صَفْعَةٌ قَوِيَّة، تَلَقَّتْهَا «ٱلْفرَنْكُوفُونِيَّة» فِي بَيْرُوت اَلْأُسْبُوع ٱلْمَاضِي، وَٱلْمُوجِع أَنَّهَا أَتَتْ مِن ٱلْبَلَد ٱلْعَرَبِيّ اَلَّذِي يُعْتَبَر حَامِي ٱلْفَرَنْسِيَّة فِي ٱلشَّرْق وَرَافِع لِوَائِهَا. اَلْأُمُّ ٱلْحَنُون لَمْ تَعُد قَادِرَة عَلَى مَنْح أَبْنَائِهَا ٱلدِّفء ٱلْكَافِي عَلَى مَا يَبْدُو، أَوْ أَنَّ ٱلْأَبْنَاء أَضْحَوا عُصَاة وَمُتَمَرِّدِين. كُلّ ٱلْإِحْصَاءَات اَلَّتِي تُشِير إِلَى أَنَّ زَحْف ٱلْإِنْجلِيزِيَّة لَمْ يَقْهَر ٱلْفَرَنْسِيَّة فِي لُبْنَان، لَمْ تَكُن كَافِيَة لِإِقْنَاع ٱلْفَرَنْسِيِّين يَوْم اِفْتِتَاح ٱلْأَلْعَاب ٱلْفرَنْكُوفُونِيَّة فِي بَيْرُوت بِأَنَّ عِزَّتَهُم ٱلْاِسْتِعْمَارِيَّة لا يَزَالُ لَهَا شَيْءٌ مِن ٱلْهَالَةِ فِي بِلاد ٱلْأَرْز. صِحَافِيٌّ فَرَنْسِيّ جَاءَ لِتَغْطِيَةِ ٱلْحَدَث صُعِقَ حِينَ رَأَى أَنَّ ٱلْإِعْلان عَن ٱلْأَلْعَاب مَكْتُوبٌ بِٱلْعَرَبِيَّة، وَٱلْكلِيبَات اَلَّتِي تُرَوِّجُ لِلْحَدَث، تَتَكَلَّمُ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةَ أَيْضًا. ثُمَّ بَدَأَ ٱلرَّئِيس مِيشَال سُلَيْمَان خِطَابَهُ بِٱلْفَرَنْسِيَّة فَأَحْبَط ٱلْمَوْجُودِين، وَمَا إِنْ اِنْتَقَلَ لِلتَّحَدُّث بِٱلْعَرَبِيَّة حَتَّى حَظِيَ بِتَصْفِيقٍ كَبِير، وَتَهْلِيلٍ مِن ٱلْحَاضِرِين.
[It was] a heavy blow/slap that the Francophonie/Francophones received in Beirut last week. What was painful was that it came from the Arab country which is considered the protector of French in the East and its standard bearer. The tender-hearted mother is no longer able to give her children sufficient warmth it seems. Or the children have become disobedient and rebellious. All the statistics which indicate that the [steady] advance/march of English has not defeated French in Lebanon have not been enough to convince the French on the day of the opening of the Francophone games in Beirut that their colonial glory/honour still has something of an aura/halo in the land of the cedar [=Lebanon]. A French journalist who came to cover the event was thunderstruck when he saw that the advertisement for the games was written in Arabic and the [video] clips which were promoting the event also spoke Arabic. Then President Michel Suleiman started his speech in French so disappointing those present. But no sooner had he moved on to speaking in Arabic than he received great applause and cheers from the people attending.
تَوَقَّفَتْ ٱلسَّيَّارَةُ فَجْأَة فِي أَحَد شَوَارِع بَغْدَاد فَنَزَلَ ٱلسَّائِق يَتَفَقَّدُ مُحَرِّكَهَا طَالِبًا مِن ٱلرُّكَّاب مُسَاعَدَتَهُ فِي إِصْلاحِهَا وَبَعْدَ لَحَظَاتٍ ظَهَرَ عَدَدٌ غَفِيرٌ مِن ٱلْمُسَلَّحِين يَتَقَدَّمُهُم قَائِدُهُم مُلَوِّحِين بِبَنَادِقِهِم تُجَاهَ ٱلرُّكَّاب. صَاحَ قَائِد ٱلْمَجْمُوعَة فِي وَجْه ٱلرُّكَّاب هَلْ أَنْتُم سُنَّة أَمْ شِيعَة؟ أَجَابَ أَحَد ٱلرُّكَّاب شِيعَة صَاحَ ٱلْقَائِد «اُقْتُلُوه» وَسَأَلَ آخَر هَلْ أَنْتَ شِيعِيّ أَمْ سُنِّيّ؟ قَال سُنِّيّ، فَقَالَ ٱلْقَائِد إِجَابَة خَاطِئَة «اُقْتُلُوه»... لَيْسَ ذٰلِكَ مَشْهَدًا مِن فِيلمٍ مُسَجَّلٍ لِعَمَلِيَّات ٱلْقَتْل فِي ٱلْعِرَاق، بَل فَقَط لُعْبَة يُمَارِسُهَا أَطْفَالٌ فِي أَحَد أَحْيَاء بَغْدَاد قَبْلَ أَنْ يُنَادِيهِم وَالِدُهُم: «هَيَّا يَا أَوْلادِي إِنَّهُ أَوَّل أَيَّام ٱلْعِيد دَعُونَا نَذْهَب إِلَى مَدِينَةِ ٱلْأَلْعَاب، فَيَسْتَعِيدُ ٱلْقَتْلَى وَضْعِيَّةَ ٱلْوُقُوف وَيَحْمِلُ ٱلْآخَرُون بَنَادِقَهُم وَسَكَاكِينَهُم ٱلْبلاسْتِيكِيَّة مَعَ وَعْدٍ بِٱسْتِئْنَاف ٱللُّعْبَة فِي مَدِينَةِ ٱلْمَلاهِي!
