عَبَاءَةٌ أَوْ مِعْطَف وَحِجَاب، لَوَازِمٌ تَلْجَأُ إِلَيهَا مُدَرِّسَاتٌ وَافِدَات مِن مُحَافَظَتَي اَللَّاذِقِيَّة وَطَرْطُوس. صَبَايَا غَيْر مُحَجَّبَاتٍ فِي مُدُنِهِنّ، لا يَظْهَرُ ٱلْحِجَاب عَلَى رُؤُوسِهِنّ إِلَّا عَلَى مَدَاخِل حَلَب. وَهُوَ أَمْرٌ يَنْسَحِبُ أَيْضًا عَلَى ٱلْمُدَرِّسَات اَلْقَادِمَات مِن مُحَافَظَتَي اَلسُّوَيْدَاء وَدِمَشْق لِلْعَمَل. وَتَلْجَأ ٱلْمُدَرِّسَات إِلَى هٰذَا ٱلْأَمْر خَوْفًا مِن ٱلْآرَاء اَلَّتِي يُمْكِن أَنْ تُلاحِقَهُنّ مِن شَبَاب حَلَب كَـ«شُو أَهَالِي ٱلسَّاحِل مُتَعَوِّدِين مُصَيِّفِين عَٱلخَالِص»، فِي إِشَارَةٍ إِلَى لِبَاسِهِنّ «ٱلْمَكْشُوف»، أَوْ «لَوْ اِتَّسَعَت دِمَشْق وَٱلسُّوَيْدَاء لَكُنّ لَمَا أَتَيتُنَّ إِلَى هُنَا»، وَهُنَّ يَعْتَبِرنَهَا خُطْوَة اِحْتِرَازِيَّة فِي وَجْه ٱلتَّعَرُّض لِلتَّحَرُّش. وَتَعْتَبِرُ بَعْضُهُنّ أَنَّ هٰؤُلاء ٱلشَّبَاب يَتَعَرَّضُون بِٱلدَّرَجَة ٱلْأُولَى إِلَى فَتَيَاتٍ قَادِمَات مِن ٱلْمَنَاطِق ٱلسَّاحِلِيَّة لِأَنَّ «ٱلتَّعَرُّض لَهُنّ حَلال»، كَمَا يَقُولُ أَحَدُهُم. وَيُبَرِّر ذٰلِك بِٱلْقَوْل: «إِنَّ ٱلسَّافِرَات يُؤَثِّرنَ فِي شَكْلٍ سَلْبِيّ فِي عُقُول طَالِبَاتِهِنَّ مِن بَنَاتِنَا وَأَخَوَاتِنَا».
An abaa;a [=cloak] or a [long] coat and hijab [=headscarf] are the necessities [female] teachers arriving from the provinces of al-Ladhiqiyah [=Latakia] and Tartous are resorting to. Young women [lit. girls (fusha)] who are not veiled in their cities - the hijab doesnt appear on their heads except at the gates of Aleppo. It is something which also applies to [female] teachers coming from the provinces of as-Suwayda and Damascus for work. The teachers resort to this out of fear of the opinions which might follow them around on the part of the young men of Aleppo such as [look] how the people of the coast are so used to summer holidays! in a reference to their revealing clothing or if Damascus and as-Suwayda had room for you you wouldnt come here and [the women] consider [wearing the hijab etc.] a precautionary step in the face of being subjected to harassment. And some of them consider that these young men object primarily to the young women coming from the coastal areas because objecting to them is halal [=allowed under Islamic law] as one of [the youths] says. He justifies this with the remark that unveiled women have a negative influence on the minds of their [female] students from among our daughters and our sisters.
يَكَادُ كُلّ زَائِرٍ أَوْ مُسَافِر لِمَدِينَةِ ٱلنَّجَف أَنْ يَتَوَقَّف أَمَامَ مَحَلَّات ٱلْعَبَاءَة ٱلنَّجَفِيَّة وَٱلتَّمَعُّن بِجَمَال خِيَاطَتِهَا ذَات ٱلْخُيُوط اَلزَّرْقَاء وَٱلْبُنِّي وَٱلْأَصْفَر اَلَّتِي تُخَاط عَلَى جَوَانِبِهَا وَمَعَهَا اَلذَّهَب وَٱلْفِضَّة اَلَّذِي زَادَ مِن جَمَالِهَا أَكْثَر. وَيَحْرِص أَهَالِي ٱلْخَلِيج وَٱلْعَرَب عَلَى شِرَاء هٰذِهِ ٱلْعَبَاءَة اَلَّتِي تُقَدَّم كَهَدِيَّة زَوَاج أَوْ تَبَرُّك مِن ٱلْمَدِينَة. وَٱشْتَهَرَ أَهْل ٱلنَّجَف بِٱلْعَبَاءَة مُنْذُ زَمَنٍ بَعِيد وَأَصْبَحَت مِن ٱلْحِرَف ٱلرَّئِيسِيَّة فِيهَا، وَأَغْلَب ٱلْأُسَر ٱلرِّيفِيَّة تَعْتَمِدُ فِي رِزْقِهَا عَلَى صِنَاعَةِ ٱلْعَبَاءَة اَلَّتِي لَمْ تَسْتَطِع ٱلتِّكْنُولُوجِيَا ٱلْحَدِيثَة مُجَارَاة صِنَاعَتِهَا ٱلْيَدَوِيَّة. وَقَالَ ٱلْخَيَّاط أَبُو جَاسِم، سَبْعَة وَخَمْسُون سَنَة، اَلَّذِي تَوَارَثَ هٰذِهِ ٱلْحِرْفَة مِن عِدَّةِ أَجْيَال إِنَّ «صِنَاعَةَ ٱلْعَبَاءَة قَد تَسْتَغْرِقُ ٱلْوَاحِدَة مِنهَا مِن أُسْبُوعَيْن إِلَى سِتَّةِ أَسَابِيع حَسَب مَهَارَةِ ٱلْخَيَّاط». وَأَضَاف أَنَّ «ٱلرَّجُل ٱلْعَرَبِيّ اِتَّخَذَ ٱلْعَبَاءَة رَمْزًا لِعُرُوبَتِهِ وَأَصَالَتِه».
Almost every visitor or traveller to the city of Najaf will stop in front of the Najafi abaya [=cloak] shops and become engrossed in the beauty of their tailoring having threads of blue brown and yellow which are stitched on their sides along with gold and silver which increase their beauty more. The people of the Gulf and Arabs are keen on buying this abaya which is presented as a wedding gift or blessing from the city. The people of Najaf have been famed for the abaya for a long time and it has become one of the main trades in [the city] - most rural families base their livelihoods on the manufacture of the abaya which modern technology has not been able to match the manual manufacture of. The tailor Abu Jasim [=Iraqi nickname for Muhammad] (57) who inherited this trade from several generations said that the manufacture of the abaya might take for one of them from two weeks to six weeks according to the skill of the tailor. And he added that the Arab man has adopted the abaya as a symbol of his Arab character and noble descent.
أَنَا طَالِب. أَنْتَ طَالِب. أَنْتِ طَالِبَة. هُوَ طَالِب. هِيَ طَالِبَة. نَحْنُ طُلَّاب. أَنْتُم طُلَّاب. أَنْتُنَّ طَالِبَات. أَنْتُمَا طَالِبَان. هُم طُلَّاب. هُنَّ طَالِبَات. هُمَا طَالِبَان.
I (am a) student. You [masc. sing.] (are a) student. You [fem. sing.] (are a) student. He (is a) student. She (is a) student. We (are) students. You [masc. pl.] (are) students. You [fem. pl.] (are) students. You [masc. and fem. dual] (are) students. They [masc.] (are) students. They [fem.] (are) students. They [masc. and fem. dual] (are) students.
يَتَأَمَّلُ ٱلسِّيجَارَة مُطَوَّلًا بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِه، ثُمَّ يُقَرِّبُهَا مِن شَفَتَيهِ بِشَغَف، يُشْعِلُهَا بِبُطء، بَيْنَمَا صَدِيقتُه تُرَاقِبُهُ بِإِعْجَابٍ وَهُوَ يَنْفُثُ ٱلدُّخَان. مَشْهَدٌ دِرَامِيّ مِن أَحَد ٱلْمُسَلْسَلَات ٱلسُّورِيَّة يَصْعُبُ تَفْسِيرُه إِنْ كَانَ مُحَاوَلَةً لِلْاِقْتِرَاب مِن وَاقِع ٱلشَّبَاب ٱلسُّورِيّ، اَلَّذِي يُعْتَبَر مِن أَكْثَر ٱلشَّبَاب تَدْخِينًا فِي ٱلْعَالَم ٱلْعَرَبِيّ، أَوْ أَنَّهُ طَرِيقَةٌ لِتَرْوِيج ٱلتَّدْخِين بَيْنَ جِيل ٱلشَّبَاب عَبْرَ ٱلدِّرَامَا. اَلْيَوْم فِي سُورِيَّة، أَصْبَحَ شَيْئًا مَأْلُوفًا أَنْ تَرَى ٱلْمُرَاهِقِين يَقِفُون عَلَى أَبْوَاب ٱلْمَدَارِس يُدَخِّنُون، وَأَحْيَانًا أَمَامَ أَنْظَار ٱلْأَهْل وَٱلْمُدَرِّسِين، يُقَدِّمُ أَحَدُهُم ٱلسِّيجَارَة لِلْآخَر وَكَأَنَّهَا ٱلْعَصَا ٱلسِّحْرِيَّة اَلَّتِي تَجْعَلُ ٱلْجِنْس ٱلْآخَر يَنْجَذِبُ إِلَيه. وَيَعْزُو ٱلْاِخْتِصَاصِيُّون فِي عِلْم ٱلْاِجْتِمَاع مِثْلَ هٰذَا ٱلسُّلُوك إِلَى مُحَاوَلَةِ تَقْلِيد ٱلْآخَر، اِسْتَفَادَت مِنهَا شَرِكَات إِنْتَاج ٱلتَّبْغ فِي حَمَلات ٱلتَّرْوِيج ٱلْمُبَطَّنَة فِي ٱلدِّرَامَا ٱلتِّلِفِزْيُونِيَّة وَٱلسِّينَمَائِيَّة، وَٱلَّتِي تُظْهِرُ ٱلتَّدْخِين كَقِيمَةٍ مُضَافَةٍ لِلشَّبَاب تَرْتَبِطُ بِمَفَاهِيم ٱلْجَاذِبِيَّة وَٱلْإِثَارَة وَٱلْبُلُوغ.
