ose tet bb thy ey BLL! J pe Jd Jat! Spek cal : SALLY Ul ag 2 pol) 13L foe? ce SY opal Gad) See Ses fd! eles i Sy ele gh CR Ws Lyle Liaged Cyt! SF esi) yal abel eo See cost le — a jeesees sp 256 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Read Layla al-‘Uthman 5 Sng aLolall BLAM 5 gl tend Bled enticing content all over your body, up to yo i 1S mr dy, up to your fingertips, square) under the duvet and moved close to him, reducing the dj usually separated you, your body tingling with desire. You settled in when he started and awoke from his deep sleep, ast been stung. Your heart fluttered and your hope grew: “He after the drought and cull my ripe fruit. This perfume is truly You were terrified by his savage reaction as he ripp fe awe 99 ’ bay Bp sats Jat on A ce aaa BG) geste lay rl i gaged tla og NB (Gx ale jes este) 00 aS cag te pl ld boy Se Mh | 4 apes de AZ GS) wlpe5 Gps day fi oe nye eet te Le al Cues a QELS BN ge cael gl 2 NI de th es> . pA fade de f AVY SN i OS LAN Sh rng ot pate ois ip sd be pe ope By ell any Sel Bese Se Seely al AF er oe a dale ele blue nightie with his hands, screaming: “How dare yout perfume?!” His outburst was like that of a thousand voleas threw the perfume away, and the only thing left were noxic He pushed you out of the bed and kicked you along the you called out for help against the pain in your heart. He sp cursed you and dragged you to the bathroom. He threw you tub and emptied the box of washing powder and any other he could get hands on over you. He started to drown you wil shower water in order to remove all traces of the perfume fi body, while you flapped about helplessly like a fish. The door slammed shut, and you spent a night that than a thousand torments, in the tub, drowned by liquids a torture. How much time has gone by since you snatched yt from his brackish lake, the thick curtains of oblivion cloak smell of your former torment? oe oll coe) gil ald ceeds ll! Ghe Be gy ce gil of Le OW ge oS Madly UL gone BNF : ‘geal a6 ais ae Sree) dl fl Joe AY) 6 pe Bigshot oye ost Lee eg LEN SI A oe on™ ; . : a , f j Nt fy cl les JS ab les po Bob! aly) eee Bom se) si 3 SS cokezaly a peed « SLU JS ab 0 ySew 8 psa She went from the restroom into the street, elated, het ae ANS pS Oo cae ¢ , or orca prepared for the onslaught of perfume and the mixture BM y Go LN de 288 OWN Lei) serie oP Pate usual smells. It was a day unlike other days, and an BB 5 Sy Ge5 TVS) Geta ee ayle pe eléy bi anticipated night that would not be like other ni . Be > a x4 Yen de Od iV wl Deed WS } felt a great debt to that woman. She did not regret 1 Pp = Pa 3B) gd Yl arb 3 i dinar she greatly needed. Instead, she was holding som NBS yo co g ac ll dle cake SUD PED that was far more precious and coveted. She was on cloud Tie 3) Ub y sae ld pall) pS Sor Aly caches GF Caer and dreams are not bothered by busy traffic. If it had no for the sound of the horn from a speeding car, she wou) been run over. She held on tight to her worn bag, wae kept the bottle that she guarded as closely as her hea reached the bus stop and sat down in the shelter. She pullej aia Ee 258 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Layla al-‘Uthman y gh al gat Lncllad Coady Lyeel UG alg, cole oS 5s) els! ja ol vse aA patted ws beni a F es BU ete ot ph ney Cage JLaal op Lel J) oteS) 3b oat! Gall S53 el lye ell! us fal (lB cag s JRE Bam ott le cared hi eal lal) Byer 335 al sil oe chaald) aes led ly Seal gall atl pout WS GIy NAT a1 byl) bX 2 SS lhl pie Bel, spell iy ly cra el Je oe copes EN Gel es GUS fae A ; of Be JL ape lew dole pl LS ay ea! ont! of the treasure in her bag, took it out and cupped it it 4 pen east pate oF ea palms, like a mother cradling her child’s head. She smil sell et) ee gai wiles sesh ae ft lovingly stared at the bottle, filled with a desire to open it pals el yb 45S cole! weal 3 Woe : be ane Yls, ord a re My eka eke pl de bs LS CEE Ande oN gle Mes fous We Lar tee af pis be Ny "Gi ce Poa Sb eau Gaal gerbe j cl Aad Cee BSN ser b (gel sdorke pl Jj Wipe Gals Ss olen Mae SH gal UI Ss oT edly ab Sly Gee Opes QUIN SIE ge ay De 5 all § Goal Ig ory10 ee go Sees Jobe Spey ales pal » GW TW ol ox Gs AY) SS) et ey lee dl} Lg 6 phe tee Shi Bi pres ol gly eed be len Stee ee precious treasure out of her bag, and whispered to it: I’ve dreamed of this bottle!” She stared at it, played with took off its golden top and held the atomizer to her ng as she was about to spray some perfume on her, the bus and a mob of Asian workers like her, as well as those fro: parts of the world, jostled to board. The bus filled with the odour of summer sweat 9 exhausted workers’ bodies, mixed with the scent of cor oil they treated their hair with, malodorous feet and pu breath, heavy with the customary aroma of spices and ash of them invaded her nose, normally filled with the smell airport lavatory that stuck to her clothes and skin. She wetted the tip of her finger with the perfume and put some 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 colli with her arm, jolting it; she closed her palms, fearful for | bottle, and clutched it to her chest so that it appeared she reciting some sacred prayers. 4 She entered her flat, and for the first time she felt: something valuable had come in with her. She rushed to ti the bottle out of her bag and kissed it repeatedly, her heart’ with a hitherto unknown joy. She began to flirt with the bott praising it: “Finally, my love, you are mine, and my body know no smell other than yours. Ah ... thank you, genero lady.” She danced with the bottle in the narrow room, dreami of a night other than the ones she knew. How could she know the secrets of the perfume, its m and how to treat it? She did not even know how to celebrate’ arrival in her home, the smell of the first spray on her fragram! free body. It did not occur to her to bathe first in order: remove the various odours, nor, for that matter, to chana 61 a al-‘Uthman a 260 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Ue of Ga Lng OT east A slyalgl el (pe alll Le ae filter beth adel Gog plat cls Bp ULL! Ole ay Anabel) LE ake! il ox 5!) of OF Ya Ek yal aad by. gg) gale y op ttt Ga x cule gee esto Le tae Sf ad eke) by ght e BY As phe ti Bip a BLA ees wie CS et GN ore els stk Y bo lal 3 Atel sees JN bes oats BpoS Ogle) yo par ae dba 575 Vi oryel eo si al} Blea 9 ead le eed Be NI bal cdl ieee py V of oy 8 Legleasd pp SUI cle obs oe Ol b tne : eopal pill dtp chal GALS ge ee By wee ch SLL Lene f) peal 5 4b pee ALU (Ce UI ALD acme Lr pe idan Ld) jal gy JUV) all ti ot lee og PM onl 323 5S OS hp pb SbF Colle» pee GLA ootlor GES lee sf