The car stopped suddenly in one of the streets of Baghdad and the driver got out [lit. descended] to examine its engine asking the passengers to help him to repair it. After [a few] moments a large number of gunmen appeared headed by their leader brandishing/waving their rifles towards the passengers. The leader of the group shouted in the face of the passengers: Are you [all] Sunnis or Shiites? One of the passengers answered Shiites. The leader shouted Kill him! And he asked another Are you Shiite or Sunni? He said Sunni. So the leader said Wrong answer. Kill him!... This is not a scene from a film recording of killing operations in Iraq but just a game children were practising in one of the districts of Baghdad before their father called/summoned them: Come on! O my boys its the first day of Eid. Lets go to the amusement park. So the dead resumed the standing position and the others carried their plastic rifles and knives with the promise of the resumption of the game in the amusement park!
لَيْلَةُ بَدْء ٱلْعَام ٱلدِّرَاسِيّ فِي مِصْر كَانَتْ يَوْم ٱلسَّبْت ٱلْمَاضِي، سَهِرَتْ يَاسَمِين تُجَهِّزُ حَقَائِب أَبْنَائِهَا ٱلثَّلاثَة: عَمْرو (عَشْرَةَ سَنَوَات) وَمَي (أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَر عَامًا) وَسَالِي (سَبْعَةَ عَشَر عَامًا). مُحْتَوَيَات ٱلْحَقَائِب ٱلثَّلاث هِيَ «دِيتُول» وَمَنَاشِف وَرَقِيَّة مُبَلَّلَة وَكِمَامَاتٌ وَأَغْطِيَةٌ بلاسْتِيكِيَّة لِلتُّوَالِيت وَزُجَاجَات مُطَهِّر رَشَّاشَة. وَبِصُعُوبَةٍ بَالِغَة حَشَرَتْ مِقْلَمَة تَحْوِي ٱلْأَدَوَاتِ ٱلْمَكْتَبِيَّة. مُحْتَوَيَات حَقَائِب أَبْنَاء يَاسَمِين لَيْسَتْ اِسْتِثْنَاءً فِي هٰذَا ٱلْعَام ٱلدِّرَاسِيّ اَلَّذِي يَخْتَلِفُ عَن كُلّ مَا عَدَاه مِن أَعْوَام. وَٱلْاِخْتِلاف لَيْسَ فِي مُحْتَوَيَات ٱلْحَقَائِب مِن مَوَادّ مُطَهِّرَة فَقَط، وَلٰكِن فِي ٱلْمُحْتَوَى ٱلْمُتَوَقَّع لِلْعَام اَلَّذِي تَحُوم حَوْلَهُ خَفَافِيش ٱلظَّلام اَلنَّاجِمَة عَن فَيْرُوس «إِتْش وَان إِن وَان».
The eve of the start of the school year in Egypt was last Saturday. Yasamin stayed up preparing the bags of her three children: Amr (ten years old) May (fourteen years old) and Sally (seventeen years old). The contents of the three bags were: Dettol moist paper towels [=wet-wipes] masks plastic covers for the toilet and spray bottles of disinfectant. With great difficulty she crammed in the pencil case containing the stationery [lit. office equipment]. The contents of the bags of Yasamins children were not an exception in this school year which differs from all years besides it. The difference was not in the contents of the bags in the way of disinfectant materials alone but in the anticipated content of the year which the bats of darkness are circling/hovering around as a result of the [swine flu] virus H1N1.
مَجْمُوعَةٌ مِن ٱلطَّالِبَات اَلْمُنَقَّبَات اِلْتَفَّتْ حَوْلَ ٱلْعَمُود ٱلْمَعْدِنِيّ فِي ٱلْعَرَبَةِ ٱلْمُكْتَظَّة بِحُمُولَتِهَا ٱلنِّسَائِيَّة وَهُنَّ يَتَنَاقَشنَ نِقَاشًا حَامِيًا حَوْلَ مَا سَمَّينَهُ بـِ«تَرَبُّص ٱلْوَزِير بِهِنّ». لَمْ يَكُن هُنَاكَ خِلافٌ بَيْنَهُنّ، فَٱلْجَمِيع يَتَحَدَّثُ بِنَبْرَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَبِقَلْبٍ وَاحِد: «هُوَ إِيه إِللِّي مْزَعَّلُه؟ وَاحِدَة وَمُنَقَّبَة! هُوَ مَالُه؟!». وَهٰذَا تَحْدِيدًا هُوَ مَرْبِط ٱلْفَرَس. فَتَصْرِيح ٱلْوَزِير هِلال قَبْلَ أَيَّام بِمَنْع ٱلطَّالِبَات ٱلْمُنَقَّبَات مِن دُخُول ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱلْجَامِعِيَّة فِي جَامِعَةِ ٱلْقَاهِرَة أَشْعَل نِيرَان ٱلْغَضَب بَيْنَ ٱلطَّالِبَات ٱلْمُنَقَّبَات وَعَدَدٍ مِن ٱلْمُتَضَامِنِين مَعَهُنّ، سَوَاء لِأَسْبَاب دِينِيَّة أَمْ حُقُوقِيَّة. أَكَّدَتْ إِحْدَاهُنّ لـِ«اَلْحَيَاة» أَنَّهَا عَلَى اِسْتِعْدَادٍ لِلْمُشَارَكَةِ فِي أَيَّةِ فَعَّالِيَّةٍ لِلْتَضَامُن وَنُصْرَةِ «أَخَوَاتِهَا» مِن طَالِبَات ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱلْجَامِعِيَّة اَلتَّابِعَة لِجَامِعَةِ ٱلْقَاهِرَة، عَلَى رَغْم أَنَّهَا لا تَدْرُس فِيهَا أَصْلًا. وَأَضَافَتْ: «وَاجِبِي يُحَتِّمُ عَلَيّ أَنْ أُنَاصِرَهُنّ فِي مَعْرَكَتِهِنّ».
A group of [fully] veiled female students gathered around the metal pole in the carriage [of the metro] packed with its female cargo and they were having a heated discussion about what they termed the ministers lying in wait for them. There was no disagreement among them as they all talked with one voice [lit. tone] and one heart: What is it thats annoyed him? A veiled woman! Whats up with him? And this precisely is the nub of the issue [lit. the horses tying-up place]. Because the minister Hilals announcement [a few] days ago of the prohibiting of veiled female students from entering the university town at Cairo University ignited the fire of anger among veiled female students and a number of people who were united in solidarity with them whether for religious reasons or [human] rights [reasons]. One of them confirmed to Al-Hayat the she is ready to participate in any activity of solidarity and help for her sisters from among the students of the university town belonging to Cairo University despite the fact that she doesnt study in it at all. She added: My duty makes it incumbent on me to help them in their battle.
