مَعَ إِشْرَاقَةِ شَمْس أَوَّل أَيَّام ٱلْعُرْس، تَتَّجِهُ ٱلْفَتَاة بِرِفْقَةِ شَقِيقَاتِهَا وَصَدِيقَاتِهَا ٱلْمُقَرَّبَات إِلَى ٱلْحَمَّام ٱلْبُخَارِيّ، بَيْنَمَا تَجْتَمِعُ ٱلنِّسْوَة حَوْلَ وَالِدَتِهَا لِمُسَاعَدَتِهَا فِي ٱلتَّجْهِيز وَٱلْإِعْدَاد لِلَيْلَةِ ٱلزِّفَاف. وَٱبْتِدَاءً مِن هٰذَا ٱلْيَوْم تَرْتَدِي ٱلْعَرُوس اَللِّبَاس ٱللِّيبِيّ اَلتَّقْلِيدِيّ وَيُطْلَقُ عَلَيْهِ اِسْم «اَلْحَوْلِيّ اَلْبُودَرِيّ» أَيْ ٱلْوَرْدِيّ ٱللَّوْن. وَيَتَكَوَّن مِن بَنْطَال (سِرْوَالٍ) عَرِيض وَقَمِيص، تُلَفُّ حَوْلَهُمَا قِطْعَةٌ كَبِيرَة مِن ٱلْقُمَاش ٱلْمَصْنُوع مِن ٱلْحَرِير وَخُيُوطٍ مِن فِضَّة. وَيُغَطِّي ضَفَائِر شَعْرِهَا ٱلْمَجْدُول خِمَارٌ مِن قُمَاش ٱلْفُسْتَان. وَلا تَضَع أَيّ مَاكِيَاج عَلَى وَجْهِهَا. وَتُقِيم وَالِدَةَ ٱلْعَرُوس «سَهْرِيَّة» تُحْيِيهَا «ٱلنَّوْبَة» (اَلْفِرْقَة ٱلْغِنَائِيَّة). وَبِمُجَرَّدِ أَنْ تَسْمَعَ ٱلْفَتَيَات وَقْع خَطَوَات «ٱلنَّوْبَة» وَتَتَنَاهَى إِلَى مَسَامِعِهِنّ أَصْوَات ٱلطَّبْلَةِ وَٱلدُّفُوف، يَتَحَمَّسنَ كَثِيرًا وَيُصِبنَ بِٱلْإِرْبَاك لأَنَّهُنّ اَللَّيْلَة يَتَقَابَلنَ مَعَ ٱلشُّبَّان، «وَجْهًا لِوَجْه».
With the rising of the sun on the first of the wedding days the girl accompanied by her sisters and close friends heads to the steam bath while the women gather around her mother to help her to prepare and get ready for the wedding night. And starting from this day the bride wears the traditional Libyan clothing which is given the name al-hawli al-boudari that is the pink coloured [hawli] and this is made up of wide pantaloons (trousers) and a shirt around both of which is wrapped a big piece of material made of silk with threads of silver. A veil made of the material of the dress covers the plaits of her braided hair. And she does not put any make-up on her face. The mother of the bride organises a sahriyya [evening party] which the nawba (singing troupe) enlivens. As soon as the young women hear the falling of the footsteps of the nawba and the sounds of the drum and tambourines come to their ears they get very excited and are infected with agitation because tonight they meet with the young men face to face.