He contemplates the cigarette for a long time between his fingers then brings it close to his lips lovingly. He lights it slowly while his girlfriend watches him with admiration as he blows out the smoke. A drama[tic] scene from one of the Syrian [TV] serials. It is difficult to interpret whether it is an attempt to get near to the reality of Syrian youth who are considered one of the highest smoking of youths in the Arab world or if it is a way to promote smoking among the younger generation via the drama. Today in Syria it has become commonplace [lit. a familiar thing] to see teenagers [lit. adolescents] standing at the gates of schools smoking and sometimes in front of the eyes of families and teachers. One of them offers a cigarette to another as if it is a magic wand which will make the opposite sex attracted to him. Specialists in sociology attribute such behaviour to an attempt to imitate others which tobacco producing companies have made use of in promotion campaigns concealed in television and cinema dramas which show smoking as an added value for young people connected with notions of attractiveness sexiness [lit. excitation] and coming of age.
أَعْلَنَ ٱلرَّئِيس ٱلْأَمْرِيكِيّ قَبْلَ أَيَّام أَنَّ أَمْرِيكَا فِي خَطَر، وَيَقْصُدُ بِذٰلِك تَدَهْوُر ٱلْاِقْتِصَاد، وَأَقُول: إِنَّ ٱلْعَالَم فِي خَطَر مُنْذُ أَنْ نَزَلَ آدَم مِن ٱلْجَنَّة إِلَى ٱلدُّنْيَا، فَلَيْسَ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا مَا يُمْكِنُ ٱلْوُثُوق بِه وَٱلرُّكُون إِلَيه إِلَّا ٱلله وَحْدَه، لا تَظُنّ أَنَّكَ سَوْفَ تَبْقَى غَنِيًّا أَبَدًا، وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَال حِصْنُك ٱلْحَصِين أَمَامَ ٱلْأَزَمَات وَٱلْكَوَارِث، فَٱلْغَنِيّ يَفْتَقِر وَٱلثَّرِيّ يُفْلِس وَٱلْعُمْلَة تَتَبَدَّل وَتَتَغَيَّر قِيمَتُهَا، فَلا تَثِقُ بِصِحَّتِك وَتُظُنُّ أَنَّكَ سَتَبْقَى قَوِيًّا مُكْتَمِل ٱلشَّبَاب تَامّ ٱلْفُتُوَّة مَفْتُول ٱلْعَضَلات، فَٱلْهَرَم قَادِم وَٱلشَّيْخُوخَة مُقْبِلَة وَٱلْمَرَض زَائِرٌ مُفَاجِئ، وَلا تَرْكُن إِلَى ٱلْأَبْنَاء وَتَعْتَقِد أَنَّهُم ٱلْعُدَّة وَقْت ٱلشِّدَّة وَٱلْمَلاذ عِنْدَ ٱلْأَزَمَات؛ فَقَد يَخْرُجُ مِنهُم ٱلْعَاقّ ٱلْمَارِد وَٱلْجَاحِد ٱلْكَنُود، وَلٰكِن كُن كَمَا قَالَ ٱلله تَعَالَى: (وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱلْحَيِّ اَلَّذِي لا يَمُوتُ) وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: (كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ لَهُ ٱلْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيهِ تُرْجَعُونَ).
The American President announced a few days ago that America is in danger by which he meant the deterioration of the economy. I say: that the world has been in danger since Adam descended from paradise to the world. There is not in the world anything you can have confidence in or rely upon other than God alone. Dont think that you will stay rich forever and that money is your impregnable fortress in the face of crises and disasters. The rich man becomes poor and the wealthy becomes bankrupt. Currency is swapped and its value changes. And dont put trust in your health and think that you will stay strong in the prime of youth and the fullness of youth with rippling [lit. taut] muscles. Decrepitude is coming and old age is approaching and illness is a sudden visitor. And dont rely on children or think that they are the resource/equipment in times of hardship and a refuge in crises for there might come out from them the insubordinate undutiful [child] and the thankless ingrate. But be as God Most High said and put your trust in The Ever Living who dies not [Quran 25.58] and the words of [God] Most High Everything will perish except His countenance. His is the judgement and to Him you will be returned [Quran 28.88].
وَاحِد اِثْنَان ثَلاثَة أَرْبَعَة خَمْسَة سِتَّة سَبْعَة ثَمَانِيَة تِسْعَة عَشَرَة
One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten
لا يَرْضَى سَالِم، مُنْذُ كَانَ شَابًّا، أَنْ تَكُونَ خِزَانَةُ مَلابِسِه مُرَتَّبَة كَيْفَمَا ٱتَّفَق. كَانَت أُمُّهُ سُعَاد تَشْتَكِي لِجَارَاتِهَا، وَٱلتَّعَب بَادٍ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا... وَٱلْقَلَق! وَأَحْيَانًا، كَانَت تُنَادِي جَارَةً مُقَرَّبَة إِلَى غُرْفَةِ اِبْنِهَا، لِتُجَالِسَهَا بَيْنَمَا تَكُونُ مُنْهَمِكَة فِي تَرْتِيب ثِيَابِه. «نَسِيتُ مَاذَا قَالَ لِّي»، تَهْمِسُهَا هَمْسًا وَٱلْإِرْبَاك يُكَبِّلُهَا، «اَلْقَمِيص ٱلْمُقَلَّم بَعْدَ ٱلْقُمْصَان ٱلزُّرْق، أَمْ قَبْلَهَا... وَٱلله نَسِيت». وَتَرْمِي ٱلْقِطْعَة عَلَى ٱلسَّرِير، لِتَلْتَقِطَهَا سَرِيعًا كَيْ لا تَتَجَعَّد. تَتَهَكَّمُ ٱلْجَارَة عَلَيْهَا بِسُؤَالٍ تَطْرَحُهُ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَت تِلْكَ ٱلْغُرْفَة اَلْفَائِقَة ٱلتَّرْتِيب: «وَمَا ٱلْفَارِق؟!». اَلْحَقّ أَنَّ ٱلْفَارِق يَتَسَبَّب بـِ«مُصِيبَة»، إِذَا فَتَحَ سَالِم بَاب خِزَانَتِه لِيَجِدَ ٱلْمَلابِس وَٱلْأَكْسَسْوَارَات فِي غَيْرِ مَحَلِّهَا، وَبِٱلتَّرْتِيب «ٱلصَّحِيح». وَظَلَّت ٱلْأُمُور عَلَى هٰذِهِ ٱلْحَال حَتَّى قَرَّرَ أَنْ يُعْفِي أُمَّهُ مِن هٰذِهِ ٱلْمُهِمَّة، «لِأَنَّهَا، يَا تَانْتْ (خَالَة)، قَلِيلَةُ ٱلتَّرْتِيب»، قَالَ لِجَارَتِهِ ذَاتَ يَوْم، عِنْدَمَا فُتِحَت ٱلسِّيرَةُ نَفْسَهَا، أَمَامَه.
Salem would not be satisfied when he was a young man for his wardrobe to be arranged any old how. His mother Suad would complain to her neighbours with tiredness apparent on her face... and worry! Sometimes she would call a [female] neighbour friend to her sons room to sit with her while she was occupied/engaged in arranging his clothes. I forgot what he said to me she would whisper to [her friend] as confusion fettered/shackled her the striped shirt after the blue shirts or before them... God Ive forgotten. She would throw the piece onto the bed only to pick it up quickly so that it didnt crease. The neighbour would mock her with a question she would ask [lit. put forward] whenever she entered that room of exceptional order: Whats the difference?!. The truth is that the difference would result in a disaster if Salem opened the door of his wardrobe to find the clothes and accessories not in their place and in the right order. Matters continued in this manner [lit. state] until he decided to excuse his mother from this task because O Tante ([maternal] aunt) shes not very tidy he said to his neighbour one day when the same story was disclosed in front of him.
يُهَلِّلُ غَالِبِيَّةُ ٱلْمَسْؤُولِين ٱللُّبْنَانِيِّين لِقُبُول سُورِيَا اِفْتِتَاح سِفَارَةٍ لَهَا فِي لُبْنَان، بَعْدَ طُول مُمَانَعَة. لٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُوَاطِنِين ٱللُّبْنَانِيِّين لا يُشَارِكُون زُعَمَاءَهُم اَلتَّفَاؤُل نَفْسَه، وَيَسْخَرُ بَعْضُهُم مِن هٰذَا ٱلتَّهْلِيل ٱلرَّسْمِيّ بِٱلْقَوْل: «كَانَ ٱلسُّورِيُّون يُحَقِّقُون مَعَنَا فِي عَنْجَر، اَلآن سَيَقُودُونَنَا بِكُلّ بَسَاطَةٍ إِلَى سِفَارَتِهِم فِي بَيْرُوت». وَهُوَ كَلامٌ يَعْكِسُ إِحْسَاس ٱلْمُوَاطِن بِأَنَّ سُورِيَا خَرَجَت عَام أَلْفَيْن وَخَمْسَة لِتَعُودَ أَقْوَى مِمَّا كَانَت عَلَيْه، وَرُبَّمَا أَنَّهَا لَمْ تَخْرُج أَصْلًا، وَٱفْتِتَاح سِفَارَةٍ هُوَ أَمْرٌ شَكْلِيّ، يُصِرُّ عَلَيْه فَرِيق ٱلرَّابِع عَشَر مِن آذَار لٰكِنَّ مَضْمُونَهُ يَبْقَى فَارِغًا، فِي ظِلّ مَوَازِين قُوَى لَمْ تَعُد تُسْعِفُ ٱلْأَكْثَرِيَّة. وَيَتَنَدَر أَحَد ٱلْمُوَالِين لِسُورِيَا بِٱلْقَوْل: «لَوْ اِسْتَجَبتُ لِكُلّ ٱلْمُعَادِين لِسُورِيَا اَلَّذِينَ بَاتُوا يَطْلُبُون مِنِّّي إِعَادَةَ وَصْل مَا اِنْقَطَع بَيْنَهُم وَبَيْنَ دِمَشْق لَٱحْتَجتُ لِشَرِكَةِ نَقْل».