li, gi wlSy ents buy Rte Bes oye pas oF Soe oS tay tle OLE gta eres of sleep Seg Steel Ut SFE Sate Soc] GEST 4) eS yf tu al LG cade Clas yy dy pa gr cial oe cal oe her time-worn, kitchen-stained clothes, reeking of th lavatory. She did not comb her hair, thick with s lotions, or put make-up on her face, which was used to th and the bus exhaust. She was overwhelmed with immens her long-held dream beckoning. The moment she decided to put on the perfume, the she was holding in her hands turned into something resem| an insect spray pursuing the buzz of a dull fly; she becan fly whizzing around and spraying herself randomly, not eg what she sprayed, whether it be parts of her body, her h her garments. The sound of the atomizer spray mixed | her laughter, singing and the sighs of incipient delight. | emptied the entire bottle, apart from a little bit that rem: at the bottom and could not be reached by the siphon. She determined not to leave a single drop; with a pestle she bre the bottleneck, extracted the last drops and applied them to hair and cheeks, oblivious to the small pieces of broken gl that were scratching her. She decided not to do any work. She made herself comforta on the cotton bed and relaxed in the knowledge that tonight would not turn over, claiming he was tired. Tonight, the gulf perfume would draw him to her hungry body, which would! cured from the pain of waiting. This magical fragrance wo make him empty his hidden rain and spray his stored seeds. When he slipped into bed, he as usual began to sno from exhaustion. She felt his head twisting and turning, lil someone chasing away silly ideas. He kicked with his legs 4 though pushing away a mouse or a cockroach that had climb onto them. Then she heard him sniffing — fast, repetitive snif — like someone trying to ascertain the source of a parti smell. She realized that he had discovered a new smell. She W under the illusion that he was aroused by her. In her con she moved close to him and grabbed his back; he shook, b did not turn towards her. She pounced on him, her body ©Layla al-‘Uthman 263 262 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader yy we (pdt Ygde lee al Gil Laypaty Leder JS ely lgdet Al at J) Joely oA) 3) ON ely Ll 2 top of his, confident that he would reciprocate, attracted b perfume and lusting for her body. Instead, he sighed twice oa rolled over to the side she had vacated. He was restless, y i.) Al ei Ss. plead) > cde Slits re his breathing came close to sneezing. She started to have do i ‘ otf 5 cA pe dot ante VI 5 “ta @plS JL Lleol Jel 4; asd GM pb tol date XS about the perfume: “Is it possible that no one other thar Jae! a Ol J Ube oh ¢ . at F 4 wae aad dy. person wearing the perfume can smell it, or has he got a eo Goes) Pied ody wel Vu ae dat 35 ne Suddenly he turned towards her; her heart sang, her b ‘ cies ents SELB Age yer aly) Later Lge Lb shuddered and her hunger grew, but in that brief moment, | DUIS Gde Jj ot pe el smile evaporated as her dream shattered and his scream mah es 2 ne fe 3. \Yaibl ALM thst like the plague: “You smell horrible tonight, I can’t stand it) vest gosh al Tha Me Bis , and wash!” i LL ily oe Ct Se om Shes se bee Sere She felt as though her i was falling into a deep we che 4! Js St es el op el (gl ae Be from which rose the stench of filled lavatories. The smells fr PU tS cles pa AS the soles of her feet swept to the rest of her body, removing a traces of the perfume and taking its place.264 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Language Notes 1. 43: verbal noun (124) of the verb 323 “(u); “to ca “to force”, as well as “to defeat” (e. g. 8342 hal army defeated its enemy”). = = Pa vue the local currency in various Arab count b Yusuf Idris Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. Its plural sometimes used in the sense of “money” (cf. (+ 98), 3. ale pl. of (2+). “Toilet”, “urinal”. Other ter “lavatory” or “restroom” include 15)) < (lit. “the / , of rest”), 2 2% (lit. “the room of emptiness”) and asuf Idris (1927-91) is considered the undisputed master is borrowing 31s. ’ the Egyptian short story. Originally trained as a Sea 4. APH: > 2 (i, u), “to press”, “squeeze”. University of Cairo, he briefly worked at the famous Qasr al- 5. eles) O93: lit. “the store of the bowels”. a q *Ayni hospital in central Cairo. During his Sede days he yes 6. 0 sé: colloquial (> Fr. siphon); MSA _2\> 5) a. also, like so many of his contemporaries (e. g. dwar al-Kharrat), - 5 Ga paler impri by the 7. Hh s=: a common snack in many South Asian count nationalist movement, and was imprisoned by active in the It consists of a fried, triangular-shaped pastry shell stul British authorities. Idris’s involvement in politics would remain with, for instance, onion, peas and potato. Depending ‘constant throughout his life. As with most Arab intellectuals, the stuffing, it can be either savoury or sweet. the Arab-Israeli war of 1967 was a watershed moment, and until 8. buat £S: a small, round, savoury snack of mi his death Idris remained a staunch champion of the Palestinian potatoes, meat and spices, deep-fried in oil. Riise. g sé very formal word for “silver” (cf. 1s) As an author, Idris’s career was extremely varied, spanning iu: colloquial (> It. bagno); MSA plancsS ey. 4 novels, criticism, journalism (he, for many years, had a peliees (pl. of Lb), “spices”; cf. SIjlg. in Egypt’s leading daily, (lai) and plays, as well ass oe ‘i: Iranian thick vegetable soup. stories. In addition to eleven collections of short stories, Idris 3. Sale (pl. Go9G or olesl4); a reference to the fact that “wrote nine plays, the most famous of which is undoubtedly the Gulf states, the servants’ quarters are usually located “il ji (al-Farafee). Poe athe an annex to the house or building they work in. In so! Bilis stories invariably deal with social issues affecting the cases (e. g. in Saudi Arabia), the word also denotes an Ration’s poor and dispossessed, without, however, descending floor to a house. into maudlin social realism or pessimism. Idris’s Pees 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 o266 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader the few to mix Standard Arabic with the Egyptian collo the dialogue of the villagers whose lives he portrayed imagination and sensitivity; the Egyptian dialect even through in the Standard Arabic passages. Though this prs was condemned by some of his fellow literati — not Najib Mahfuz, who continued to use Standard Arabic fo: narrative and dialogue — it made Idris all the more poy among the Egyptian reading public. In addition to individual stories, the following work: Idris have been translated into English: St _2+5! (The Ch Nights and Other Stories, 1978); ¢\ 4+\ (The Sinners, 1984); Ri Burnished Brass (1992); and City of Love and Ashes (1999). He died of heart failure while in London for me treatment. The story that is presented here is culled from the collect entitled 453 Bale (An Incident of Honour), which was publis in 1961. It is a delightful example of Idris’ ‘house style’: — even comical at times — yet never condescending; soci committed, yet devoid of meretricious soapbox antics. The is set in a sleepy fictional village (even though it shares its m with several others, the biggest being in Dakahlia province, m the mouth of the river Nile), with the events surrounding t protagonist serving as a prism through which the author d with a number of serious issues, such as poverty, solidarit tradition and belief. As usual, the prose is polished and dialogues wonderfully vivid and evocative; this is Egypt's mas story teller at his best. 7 cloud! i Abb A Tray from Heaven268 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Yusuf Idris 269 pele WSs cradle Cy CE 8 gre bls opal ga Had gow Og pe Nally Og pn b Lol Ska Wb ey JS pH obi, vee Gh gly BEML FY 261 3 «st! eps Lerche Gry ele da nm Ty cca 5 UB a fs ep Sy yell SY Gy lar! oh Sle ene Vy rly (BIS Gy tey ates co au Bs efile ceca ode St OU ops Alaeally laf ay gan pé Be poll y ye AlSy cole WS Gall i 3 em (aaty os ol Ly inte (pl aa ayy of 4G Aiden ply Ae Bell wpe pel dee Bolg) BAL) 3 Stow OF fool kee BE re GA yp LB rely Sed AID atl oe Oo vol Sob y Glad Moly ge S > Ste oS afl lg) nal US Yale sb de Bed BM CHE eto ele ef pf ee teed SLs te Ball § Ce Gl 255i) amy et BN Opball tedtyy Porgy Be Ju blest fl OpSng cb Gb Ske Ny claall seek OY Be Se Bal Oban Sas AS + gubgll Migs Holy clad alte] cee of So Anes y Sa pl Lhe toler SIL hy sell iy GF ME ee Osglnny ADL Op SLI 9,25 opel) ily OF og pe se eo 8 Bro Sins Ops der Ls BOSS Am oe tag) pI Cm pad Jt yO guar, Vb y al ype ANN ST ppl Opty Ose ed CLS patel CHE Vy lL) hid ct lee de Na of Ope Vy AN eo Flt vt olet If you see someone running along the streets of Munyat alt that is an event. People rarely run there. Indeed, why sho anybody run in a village where nothing happens to wai running? Meetings are not measured in minutes and secon The train moves as slowly as the sun. There is a train when rises, one when it reaches its zenith and another one at sun There is no noise that gets on one’s nerves, or causes one to in a hurry. Everything moves slowly there, and there is n any need for speed or haste. As the saying goes: “The Devil a hand in what is done in haste.” If you see someone running in Munyat al-Nasr, that is event, just as when you hear a police siren you imagine th something exciting must have happened. How wonderful 1 is for something exciting to happen in such a peaceful lethargic village! On that particular Friday, it was not just one person v was running in Munyat al-Nasr; rather, it was a whole cro Yet no one knew why. The streets and alleys were basking 1 the usual calm and tranquillity that descended upon the vill after the Friday noon prayers, when the streets were sprinkle with frothy rose-scented water smelling of cheap soap; w1 the women were busy inside the houses preparing lunch ai the men were loitering outside until it was time to eat. On d particular day, the peace and tranquillity were broken by tt big, hairy legs running along the street and shaking the hous As the runner passed a group sitting outside a house, he not fail to greet them. The men returned the greeting and ti to ask him why he was running, but before they could do so had already moved on. They wanted to know the reason, but course, were unable to find out. Their desire to know comp®™ them to start walking. Then one of them suggested they ¥ faster, and suddenly they found themselves running. They not amiss in greeting the various groups sitting outside houses who, in turn, also started running.270 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader ~ Yusuf Idris However obscure the motive, it was bound to be yy x of Lgl BB es! Laat ee al the end, just as it is inevitable that people quickly start g, lly Bee SALE . 5 4: Sst 1% 2 il qo at the scene of an accident. It is a small village. Th a less Yb pak 30 55 Cah of fy thousands of people who will give you directions, Yami ; A ee to run its length and breadth without running out of bre Bs 0 Fl ee Coe aS gm Jusk oy od oe It did not take long before a crowd began to gather m mi, glia Ges «he y sb Os oA wel er ds ats! oe ees Poe be run had arri 13 TLS Nyt a> shes Vg FT cell gochey gl LS 2* the old and aged remained scattered in the street. They pri d = oN oLadl « eens aidesl EB : F SS Ny plead) OLA on. 2 dar gts to saunter, as village elders do, and to leave a space bet Ws Ss Jt Za td ee ne a . 3 ar and the youngsters. However, they were also hurrying, WB) ee ol $35 ON SI at gb hs N gles Ol ess oy Ose arriving before it was too late and the incident became ne Ane Like other towns, Munyat al-Nasr was superstitious ; etl py on poles deol gl BI ode ge eS pall dey Friday, and any event that took place on that day was : ‘ Aus fi , ; ‘ aa BAST BIS al WY 48 a Cole as a sure catastrophe. The people of the village were, ho tale it] pices os “bs B15 of AN 4 & excessively superstitious. They were opposed to any work Hae Lg yal a ar coke lal le Oy me Y gle done on that day for fear it would end in failure, and thus BIL is), ce dS JesY) Jai We ley fea) oe postponed all work until Saturday. If you asked them ¥ ws) Bc, eb tele atl py 3 oY WIIG cesta) joe 13 were so superstitious about it, they would tell you it was be ern . nen ne Friday is a day of misfortune. It was, however, clear Jr ode ool) tcl ol pial de ond oe a was not the real reason; rather, it was merely a pretext én eo Stead! fee Igbety of Oe ye Gee ays «Yl the farmers to put off Friday work until Saturday. Boul wus daty aelS a1 J) iS, (dol) eet! pe ore Voges Friday became the day of rest. The word “rest” was conside i TRE Upped i 3 sy. eg 3 ytd UL a1 3) ugly among the farmers, as well as an insult to their tous BAD JSY J Jos eae eae fe Hash} and to their extraordinary ability to work indefatigably. Co lal BO glans All & al ¢ yaad 995 Jad Os LIV] Yaron townspeople needed rest, that is, those who had fia t Abs Lit deed! 6 ys OS VI OS) chek Bee pe del 3 0 shel Le worked in the comfort of the shade, and in spite of t F i 1 ean art o. ie pa s 3 J 2) 1 ltd OF SLED ops etd dee yc po Sele ran out of breath. Weekly rest was a heresy. So, Friday 7 Mead pal dle FF I ie oe An ere surely have been a day of bad luck. As a result, work had t ar ode (5 DNS > Ge 0 Uf Od ptt O 5 Gig ope VoD! ode ce Sy ehh ss postponed until Saturday. It is for this reason that people expected 7 “— ’ Dey eh ey Vs Lass Ge Vy meant a grave misfortune had befallen one of them. Bul Prebnaa Fi . . 