فِي خَان ٱلْخَلِيلِيّ، وَبَيْنَ مَقَاهِيهَا ٱلشَّعْبِيَّةِ ٱلْقَدِيمَة حَيْثُ تَتَزَايَدُ نِسْبَةُ ٱلسُّيَّاح ٱلْأَجَانِب وَٱلْعَرَب عَلَى مَدَار ٱلْعَام؛ يَجُولُ عَدَدٌ مِن ٱلْأَطْفَال بِمَلابِس رَثَّةٍ وَأَجْسَاد نَحِيلَةٍ حَتَّى ٱلسَّاعَات ٱلْأُولَى مِن ٱلْفَجْر بَيْنَ ٱلْأَزِقَّةِ وَٱلشَّوَارِع لِبَيْع أَوْرَاق ٱلْمَنَادِيل أَوْ ٱلْكُتُب أَوْ أَجْهِزَةٍ كَهْرَبَائِيَّةٍ مُقَلَّدَة، وَأَنْوَاعٍ مِن ٱلْمُكَسَّرَات وَٱلتَّسَالِي ٱلشَّعْبِيَّة. اَلْفَتَيَات اَلصَّغِيرَات يَبِعنَ ٱلْمَنَادِيل ٱلْوَرَقِيَّة، أَوْ ٱلْإِكْسَسْوَارَات وَٱلْمُكَسَّرَات، فِيمَا يَبِيعُ ٱلصُّبْيَان اَلْكُتُب أَوْ ٱلتُّحَف وَٱلْأَجْهِزَةَ ٱلْكَهْرَبَائِيَّةَ ٱلصَّغِيرَة، كُلُّ ذٰلِكَ بِإِلْحَاحٍ فَجّ تُبَرِّرُهُ أَعْيُنُهُم وَأَجْسَادُهُم ٱلْمُتْعَبَة. مُحَمَّد طِفْلٌ فِي ٱلثَّانِيَةَ عَشَر مِن ٱلْعُمْر يُمْضِي وَقْتَهُ جَائِلًا خِلالَ ٱللَّيْل ٱلطَّوِيل بَيْنَ مَقَاهِي ٱلْخَلِيل بِقَدَمَيْن صَغِيرَتَين تَنْتَعِلَان «صَنْدَلًا» قَدِيمًا يَبْدُو عَلَى جَوَانِبِهِ ٱلْاِهْتِرَاء، وَيَرْتَدِي مَلابِس مُتَوَاضِعَة لا تَقِيه ٱلْبَرْد، حَامِلًا كُتُبًا ثَقِيلَة تُضَاهِي جَسَدَهُ ٱلضَّئِيل.
In Khan Al-Khalili among its old local [lit. folk] cafés where the proportion of foreign and Arab tourists gets higher and higher throughout the year; A number of children with shabby clothes and thin bodies roam among the alleys and streets until the first hours of dawn to sell paper handkerchiefs or books or counterfeit electrical appliances and a variety of mixed nuts and local [lit. folk] amusements. The young girls sell paper handkerchiefs or accessories and mixed nuts while the boys sell books or curiosities and small electrical appliances. All this is with a crude insistence which their tired eyes and bodies justify. Muhammad a child in his twelfth [year] of age spends his time roaming during the long night among the cafés of Al-Khalil with two small feet shod in old sandals on the sides of which are rips/holes from wear. He wears simple clothes which do not protect him from the cold while carrying heavy books which are similar [in weight] to his small body.
يَحْتَلُّ ٱلْحُمُّص مَكَانَةً مَرْمُوقَةً عَلَى مَوَائِدِنَا، خُصُوصًا أَنَّهُ يُؤْكَلُ حَبًّا وَمَسْحُوقًا وَيَمْلِكُ فَوَائِد غِذَائِيَّةً وَصِحِّيَةً جَمَّة. عُرِفَ ٱلْحُمُّص مُنْذُ أَمَدٍ طَوِيل لَدَى ٱلْمِصْرِيِّين وَٱلْفِينِيقِيِّين وَٱلْإِغْرِيق، وَمَوْطِنُهُ ٱلْأَصْلِيّ هُوَ بِلاد ٱلشَّرْق ٱلْأَوْسَط، وَيُرْوَى أَنَّ ٱلْفِينِيقِيِّين هُم اَلَّذِينَ حَمَلُوهُ غَرْبًا فَأَدْخَلُوهُ إِلَى اِسْبَانِيَا اَلَّتِي اِعْتَمَدَتْه، وَمِنهَا اِنْتَقَلَ إِلَى بُلْدَان أَمِيرِكَا ٱلْلاتِينِيَّة وَمِن ثُمَّ إِلَى أَمِيرِكَا ٱلشَّمَالِيَّة. وَقِيلَ ٱلْكَثِير عَن فَوَائِد ٱلْحُمُّص فِي ٱلْكُتُب ٱلطِّبِّيَّةِ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةِ ٱلْقَدِيمَة، وَوَصَفَهُ ٱلْأَطِبَّاء لِعِلَاج أَدْوَاءٍ شَتَّى وَذَكَرُوا عَنه أَنَّهُ يُصَفِّي ٱلصَّوْت، وَيُهَدِّئ ٱلصُّدَاع ٱلنِّصْفِيّ، وَيُزِيلُ ٱلسُّعَال، وَيُسَكِّن آلام ٱلصَّدْر، وَيُفِيدُ فِي ٱلتَّغَلُب عَلَى عُسْر ٱلْبَوْل، وَيَنْفَع لِلْحَلْق. أَمَّا ٱلْعَلَّامَةُ ٱلطَّبِيب اِبْن سِينَا، فَيَقُول عَن دَقِيق ٱلْحُمُّص أَنَّهُ يَنْفَع فِي ٱلْقُرُوح ٱلْخَبِيثَة وَٱلسَّرَطَانِيَّة، وَٱلْحِكَّة وَوَجَع ٱلرَّأْس وَٱلْأَوْرَام تَحْت ٱلْأُذُن، أَمَّا فِي خُصُوص أَكْلِه فَيَوصِي اِبْن سِينَا بِتَنَاوُلِهِ فِي وَسَط ٱلطَّعَام.
Hummus occupies an exalted place on our tables especially as it can be eaten [both] whole [lit. grain] and ground and it possesses many nutritional and health benefits. Hummus was known for a long time among the Egyptians and the Phoenicians and the ancient Greeks; its original homeland was the countries of the Middle East. And it is said that it was the Phoenicians who carried it westwards and introduced it into Spain which [then] relied on it and from there it was transported to the countries of Latin America and henceforth to North America. Much was said about the benefits of hummus in the old Arabic medical books where the doctors prescribed it for the treatment of various ailments. They cited regarding it that it clarifies the voice and soothes the half-headache [i.e. headache on one side of the head] and it stops coughing and alleviates chest pains and is of use in overcoming difficulty in urinating and is good for the throat. As for the very learned doctor Ibn Sina [known in the West as Avicenna] he says regarding hummus flour that it is useful for malignant and cancerous ulcers and itching and head pain and swelling under the ear. As regards eating it Ibn Sina advises having it amongst [other] food.
يَبْدُو أَنَّ ظَاهِرَةَ ٱلزَّمْزَمِيّ «اَلَّذِي يُقَدِّمُ جَرَعَاتٍ مِن مَاء زَمْزَم لِلْحُجَّاج وَٱلْمُعْتَمِرِين» لَمْ تَعُد حُكْرًا عَلَى ٱلذُّكُور فَقَط، بَعْدَ أَنْ دَخَلَتْ ٱلسَّيِّدَات عَلَى ٱلْخَطّ فِي مُزَاوَلَةِ هٰذِهِ ٱلْمِهْنَة عَبْرَ ٱلْبَرْنَامَج اَلَّذِي طَرَحَهُ مَكْتَب ٱلزَّمَازِمَة اَلْمُوَحَّد فِي مَكَّة، وَٱلَّذِي تَمَثَّلَ فِي عَمَلٍ إِضَافِيُّ يَقُوم بِهِ ٱلْمَكْتَب مِن خِلال تَقْدِيم مَاء زَمْزَم لِلْمَرْضَى مِن ٱلْحُجَّاج وَٱلْمُعْتَمِرِين «مِن ٱلذُّكُور وَٱلْإِنَاث» اَلْمُنَوَّمِين فِي مُسْتَشْفَيَات ٱلْعَاصِمَة ٱلْمُقَدَّسَة، وَكَانَ ٱلْفَرِيق ٱلنِّسَائِيّ «اَلزَّمْزَمِيَات» اَلَّذِي رَافَقَ فَرِيق ٱلْعَمَل فِي زِيَارَتِهِ لِمُسْتَشْفَيَات ٱلْعَاصِمَةِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسَة قَامَ بِتَوْزِيع عُبُوَاتٍ بلاسْتِيكِيَّةٍ مُعَبَّأَةٍ بِمَاء زَمْزَم اَلْمُبَارَك سَعَةُ كُلّ عُبُوَةٍ وَاحِد فَاصِلَة خَمْسَة لِتْر، بِٱلْإِضَافَةِ إِلَى قِيَامِهِنّ بِتَقْدِيم كُرُوتٍ بَرِيدِيَّةٍ مَدْفُوعَةِ ٱلْأَجْر يُمْكِنُ لِلْحُجَّاج اَلْمُنَوَّمِين إِرْسَالِهَا إِلَى ذَوِيهِم لِلْاِطْمِئْنَان عَلَيْهِم، كَمَا تَمَّ تَقْدِيم مِسْبَحَةٍ لِكُلّ حَاجّ كَهَدِيَّةٍ مِن ٱلْمَكْتَب.