وَضَعَتْ اِمْرَأَةٌ مِصْرِيَّة تَعْمَلُ فِي ٱلْإِدَارَة ٱلتَّعْلِيمِيَّة بِمَدِينَةِ ٱلْعَرِيش، عَاصِمَةِ سِينَاء اَلشَّمَالِيَّة، مَوْلُودَهَا ٱلْعَاشِر عَلَى سُلَّم ٱلْإِدَارَة، وَلَقَد أَحَالَ ٱلْمَسْؤُولُون عَن ٱلتَّعْلِيم بِٱلْمُحَافَظَة أَفْرَاد ٱلْأَمْن بِٱلْإِدَارَة لِلتَّحْقِيق مَعَهُم بِسَبَب تَقَاعُسِهِم عَن طَلَب ٱلْإِسْعَاف. كَانَتْ اَلْأُمّ ـ اَلْمُوَظَّفَة، وَٱسْمُهَا فَاطِمَة، قَد فَاجَأَتْهَا آلام ٱلْوَضْع أَثْنَاءَ وُجُودِهَا فِي ٱلْعَمَل فَطَلَبَتْ مِن إِحْدَى زَمِيلَاتِهَا مُرَافَقَتَهَا إِلَى ٱلْمَنْزِل. وَأَثْنَاءَ نُزُولِهِمَا عَلَى سُلَّم ٱلْإِدَارَة اَلَّتِي تَعْمَلُ فِيهَا، لَمْ تَتَمَالَك نَفْسَهَا مِن شِدَّةِ ٱلْأَلَم. وَعِنْدَمَا أَيْقَنَتْ زَمِيلتُهَا أَنَّهَا عَلَى وَشْك ٱلْوِلادَة اِسْتَدْعَتْ جَمِيع ٱلسَّيِّدَات اَلْمَوْجُودَات فَأَحَطنَ بِهَا مِن كُلّ جَانِب، وَمَنَعنَ مُرُور ٱلرِّجَال، إِلَى أَنْ وَضَعَتْ مَوْلُودَهَا بِسَلام.
An Egyptian woman working at the Education Directorate in the city of el-Arish the capital of North Sinai gave birth to her tenth child/baby on the stairs of the Directorate. Education officials in the governorate referred members of the security [department] at the Directorate for interrogation because of their neglecting to request an ambulance [lit. aid]. Labour pains surprised the mother the office worker whose name is Fatima while she was at work and she asked one of her female colleagues to accompany her home. And while they were going down the stairs of the Directorate which she worked in she couldnt control herself from the intensity of the pain. And when her colleague was sure that she was on the verge of giving birth she summoned all the women present and they surrounded her from every side and prevented the passing of men until she had given birth to her baby safely.
يَعْتَرِضُ أَلِكْسَنْدر بُولِيكَفِتْش عَلَى عُنْصُرِيَّةِ ٱلرَّقْص ٱلشَّرْقِيّ، وَأَنْ يَكُونَ حَكْرًا عَلَى ٱلنِّسَاء. فَمَا مَدْعَاةُ ٱلتَّمْيِيز، وَمَا ٱلْمَانِع فِي أَنْ يَكُونَ ٱلرَّقْص ٱلشَّرْقِيّ حَقًّا لِلْجَمِيع؟ لِذٰلِك رَقَصَ بُولِيكَفِتْش لِثَلاث لَيَالٍ مُتَوَالِيَات عَلَى «مَسْرَح دَوَّار ٱلشَّمْس»، طَارِحًا أَسْئِلَتِهِ، حَامِلًا اِسْتِهْجَانِهِ، رَافِضًا بَقَاء هٰذَا ٱلرَّقْص قَرِين «ٱلْعُرُوض ٱلرَّخِيصَة وَٱلتَّرْفِيه ٱلذُّكُورِيّ»، كَمَا جَاءَ فِي ٱلْكَلِمَة اَلَّتِي رَافَقَتْ مُلْصَق ٱلْعَرْض. وَتَحْتَ عُنْوَان «مُحَاوَلَة أُولَى» رَقَصَ بُولِيكَفِتْش بِتَقْنِيَّةٍ تَفُوقُ بِمَهَارَاتِهَا تِلْكَ اَلَّتِي تُجِيدُهَا ٱلرَّاقِصَات، لٰكِنَّهُ رَغْم ذٰلِك، وَلِسُوء حَظِّه، لَمْ يَسْتَطِع أَنْ يُقْنِع جُمْهُورَهُ كُلَّه بِأَنَّ هَزّ ٱلْوَسَط وَٱلْبَطْن، يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ فَنًّا رِجَالِيًّا. وَمَعَ عَدَم نُكْرَانِنَا لِلتَّصْفِيق اَلَّذِي أَطْلَقَهُ ٱلْبَعْض فِي نِهَايَةِ ٱلْحَفْل، مُسْتَزِيدًا بُولِيكَفِتْش طَالِبًا عَوْدَتَهُ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْرَح، فَإِنَّ عَدِيدِين آخَرِين خَرَجُوا مِن قَاعَةِ ٱلْعَرْض، وَعَلَى مُحَيَّاهُم اِبْتِسَامَاتٌ وَكَأَنَّهُم يَسْتَغْرِبُون مَا شَاهَدُوا أَوْ رُبَّمَا يَسْتَنْكِرُونَهُ أَوْ يَسْتَقْبِحُونَه.