The majority of Lebanese officials have cheered the acceptance by Syria to open its embassy in Lebanon after [Syria] had long resisted [doing so]. But Lebanese civilians do not share the same optimism as their leaders and some of them make fun of this official cheering saying: The Syrians used to interrogate us in Anjar [a small Lebanese town used as an intelligence base by Syria in the civil war]. Now they can simply lead us to their embassy in Beirut. It is talk which reflects the feeling of the citizen that Syria left in 2005 only to return stronger than it was before and perhaps it is that it did not leave at all and the opening of an embassy is a matter just for appearances [which] the group of 14 March [anti-Syrian alliance] insist upon but its meaning/content remains empty in the light [lit. shade] of balances of power which no longer aid the majority [14 March Alliance]. One of the pro-Syrian people jokes saying: If I had responded to all the anti-Syrian people who had come to be requesting that I reconnect what had been disconnected between them and Damascus I would have needed a transport company.
أَمْسَكَ ٱلشَّابّ بِصَدْر فَتَاةٍ يَافِعَة وَهِيَ تَمْشِي فِي أَحَد شَوَارِع ٱلْقَاهِرَة ٱلْمُكْتَظَّة، وَكَرَّرَ فَعْلَتَهُ وَهُوَ مُنْتَشٍ مِن فَعْلَتِهِ وَمِن سَلْبِيَّةِ ٱلنَّاس، اِسْتَشَاطَت ٱلْفَتَاة غَضَبًا فَلَاحَقَت ٱلْمُتَحَرِّش رَاجِلَة مُسْتَغِلَّةً زِحَام ٱلسَّيَّارَات فَقَفَزَت عَلَى سَيَّارَتِهِ اَلنَّقْل «بِيك أَبْ» وَتَشَبَّثَت بِيَدِهَا عَلَى رَقَبَتِهِ وَٱلْأُخْرَى عَلَى مِقْوَد ٱلسَّيَّارَة وَهِيَ تَصْرُخُ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهَا لِتَنْجَحَ فِي خَلْق جَمْهَرَةٍ ثُمَّ فَوْضَى فَتَتَدَخَّلُ ٱلشُّرْطَة وَهٰذَا بِٱلضَّبْط مَا أَرَادَت، فَقَد صَدَرَ ٱلْأُسْبُوع ٱلْمَاضِي فِي ٱلْقَاهِرَة حُكْمٌ صَارِمٌ ضِدّ ٱلْمُجْرِم بِٱلسِّجْن ثَلاث سَنَوَات، وَهُوَ مَا يُعْتَبَر لِلْأَسَف سَابِقَة فِي ٱلدُّوَل ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة اَلَّتِي لَيْسَ لَدَيهَا قَوَانِين وَاضِحَة تُحَدِّدُ ٱلتَّحَرُّش وَأَسَالِيبَهُ وَطُرُقَهُ وَتُجَرِّمُ عَلَيْه.
The young man grabbed hold of the breast of a young woman as she was walking in one of Cairos crowded streets. He repeated his deed exulting in his deed and in the passiveness of the people. The young woman fumed with anger and chased after the molester on foot taking advantage of the traffic jam. Then she jumped onto his pick-up transport vehicle and clung with her hand onto his neck and the other [hand] onto the steering wheel of the car and she screamed at the top of her voice to succeed in creating a crowd and then chaos so the police intervened and this is exactly what she wanted as last week in Cairo a severe sentence was issued against the criminal for three years imprisonment. This is something which is unfortunately considered a first in Arabic countries which do not have clear laws which define harassment and its methods and ways and which criminalize it.
كَانَ حَسَن يَقِفُ صَامِتًا خَلْفَ ٱلْمِنَصَّة ٱلْخَشَبِيَّة فِي دُكَّان وَالِدِهِ ٱلصَّغِير فِي شَارِع وُورَن فِي دِيرْبُورْن، يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَى صَدِيقَيْن لَهُ يُنَاقِشَان ٱلْاِنْتِخَابَات ٱلْأَمِيرِكِيَّة، فِيمَا شَقِيقُهُ أَحْمَد مُنْشَغِلٌ فِي نِقَاشٍ آخَر مَعَ ٱلْحَاجَّة سَنِيَّة حَوْلَ بِطَاقَات هَاتِفٍ دَوْلِيَّة. كَرِيم لا يُحِبُّ ٱلْحِزْب ٱلْجُمْهُورِيّ «لِأَنَّهُ يَدْعَس عَلَى ٱلْفُقَرَاء». وَفَادِي يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُصَوِّت لِأُوبَامَا «لِأَنَّهُ أَسْوَد»، وَهٰذَا بِرَأْيِهِ يَعْنِي أَنَّهُ سَيُولِي ٱلْأَقَلِّيَّات ٱلْأُخْرَى فِي ٱلْوِلايَات ٱلْمُتَّحِدَة اِهْتِمَامًا لِأَنَّهُ هُوَ نَفْسَهُ اِبْن أَقَلِّيَّة. يَرُوقُ لَهُمَا أَيْضًا أَنَّ ٱسْم وَالِد أُوبَامَا، حُسَيْن، شَبِيهٌ بِٱلْأَسْمَاء اَلَّتِي يَعْرِفُونَهَا. «ٱلْحِزْب اَلْجُمْهُورِيّ» بِٱلنِّسْبَةِ لِأَحْمَد، «يُوَازِي ٱلْاِقْتِصَاد ٱلسَّيِّئ». اَلزَّبَائِن اَلَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَدْخُلُون إِلَى ٱلدُّكَّان، كَانُوا يُشَارِكُون ٱلشَّابَّيْن حَدِيثَهُمَا. كُلُّهُم كَانُوا مِن مُؤَيِّدِي أُوبَامَا.
Hassan was standing silently behind the wooden counter in his fathers small shop in Warren Street in Dearborn listening to two friends of his discussing the American elections while his brother Ahmad was engaged in another discussion with Hajjah [=honorific for an older woman] Saniya about international phone cards. Karim doesnt like the Republican Party because it tramples on the poor and Fadi wants to vote for Obama because he is black and this in his view means that he will give other minorities in the United States attention because he himself is from a minority. It appeals to them both also that the name of Obamas father Hussein resembles names which they know. The Republican Party according to Ahmad goes in parallel with a bad economy. The customers who were coming into the shop were joining the two young men in their discussion. All of them were supporters of Obama.
إِذَا حَضَرتَ وَلِأَوَّل مَرَّةٍ عُرْسًا دِمَشْقِيًّا لا بُدَّ وَأَنَّكَ اِنْبَهَرت بِتِلْكَ ٱلصُّرَر (اَلْبُقْجَات بِٱللَّهْجَةِ ٱلشَّامِيَّة) وَٱلْمُغَلَّفَة بِوَرَق ٱلسِّيلُوفَان وَلا بُدَّ أَنَّ فُضُولَكَ سَيَقُودُكَ إِلَى ٱلْاِسْتِعْجَال بِفَتْحِهَا عِنْدَمَا تَقُومُ أُمّ ٱلْعَرِيس بِتَوْزِيعِهَا عَلَى ٱلضُّيُوف وَلَنْ تَنْتَظِر حَتَّى تَذْهَبَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِكَ لِتُشَاهِدَ مَا بِدَاخِلِهَا. وَإِذَا مَا فَتَحتَهَا سَتَجِدُ ٱلْأَنَاقَةَ فِي تَوْضِيب مُحْتَوَاهَا، كَمَا فِي غِلافِهَا ٱلْخَارِجِيّ وَٱلْوُرُود اَلَّتِي تُزَيِّنُهُ فَفِي دَاخِلِهَا هُنَاك: (اَلْمْلَبَّس) تِلْكَ ٱلْحَلْوَى ٱلدِّمَشْقِيَّة ٱللَّذِيذَة وَٱلصَّغِيرَةُ ٱلْحَجْم، اَلَّتِي يُعَادِلُ شَكْلُهَا حَجْم حَبَّةِ ٱللَّوز تَمَامًا وَهُوَ ٱلْمُكَوِّن ٱلرَّئِيسِيّ لَهَا، فَٱللَّوز هُنَا قَد أَلْبَسَهُ ٱلدِّمَشْقِيُّون وَبِشَكْلٍ فَنِّيٍ مُتْقَن بِٱلسُّكَّر وَرَشُّوهُ بِمَاء ٱلْوَرْد لِيَتَحَوَّلَ إِلَى ضِيَافَةٍ أَنِيقَة فِي ٱلْأَعْرَاس وَٱلْأَعْيَاد وَفِي مُنَاسَبَةِ ٱلْوِلادَة، وَكُلَّمَا كَبُرَت ٱلصُّرَّة كُلَّمَا دَلَّ ذٰلِك عَلَى زِيَادَةِ عَدَد حَبَّات ٱلْمْلَبَّس فِيهَا وَكُلَّمَا زَادَت جُودَتُهَا وَأَنَاقَةُ مُصَنِّعِهَا تُدَلِّلُ عَلَى غِنَى أَصْحَاب ٱلْعُرْس وَكَرَمِهِم.