It seems that the phenomenon of the Zamzami ([a man] who offers draughts [lit. gulps] of the water of Zamzam [a well in Mecca] to the hajj pilgrims and umrah pilgrims) is no longer a monopoly for males only after ladies joined [lit. entered] in the line of practising this profession through the programme which the Unified Office of the Zamzamis in Mecca presented and which has manifested itself in an additional job which the Office undertakes through providing the water of Zamzam to the sick among the hajj pilgrims and umrah pilgrims from among the males and the females confined to bed in the hospitals of the holy capital. The female team the Zamzamiyaat which accompanied the work group in its visit to the hospitals of the holy capital were undertaking the distribution of plastic packs filled with the blessed water of Zamzam the capacity of every pack being one point five litres as well as their undertaking to provide prepaid postcards which it is possible for bedridden pilgrims to send to their relatives to reassure them about them [the pilgrims]. Just as the presenting of a rosary to every pilgrim as a present from the Office was [also] carried out.
مُشَاهَدَةُ مَرَاسِم اِسْتِبْدَال كِسْوَةِ ٱلْكَعْبَةِ ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة، هِيَ أَكْثَر لَحَظَات ٱلْعَام إِثَارَةً عِنْد أَهَالِي حَاضِرَةِ مَكَّة اَلْمُكَرَّمَة وَبَادِيَتِهَا. فِي مِثْل هٰذَا ٱلْيَوْم مِن كُلّ عَام، يَحْتَشِدُ مِئَات ٱلْآلاف مِنهُم مُنْذُ وَقْتٍ مُبَكِّرٍ لِلطَّوَاف حَوْلَ ٱلْكَعْبَة وَٱلصَّلاةِ فِي ٱلْمَسْجِد ٱلْحَرَام، بَعْدَ أَنْ تَوَجَّهَ ٱلْحُجَّاج اَلْيَوْم لِلْوُقُوف عَلَى صَعِيد جَبَل ٱلرَّحْمَة فِي مَشْعَر عَرَفَات ٱلْمُقَدَّس، وَمِن ثُمَّ يُتَابِعُون مَرَاسِم اِسْتِبْدَال ٱلْكِسْوَةِ ٱلْقَدِيمَة بِأُخْرَى جَدِيدَة اِسْتِعْدَادًا لِٱسْتِقْبَال ضُيُوف ٱلرَّحْمٰن صَبَاح يَوْم غَدٍ اَلسَّبْت اَلْمُوَافِق لِأَوَّل أَيَّام عِيد ٱلْأَضْحَى ٱلْمُبَارَك. وَيَسْتَهْلِكُ ٱلثَّوْب ٱلْوَاحِد لِلْكَعْبَة نَحْوَ سِتّ مِئَةٍ وَسَبْعُون كِيلُو جرَامًا مِن ٱلْحَرِير ٱلطَّبِيعِيّ اَلْأَسْوَد ٱللَّوْن. وَيَبْلُغُ مُسَطَّحُهُ ٱلْإِجْمَالِيّ سِتّ مِئَةٍ وَثَمَانٌ وَخَمْسُون مِتْرًا مُرَبَّعًا وَيَتَكَوَّنُ مِن سَبْعٌ وَأَرْبَعُون لَفَّةٍ طُول ٱلْوَاحِدَةِ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَر مِتْرًا وَبِعَرْض خَمْسٌ وَتِسْعُون سَنْتِيمِتْرًا.