5 6 reptdl Ogdow I gl they arrived at the threshing floor they did not find a flat CRED Bb yey OA! bay 9 Ue Gt Ope ly cow, a raging fire or one man killing another. Instead found Sheikh Ali standing in the middle of the floor. Hew272 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader — Yasuf Idris 273 a fit of anger, and had taken off his jilbab and turban holding his stick and shaking it violently. When p what was going on, the ones who had arrived first repli sheikh will blaspheme God.” At that moment people began to laugh. This was undo another of Sheikh Ali’s jokes. In fact, he himself was: as a joke. His head was the size of a donkey’s, whereas were as wide and round as those of an owl, except that his bloodshot in the corners. His voice was hoarse and loud, rusty steam engine. He never smiled. When he was happy, ¥ was rare, he would laugh boisterously. When he was not k he would scowl. A single word that he did not like was en to make his blood boil to the extent that it would be turned fuel, and he would swoop down on the one who had utteres word that had caused offence. He might even bear down on person with his fat-fingered hands, or his hooked, iron- stick, which was made out of thick cane. He was very fond. and cherished it, calling it “the commandant”. Sheikh Ali’s father had sent him to al-Azhar education. One day, his teacher made the mistake of. him “a donkey”, to which Sheikh Ali, true to type, had retot “And you are as stupid as sixty donkeys.” After he was expe he returned to Munyat al-Nasr, where he became a pre: and imam at the mosque. One day he mistakenly perfo the prayers with three genuflections. When the congregal attempted to warn him, he cursed all their fathers, gave being an imam and stopped going to the mosque. He even up praying, Instead, he took up playing cards, and contim play until he had to sell everything he owned. At that mo: he swore he would give that up too. q When Muhammad Effendi, the primary schoolteacher the district capital, opened a grocery shop in the vill suggested to Sheikh Ali that he should keep the shop op the morning, which he accepted. However, this only lasted oy es Lae clyp clan Chel y celery” Nagler elt AB y Ld Uw) olSy - YB et 1D shld gl Joh ASL oe oly Be a2) ho 5 13 at A Oh 38 0 Soni ltr rol Se By dnd ge OS ps pS Spe y op Alabe ene JS Sy Bly Gass (I Ones Bc), pty ee 13} Sg gll pa Leg bee Naky cats dang Le yaUi y Jail 13} dal pate Y OLS A La eyjb b) free ee Se toed Vitel jg AalS'g BS Jeanats Pelpals dea gebeSI OI ody ale ais ULB de 2iny Boh opel de IOUS Laney colon ae ata sh J 2 )eSL eon y Le jaay ere OS de ot AS WIS ae oy Uy ie cae cl 1JBy ade 24 OT) gle Gatll gp OS Ls eye old iy [Luly domed Lt Jor paill dee foley Laeare ALT pl Aged oly Ophall J yl Uy «! OLS) SI tat! ply Lad ab pa be LeVy etl ULI Leng hy MEL Gla deny Shel JSC ge ek Joy EHS Gu ged) 8 Mla) ell 6 ill Mesh Loe OS's Lyllew of LL OS) b Gk OF de AN de 2 = Gals! 3 VL OlS> ath ne OLS Gl Ne sl y g Ul DEY] Jee d Dy «hdc Leal274 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Yusuf ldris i De etd) AEST AB ab 8D pe OS ell al, Page fet 1 by ad Od pate tees gl a 5 By Sly de eet LY Guise cal oe ee } cs salad) 8 LI US le et a wae J Besley BOS Ss whoa pe Get ten Ol Se teh ym Jee GY Lec Sb nt de BBab ace Jee Vt ioe cond de Ge NOs : Thy ce gO slang © phn 9 ger eth OS tn Sc Ball p OS weedy aa ype Dye Led Opens UE ge e+ Bel gh OS pe Kiya Sly nee |B] OF op Soe Be hag gp Olay Selon oy Ci yhy tend leer V pre By ads old Js ley nbd) ae oSowy ae aD) de teed ple ead ry Sy le GG Mem Copal ae Bh ogo oes Sg har hy) all gant IE AB Gem! Sale CIS poy pg peel lager ye Leal OW LS te Stay ped dle oe Is OM ea gl gle eet Lal thd far tao gl = ee Sb aN ls Laie Lad be ake le GOSS oe pl Seg oT Ld a, OLS ge Sad IS] co Bb ge el daew ot py We Vy OS de Get ill I} chk nt SUG 9 cls of ge OLE 2 Hh LUN gis Of as OI y IS 22 Bd EP yp ppl le wee fare IS y Bybee ab OT parlor three days. On the fourth day, Muhammad Effendi co seen standing in front of his shop, dripping with halvg, Ali had discovered that Muhammad Effendi had put of metal in the scales to doctor them. Sheikh Ali h him: “You’re a crook.” No sooner had Muhammad said: “How dare you, Sheikh Ali! Shut up if you want to your job!” than the sheikh hurled a handful of halva at | From that day onwards, nobody ever dared to give Sheileh any work. But even if anybody had dared, it would not k mattered as Sheikh Ali himself was no longer inte working anyway. Sheikh Ali was also a very ugly man as well asia unemployed, and yet nobody in the village really hated Quite the contrary; most of the villagers loved him and Iil to exchange funny stories about him. Their greatest joy \ to sit around him and arouse his anger, much to everyor merriment. When he got angry and his features darken unable to speak, it was impossible for any of the bystanders. control themselves and not collapse with laughter. They ke on egging him on, while he grew angrier and angrier. would laugh until the end of the gathering. Everyone woul utter: “What a character you are, Sheikh Ali!” They would the leave him alone to vent his anger on “Abu Ahmad”, which what he called his poverty. He considered Abu Ahmad his ar enemy. Sheikh Ali spoke about his poverty as if it were a pers of flesh and blood standing in front of him. Usually, the tirad would be sparked if someone asked him: 7 “So what has Abu Ahmad done to you today, Sheikh Ali Sheikh Ali would fly into a real rage at that moment, becal he did not like anyone to talk about his poverty when he wa talking to it. And whenever people talked about his pov he would be driven to rage. Sheikh Ali was, in fact, quite despite his stern features and words. He preferred to go for day without smoking, rather than ask any of the villagers to276 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Yusuf Idris 277 Fie a ahs ta Bal on 5 Ge ily 1 ale pall p Ualee Aslam gl calor cals UY, BE ge Gal 3p) adn cy Sou OT pall dae Jal Os b> Es yee olé cy JB gt OS oral SS5 : jaldly date 2S iS iS jie Go Ul, GL ou! fle Je Le Js Ups cal oul 3 LE dU gpl eal Le yallly pers allect VI Osi pe Y colll Osalel piled Ogres Ah) O gels cell LSM y Sy OFS OF pe egal Mey cull Oy re all ely BBL le gl ayls abs) Gia Je OU all By by all pe otal Ll ied blally ily edly psy Ofotalls seh OST 