Alexandre Paulikevitch objects to the sexism [lit. racism] of belly dancing [lit. eastern dancing] and to the fact that it is a monopoly for women. What is the reason for the discrimination and what is preventing belly dancing being a right for all? For this reason Paulikevitch danced for three consecutive nights on The Sunflower Theatre/Stage [in Beirut] putting forward his questions carrying his disapproval and rejecting this dances remaining associated with [lit. a companion of] cheap shows and male entertainment as it stated [lit. came] in the [brief] words which accompanied the poster of the performance. Under the heading A First Attempt Paulikevitch danced with a technique which in skills surpassed that which female dancers do well. But despite this and unfortunately for him he was not able to convince all his audience that shaking the waist and the belly can be a masculine art. And though we cant deny the applause which some [people] gave at the end of the performance/event asking Paulikevitch for more and requesting his return to the stage many others went out of the concert [lit. show] hall with smiles on their face as though what they had seen they had found peculiar or perhaps they disapproved of it or found it repulsive/ugly.
«مِيَاه؟ هَلْ مَطْلُوبٌ مِنَّا أَيْضًا أَنْ نَقْلَق عَلَى مِيَاه رَبِّنَا؟!» سُؤَالٌ اِسْتِنْكَارِيّ اَلْغَرَض مِنه اَلتَّعْبِير عَن ٱلضِّيق وَٱلضَّجَر مِن نِقَاشٍ دَائِر حَوْلَ دَوْر ٱلشَّبَاب فِي ٱلْحِفَاظ عَلَى ٱلْمِيَاه. فَتَامِر اَلسَّيِّد (اِثْنَتَان وَعِشْرُون سَنَة) اَلطَّالِب فِي مَعْهَدٍ لِلدِّرَاسَات ٱلْإِلِكْترُونِيَّة وَاحِدٌ مِن كَثِيرِين فِي مِصْر مَا زَالُوا يَعْتَبِرُون ٱلْمَاء «مَاء رَبِّنَا» مُوَزَّعًا عَلَى ٱلْجَمِيع وَلا يَخْضَعَ لِأَيَّةِ مُحَاوَلاتٍ تَقْلِيصِيَّة أَوْ تَرْشِيدِيَّة». تَامِر مَهْمُومٌ بِمُسْتَقْبَلِهِ اَلَّذِي لا يَرَى فِيه ٱلْكَثِير مِمَّا يَدْعُو إِلَى ٱلتَّفَاؤُل أَوْ ٱلْأَمَل. وَعَلَى رَغْم كُلّ مَا دَرَسَهُ وَشَاهَدَهُ وَسَمِعَهُ عَن ٱلْقَضَايَا ٱلْمُتَعَلِّقَة بِٱلْمَاء وَٱلضَّرُورَة ٱلْحَتْمِيَّة لِلْاِهْتِمَام بِهِ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ يَعْتَبِرُهُ أَمْرًا لا يَخُصُّهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ لا يَسْتَبْعِد تَمَامًا إِمْكَان اِهْتِمَامِهِ بِه، «رُبَّمَا حِينَ أُصْبِحُ مِلْيُونِيرًا بَعْدَ عُمْرٍ طَوِيل، أَوْ تُحَلُّ كُلّ مَشَاكِلِي وَيَكُون لَدَيَّ ٱلْوَقْت وَٱلْجُهْد وَٱلرَّفَاهِيَة لِأَهْتَمَّ بِمَشَاكِل كَوْنِيَّة».
Water? Are we also required to worry about the water of our Lord?! A disapproving question the aim of which is to express irritation and annoyance at a discussion [currently] going around about the role of young people in the conservation of water. For Tamer al-Sayyid (twenty two years old) a student at an institute for electronic studies is one of many in Egypt who still consider water [to be] the water of our Lord [which is] distributed to everyone and is not subject to any attempts [at] reducing [consumption] or rationing. Tamer is worried about his future in which he does not see much cause for optimism or hope. And despite all that he has studied and seen and heard regarding issues connected with water and the absolute necessity for being concerned about it nevertheless he considers it a matter which does not apply to him even if he does not completely exclude the possibility of his taking an interest in it perhaps when I become a millionaire after a long life or all my problems have been solved and I have the time energy [lit. effort] and luxury to take an interest in world [lit. universal] problems.
يَصْحَبُ ٱلْفَنَّان ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيّ خَالِد جَرَّار اَلْجُمْهُور فِي عَمَلِهِ ٱلْفَنِّي «اَلرِّحْلَة مِئَة وَعَشْرَة» إِلَى رِحْلَةٍ حَقِيقِيَّة لِأُنَاسٍ يُحَاوِلُون عُبُورَ نَفَقٍ مُظْلِم تَجْرِي فِيهِ مِيَاه ٱلصَّرْف ٱلصِّحِّيّ، وَيَمْتَدُّ مِئَة وَعَشْرَةَ أَمْتَار تَحْتَ ٱلْجِدَار ٱلْفَاصِل بَيْنَ ٱلْقُدْس وَمُحِيطِهَا ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيّ. وَيُقَدِّم جَرَّار لِلْجُمْهُور عَلَى مَدَى اِثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ دَقِيقَة تَسْجِيلًا لِعُبُور ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين هٰذَا ٱلنَّفَق وَهُم يَلْبَسُون أَكْيَاسًا بلاسْتِيكِيَّة فِي أَرْجُلِهِم، بَيْنَمَا تَغُوصُ أَقْدَامُهُم فِي ٱلْمِيَاه ٱلْآسِنَة. وَيُخَيَّلُ لِلْمُشَاهِد فِي ٱلْبِدَايَة أَنَّهُم يَسِيرُون فِي جَدْوَل مَاء، وَتُسْمَعُ أَصْوَات ٱلْأَقْدَام وَهِيَ تَبْحَثُ عَن مَوْطِئٍ لَهَا وَسْطَ ٱلْمِيَاه. وَتَمْنَعُ إِسْرَائِيل اَلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين مِن سُكَّان ٱلضِّفَّةِ ٱلْغَرْبِيَّة وَقِطَاع غَزَّة مِن ٱلْوُصُول إِلَى مَدِينَةِ ٱلْقُدْس اَلَّتِي أَحَاطَتْهَا بِجِدَارٍ أَسْمَنْتِيّ وَجَعَلَتْ ٱلدُّخُول إِلَيْهَا عَبْرَ بَوَّابَاتٍ مُحَصَّنَة وَبِمُوجِب تَصَارِيح خَاصَّة مِن أَجْل ٱلْعِلَاج فِي مُسْتَشْفَيَاتِهَا أَوْ لِلْوُصُول إِلَى مُمَثِّلِيَّات ٱلدُّوَل ٱلْأَجْنَبِيَّة لِلْحُصُول عَلَى تَأْشِيرَات سَفَر.