If you go to [lit. attend] a Damascus wedding for the first time it is certain that you will be dazzled/impressed by those bundles (buqjāt in Syrian dialect) wrapped in cellophane. And it is certain that your curiosity will lead you to hurriedly open it when the grooms mother distributes them to the guests. You wont wait until you go home to see whats inside. When you open it you will find elegance in the arrangement of its contents and likewise in its outer cover and the flowers which decorate it. Inside there is mlabbas - that delicious Damascus sweet/candy [which is] small in size whose shape is the same as the size of an almond kernel exactly and [the almond] is the main constituent of it. The almond here - Damascus people have coated [lit. dressed] it with sugar in a well-finished artistic manner and sprinkled it with rose water so it is transformed into an elegant form of hospitality at weddings and festivals or at the occasion of a birth. The more [lit. whenever] the bundle grows [i.e. the bigger the bundle] the more this indicates the increase in the number of pieces of mlabbas in it and the more its quality increases and the elegance of its maker demonstrates/proves the wealth of the wedding hosts [lit. owners] and their generosity.
سَيَجِدُ ٱلْمُرَشَّح ٱلدِّيمُوقرَاطِيّ ٱلْفَائِز فِي ٱلْاِنْتِخَابَات ٱلْأَمِيرِكِيَّة بَارَاك أُوبَامَا نَفْسَهُ أَمَامَ مَشَاكِل وَأَزَمَاتٍ سَاخِنَة تَعِيشُهَا أَكْثَر مِن دَوْلَةٍ عَرَبِيَّة فِي شَمَال أَفْرِيقِيَا وَشَرْقِهَا. إِذْ سَيَتَعَيَّنُ عَلَى إِدَارَتِهِ ٱلْجَدِيدَة اَلتَّعَاطِي مَعَ أَزْمَةِ دَارْفُور اَلسُّودَانِيَّة، وَٱلتَّمَرُّد ٱلْإِسْلامِيّ وَمُشْكِلَةِ ٱلْقَرْصَنَة فِي ٱلصُّومَال، وَٱلْعَلاقَةِ ٱلْمُتَوَتِّرَة مَعَ إِرِيتْرِيَا عَدُوَّةُ إِثْيُوبِيَا (حَلِيفَةُ ٱلْأَمِيرِكِيِّين)، وَقَضِيَةِ ٱلدِّيمُوقرَاطِيَة فِي مِصْر (إِحْدَى نِقَاط ٱلْخِلاف بَيْنَ ٱلْقَاهِرَة وَإِدَارَةِ جُورْج بُوش)، وَإِكْمَال تَطْبِيع ٱلْعَلاقَات مَعَ لِيبِيَا (سَوَّت إِدَارَةُ بُوش مُعْظَمَهَا)، وَإِيْجَاد نَوْعٍ مِن ٱلتَّوَازُن فِي ٱلْعَلاقَةِ مَعَ ٱلْمَغْرِب وَٱلْجَزَائِر (يَأْخُذُ ٱلْجَزَائِرِيُّون عَلَى ٱلْإِدَارَةِ ٱلْحَالِيَّة دَعْمَهَا ٱلْمَوْقِف ٱلْمَغْرِبِيّ مِن ٱلصَّحْرَاء ٱلْغَرْبِيَّة)، وَٱلتَّعَاطِي مَعَ قَادَةِ ٱلْاِنْقِلاب ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ فِي مُورِيتَانِيَا (فَرَضَت إِدَارَةُ بُوش عُقُوبَاتٍ عَلَيْهِم)، وَتَعْزِيز ٱلْعَلاقَات ٱلْحَسَنَة أَصْلًا مَعَ تُونِس.
The winning Democratic candidate in the US elections Barack Obama will find himself facing difficult [lit. hot] problems and crises [which] more than one Arabic state is experiencing [lit. living] in the north of Africa and its east. As it will be necessary for [lit. is incumbent upon] his new administration to deal with Sudans Darfur crisis the Islamic insurgency and the problem of piracy in Somalia the strained relationship with Eritrea enemy of Ethiopia (ally of the Americans) the issue of democracy in Egypt (one of the points of difference between Cairo and the administration of George Bush) completing the normalisation of relations with Libya (the Bush administration put most of them in order) the creation of some kind of balance in the relationship with Morocco and Algeria (the Algerians have taken issue with the current administration for its support of the Moroccan position regarding the Western Sahara) and dealing with the leaders of the military coup in Mauritania (the Bush administration imposed penalties on them) and the strengthening of the already good relations with Tunis.
تَنَفَّسَ مَاجِد أَبُو سَمْحَة، أَرْبَعُون عَامًا، اَلصُّعَدَاء عِنْدَمَا أَخْبَرَهُ صَاحِب ٱلْمَحَلّ ٱلتِّجَارِيّ فِي مُخَيَّم اَلْمَغَازِيّ لِلاجِئِين أَنَّ لَدَيهِ عَدَدًا مِن ٱلشُّمُوع، بَعْدَ أَنْ طَافَ مَاجِد اَلْمُحَاضِر ٱلْجَامِعِيّ عَلَى مُعْظَم ٱلْمَحَالّ ٱلتِّجَارِيَّة فِي ٱلْمُخَيَّم. وَكَانَ مَاجِد عَلَى عَجَلَةٍ مِن أَمْرِه بَعْدَ أَنْ تَبَادَرَ إِلَى أَسْمَاعِهِ أَنَّ ٱلتَّيَّار ٱلْكَهْرَبَائِيّ سَيَنْقَطِعُ عَن غَزَّة فِي أَيَّةِ لَحْظَة مِن لَيْلَةِ أَمْس. وَبِسَبَب ٱلطَّلَب ٱلزَّائِد عَلَى ٱلشُّمُوع فَقَد نَفِدَ مَا لَدَى ٱلْمَحَالّ ٱلتِّجَارِيَّة فِي ٱلْمُخَيَّم مِن شُمُوع، فَٱلتَّزَوُّد بِٱلشُّمُوع لِلْإِضَاءَة فِي عَتْمَةِ ٱللَّيْل هُوَ أَحَد ٱلْبَدَائِل اَلَّتِي يَلْجَأُ إِلَيْهَا ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيُّون فِي ظِلّ اِنْقِطَاع ٱلتَّيَّار ٱلْكَهْرَبَائِيّ. وَهُنَاكَ بِٱلطَّبْع مَنْ لَدَيهِ مَصَابِيح تَعْمَل بِٱلْكِيرُوسِين، وَهُوَ مَا يَعْنِي مَنْح ٱلْأُسَر اَلَّتِي تَمْلِك مِثْلَ هٰذِهِ ٱلْمَصَابِيح فَتْرَةَ إِضَاءَةٍ أَطْوَل وَأَقْوَى.
Majed Abu Samha forty years old breathed a sigh of relief when the owner of the commercial store in the Maghazi refugee camp told him that he had a number of candles after Majed a university lecturer had been round to most of the shops in the camp. Majed was in a hurry after he had heard [lit. it had come to his hearing] that the electricity supply [lit. current] was going to be cut off from Gaza at any moment [starting] from last night. Because of the increased demand for candles everything [lit. what] in the shops in the camp (in terms of candles) had been used up. Getting supplies of candles for illumination in the darkness of night is one of the alternatives which Palestinians are resorting to in view [lit. shade] of the cutting off of the electricity supply. There are of course those who have lamps which work by kerosene something which means the families which possess such lamps are granted a period of illumination which is longer and stronger.
أَكَّدَ مُدِير ٱلْوَكَالَةِ ٱلدَّوْلِيَّة لِلطَّاقَةِ ٱلذَّرِّيَّة اَلدُّكْتُور مُحَمَّد اَلْبَرَادَعِيّ أَمْس أَنَّ ٱلْوَكَالَة تَأْخُذُ مَزَاعِم اِمْتِلاك سُورِيَّة بَرْنَامَجًا نَوَوِيًّا سِرِّيًّا عَلَى مَحْمَل ٱلْجِدّ. وَدَعَا دِمَشْق إِلَى ٱلتَّعَاوُن ٱلْكَامِل مَعَ ٱلتَّحْقِيقَات، فِيمَا ٱنْتَقَدَت ٱلْوَكَالَة تَسْرِيب دِيبْلُومَاسِيِّين مَعْلُومَاتٍ عَن ٱلْعُثُور عَلَى آثَار يُورَانِيُوم فِي مَوْقِعٍ سُورِيّ. وَطَالَبَ اَلْبَرَادَعِيّ أَيّ دَوْلَةٍ لَدَيهَا مَعْلُومَاتٍ قَد تُفِيدُ ٱلتَّحْقِيقَات فِي ٱلْبَرْنَامَج ٱلسُّورِيّ ٱلْمَزْعُوم، إِلَى مُشَارَكَتِهَا مَعَ ٱلْوَكَالَة، بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ مِن إِعْلان دِيبْلُومَاسِيِّين مُرْتَبِطِين بِٱلْوَكَالَة عُثُور ٱلْمُفَتِّشِين عَلَى آثَارٍ لِمَادَّةِ ٱلْيُورَانِيُوم فِي عَيِّنَاتٍ رَفَعُوهَا مِن مَوْقِع «اَلْكِبَر» فِي شَمَال سُورِيَّة اَلَّذِي قَصَفَتْهُ إِسْرَائِيل اَلْعَام ٱلْمَاضِي وَقَالَت إِنَّهُ مَوْقِع مُفَاعِلٍ نَوَوِيّ. وَتَجَنَّبَت دِمَشْق أَمْس اَلتَّعْلِيق عَلَى هٰذِهِ ٱلْمَعْلُومَات، لٰكِنَّهَا كَانَت نَفَت وُجُود مُفَاعِلٍ نَوَوِيّ فِي هٰذَا ٱلْمَوْقِع.
The Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency Dr. Mohamed El-Baradei confirmed yesterday that the Agency is taking seriously the allegations about Syrias having a secret nuclear programme. He called upon Damascus to cooperate fully with the invesigations while the Agency criticized the leaking by diplomats of information about the discovery of traces of uranium at a Syrian site. El-Baradei called on any country having information which might be of use to the investigations into the alleged Syrian programme to cooperate with the Agency a day after the announcement by diplomats connected with the Agency that inspectors had found traces of uranium in samples they had taken [lit. lifted] from the al-Kibar site in the north of Syria which Israel bombed last year saying that it was the site of a nuclear reactor. Damascus yesterday avoided comment on this information but has denied the existence of a nuclear reactor at this site.