13] ANB aad Gea! SSL 20H pow Jie JS pester ls day Olean BL BU pgs ely 42 Vs Bal Fassel Vy coal de alll ot 8 JAN Spas JS) fl Qe Geet Nil pla pyr) gat de els pon Vy eee el aged Vy pot Se al blag A ee Ib Lb Ope gS LU pgp Web 0 Soe: NIE te eS Lally atl y 5 ll als mall ad ble ae O'S Spi Sy ad Gaol ab Ager y by clemm OLS ole y “td relondl M425 Use PIN Gal ge ple cal SB hb al ge ple cl “idles roll ples! VE oplle wre a Mage bE oles him a cigarette. He always carried a needle and thread al person in order to mend his jilbab in case it became to: his clothes got dirty, he would go far away from the vil] order to wash them, and would remain naked until th dry. Because of this, his turban was cleaner than am turban in the village. So it was only natural that the people of Munyat laughed at this new drollery on that particular day. Howe in this case the laughter soon died down and people fell sil tongue-tied with fear. The word blasphemy was a terrible o1 use, especially in a village that, like any other, lived in peace tranquillity. Its people were good people, who knew notl except their work and family. Just like any other village, th were petty thieves stealing corncobs, big thieves raiding pens and snatching the excess cattle with hooks; big and si n tradesmen; known and unknown loose women; honest fe and liars; spies; sick people; spinsters and righteous peo However, you found them all in the mosque when the mueg called the faithful to prayer. You would not find a single one: them breaking their fast during Ramadan. There are laws and guiding principles of life that every must abide by: a thief does not steal from another thief one blames anyone for his profession; and no one dares to tal about things that would offend public feelings. And there w: Sheikh Ali blasphemously talking to God in this way withou hindrance. The villagers were laughing a little, but as soom they heard what he was saying, they were dumbstruck. ’ Sheikh Ali’s head was bare, and his short-cropped white h glistened with sweat. In his right hand, he clutched his stidl His eyes were glowing like embers, while a look of fierce senseless anger had settled on his face. ‘ He said, addressing the sky: “What do you want from m Can you tell me what is it that you want from me? I left Azhar because of some sheikhs who act as if they are the s0)278 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader guardians of the faith. I divorced my wife, sold my and out of all people you chose me to inflict Abu Ahm; Why me? Who don’t you send down your anger, oh Lo; Churchill or on Eisenhower? Or is it because you can only to me? What do you want from me now? “So many times in the past you made me hungry, I endured it. I would tell myself: ‘Imagine it’s the moni Ramadan, and you're fasting. It’s only one day, and pass. ’ But, this time, I haven’t eaten anything since yes afternoon, and I haven’t had any cigarettes for a week. I hi touched hash for ten days. And you're telling me that Paradise there is honey, fruit and rivers of milk, yet you de give me any of it! Why? Are you waiting for me to die of hy and go to Paradise before I can partake of your beneficence?’ way! Save it! Let me live today and after that, take me wh you like. “Come on, man, why don’t you get this Abu Ahmad off. back? Why don’t you send him to America? Is he my destii Why do you torture me? I have nothing, except this ga and this stick. What do you want from me? You either feed right now, or take me now! Are you going to feed me, or m As Sheikh Ali uttered these words he was in a state of ext fury; he actually began to froth at the mouth and b soaked with sweat, while his voice filled with fierce hatred. people of Munyat al-Nasr stood motionless, their hearts all frozen with fear. They were afraid Sheikh Ali would conti and become blasphemous. But that was not the only thing scared them. The words spoken by Sheikh Ali were dangero’ they would cause the wrath of God the Almighty, and it be their village that would pay the price when His vengt struck everything they owned. Sheikh Ali’s words threatened safety of the entire village, and so he had to be shut up. In © to do this, some of the village elders began shouting placa remarks from afar with a view to making Sheikh Ali regait y Yusuf Idris 279 spl tas ge ge le alalny Le! ily clay Jy Agilbs pos oe oa chee SG IS ge Sal BM EAB Mayo al gee ple SGI de WE 55 Va (olden BIS alg J sily «arenes poe ge SB cpa Male Dh ge MGAS Le Sl Sg BM alas te Als jyte Sli bs Lil ae ely peel Sl see tat aly pada Le oc sLally ST By fond Jnr BH ab Spd Sly ft! op Sly B41 cod toltle ¢ tl ves UF cee oa ee eps We te Aly 2a lg gta! Bl aks Ste LY ES NS pl cad Le Toa deol gl ge dag Le sl aes bee 462 4 Stee & TMJ wake ol we SIO cde Sue GEE L VE ido ts ba! et we eS y AY My sesso -d gb Bp Bl gS AD se ats Sladtl Ma J pis de Gell OS paslixe jal, Lede GF aU dine Spe Sealy cB pl olay aed Get Bp Of ail NSS CN BES IS pty Oly Wade I LLIB pg ne Li Le Sa dy AS LS le oe phd JE By SLY y he cl a 3 plas le At) Sige gle ctl PIS OS Ny pa de JE A UB Le © piles yey OF gle Geet op Led Oper Mole OLS LetoModern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader senses and hold his tongue. For a while, Sheikh Ali turn from the sky and directed his gaze towards the onlooker : “Why should I be quiet, you miserable wretches? Shoul quiet until I die of hunger? Why should I keep quiet? Ar afraid for your houses, women and fields? It is only tho: have something to lose that are afraid! As for me, I don’ anything to be scared of. And if He is annoyed with Him take me! In the name of my religion and all things h if someone were to come and take me, even if it was Azr: Angel of Death, himself, I'd bash his skull in with my stick. not be silent unless He sends me a table laden with food fr heaven, right now. I’m not worth less than Maryam, who only a woman after all; but I’m a man. And she wasn’t po I, on the other hand, I’ve had to suffer at the hands of A Ahmad. By my religion and everything I hold dear, I'll not) quict until He sends me a dining table right now!” The sheikh once again turned to the sky: “Send it to me rij now, otherwise I’ll say whatever’s on my mind. A dining tal right now! Two chickens, a dish of honey and a pile of he bread — only if it’s hot — and don’t you dare forget the sala I'll count up to ten. And if the dining table’s not sent down, not stop at anything.” 