The Palestinian artist Khalid Jarrar escorts the audience in his artwork Flight [lit. journey] 110 to [see] a real journey of people trying to cross a dark tunnel in which waste [lit. sanitary drainage] water flows and which extends one hundred and ten metres under the separation wall between Jerusalem and its Palestinian environs. Jarrar presents to the audience over a period of twelve minutes a recording of the Palestinians crossing of this tunnel. They wear plastic bags over their legs as their feet plunge into the stagnant [lit. rotten] water. It seems to the viewer at the start that they are walking in a brook/little stream. The sounds of feet are heard as they search for a foothold amid the water. Israel prohibits Palestinians from among the residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from reaching the city of Jerusalem which it [Israel] has surrounded with a cement wall and it has made entry into it via fortified gates and requiring special permits for treatment in its [the citys] hospitals or for reaching the [diplomatic] representations of foreign states to obtain travel visas.
اِنْدَلَعَتْ مُصَادَمَاتٌ بَيْنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِين وَٱلْمَسِيحِيِّين، أَمْس، فِي مَرْكَز دَيْر مَوَاس بِمُحَافَظَةِ ٱلْمِنْيَا (ثَلاث مِئَةِ كِيلُومِتْر جَنُوب ٱلْقَاهِرَة) عَلَى خَلْفِيَّةِ تَرْمِيم كَنِيسَةِ مَارجِرْجِس اَلنَّزْلَة. فَقَد تَجَمَّعَ عَدَدٌ مِن ٱلْمُسْلِمِين مِن سُكَّان ٱلْمَرْكَز وَهَدَمُوا سَقَالَة كَانَتْ تُسْتَخْدَم فِي تَرْمِيم ٱلْكَنِيسَة لِٱعْتِقَادِهِم بِأَنَّ ٱلْكَنِيسَة تُوَسِّع مَبَانِيهَا أَوْ تُشَيِّد مَبَانٍ إِضَافِيَّة. وَقَال ٱلْقَسّ صَرَابُون، رَاعِي ٱلْكَنِيسَة لـِ«اَلشَّرْق ٱلأَوْسَط»: «أَخَذنَا تَصْرِيحًا مِن كُلّ ٱلْجِهَات ٱلْمَعْنِيَّة بَدْءًا مِن ٱلْأَمْن وَٱلْمُحَافَظَة لِتَرْمِيم وَإِعَادَةِ بِنَاء مَنَارَةِ ٱلْكَنِيسَة، وَمُنْذُ بِدَايَةِ ٱلْعَمَل وَنَحْنُ نَتَعَرَّضُ كُلّ يَوْمٍ لِمُضَايَقَاتٍ، كَانَ آخِرُهَا تَجَمُّع عَدَدٍ مِن ٱلْمُسْلِمِين بِسَبَب إِشَاعَةٍ عَن تَوْسِيعٍ لِلْكَنِيسَة». وَقَالَ شُهُود عِيَان إِنَّ ٱلْمُصَادَمَات بَدَأَتْ بِٱلْهُجُوم عَلَى مَنَازِل وَمَحَالٍّ لِأَقْبَاط، وَتَحْطِيم سَيَّارَتَيْن، بِٱلْإِضَافَةِ إِلَى عَدَدٍ مِن ٱلْمَحَالّ ٱلتِّجَارِيَّة وَإِصَابَةِ سَيِّدَةٍ قِبْطِيَّة. وَقَامَتْ ٱلشُّرْطَة بِٱعْتِقَال عَدَدٍ مِن ٱلْجَانِبَيْن.
Clashes broke out between Muslims and Christians yesterday in the administrative district [markaz = subdivision of a province] of Deir [=monastery] Mawas in the province of Minya (three hundred kilometres south of Cairo) against the background of the renovation of the Church of Saint George [in the village of] Nazla. A number of Muslims from among the residents of the administrative district gathered and tore down the scaffolding being used in the renovation of the church in the belief that the church was extending its buildings or erecting additional buildings. The priest Saraboun pastor of the church said to Asharq Alawsat: We obtained [lit. took] a permit from all the relevant authorities starting with the Security [Office] and the Provincial [Office] for the renovation and rebuilding of the churchs spire [or minaret] and since the start of the work we have been subjected every day to harassment the latest of which was the gathering of a number of Muslims because of a rumour about an extension to the church. Eyewitnesses said that the clashes began with the attacking of houses and shops of Copts and the wrecking/destruction of two cars in addition to a number of commercial stores and the injuring of a Coptic lady. The police carried out the arrest of a number from both sides.
اَللُّبْنَانِيُّون مُحِقُّون فِي شَنّ حَرْبٍ ضِدَّ إِسْرَائِيل لِٱسْتِرْدَاد حَقِّهِم فِي صَحْنَي «اَلْحُمُّص» وَ«ٱلتَّبُّولَة». تَشْبِيه هٰذِهِ ٱلْمُنَازَلَة بِتَحْرِير «مَزَارِع شِبْعَا» وَ«تِلال كْفَرشُوبَا» لا يُجَانِبُ ٱلصَّوَاب. اَلْمُنَازَلات بَيْنَ دُوَل ٱلْعَالَم قَائِمَة عَلَى قَدَمٍ وَسَاق، لِتُثْبِتَ كُلٌّ مِنهَا حَقَّهَا فِي هٰذَا ٱلطَّبَق أَوْ تِلْكَ ٱلرَّقْصَة أَوْ حَتَّى ذَاكَ ٱلتَّقْلِيد، بَعْدَ أَنْ فَهِمَ ٱلْجَمِيع بِأَنَّ ٱلتُّرَاث كَنْزٌ يَبِيضُ ذَهَبًا، وَقَد يَدُرُّ مَا لا يَسْتَطِيعُهُ ٱلْبِتْرُول. وَبَيْنَمَا كُنَّا نَضِيقُ ذَرْعًا بِصَحْن «ٱلْبَابَا غَنُوج» وَرَغِيف «ٱلْخُبْز ٱلْعَرَبِيّ» وَنَحْتَقِر «ٱلْفَتُّوش»، لِصَالِح تَفَرْنُجٍ يُعْلِي مِن شَأْن «ٱلسَّلَطَة ٱلرُّوسِيَّة» وَقِطْعَةِ «ٱلْهَمْبُرْجُر» ٱلْأَمِيرِكِيَّة، وَ«ٱلْبِيتْزَا» ٱلْإِيْطَالِيَّة، وَ«ٱلْبَاغِيت» اَلْفَرَنْسِيَّة، كَانَتْ إِسْرَائِيل تَتَبَنَّى مَا وَجَدَتْهُ عَلَى هٰذِهِ ٱلْأَرْض وَتَحْتَضِنُهُ بِمَحَبَّةِ ٱلْعَاقِر اَلَّتِي تَعْثُرُ عَلَى طِفْلٍ لَقِيط، لِتَجْعَلَ مِنهُ اِبْنًا شَرْعِيًّا لَهَا.