شَهِدَت ٱلْأَيَّام ٱلْأَخِيرَة تَوْزِيع مَنْشُورَاتٍ وَمُلْصَقَاتٍ فِي بَغْدَاد تُحَذِّرُ ٱلْمُوَاطِنِين مِن خُطُورَةِ ٱلْبَضَائِع ٱلْإِيْرَانِيَة عَلَى صِحَّةِ ٱلْمُسْتَهْلِكِين وَتَدْعُو إِلَى مُقَاطَعَةِ مَا تَصِفُهُ بـِ«بَضَائِع ٱلْمَوْت». وَتَزَامَنَ تَوْزِيع هٰذِهِ ٱلْمَنْشُورَات مَعَ إِقَامَةِ ٱلسِّفَارَةِ ٱلْإِيْرَانِيَّة مَعْرِضًا خَاصًّا لِبَضَائِع وَمَنْتُوجَات إِيْرَانِيَّةَ ٱلصُّنْع فِي فُنْدُق ٱلْمَنْصُور مِيلِيَا عَلَى غِرَار مَعْرِض بَغْدَاد ٱلدَّوْلِيّ ٱلْمُقَام حَالِيًّا فِي ٱلْعَاصِمَة. وَحَمَلَت ٱلْمَنْشُورَات وَٱلْمُلْصَقَات عِبَارَاتٍ تَحْذِيرِيَّة مُوَجَّهَة لِلْمُوَاطِنِين مِن خُطُورَةِ اِسْتِهْلاك ٱلْبَضَائِع ٱلْإِيْرَانِيَة وَمُحَاوَلَةِ اِسْتِدْرَاج ٱلتُّجَّار ٱلْعِرَاقِيِّين إِلَى قُمّ وَطَهْرَان وَٱلْاِنْفِتَاح عَلَى ٱلسُّوق ٱلْإِيْرَانِيَة جَاءَ فِي بَعْضِهَا «اِحْذَرُوا ٱلْبَضَائِع ٱلْإِيْرَانِيَة» وَ«ٱلْاِطِّلاعَات ٱلْإِيْرَانِيَة تَسْتَخْدِمُ ٱلْمَوَادّ ٱلْغِذَائِيَّة لِتَقْتُلَ ٱلشَّعْب ٱلْعِرَاقِيّ» فِيمَا حَمَلَت مَنْشُورَات أُخْرَى صُورَةَ يَدٍ يُحِيطُ بِمِعْصَمِهَا عَلَم ٱلْعِرَاق وَهِيَ تُزِيح عَلَمًا إِيْرَانِيًا وَقَد كُتِبَ عَلَيْهَا «ضَمَانًا لِحَيَاتِكُمْ.. قَاطِعُوا بَضَائِع ٱلْمَوْت ٱلْإِيْرَانِيَة».
Recent days have witnessed the distributing of leaflets and posters in Baghdad which warn the citizens of the danger of Iranian goods to the health of consumers and which call for a boycott of what they describe as the goods of death. The distribution of these leaflets coincides with the holding by the Iranian embassy of a special exhibition for goods and products of Iranian manufacture in the al-Mansour Meliá Hotel which is similar to the Baghdad International Exhibition currently being held in the capital. The leaflets and posters carried words of warning directed at the citizens about the danger of using [lit. consuming] Iranian goods and the attempt to lure Iraqi traders to Qom and Tehran and opening up to the Iranian market. Some of [the leaflets] said: Beware of Iranian goods! and the Iranian intelligence is using foodstuffs to kill the Iraqi people! while other leaflets carried the picture of a hand whose wrist the flag of Iraq encircled as it removed an Iranian flag and written on [the leaflets] was: Safeguard your life... Boycott the Iranian goods of death!.
أَهْدَى ٱلْحَكَم ٱلسِّنْغَافُورِيّ عَبْد اَلْمَلِك عَبْد اَلْبَشِير اَلْفَوْز لِلْمُنْتَخَب ٱلْكُورِيّ ٱلْجَنُوبِيّ فِي مُبَارَاتِهِ أَمَامَ ٱلْمُنْتَخَب ٱلسُّعُودِيّ اَلَّتِي جَرَت مَسَاء أَمْس بِإِسْتَاد ٱلْمَلِك فَهْد ٱلدَّوْلِيّ بِٱلرِّيَاض، وَٱنْتَهَت بِهَدَفَيْن دُون مُقَابِل، وَسْطَ حُضُور سِتِّين أَلْف سُعُودِيّ عِنْدَمَا سَاعَدَ ٱلْمُنْتَخَب ٱلضَّيْف بِحِرْمَان ٱلْأَخْضَر ٱلسُّعُودِيّ مِن عَدَم اِحْتِسَاب رَكْلَةِ جَزَاء فِي ٱلدَّقِيقَةِ ٱلتَّاسِعَةِ وَخَمْسِين، وَزَادَ ذٰلِك بِطَرْد ٱلْمُهَاجِم ٱلسُّعُودِيّ نَايِف هَزَازِيّ بِدَاعِي ٱلتَّمْثِيل وَٱلسُّقُوط فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَة ٱلْجَزَائِيَّة؛ وَبَدَا ٱلْمُنْتَخَب ٱلسُّعُودِيّ جَيِّدًا فِي ٱلشَّوْط ٱلْأَوَّل حَالُهُ فِي ذٰلِك حَال ٱلْمُنْتَخَب ٱلْكُورِيّ ٱلْجَنُوبِيّ اَلَّذِي بَدَا مُتَرَابِط ٱلصُّفُوف وَمُنَظَّمًا، وَأَنْهَى ٱلْمُنْتَخَبَان ٱلشَّوْط ٱلْأَوَّل بِٱلتَّعَادُل ٱلسَّلْبِيّ، وَفِي ٱلشَّوْط ٱلثَّانِي سَاهَمَت قَرَارَات ٱلْحَكَم ٱلسِّنْغَافُورِيّ بِإِهْدَار فُرْصَةِ تَقَدُّم سُعُودِيّ عَبْرَ رَكْلَةِ جَزَاء تَجَاهَلَهَا فَضْلًا عَن طَرْد مُهَاجِمِهِ هَزَازِيّ.
The Singaporean referee Abd ul-Malik Abd ul-Bashir gifted victory to the South Korean team in its match against the Saudi team which took place yesterday evening in the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh and ended two goals to nil [lit. without reply] in the presence of sixty thousand Saudis when he helped the visiting [lit. guest] team by depriving the Saudi Greens [=nickname] by not awarding [lit. crediting] a penalty kick in the fifty ninth minute. He added to this by sending off [lit. expelling] the Saudi attacker Naif Hazazi with the allegation of acting and falling over in the penalty area. The Saudi team looked good in the first half which was also the case for the South Korean team which looked cohesive of line and organised. The teams ended the first half with a scoreless [lit. negative] draw but in the second half the decisions of the Singaporean referee contributed to the squandering of a Saudi opportunity to go ahead by way of a penalty kick which he ignored on top of the sending off of its attacker Hazazi.
شَوَارِع تُونِس ضَيِّقَة وَلٰكِنَّهَا مُرَتَّبَة وَنَظِيفَة وَمُؤَثَّثَة بِصُفُوفٍ مِن ٱلْأَشْجَار دَائِمَةِ ٱلْخُضْرَة، أَمَّا ٱلْمَنَازِل فَغَالِبِيَّتُهَا مَبْنِيّ عَلَى ٱلطِّرَاز ٱلْأَنْدَلُسِيّ ٱلْجَمِيل، حَيْثُ ٱلْأَقْوَاس وَٱلْمُقَرْنَصَات وَٱلْأَعْمِدَة ٱلْمَخْرُوطِيَّة وَٱلنَّوَافِذ ٱلْمُقَوَّسَة اَلْمُشَبَّكَة بِٱلْحَدِيد. وَلِأَنَّ تُونِس بَلَدٌ بَحْرِيّ فَإِنَّ أَلْوَان ٱلْمَنَازِل وَٱلْمَبَانِي تُحَاكِي لَوْن ٱلْبَحْر، وَأَحْيَانًا تَتَمَاهَى مَعَهُ إِلَى دَرَجَةِ ٱلْاِنْصِهَار فَيَبْدُو ٱلْأُفُق مُمْتَدًّا بِشَكْلٍ لا نِهَائِيّ حَيْثُ ٱلسَّمَاء ٱلصَّافِيَة طِيلَةَ ٱلْوَقْت. تُسَمَّى تُونِس بِٱلْخَضْرَاء، وَهِيَ خَضْرَاءٌ بِٱلْفِعْل إِذَا عَرَفنَا أَنَّهَا مَزْرُوعَة بِمَا يَقْرُب مِن سِتِّين مِلْيُون شَجَرَةِ زَيْتُون، فَيَأْتِي زَيْت ٱلزَّيْتُون فِي ٱلْمَرْتَبَةِ ٱلثَّانِيَة مِن ٱلصَّادِرَات بَعْدَ ٱلثَّرْوَةِ ٱلسَّمَكِيَّة وَٱلتُّمُور بِٱلدَّرَجَةِ ٱلثَّالِثَة. إِذَن أَشْجَار ٱلزَّيْتُون فِي كُلّ مَكَانٍ تَذْهَبُ إِلَيه وَلا تَكَاد تَخْلُو مَدِينَة مَهْمَا كَانَت صَغِيرَة مِن مِعْصَرَةٍ لِلزَّيْتُون. اَلْبُرْتُقَال أَيْضًا تُصَادِفُهُ فِي كُلّ مَكَان وَبِوَفْرَةٍ عَجِيبَة.
The streets of Tunisia are narrow but they are tidy and clean and furnished with lines of evergreen trees. As for the houses the majority of them are built in the beautiful Andalusian style as there are arches muqarnases [muqarnas: honeycomb-like Islamic architectural ornamentation] tapering [lit. conical] columns and arched windows grilled [decoratively] with iron. And because Tunisia is a nautical country so the colours of the houses and buildings imitate the colour of the sea and sometimes they blend with it to the extent that they fuse and the horizon seems to extend endlessly where there is a clear sky all the time. Tunisia is named [Tunisia] the Green and it is green indeed when we find out that it is planted with approximately sixty million olive trees. Olive oil comes in second place in terms of exports after the abundant supply of fish and dates are in third position. So olive trees in every place you go to and almost no town however small is devoid of an olive press. Oranges also you will encounter in every place and in remarkable abundance.