4 Sheikh Ali began to count, and the people of Munyat al-N: silently counted ahead of him, but they became increasing] nervous. Sheikh Ali had to be stopped. One of them suggest they get the strongest youths of the village to throw him to th ground, gag him and give him a thrashing he would not forge However, one look at Sheikh Ali’s fiery, rage-filled, mad eyes enough to forget the proposal. It would be impossible to knod Sheikh Ali down before he lashed out once or twice with hi stick. Every youth was afraid he would be the one to be strucl and that instead of Azrael’s head being splattered, it would b one of theirs. For this reason, the proposal foundered. One of them said, impatiently: “You have been hungty ® your life, man, why pick today?” aly Gf Sle el ope BL decay UE CSL GL gieg JS! be easly Mal UI ae cals lage pe en Teme ly eS Le Glsel Ley gues ge lb teed pI ULE ait Yusuf Idris 281 Sy cdl y SS Leal le Geet) Sfp Sey cS gle ep US 099 ab bd Sl — pe Bi le she Dh S033 Sis Sse de ol Foy pita Gath ge ej TON Hark de HE pel ae sabal Vogl je 0S BL) Gash de ao ON Le! BBL Ye J 1B leet Sp de etl easly all LY Ute gill Vy eT L Vy isl Ve ee ce yt de sche tee bey bs be Seba CIB ie Wen Se Le oly dhe HS ool oy Ala ad 8G gly tle Ae die Vy de Gl ball 5 Lacy Ladi tar ta pel te yy hee de Gell gary sede os ge fact OWN age ee AY cel ig ot ody y yo cL iS) Sab lt op ele ah ol pel cal Latah guts 5s of gb LLig Y tile olan lb |p-aSuy LI oS ly alst O genkl Gael: elas ane o de foal ly ces shales yo boy of J de Gti ie of Jost! 4g Gly degen Ha Bh Of Ab JB LE JS Hb AS Ne ley cpgen ded oly tba bas call > Ay Sees clay Shes gael es (a9 ysl) gael Jarl ble Spar Jyh cat282 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Yaisuf Idris Sheikh Ali’s fiery gaze bored down at him, as he F raalecl yo gle feetll pe He yU 6 i exLeoly “This time, Abd al-Jawwad, you weakling, my hunger has web 41ST ian bol Ll Leb g2 3 tI longer.” a z ea)s% Somebody else shrieked: “Alright then, man, if . NA : a ond - Stuer hungry, why didn’t you tell us? We would have fed you Jay LUS 5 “Hey WE Ole SIU sib Th of listening to your nonsense!” 103) BtoB iT AE jd ISU) e ae Ali ae set ee ae ask ™ so! ade set Ab Ce y m I going to beg to you, a village of starving beggars? pe ae) a‘ ae starving more than I am! Beg you? I have come to ask Him, dle sil lo Ble aL phe cost GI pS eae J if He doesn’t give it to me, Ill know what to do! ey naslal Le Sly «pe ate CLI cle Gl gp See Conall gil is 7si Abd al-Jawwad said: “Why didn’t you work so that 3 ge el iil oe could’ve fed yourself, you wretch?” z if: f 5 3 ral Al ned JG At that point, Sheikh Ali’s anger reached its peak. He : a 7 po into a temper, quivering and quaking, alternately dire whpeey ibs JSC AL feeds oS LL his harangue towards the crowd gathered at a distance, tices Feclecoes colgse de antl ail) bh lay the sky: “What’s it to do with you, Abd al-Jawwad, son of EN te ee soll heuices ky Abuha?! I’m not working! I don’t want to work! 1 dota cenit ee Cant how to work. I’ve not found work. Is what you do work, Po «fate Sele MU gl oe onl ol I eb WL Cal = bovine prat?! The work that you do is donkey’s work, and | PEL favor Slee yo fas GY ee ctl Ab aw Le fact! ple not a donkeys Mee ay back all a ene t 7 bis PIL GI gle Ge Gly one faboo® Slat Io ft around on the field like cattle, you animals. To hell with all ¥ “1% . 5 hy Nos5 | pel | J youl I'm not going to work!'By God, if | was tanta Ge cles ls ese og 5 Bab aT pb til Le lel Jyh clay hunger, I still wouldn’t do the work that you do! Never!” Bea Le Bhp Spl SS ST gly fees sl S58 re In spite of the sheikh’s anger and the terrifying nature of what Slee situation, people started laughing. P gem Bun Na uae The sheikh was shaking, and said: “Ha! ... [ll count tol pe eH la pl cle Ale Si ae sans and, by God, if I don’t get a dining table, I’ll curse God and‘ Ab gS ci GLE py the unspeakable.” JB dads Aolisl de atl) _aicly It was clear that Sheikh Ali was not going to change | Vb ple, saul J ca bol oy a phe ala) asic = mind, and that he intended to go ahead with his inten! i which would have unimaginable consequences. 4 4 ; ee ; oo As Sheikh Ali started to count, droplets of sweat pout Th ON se sly cael oD de dle Gt) of Lewy ol down people’s foreheads, and the noon heat became intoleral lie LAY L ine Sioa, > crely colt de 5 Ga LW oly dy de at iy284 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Some started to whisper that the vengeance of God had by to unfold itself, and that this terrible heat was but the begiy of a terrible conflagration, which would consume all 7 and crops. One of them made the mistake of saying: “Why don’t you get him a morsel of food, so he'll come down?” Although Sheikh Ali was counting loudly, he heard ¢f words and turned around, towards the gathering: “What you louts? A piece of your rotten bread and stale cheese th all been eaten by worms? You call that food? I’ll only be qu a dining table arrives here, with two chickens on it.” There was a lot of grumbling in the crowd. Suddenly, the female bystanders said: “I’ve got a nice okra stew; Pll br you a plate of it.” Sheikh Ali shouted at her: “Shut up, woman! What's ¢ okra nonsense, you ...! Your brains are like okra, and the: sm of this village is like that of acid okra!” Then Abu Sirhan said: “We've got some fresh fish, Ali, which we've just bought from Ahmad the Fisherman.” Sheikh Ali roared: “What’s this miniscule fish of y you bunch of minions! Do you call that a fish? Damn it, doesn’t send me two chickens and the other things I ord I'll continue cursing — and hang the consequences!” The situation became unbearable. It was a question of remaining silent and losing the village and everyone in it of shutting up Sheikh Ali by any means possible. A hund people called out to invite him for lunch, but he refused « time. Eventually, he said: “I can’t continue with this po people. For three days, no one has offered me even @ So, leave off with the invitations now. I won’t shut up unt give me a dining table full of food sent by the good Lord.” Yusuf Idris 285 oy JE las ah Yael of al gi gees Of ce Sls Y gh Bhp He Sm ol Beal oF) eee YY yo | al 3 ails 2 parlly ail aad JS le JB 53 patel tasty dang: SEV y dail | gb pt LL — Spas te OS at ew de Aa! Ost SJ obey ASN of yi, Pee ae Hast) Sexy cial See oy ded ne oh b af ad - Bei 1s 5a) J Jy UT Ye SL Gls any aft ony cage ls Cid Se Leles OI SI + Jy By eat SSS geo my ope Bet bt b gle del db Bulb GI ge NUS Eres Bab LS ck Stele Oy US Abb afinl dob I Aad) IU by) 55 Sabin, lew gf Jy Mad a Ue dle at by teat alle edly Ge) th b las) 5 Ul 02 Sely af Hh — eS IN LMNs ENB jyer co LOl poy thaw 02 gt wae Jame Lo 9 etd Lple Uy clad cay Sa Ley SI Le tere Ver sll enol GNGIL ale 6 pai 3 pam BL cilbasly diz b col de Atl IK ‘A skey ab N de nary Cab php BL Gps Glily ECE Pte MOU OG Sab