The Lebanese are correct to wage war against Israel to reclaim their right to the two dishes of hummus [lit. chickpeas] and tabbouleh [=salad of bulgur parsley onion]. Comparing this battle to the liberation of Shebaa Farms and Kfarchouba Hills is not far from [lit. beside] the truth. The battles between the countries of the world are in full swing [lit. standing on foot and leg] for each of them [the countries] to prove their right to this dish or that dance or even that tradition after everyone understood that heritage is a treasure which lays the golden egg and might yield [lit. flow] what oil/petroleum cannot. And while we [Arabs] have become fed up with the dish of Baba Ghanouj [=roasted and mashed aubergine] and the loaf [i.e. disc] of Arabic bread and we despise fattoush [=salad of pita bread and greens] to the benefit of a Europeanisation which promotes the importance of Russian salad a piece of American hamburger and the Italian pizza and the French baguette Israel has adopted what it has found on this earth and has embraced it with the love of the barren woman who finds a foundling child and makes of him her legitimate son.
إِذَا مَرَّ ٱلْقِطَار وَسَمِعتَ جَلَبَة لِإِحْدَى عَرَبَاتِه فَٱعْلَم أَنَّهَا فَارِغَة، وَإِذَا سَمِعتَ تَاجِرًا يُنَادِي عَلَى بِضَاعَتِه فَٱعْلَم أَنَّهَا كَاسِدَة، فَكُلّ فَارِغٍ مِن ٱلْبَشَر وَٱلْأَشْيَاء لَهُ جَلَبَة وَصَوْت وَصُرَاخ، أَمَّا ٱلْعَامِلُون ٱلْمُثَابِرُون فَهُم فِي سُكُونٍ وَوَقَار؛ لِأَنَّهُم مَشْغُولُون بِبِنَاء صُرُوح ٱلْمَجْد وَإِقَامَةِ هَيَاكِل ٱلنَّجَاح، إِنَّ سُنْبُلَةَ ٱلْقَمْح اَلْمُمْتَلِئَة خَاشِعَة سَاكِنَة ثَقِيلَة، أَمَّا ٱلْفَارِغَة فَإِنَّهَا فِي مَهَبّ ٱلرِّيح لِخِفَّتِهَا وَطَيْشِهَا، وَفِي ٱلنَّاس أُنَاسٌ فَارِغُون مُفْلِسُون أَصْفَار رَسَبُوا فِي مَدْرَسَةِ ٱلْحَيَاة، وَأَخْفَقُوا فِي حُقُول ٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ وَٱلْإِبْدَاع وَٱلْإِنْتَاج فَٱشْتَغَلُوا بِتَشْوِيه أَعْمَال ٱلنَّاجِحِين، فَهُم كَٱلطِّفْل ٱلْأَرْعَن اَلَّذِي أَتَى إِلَى لَوْحَةِ رَسَّامٍ هَائِمَةٌ بِٱلْحُسْن، نَاطِقَةٌ بِٱلْجَمَال فَشَطَبَ مَحَاسِنَهَا وَأَذْهَبَ رَوْعَتَهَا، وَهٰؤُلاء ٱلْأَغْبِيَاء ٱلْكُسَالَى اَلتَّافِهُون مَشَارِيعُهُم كَلام، وَحُجَجُهُم صُرَاخ، وَأَدِلَّتُهُم هَذَيَان.
If the train passes and you hear a racket of one of its carriages know that it is empty. And if you hear a merchant crying/hawking his wares know that they are selling badly. Because every empty [object] from among [both] mankind and things has a racket sound and clamour. As for diligent workers they are in silence/stillness and dignity because they are occupied with the building of imposing edifices of magnificence and erecting large structures of success. The full ear of wheat is humble [as it bows down] still/calm and heavy. As for the empty [ear of corn] it blows with the wind due to its lightness and light-headedness. Among people there are the vacuous/empty bankrupt people zeros. They flunked in the school of life and failed in the fields of learning creativity and production. They have busied themselves with disfiguring the works of the successful. They are like the silly/stupid/thoughtless child who came up to the painting of an artist [which was] floating [fig.] in loveliness and speaking of beauty and he erased its beauties and took away its splendour. These stupid lazy worthless people their projects are [just] talk. Their arguments [which they put forward] are yells and their evidence is delirium/senseless jabber.