تُوَاجِهُ أَسْوَاق ٱلْعَسَل فِي ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة بِشَكْلٍ عَامّ أَزْمَة نَتِيجَةَ اِنْتِشَار ٱلْعَسَل ٱلْمَغْشُوش، فَهُنَاكَ ٱلْعَسَل ٱلنَّقِيّ وَٱلْمَغْشُوش، وَٱلَّذِي أَصْبَحَ ظَاهِرَة مَلْحُوظَة هٰذِهِ ٱلْأَيَّام، حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ مِن ٱلصُّعُوبَة اَلتَّفْرِيق بَيْنَ ٱلْعَسَل ٱلْأَصْلِيّ وَٱلطَّبِيعِيّ وَغَيْرِهِ مِن ٱلْأَنْوَاع ٱلْمَغْشُوشَة وَذٰلِك لِتَفَنُّن بَعْض بَاعَةِ ٱلْعَسَل وَٱحْتِرَافِهِم فِي إِجَادَةِ طُرُقٍ مُتَعَدِّدَة لِإِعْدَاد ٱلْعَسَل ٱلْمَغْشُوش بِكَمِّيَّاتٍ كَبِيرَة. وَتَنَوَّعَت أَسَالِيب ٱلْغِشّ بِحَسَب عَامِلِين فِي هٰذَا ٱلْقِطَاع، فَهُنَاكَ مَنْ يَخْلِطُ أَنْوَاعًا رَدِيئَة بِٱلْجَيِّدَة وَكَثِيرٌ مِنهُم يُغَذِّي نَحْلَه بِٱلسُّكَّر وَٱلْمَشْرُوبَات ٱلْغَازِيَّة، لٰكِن يَبْقَى ٱلْعَسَل ٱلطَّبِيعِيّ ٱلْأَصْلِيّ لَهُ طَعْمُه وَمُوَاصَفَاتُه اَلْخَاصَّة مِن حَيْثُ ٱلْمَذَاق وَٱلشَّكْل اَلَّذِي يَتَعَرَّفُ عَلَيْه أَصْحَاب ٱلْخِبْرَة فِيمَا لا يُجِيد ذٰلِك اَلْمُسْتَهْلِك ٱلْعَادِيّ اَلْقَلِيل ٱلْخِبْرَةِ فِي ٱلْعَسَل.
Honey markets in Saudi are facing in general a crisis as a result of the spread of adulterated honey. There is pure honey and adulterated [honey] which has become a noticeable phenomenon these days so that it has become difficult to differentiate between authentic natural honey and others of adulterated types. And that is due to the expertise of some sellers of honey and their professionalism in mastering multiple ways of preparing adulterated honey in large quantities. The methods of cheating are diverse according to workers in this sector; There are those who mix bad types with good and many of them feed their bees with sugar and carbonated drinks but authentic natural honey continues to have its special flavour and specifications as regards taste and appearance which people [lit. owners] of experience can recognise while the normal consumer of little experience in honey cannot do this well.
لا يَذْكُرُ لِهٰذَا ٱلْيَوْم اِسْمًا، وَلا يَسْتَطِيع أَنْ يَضَعُهُ حَيْثُ وَضَعَهُ الله مِن ٱلشَّهْر وَٱلسَّنَة، بَل لا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَذْكُرَ مِن هٰذَا ٱلْيَوْم وَقْتًا بِعَيْنِه، وَإِنَّمَا يُقَرِّبُ ذٰلِكَ تَقْرِيبًا. وَأَكْبَر ظَنِّه أَنَّ هٰذَا ٱلْوَقْت كَانَ يَقَعُ مِن ذٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْم فِي فَجْرِه أَوْ فِي عِشَائِه. يُرَجِّحُ ذٰلِك لِأَنَّهُ يَذْكُرُ أَنَّ وَجْهَهُ تَلَقَّى فِي ذٰلِكَ ٱلْوَقْت هَوَاءً فِيهِ شَيْءٌ مِن ٱلْبَرْد ٱلْخَفِيف اَلَّذِي لَمْ تَذْهَبُ بِهِ حَرَارَةُ ٱلشَّمْس. وَيُرَجِّحُ ذٰلِك لِأَنَّهُ عَلَى جَهْلِهِ حَقِيقَةَ ٱلنُّور وَٱلظُّلْمَة، يَكَادُ يَذْكُر أَنَّهُ تَلَقَّى حِينَ خَرَجَ مِن ٱلْبَيْت نُورًا هَادِئًا خَفِيفًا لَطِيفًا كَأَنَّ ٱلظُّلْمَةَ تَغْشَى بَعْض حَوَاشِيه. ثُمَّ يُرَجِّحُ ذٰلِك لِأَنَّهُ يَكَادُ يَذْكُر أَنَّهُ حِينَ تَلَقَّى هٰذَا ٱلْهَوَاء وَهٰذَا ٱلضِّيَاء لَمْ يُؤْنِس مِن حَوْلِهِ حَرَكَةَ يَقَظَةٍ قَوِيَّة. وَإِنَّمَا آنَس حَرَكَةً مُسْتَيْقِظَةً مِن نَوْمٍ أَوْ مُقْبِلَةً عَلَيْه.
He doesnt remember a name for that day nor is he able to place it where God placed it amongst month and year. Indeed of that day he isnt able to remember a precise time and can only make an approximation of it. He thinks it most probable that that time would have fallen on that day in its dawn or in its evening. He thinks this likely because he remembers that his face encountered at that time a breeze in which there was a slight chill which the heat of the sun had not taken away. And he thinks it likely because despite his ignorance of the true nature of light and darkness [as he was blind] he just remembers that he encountered when coming out from the house a gentle slight tranquil light - as though darkness was covering some of its edges. Then he thinks it likely because he just remembers that when he encountered this breeze and this light he didnt sense around him a great movement of wakefulness. He only sensed a movement [of people] awakening from sleep or drawing close to it.
يَقْفِزُ جُون ٱلصَّغِير إِلَى عَرَبَةِ ٱلسَّيِّدَات فِي مِتْرُو ٱلْأَنْفَاق ٱلْقَاهِرِيّ، مُرْتَدِيًا قَمِيصَهُ ٱلْأَزْرَق وَبَنْطَالَهُ ٱلْأَسْوَد وَحَقِيبَة مَدْرَسِيَّة كِلاسِيكِيَّة أَنِيقَة مِن ٱلْجِلْد. وَعَلَى رَغْم صِغَر حَجْمِه وَقِصَر قَامَتِه، يَلْفِتُ اِنْتِبَاه ٱلرَّاكِبَات، بِٱلْكَارِيزْمَا اَلَّتِي يَتَحَلَّى بِهَا وَقُوَّة تَأْثِيرِه. فَمَا أَنْ يُغْلَق ٱلْبَاب، حَتَّى يَتَّكِئُ عَلَيْه وَيَرْمُقُ ٱلْجَمِيع بِنَظْرَةٍ هَادِئَة مُتَرَقِّبَة، عَمَلًا بِمَبْدَأ «خَيْر وَسِيلَةٍ لِلدِّفَاع هِيَ ٱلْهُجُوم». خِبْرَةٌ تَرَاكَمَت مَعَ مُرُور ٱلْأَيَّام، جَعَلَت اِبْن ٱلسَّابِعَة يَبْتَكِرُ مِثْل هٰذَا «ٱلتَّكْتِيك» ٱلدِّفَاعِيّ. كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ ٱلْعَرَبَة، تَنْجَذِبُ إِلَيه نَظَرَاتٌ طَوِيلَة، كَأَنَّهُ «مَخْلُوقٌ مَغْنَطِيسِيٌّ غَرِيب»، قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْهَمِرَ عَلَيْه تَعْلِيقَاتٌ مُعِيبَة، مِن قَبِيل: «إِيه ٱلسَّمَار دَه؟!»، «دَه اِبْن كُونْتَا كِينْتِي وَلَّا إِيه؟»، «أَكِيد مَامْتُه بَالَغَت فِي شُرْب ٱلشُّوكُولاتَه وَهِيَ حَامِل فِيه!»... يُبْدِي جُون تَحَفُّظًا وَاضِحًا، لا يُثْنِيه عَن ٱلتَّحْدِيق بِٱلَّتِي تُعَلِّق أَوْ تَسْأَل.
Young John jumps into the womens carriage in the Cairo metro [lit. tunnel metro] wearing his blue shirt and his black trousers and smart classic schoolbag made of leather. And despite his small size and short stature he attracts the attention of the [women] passengers with the charisma which he is graced with and the power of his presence [lit. effect]. No sooner has the door closed than he leans on it and regards everyone with a calm expectant look working on the principle the best means of defence is attack. Experience accumulated with the passing of days has made the seven year old boy think up/originate such a defensive tactic. Whenever he enters the carriage long looks are attracted towards him as though he is a strange magnetic creature before there rains down on him shameful remarks of the kind: Whats this brownness? Is that the son of Kunta Kinte or what? For sure his mum overdid the chocolate drinking when she was pregnant with him...!. John shows evident reserve which doesnt divert him from staring at [the woman] who is commenting or asking.