L eal) le de GL — FWY ou UY) Sle GL 99 cago dey all le cha, hy) ee tell deol ops286 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Heads turned around to enquire who had cooked that as not everyone cooked daily; indeed, it would have been | unlikely for anyone to have meat or chicken. Finally, ai al-Rahman’s house they found a rad! of boiled veal, and { took it to Sheikh Ali on a tray together with some radishes loaves of crisp bread and onions. They told the sheikh: “Is that enough for you?” 4 Sheikh Ali’s eyes alternated between the sky and the when he looked at the sky his eyes gleamed with fire, whet every time he looked at the tray his anger grew. The onloo stood by in silence. Eventually, Sheikh Ali said: “All along I wanted a din table full of food, you useless lot, and you bring me a tray? where’s the packet of cigarettes?” One of the villagers gave him a packet of cigarettes. He tu out his hand and took a large piece of the meat. He wolfed 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 left the food, took off his jilbab and turban and once aga started brandishing his stick, threatening that he would blaspheming again. He would not be silent until they broug him Mandur the hash dealer to give him a lump of hashish. Mandur said: “Take it. Take it, Sheikh, you deserve it! didn’t see, we didn’t know you'd be embarrassed to ask. Pt sit with you and they seem happy, but then afterwards they not interested anymore, and leave you. We have to see to y' comfort, Sheikh. This is our village, and without you and Ahmad it would be worthless. You make us laugh, and we ha to feed you ... What do you say to this?” Sheikh Ali again launched into a raging fury, at the hei of which he lunged at Mandur, shaking his stick at him almost hitting him over the head with it. “Laughing at me? What is so funny about me, Mandur, donkey brain? Damn you, and your father!” Yatsuf Idris Bet JS O15 ces a 3 Geb cae ILS py 8 oles Be Bae te E13 Gi) rtel CY OS oly coy JS Ole yar Bedlon Byhen (ga diad by nr pl de te lytegi tly ape Cat PE Dead ane Iyarly Lb de se etl gy 103 Sheed: — Aa) J) ps LIS, Ly Lea one gle Get! pas 29,4 ets cut gry coke) ALLS) UL) bi LIS y 1) ole cous 2IBy gle geet si etl OS ojats ade Mody Alb DoF cre ah b ul ple Gl We — icon les Gyre patel allel y JB aad Bb Lae gl OF Sy pedll eB aS talad Syl ok dey Pogd VM Mace g — 1452 YI dam 243 | SL acres y aller ale y celalall 55g ae Ob JB y de etl cles Iypant of tay VY] Soa dy hte oe AIL ages sles Jee choy 1} JB y clad al aly Ml aU jy bey 5 pte Left 2 te et be Bess Sey a LE Sy ALI Mile 1 pL se tla Gy NV Lol thay ety giloy JA dey Wot y (Sas Col thay oped deel ply oT Ane Cy Lah Ce WouS 3 SLI a! sts BANE B poy yyeelyy bby dae Lak de atl aes key oly le Le sp IS phy ISH ee gery alo pul aa) cyl lb ype b Soe By A Soeel Ul — Syl gaby dhab289 288 Moder Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Yusuf Idris de Oe Ae A OS y thoes yey OLE sae yes OS y peg bese tely de Geetll Ub cae (soy 6D Sousa ty Bo lll ; 10 Soe Op VISIT pinky pees te SS SA MNF Vy cel te Blew le AH le Vy gb ee 0 Sova: ot Sp Vy al wp dle Vy Gob ge by OA) baa Lily Gig OK LG Ihe ery oe pail cele) ay 3 Lge clyy ob BSH Healy ales alle PIU pe FST ay 2 pl (Lael gh) NGS Fy ol ped gil (Miele AB ALN 0 SG Stal y AS LS aad pp Opt OF fy der y WI Sophy ede og blely alls Le leley Mandur was running in front of Sheikh Ali, laughi bystanders were watching the chase, laughing. Even wi sheikh came after all of them, reviling and cursing them kept on laughing. 4 Sheikh Ali remained in Munyat al-Nasr, and thin happened to him every day. He was still short-tempered, ; people continued to laugh at his bouts of anger. However, that day on they made allowances for him. When they ; him standing in the middle of the threshing floor, taki his jilbab and turban, grabbing hold of his stick and sta1 to shake it at the sky, they understood that they had be oblivious to his problem, and had left Abu Ahmad alone w; him for longer than was necessary. Before a single blasphen word left his mouth, a tray would be brought to him everything he asked for. Occasionally, he would accept his | with resignation.290 1 y oe . 9,3) (ECA) a blueing agent (for laundry). Cf. ECA & 2 . AX: €: “he will blaspheme” (ECA); cf. MSA 4S 35 oF Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Language Notes OULLEN 4 aw: part of a saying: 3 2) y Oats cae) (“haste is of the Devil, patience is divine”). “siren” (ECA); MSA 43 25: “car” (ECA); MSA 3). Note ‘that this word also m “cart” (both in ECA and MSA), whereas the usual word “car” in ECA is 55. ‘ (423)) 43 y:: “police” (ECA); MSA 4252. The Sized) (lit. “emergency police”) may be compared to the defence in that it is a special section of the police force hand to help in case of emergencies. Note that 34>)... means “Help! Help!”. “blue”. The word 38} can also, of course, mean “rose” (as it _ does in MSA). ; le: (pl. E254) a loose, robelike garment. Interestingly enough, the author chooses to use this term rather than the ECA & 5 (pl. CJ ,L 4), as it is this quintessentially Egyptian male dress the protagonist is presumably wearing. AS, In ECA, the he prefix c (<¢ly, “to go”) is added to the imperfect (¢ ju zl) to denote the future aspect (often | eae intention). It is also used interchangeably with cue |) (which has the feminine and plural forms foul, and Body eg. Se os ch AS oul) all mean “We're going to write”. ; ‘ : “owl” (ECA); cf. MSA es (coll. ). In contradistinction to European lore, the owl is associated with highly negative symbolism (stupidity, untrustworthiness) in Arab culture, and it is referred to as 0) 12 (“night crow”). osilgsl: (< It. vapore or Fr. vapeur, “steam”) in ECA, as in @ number of other dialects, this word can have a variety of meanings, e. g. “steam engine” (MSA Sj; 5°), “steamship’ Yusuf Idris 291 (MSA 5,54, pl. 3+!»), “locomotive” (MSA 3 bb). 10. JS: ECA < Turkish hitkiimdar, pl. %\4«S~) denotes anyone in executive authority (e. g. chief of police, school prefect). 11. PM: one of the most ancient universities and undoubtedly the most famous mosque-university in the Islamic world. 12, LS SY: this refers to the number of genuflections (also see tall 4\%>) the 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 four for ordinary midday prayers performed at home). 13. DUAL Gl: (lit. “to swear by divorce”); a strong oath, the use of which is not restricted to marital issues! It reflects the highly ne; ative connotation attached to divorce in Muslim culture. 