Watching the ceremony of the changing of the covering of the honoured Kaaba is the most exciting moment of the year among the inhabitants of the city of holy Mecca and its desert. On this day of every year hundreds of thousands of them gather from an early time to circle around the Kaaba and pray in the Holy [lit. sacrosanct] Mosque after the [hajj] pilgrims have headed off today to stand on the plateau of the Mountain of Mercy in the ritual site of the hallowed Arafat then they [the inhabitants of Mecca] observe [lit. follow] the ceremony of the exchanging of the old covering with a new one in readiness for the receiving of the guests [i.e. the pilgrims] of God [lit. the Merciful] tomorrow morning Saturday which corresponds to the first of the days of the blessed Eid ul-Adha [Festival of the Sacrifice] One covering of the Kaaba uses around six hundred and seventy kilogrammes of black coloured natural silk. Its total surface area comes to six hundred and fifty eight square metres and it is made up of forty seven rolls the length of each being fourteen metres and with a width of ninety five centimetres.
أَكَّدَتْ مَصَادِر حُكُومِيَّة لِ «اَلْحَيَاة» أَنَّ إِعْدَام ٱلرَّئِيس ٱلْعِرَاقِيّ ٱلسَّابِق صَدَّام حُسَيْن سَيُنَفَّذُ فِي غُضُون أَيَّامٍ قَلِيلَة، وَأَنَّ ٱلْمِشْنَقَةَ نُصِبَتْ فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَةِ ٱلْخَضْرَاء. وَكَثَّفَتْ قُوَّات ٱلْأَمْن إِجْرَاءَاتِهَا تَحَسُّبًا لِلْحَدَث اَلَّذِي يُتَوَقَّع أَنْ يَتَزَامَن مَعَ إِعْلان حَظْر ٱلتَّجَوُّل فِي بَغْدَاد وَعَدَدٍ مِن ٱلْمُحَافَظَات. وَٱسْتَبَقَ مُسَلَّحُون اَلْإِجْرَاءَات فَتَدَفَّقُوا إِلَى شَوَارِع ٱلْمِنْطَقَةِ ٱلْغَرْبِيَّةِ مِن بَغْدَاد، وَخَاضُوا اِشْتِبَاكَاتٍ مُتَقَطِّعَة مَعَ ٱلشُّرْطَة. وَفِيمَا دَعَا صَدَّام أَنْصَارَهُ، فِي رِسَالَةٍ وَدَاعِيَّة، إِلَى «ٱلتَّوَحُّد فِي مُوَاجَهَةِ ٱلْغُزَاة وَٱلْفُرْس»، هَدَّدَ حِزْب ٱلْبَعْث بِضَرْب ٱلْمَصَالِح ٱلْأَمِيرِكِيَّة «فِي كُلّ أَنْحَاء ٱلْعَالَم»، وَطَالَبَ ٱلتَّيَّار ٱلصَّدْرِيّ بِإِعْدَامِهِ عَشِيَةِ عِيد ٱلْأَضْحَى.
Government sources confirmed to Al-Hayat that the execution of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein will be carried out within a few days and that the gallows have been erected in the Green Zone. Security forces have tightened [lit. thickened] their measures in anticipation of the event which is expected to coincide with the announcement of a curfew [lit. ban of movement] in Baghdad and a number of provinces. Gunmen tried to stay one step ahead of the measures and spilled out onto the streets of the western district of Baghdad and launched [lit. waded into] intermittent clashes with the police. And while Saddam called on his supporters in a farewell message to be united in the confrontation of the invaders and the Persians the Baath party threatened to strike American interests in all parts of the world and the Sadrist Movement called for his execution on the eve of Eid ul-Adha [=Festival of the Sacrifice].