تَقَعُ «أَفْرِيكَا سَفَارِي بَارْك» فِي ٱلْكِيلُو ثَمَانِيَة وَسِتِّين عَلَى طَرِيق ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة ـ ٱلْقَاهِرَة ٱلصَّحْرَاوِيّ، وَبِمُجَرَّد دُخُولِكَ إِلَيهَا سَتَشْعُرُ بِأَنَّكَ فِي أَدْغَال أَفْرِيقِيَا حَيْثُ تَسْتَقْبِلُكَ ٱلْغَابَةُ بِمُجَسَّمَاتٍ لِلزَّرَافَةِ وَٱلْفِيل وَٱلْحِمَار ٱلْوَحْشِيّ فَاتِحَة شَهِيَتَك لِغِمَار مُغَامَرَةٍ بَرِّيَّةٍ شَيِّقَة بَيْنَ أَدْغَالِهَا. تَكْفُلُ أَفْرِيكَا بَارْك تَجْرِبَة جَدِيدَة وَمُمْتِعَة تَعِيشُهَا مَعَ أَفْرَاد أُسْرَتِك أَوْ مَعَ ٱلْأَصْدِقَاء تَبْدَأ مِن ٱلتَّاسِعَة صَبَاحًا وَتَنْتَهِي فِي ٱلْخَامِسَةِ مَسَاء، تُشَاهِد خِلالَهَا أَنْوَاعًا مِن ٱلْكَائِنَات لا تَضُمُّهَا حَدَائِق ٱلْحَيَوَان ٱلْعَادِيَّة مِثْل: اَلْغُورِيلَّا ٱلسَّوْدَاء وَحَيَوَان ٱللّامَا، وَٱلْكَنْغَارُو، وَٱلطُّيُور ٱلْبَرِّيَّة. كَمَا يُوجَدُ فِي ٱلْبَارْك كَهْفٌ يَضُمُّ اِثْنَتَيْن وَعِشْرِين نَوْعًا مِن ٱلزَّوَاحِف وَٱلْحَيَوَانَات وَٱلطُّيُور ٱلنَّادِرَة فِي أَفْرِيقِيَا مِثْل اَلنَّسْر ٱلْأَفْرِيقِيّ ٱلضَّخْم وَٱلْكُوبْرَا وَوَطْوَاط ٱلْفَاكِهَة وَٱلْبُوم وَحَيَوَان ٱلْجَرْبُوع وَٱلسَّلاحِف.
Africa Safari Park lies at kilometre sixty eight on the Alexandria - Cairo desert road. As soon as you enter it you will feel as if you are in the jungles of Africa as the forest greets you along with models of a giraffe an elephant and a zebra [lit. wild donkey] whetting [lit. opening] your appetite for embarking on a fascinating adventure in the wild amid [the parks] jungles. Africa Park guarantees a new and enjoyable experience for you to experience with members of your family or with friends which starts from nine in the morning and ends at five in the evening during which you can see types of creatures normal zoos dont hold [lit. bring together] such as: the black gorilla the llama the kangaroo and wild birds. Also in park there is a cave which holds [lit. brings together] twenty two types of reptiles and rare animals and birds in Africa such as: the giant African eagle the cobra the fruit bat the owl the jerboa and tortoises/turtles.
لِلْإِيْجَار غُرْفَةٌ مُسْتَقِلَّة لَهَا حَمَّامٌ وَمَطْبَخٌ تَبْعُدُ مَسَافَة خَمْس دَقَائِق عَن كُلِّيَةِ ٱلطِّبّ. شَقَّة مَفْرُوشَة لِلْإِيْجَار مُؤَلَّفَة مِن ثَلاث غُرَف، وَمُجَهَّزَة بِتِلْفَاز وَسَتَلايْت وَمُكَيِّف وَلَهَا إِطْلالَة عَلَى ٱلشَّارِع ٱلْعَامّ. سَكَنٌ خَاصّ لِلطَّالِبَات مُقَابِل كُلِّيَةِ ٱلْاِقْتِصَاد. طَالِب يَبْحَث عَن شَرِيك فِي مَنْزِل قَرِيب مِن ٱلْجَامِعَة، وَٱلْعِبَارَة كُتِبَتْ بِٱللُّغَةِ ٱلْاِنْكلِيزِيَة مُرْفَقَة بِمَلْحُوظَةٍ صَغِيرَة: «مَعَ إِمْكَان ٱلْمُسَاعَدَة فِي تَعَلُّم ٱللُّغَةِ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة». تِلْكَ عَيِّنَة مِن إِعْلانَاتٍ تَسْتَقْطِبُ ٱلشَّبَاب ٱلْبَاحِثِين عَن سَكَن فِي مَدِينَةِ دِمَشْق، وَهٰذِهِ ٱلْإِعْلانَات لا تُنْشَرُ فَقَط فِي ٱلصُّحُف ٱلْإِعْلانِيَّة وَإِنَّمَا بَاتَتْ تُعَلَّقُ فِي ٱلشَّوَارِع ٱلْقَرِيبَة مِن كُلِّيَّات ٱلْجَامِعَة. فَٱلْبَحْث عَن شَرِيك ٱلسَّكَن مَسْأَلَة تَبْدَأ مِن ٱلْعَام ٱلدِّرَاسِيّ وَلا تَنْتَهِي بِنِهَايَتِهِ، إِذْ يَبْقَى ٱلْبَحْث مُسْتَمِرًّا حَتَّى بَعْدَ اِنْتِهَاء ٱلْاِمْتِحَانَات.
For rent: Self-contained [lit. independent] room with bathroom and kitchen lying a distance of five minutes from the Faculty of Medicine. Furnished apartment for rent consisting of three rooms and equipped with television satellite and air-conditioning. Looks onto the main street. Accomodation for female students opposite the Faculty of Economics. Student looking for someone to share with [lit. partner/sharer] in a house close to the university; The words [lit. phrase] were written in English accompanied by the small note: Can help with the learning of Arabic. These are a sample of the advertisements which attract/draw the young people looking for accomodation in the city of Damascus. These advertisements arent only published in the [classified] advertisement newspapers but have started being put up [lit. hung up] in the streets near to the university colleges. The search for a housemate is an issue/problem which starts from the academic year and doesnt finish with its end as the search keeps on going until after the end of the exams.