قَالَ ٱلله تَعَالَى: «قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَابِ تَعَالَواْ إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءِ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللهَ وَلا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِن دُونِ ٱللهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوا فَقُولُوا ٱشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ». إِنَّ دَعْوَتَنَا لِلْحِوَار مَعَ أَتْبَاع ٱلْأَدْيَان دَعْوَةٌ رَبَّانِيَّة عَالَمِيَّة، فَدِينُنَا مِن أَوَّل وَهْلَةٍ عَالَمِيّ، قَالَ تَعَالَى «وَمَا أَرْسَلنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ». دَعْوَتُنَا وَاضِحَة سَهْلَة مُلَخَّصُهَا أَنَّنَا نَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلله وَنُؤْمِنُ بِرُسُل ٱلله فَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُوسَى رَسُولٌ مِن عِنْدِ ٱلله وَأَنَّ عِيسَى رَسُولٌ مِن عِنْدِ ٱلله وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولٌ مِن عِنْدِ ٱلله عَلَيْهِم ٱلصَّلاةُ وَٱلسَّلام، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ ٱلدِّين عِنْدَ ٱلله ٱلْإِسْلام وَقَد أَمَرَنَا دِينُنَا بِحُسْن ٱلتَّوَاصُل وَجَمِيل ٱلْحِوَار وَمَدّ جُسُور ٱلتَّفَاهُم وَٱلتَّعَايُش ٱلسِّلْمِي مَعَ ٱلْأُمَم، قَالَ تَعَالَى: «وَلا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْل ٱلْكِتَاب إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَن».
Allah Most High said: Say [O Muhammad]: ;O People of the Book [=Jews and Christians] come to a common understanding [lit. an equal word] between us and you that we worship none other than Allah nor do we partner aught with him nor do any of us take lords besides Allah. And if they turn away say: ;Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims [i.e. people who submit to the will of God] [Quran 3.64]. Our call to a dialogue with the followers of religions is a global divine call as our religion from the first moment has been global. [Allah] Most High said: We sent you not (O Muhammad) but as a mercy to the inhabitants of the world [Quran 21.107]. Our call is clear and easy whose summary is that we bear witness that there is no god except Allah and we believe in the messengers of Allah for we bear witness that Musa [=Moses] is a messenger from Allah and that Isa [=Jesus] is a messenger from Allah and that Muhammad is a messenger from Allah on them be the blessing [of Allah] and peace and we bear witness that the religion with Allah is Islam [=the submitting to His will] and our religion has commanded us to connect well with others and converse courteously and extend bridges of mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence with nations. [Allah] Most High said: And argue not with the People of the Book except [in a way] which is courteous [lit. better] [Quran 29.46].
وَإِذَا كَانَ قَد بَقِيَ لَهُ مِن هٰذَا ٱلْوَقْت ذِكْرَى وَاضِحَة بَيِّنَة لا سَبِيل إِلَى ٱلشَّكّ فِيهَا، فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ ذِكْرَى هٰذَا ٱلسِّيَاج اَلَّذِي كَانَ يَقُومُ أَمَامَهُ مِن ٱلْقَصَب، وَٱلَّذِي لَمْ يَكُن بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ بَاب ٱلدَّار إِلَّا خُطُوَاتٌ قِصَار. هُوَ يَذْكُر هٰذَا ٱلسِّيَاج كَأَنَّهُ رَآهُ أَمْس. يَذْكُر أَنَّ قَصَب هٰذَا ٱلسِّيَاج كَانَ أَطْوَل مِن قَامَتِه، فَكَانَ مِن ٱلْعَسِير عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَتَخَطَّاه إِلَى مَا وَرَاءَه. وَيَذْكُر أَنَّ قَصَب هٰذَا ٱلسِّيَاج كَانَ مُقْتَرِبًا كَأَنَّمَا كَانَ مُتَلاصِقًا، فَلَمْ يَكُن يَسْتَطِيع أَنْ يَنْسَلّ فِي ثَنَايَاه. وَيَذْكُر أَنَّ قَصَب هٰذَا ٱلسِّيَاج كَانَ يَمْتَدّ مِن شِمَالِهِ إِلَى حَيْثُ لا يَعْلَمُ لَهُ نِهَايَة، وَكَانَ يَمْتَدُّ عَن يَمِينِهِ إِلَى آخِر ٱلدُّنْيَا مِن هٰذِهِ ٱلنَّاحِيَة. وَكَانَ آخِر ٱلدُّنْيَا مِن هٰذِهِ ٱلنَّاحِيَة قَرِيبًا، فَقَد كَانَت تَنْتَهِي إِلَى قَنَاةٍ عَرَفَهَا حِينَ تَقَدَّمَت بِهِ ٱلسِّنّ.
And if there has remained for him of this time one clear distinct memory of which there is no cause [lit. way] to doubt then it is the memory of this fence which stood in front of him made of reeds between which and (between) the door of the house there was not more than [a few] short steps. He remembers this fence as if he saw it yesterday. He remembers that the reeds of this fence were taller than him [lit. his stature] and it was difficult for him to cross to the other side [lit. to what was behind it]. And he remembers that the reeds of this fence were close together as though they were stuck together so he could not slip between them [lit. in their folds]. And he remembers that the reeds of this fence stretched from his left to where he knew no end for them and they stretched away from his right to the end of the world in this direction. The end of the world in this direction was near as it ended at a canal which he discovered when he was a little older [lit. when his age advanced].
أُمّ عَزَّة اَلَّتِي شَارَفَت عَلَى ٱلسِّتِّين تَنْتَمِي إِلَى جِيل سَيِّدَاتٍ مِصْرِيَّات كُنَّ يَعْتَبِرنَ ٱلْخِتَان مِثْلَ ٱلْأَكْل وَٱلشُّرْب وَٱلنَّوْم. وَعَلَى رَغْم أَنَّهَا أَقَامَت لِٱبْنَتِهَا يَوْم خُضُوعِهَا لِلْعَمَلِيَّة عَلَى يَد مُمَرِّضٍ يَقْطُنُ ٱلْحَيّ ذَاتَه حَفْلَةً كَبِيرَة، مُنْذُ أَكْثَر مِن خَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِين سَنَة، تُؤَكِّدُ عَزَّة اَلَّتِي أَصْبَحَت أُمًّا أَنَّ بِنْتَيْهَا لَنْ تَخْضَعَا لِلْجِرَاحَةِ «ٱلْبَشِعَة». وَرَغْم ضُغُوط أَهْل زَوْجِهَا، تَبْقَى مُصَمِّمَةً عَلَى ٱلْمُضِي قُدُمًا فِي حِمَايَتِهِمَا مِن ٱلْخِتَان. إِلَّا أَنَّ ٱلْخِتَان فِي مِصْر، أَوْ «تَشْوِيه ٱلْأَعْضَاء ٱلتَّنَاسُلِيَّة»، كَمَا بَاتَ يُشَارُ إِلَيهِ دَوْلِيًّا فِي ٱلسَّنَوَات ٱلْأَخِيرَة، أَبْعَد مَا يَكُون عَن دُخُول فَصْلِهِ ٱلْأَخِير، فَمَا زَالَت هٰذِهِ ٱلْعَادَة مُنْتَشِرَة بَيْنَ ٱلْمِصْرِيَّات، مَسِيحِيَّات وَمُسْلِمَات. وَٱكْتِفَاء أُمّ عَزَّة بِٱمْتِعَاضِهَا مِن إِفلات حَفِيدَتَيْهَا مِن ٱلْخِتَان، وَٱسْتِخْدَامُهَا كَلِمَةَ «خِتَان» بَدَلًا مِن «اَلطَّهُور» هُوَ «إِنْجَاز» نَجَحَت مِصْر فِي تَحْقِيقِهِ، خِلالَ ٱلْأَعْوَام ٱلْخَمْسَةِ ٱلْمَاضِيَة.
Umm Azza who is approaching sixty belongs to the generation of Egyptian women who used to consider circumcision to be like eating drinking and sleeping. And despite the fact that she held for her daughter on the day of her being subjected to the operation at the hands of a [male] nurse living in the same area a big party more than 25 years ago Azza who has become a mother confirms that her two daughters will not be subjected to the disgusting surgery. And despite the pressure of her husbands family she remains determined to make progress [lit. move forwards] in protecting them from circumcision. However circumcision in Egypt or mutilation of the genitals as it has come to be referred to internationally in recent years is a long way from entering its final chapter. This custom is still widespread among Egyptian women [both] Christians and Muslims. Umm Azzas contentment [only] to be annoyed at her two granddaughters escape from circumcision and her use of the word ḵitān [=circumcision/genital mutilation] instead of ṭahūr [=circumcision/purification] is an achievement Egypt has succeeded in realising over the last five years.
قَالَت أُمّ مِينَا رَبَّةُ ٱلْمَنْزِل اَلَّتِي تَسْكُنُ فِي بَغْدَاد أَنَّهَا شَعَرَت بِٱلْخِزْي عِنْدَمَا شَاهَدَت اَلصِّحَافِيّ اَلْعِرَاقِيّ مُنْتَظَر اَلزَّيْدِيّ يَرْشُقُ جُورْج بُوش بِحِذَائِهِ رَغْم كَرَاهِيَتِهَا لِلرَّئِيس ٱلْأَمِيرِكِيّ، وَٱعْتَبَرَتْهُ عَمَلًا مُنَافِيًا لِتَقَالِيد ٱلضِّيَافَة ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة ٱلْأَصِيلَة. وَقَالَت هٰذِهِ ٱلسَّيِّدَة، وَهِيَ أُمٌّ لِطِفْلَيْن، «بُوش هُوَ عَدُوُّنَا، وَلٰكِن عِنْدَمَا تَدْعُو عَدُوَّك إِلَى ٱلْمَنْزِل، لا يَجِبُ أَنْ تُعَامِلَهُ بِهٰذِهِ ٱلطَّرِيقَة». وَقَالَت أُمّ مِينَا، وَهِيَ تَرْتَدِي ٱلْحِجَاب وَكَانَت تَتَسَوَّق فِي مَحَلٍّ لِبَيْع ٱلْمَلابِس فِي حَيّ اَلْكَرَّادَة ٱلتِّجَارِيّ وَسْطَ بَغْدَاد «هٰذَا عَمَلٌ غَيْر لائِق، وَيُسِيءُ لِصُورَةِ ٱلْعِرَاقِيِّين». وَفِي مَتْجَرٍ مُجَاوِر، كَانَت ٱلْاِبْتِسَامَة هِيَ أَوَّل رَدَّةُ فِعْلٍ لِحَمْزَة مَهْدِي اَلشَّابّ اَلَّذِي يَعْمَلُ بَائِعًا لِلْأَلْبِسَةِ ٱلنِّسَائِيَّة وَقَال «كَانَ ٱلْأَمْر مُضْحِكًا نَوْعًا مَا». وَأَضَاف «أَنَا لا أُحِبُّ بُوش، وَلٰكِن لا أَتَّفِقُ مَعَ هٰذَا ٱلتَّصَرُّف لِأَنَّهُ غَيْر حَضَارِيّ، وَسِلاح ٱلصِّحَافِيِّين هُوَ ٱلْوَرَقَةُ وَٱلْقَلَم وَلَيْسَ ٱلْأَحْذِيَة».