14.64 (pl. Feet) originally an Ottoman 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. &n>ekl) 3 s5141: a sweetmeat made of honey and containing sesame seeds, nuts, rosewater, etc. (the English word “halva” is, of course, derived from the Arabic a de, “sweetmeat”). 16. th jl! all; variants of this expression include JS a! Si > (lit. “May God reward you with everything that is good”) and &b j= 5 (lit. “May our Lord reward you”). 17. 4: (pronounced eeh,) “what” (ECA < CA él, “which”); MSA 3b, 18, 29 lg: “today” (ECA); cf MSA ¢33), The ECA word is derived from jg) (“day”, as opposed to “night”) and the demonstrative 93 (“this”). 1g. ple: see GLY!) 4x4, note No 10. 20, iw: “I left it” (ECA < GL, “to,leave”) MSA asd. a1. Ole: “because” (ECA < CA ols dé, “on those grounds”); cf. MSA Ny. 22. ays “a bit, more or less” (ECA < CA diminutive of + .+, “thing”); cf. MSA JL. 23. ht the invariable relative pronoun in ECA (and indeed in the overwhelming majority of colloquial varieties). It “what”,292 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader Yusuf Idris 293 \JS), cf. MSA 43 48. Also note the expression Soa (2, “isn’t that so?” (< MSA JAS 2l), In the affirmative (+ oS) it simply means “not like that”. 36. 25: “this” (ECA masculine demonstrative); cf. MSA |is, 37. 43: “why?”(ECA, pronounced leh); MSA I3UL, 38. ¥ Vis: (ECA < CA Vly, “otherwise”) MSA Y ii. 39. CLeb OLAS: “nice words”; this is an example of a sound fem. pl. in ECA for inanimate things, which corresponds to a fem. sg. in MSA: 4. LAS(“nice words”). 40. ¢: (ECA) abbreviated form of cy. 41. Wolo: see BLY), eb, 42. sl) 56: “Azrael”; corrupted form of 35s. This substitution of “n” for “I” is not uncommon in ECA, eg. Jes (for MSA dbx, « cup”), oles, (for MSA Jui i oranges ae 43. Gt4.U; “smashing”, ECA (> 155, “to smash, shatter”); MSA gles. 44- Jo-\y: “man” (ECA) MSA J. 45. 25 Ly; “you weren’t”; ECA split negative (> s+_$+=51S+L); MSA 3552, 46. 53%: “two”, “a pair” (ECA) MSA a3 (“couple”, “set of two”). This is an example of metathesis, i.e. the swapping around of consonants. corresponds to the MSA (s-l (masc, sg. ) =) (fem. sg. ), Old (masc. dual nom. ), Ob! (fem. dual nom. ), ¢3-il)\ (mase. d gen. /acc. ), oa (fem. dual gen. /acc. ), oil (masc. pl. PUY Aish (fem. pl). 24. csuule: active participle (< Jes, “to work”): 4 (f.), & (pl. ). giz: “my wife” (ECA = CA i, “my woman”); ef, MSA a 25. 26. +b L: “nothing” (ECA < CA eet a+l, “not in it a thing”), cf. MSA «(<3 Y. . 27. (38) J! (ECA negating particle < CA «2 + Ly “not a thing”), cf. MSA, 4 2 or Y (with verbs), and Y swith nouns, The ECA particle can be pronounced _*~+ or a 28. Ass: “now” (ECA < CA <35)) lis, “this time”), MSA o¥1. Note also that in ECA G is pronounced as a glottal stop. 29. (2: “this” (ECA feminine demonstrative); cf. MSA o4e, Note that the ECA demonstrative comes after the noun, whereas in MSA it precedes it: e.g. ECA (52 45a) = MSA 84) ole (“This car”). : 30. eas L: “I haven’t eaten”, ECA split negative construction + 4 ut lS; cf. MSA JST ¢. The split negative is an alternative to (3 (see above) in that it can also be attached to prepositions and even pronouns: e.g, (#34 Ls (“I don’t have any ...”), “bread” (ECA), MSA - Slee ge (“Aren’t you [m. ] coming with us?”). 3): “watch it, you!”; masc. _ imperative of (£5 (“to heed”, Cate! Syl: see GLY 5 sa. , “bear in mind”). Cf. MSA 43) or yi Bs. lj “hashish” (ECA); MSA 42+. It is interesting to note 49. Ny JB Gls (ECA) MSA ) MSA: nbs (pl abl. Jamiiyya li ‘L-Dirasat wa ‘LNashr wa ‘LTawzi’ yo. 7: “hashish” (ECA); MSA => “Also see note abaNaaa Shukri, Muhammad (2003): al-Khayma, Casablanca: Matba‘at al- z Najah al-Jadida. iis Cae (ECA); MSA ik (imperative). The ECA form al-Takarli, Fu’ad (2004): Khagin al-lamar’iyyat, Damascus: Dar get? 5 ri i al-Mada. reflects ae eres Daa oD are as > (or 3) in Egypt: Tamir, Zakariyya’ (1973): Dimashq al-bara“ig, Damascus: 72. GAS le: “we weren't” (ECA split negative), MSA SS ¢. Mansharat Maktabat al-Nari. 73. o,\e: active participle (< 435, “to know”): Hl (F.), & al“Uthman, Layla (2005): Laylat al-gahr, Cairo: Dar Sharqiyyat li (pl. ). ‘L-Nashr wa ‘-Tawzi‘. 74. BS: ECA GSS + the continuous particle o. al-Zafzaf, Muhammad (1980): alShajra al-Mugaddasa, Beirut: Dar 75. uals (il lit. “son of a slipper”. ; al-Adab.296 Modern Arabic Short Stories: A Bilingual Reader References ‘Abd al-Rahman, Y. (2003): Mawsi‘at al-‘amiyya al-Sairi Dirasa Lughawiyya Naqdiyya, Damascus. Arabic Language Academy (2004): ALMu jam al-Wasit, 4th edn. al-Buzurkan, Rif‘at Ra’if (2000): Mu‘jam al-alfaz al-dakhila ‘LLahja al-Iraqiyya al-Darija, Baghdad: al-Dar al-‘Arabiyya li ‘l-Mawsu‘at. Elias, Elias A. and Edward E. Elias (1994): Elias’ Modern Dictionary, English-Arabic, Cairo. - Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd edn, Leiden/London (E. J. Brill), 1960-. al-Firazabadi, Muhammad b. Ya’qub [n. d. ]: a/-Qamas al-mupit, 4 vols, ed. M. M. b. al-Talamid al-Turkuzi al-Shingiti, Cairo: _ al-Matba‘a al-Yamaniyya. Hinds, Martin and El-Said Badawi (1986): A Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic. Arabic-English, Beirut: Librarie du Liban. Ibn Manzar, Jamal al-Din (1299/1881-1308/1890-1): Lisan al- ‘Arab, 20 vols, Balaq. Pickthall, Mohammed Marmaduke (1996): The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an, London: UBSPD. Wehr, Hans (1994): Arabic-English Dictionary, 4th edn, Urbana, — IL: Spoken Language Services Inc. al-Zabidi, Aba Muhammad Murtada (1306-7/1888-9o): Taj al- ‘aras min sharh jawabir al-gamis, 10 vols, Cairo. 7Twelve Stories by Contemporary Masters from Morocco to Iraq ‘The stories collected here are by leading authors of the short story form in the Middle East today. In addition to works by writers already well- known in the West, such as Idwar al-Kharrat, Fu’ad al-Takarli and Nobel Prize winner Najib Mahfuz, the collection includes stories by key authors whose fame has hitherto been restricted to the Middle East. This bilingual reader is ideal for students of Arabic as well as lovers of literature who wish to broaden their appreciation of the work of Middle Eastern writers. The collection features stories in the original Arabic, accompanied by an English translation and a brief author biography, as well as a discussion of context and background. Each story is followed by a glossary and discussion of problematic language points. Ronak Husni is a senior lecturer at Heriot-Watt University where she teaches Arabic language, literature and translation. Daniel L. Newman is Course Director of the MA in Arabic/English Translation at the University of Durham. He has also published An Imam in Paris (Sagi). | l E4369! > Goer Pining Te Meo ae of that House by Iman Maleki www.sagibooks.com