Umm Mina a housewife who lives in Baghdad said that she felt ashamed when she saw the Iraqi journalist Muntazar al-Zaidi throwing his shoe at George Bush despite her hatred for the American President. She considered it a deed contrary to the noble Arab traditions of hospitality. This woman who is a mother to two children said: Bush is our enemy but when you invite your enemy to the house you shouldnt treat him in this way. Umm Mina who was wearing a hijab [=headscarf] and was shopping in a clothes shop in the commercial district of al-Karrada in the centre of Baghdad said: This is a deed which is not appropriate and does harm to the image of Iraqis. In a nearby store a smile was the first reaction of Hamza Mahdi a young man who works as a seller of womens clothes. He said: It was somewhat funny. He added: I dont like Bush but I dont agree with this behaviour because it is not civilized. The weapon of journalists is paper and pen and not shoes.
رَأَيْتُهَا تَتَقَدَّمُ نَحْوِي فَٱسْتَحْضَرَت ذَاكِرَتِي بَائِعَةَ ٱلْكِبْرِيت ٱلصَّغِيرَة وَهِيَ تَشْعَل عُود ثِقَاب لِتَتَدَفَّأَ بِهِ فَيُطْفَأ مِن شِدَّةِ ٱلرِّيَاح ـ «مَنْ أَنْتِ؟»، تَدَحْرَج ٱلسُّؤَال فَوْرًا عَلَى لِسَانِي. ـ «مَاذَا؟!»، صَرَخَت بِٱسْتِغْرَابٍ وَجُرْأَة، «أَنَا بَائِعَةُ ٱلْعِلْكَة، أَلَمْ تَعْرِفِينِي؟! أَرَاكِ دَائِمًا هُنَا أَمَامَ بَاب ٱلْجَامِعَة. إِشْتَرِي مِنِّي هٰذِهِ ٱلْمَرَّة، وَسَأَدْعُو لَكِ أَنْ تَنْجَحِي فِي ٱلْاِمْتِحَان. دَعَوَاتِي مُسْتَجَابَةً دَائِمًا!». ـ «أَلا تَشْعُرِين بِٱلْبَرْد؟ أَلَستِ فِي ٱلْمَدْرَسَة؟ كَمْ عُمْرُكِ؟». قَطَّبَت حَاجِبَيْهَا وَأَجَابَت بِسُخْرِيَّة، وَبِحَسَب تَدَافُع أَسْئِلَتِي نَحْوَهَا: «اِسْمِي فَاتِن. لا، لا أَشْعُرُ بِٱلْبَرْد. عُمْرِي اِثْنَا عَشَرَة سَنَة. نَعَم، أَنَا فِي ٱلْمَدْرَسَة وَلٰكِنَّنِي أَعْمَلُ بَعْد ٱلدَّوَام. أَيّ أَسْئِلَةٍ أُخْرَى؟». تَأَمَّلتُ ثِيَابَهَا ٱلرَّثَّة ثُمَّ يَدَيْهَا ٱلصَّغِيرَتَين ٱلْمُتَّسِخَتَين وَقَدَمَيْهَا ٱلْحَافِيَتَين، وَقُلت: «أَلَستِ جَائِعَة؟». نَفِدَ صَبْرُهَا، وَرَدَّت بِتَوَتُّرٍ وَغَضَب: «هَلْ تُرِيدِين شِرَاء عِلْكَةٍ أَمْ لا؟».
I saw her advancing towards me and my memory brought to mind the young match seller as she lit the matchstick to get warm with it but it was extinguished by the strength of the wind. Who are you? the question instantly rolled off my tongue. What?! she screamed with astonishment and audacity Im the chewing gum seller. Didnt you recognise me?! I always see you here in front of the university gate. Buy from me this time and Ill pray for you to pass the exam. My prayers are always answered. Dont you feel cold? Arent you at school? How old are you?. She scowled [lit. knitted her brows] and answered scornfully in accordance with the bursts of my questions towards her: My names Fatin. No I dont feel cold. Im twelve years old. Yes Im at school but I work after [school] time. Any other questions?. I contemplated her threadbare clothes and then her small dirty hands and her bare feet and said: Arent you hungry?. Her patience ran out and she replied tensely and angrily: Do you want to buy chewing gum or not?.
يَبْدُو أَنَّ ثَمَّةَ ثَلْجًا آخَر غَيْر ذَاك اَلَّذِي نَعْرِفُهُ يُمْكِنُ ٱلتَّزَلُّج عَلَيْه. ثَلْجٌ يُغَطِّي ٱلْأَرْض فِي ٱلرِّيَاض عَلَى رَغْم أَنْف ٱلطَّبِيعَة وَمِن دُون أَنْ تَنْخَفِضَ دَرَجَات ٱلْحَرَارَة إِلَى مَا دُون ٱلصِّفْر. إِنَّهُ رَمْل ٱلصَّحْرَاء فِي ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة. لا يَحْتَاجُ ٱلْأَمْر إِلَى أَكْثَر مِن اِنْهِمَار ٱلْمَطَر سَاعَتَيْن لِتُصْبِحَ حَبَّات ٱلرَّمْل رَطْبَة. حِينَهَا يَرْبِطُ ٱلشَّبَاب «زَلَّاجَاتِهِم» اَلْبلاسْتِيكِيَّة وَٱلَّتِي يَبْلُغُ سِعْر ٱلْوَاحِدَةِ مِنهَا مِائَةً وَخَمْسُون رِيَالًا، فِي مُؤَخَّرَةِ سَيَّارَة يُمْكِنُهَا ٱلسَّيْر عَلَى «ٱلنَّفُود» لِتَبْدَأَ رِحْلَةُ ٱلتَّزَلُّج... هِيَ رِحْلَة غَيْر مَضْمُونَةِ ٱلْعَواقِب جَسَدِيًّا، فِيمَا لَوْ تَجَاوَز سَائِق ٱلسَّيَّارَة اَلسُّرْعَة ٱلْمَسْمُوح بِهَا، وَٱلَّتِي يُرَاوِحُ مُؤَشِّرُهَا بَيْنَ سِتِّين وَثَمَانِين كِيلُومِتْرًا فِي ٱلسَّاعَة.
It seems that there is another snow other than that which we know which it is possible to ski/sledge on. Snow which covers the ground in Riyadh in defiance of Nature without the temperature dropping to below zero. It is the desert sand in Saudi. The matter doesnt need more than a heavy downfall of rain for two hours so the grains of sand become moist. Upon which the young men connect their plastic sledges the cost of one of which is [lit. reaches] one hundred and fifty riyals to the rear of a car which can travel on the Nafud [desert in N. Nejd] to start the sledge trip... It is a trip which has non guaranteed bodily consequences if the driver of the car were to exceed the allowed speed the needle [on the speedometer] for which should lie between sixty and eighty kilometres per hour.
يَتَمَوَّجُ سَهْل ٱلْبِقَاع ٱللُّبْنَانِيّ صَيْفًا مَعَ تَمَايُل سَنَابِل ٱلْقَمْح. تِلْكَ ٱلسِّيقَان ٱلذَّهَبِيَّة كَانَت فِي زَمَنٍ مَضَى تَنْتَظِرُ مَنَاجِل ٱلْمُزَارِعِين وَسَوَاعِدَهُم تَجْمَعُهَا شَمَائِل شَمَائِل فِي ٱلْحُقُول اَلَّتِي ٱشْتَهَرَت بِٱسْم أَهْرَاء رُومَا، قَبْلَ أَنْ تَحْمِلُهَا ٱلدَّوَابّ إِلَى ٱلْبَيَادِر. هُنَاك يَتَوَلَّى ٱلنَّوْرَج وَظِيفَتَهُ، لِيَدْرُسَ ٱلْغِلال، وَبَعْدَ ذَرْيِهَا تَبْقَى حَبَّات ٱلْقَمْح. وَلِأَنَّ ٱلْقَمْح جُزْءٌ مِن ٱلنَّسِيج ٱلْاِجْتِمَاعِيّ لِلُبْنَانِيِّين رَاجَ اِسْتِخْدَام سَنَابِل ٱلْقَمْح فِي تَزْيِين ٱلْمَنَازِل. وَعَدَا طَحْنَهُ وَتَحْوِيلَهُ إِلَى دَقِيق لِصِنَاعَةِ ٱلْخُبْز، لا تَزَالُ ٱلْقُرَى تَحْتَفِلُ بِمَوَاسِمِهِ لِتُحَوِّلَهُ بَعْدَ سَلْقِهِ وَجَرْشِه إِلَى بُرْغُل يُفَاخِرُ بِهِ ٱللُّبْنَانِيُّون كَمَادَّة أَسَاسِيَّة فِي ٱلتَّبُّولَة.
The Lebanese Beqaa Valley [lit. plain] ripples in summer with the swaying of ears of wheat. Those golden stalks which would in time past await the scythes of the farmers and their arms which gathered them in bunches in fields which were famed with the name of the Granaries of Rome before animals [dawābb: horses mules donkeys] would carry them to the threshing floors. There the thresher would take up his job and thresh the crop and after its winnowing the grains of wheat would remain. And because wheat is a part of the social fabric for the Lebanese the use of ears of wheat in the decorating of houses became widespread. Besides milling it and turning it into flour for the manufacture of bread the villages still celebrate its seasons and turn it after boiling it and coarsely grinding it into bulgur which the Lebanese are proud of as a principal ingredient in tabbouleh [=a salad with bulgur parsley onions].