اَلْوُصُول إِلَى «مُنْتَجَع أَفَامِيَا ـ رُوتَانَا» فِي ٱللّاذِقِيَة عَلَى ٱلسَّاحِل ٱلشَّمَالِيّ لِسُورِيَّة، يُنْسِي ٱلْمُسَافِر عَنَاء ٱلطَّرِيق وَعَنَاء عُبُور ٱلْحُدُود ٱللُّبْنَانِيَّة ـ اَلسُّورِيَّة اَلَّذِي قَد يَسْتَغْرِقُ سَاعَاتٍ وَسَاعَات، لا سِيَّمَا إِذَا كَانَ ٱلْمُسَافِرُون مِن ٱلصِّحَافَةِ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة وَٱلْأَجْنَبِيَّة! لَحْظَةُ ٱلْوُصُول وَٱلْإِطْلالَة عَلَى تِلْكَ ٱلزُّرْقَة لِبَحْرٍ تَتَمَايَلُ مِيَاهُهُ ٱلشَّفَّافَة عَلَى إِيْقَاع نَسِيم أُكْتُوبِر (تِشْرِين ٱلْأَوَّل) اَلْعَلِيل، كَفِيلَةٌ بِبَثّ ٱلنَّشَاط فِي ٱلْأَجْسَام ٱلْمُرْهَقَة، وَإِزَالَةِ كُلّ ٱلضَّغْط ٱلْحَيَاتِيّ اَلْمُتَرَاكِم. وَدُخُول رَدْهَةِ ٱلْفُنْدُق اَلْفَسِيحَة وَٱلْفَخْمَة، يُشْعِرُ ٱلزَّائِر بِٱلرَّاحَةِ وَٱلْأُلْفَة فِي آنٍ وَاحِد. وَٱللّافِت أَنَّ ٱلتُّرَاث ٱلسُّورِيّ وَتَحْدِيدًا اَلدِّمَشْقِيّ يَطْبَعُ ٱلدِّيكُور ٱلْعَامّ لِقَاعَات ٱلْفُنْدُق وَأَرْوِقَتِهِ بِنَفَحَاتٍ شَرْقِيَّةٍ غَيْر مُتَكَلَّفَة، وَبِذَوْقٍ رَفِيع، وَاضِحٌ أَنَّهُ أَجَادَ ٱلدَّمْج بَيْنَ ٱلْوَجْهَيْن اَلْعَصْرِيّ ٱلْحَدَاثِيّ مِن جِهَة وَٱلتَّقْلِيدِيّ مِن جِهَةٍ أُخْرَى.
Arriving at the Afamia Rotana Resort in Ladhiqiyah [=Latakia] on the north coast of Syria makes the traveller forget the troubles of the road and the troubles of crossing the Lebanese - Syrian border which might last hours and hours particularly if the traveller is from the Arab and foreign press! The moment of arriving and looking down onto that blueness of a sea whose transparent waters sway to the rhythm of the gentle/mild October (Tishreen al-Awwal) breeze guarantees the spreading of energy through exhausted bodies and the removal of all the accumulated pressure of life. Entering the hotel lobby [which is] spacious and grand makes the visitor feel relaxed and at home [lit. familiarity] at the same time. It is noticeable that the Syrian heritage and specifically the Damascene [heritage] imprints the general décor of the halls of the hotel and its galleries/corridors with eastern fragrances free of artificiality and with a refined taste And it is clear that there has been an expert fusing/merging between the two aspects/faces; the contemporary modern on one side and the traditional on the other side.
اِسْتَمَرَّ دَوِي ٱلْأَسْلِحَةِ ٱلنَّارِيَّة فِي مَنَاطِق ٱلْحُدُود ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة اَلْمُحَاذِيَة لِلْيَمَن فِي سِيَاق عَمَلِيَّاتِ ٱلتَّمْشِيط اَلَّتِي تَقُومُ بِهَا ٱلْقُوَّاتُ ٱلْمُسَلَّحَة ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة لِرَدْع ٱلْمُتَسَلِّلِين ٱلْمُسَلَّحِين مِن ٱلدُّخُول إِلَى أَرَاضِيهَا. وَعَلِمَتْ «اَلْحَيَاة» أَنَّ ٱلْقُوَّاتَ ٱلْمُسَلَّحَة كَشَفَتْ وُجُودَ أَلْغَامٍ أَرْضِيَّة زَرَعَهَا ٱلْمُسَلَّحُون فِي مِنْطَقَةِ ٱلشَّرِيطِ ٱلْحُدُودِيّ، فِي وَقْتٍ رُصِدَ فِيه تَبَادُلٌ لِإِطْلاق ٱلنَّار فِي قَرْيَةِ غَرَاز اَلْحُدُودِيَّة أَمْس لَمْ يُسْفِر عَن إِصَابَاتٍ فِي صُفُوف ٱلْقُوَّات ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة. وَكَثَّفَتْ ٱلْقُوَّاتُ ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة مِن ٱلدَّوْرِيَّات اَلْبَحْرِيَّة فِي مِيَاهِهَا ٱلْإِقْلِيمِيَّة لِمَنْع وُصُول أَيّ سِلاحٍ مُهَرَّب إِلَى ٱلْمُتَمَرِّدِين ٱلْيَمَنِيِّين. وَأَجْلَتْ ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة ٱلْمَزِيد مِن سُكَّان ٱلْقُرَى ٱلْحُدُودِيَّة وَنَقَلَتْهُم إِلَى مَرَاكِز إِيْوَاءٍ لِضَمَان سَلامَتِهِم مِن عَبَث ٱلْمُتَسَلِّلِين.
The sound of firearms continued in the regions of the Saudi border lying opposite to Yemen in the course of combing operations which the Saudi armed forces are carrying out to prevent militant infiltrators from entering their territory. Al-Hayat has learnt that the armed forces have uncovered the presence of landmines the militants planted in the border strip region at a time when there was observed an exchange of gunfire in the border village of Gharaz yesterday which did not result in injuries among the ranks of the Saudi forces. Saudi forces have stepped up [lit. intensified] naval patrols in their territorial waters to prevent any smuggled arms reaching/getting to the Yemeni rebels. And Saudi evacuated more inhabitants of the border villages and transferred them to shelters to ensure their safety from the messing of the infiltrators.
قَالَ لِي: لَقَد تَعَلَّمتُ مِن أُمِّي دَرْسًا لَنْ أَنْسَاه وَقَد أَثَّرَ عَلَى مَسِيرَةِ حَيَاتِي. فَقَد كَانَتْ شِبْه أُمِّيَّة، فَهِيَ بِٱلْكَاد تَقْرَأ وَتَكْتُب، وَفِي أَحَد ٱلْأَيَّام دَخَلتُ عَلَيْهَا فِي ٱلْمَطْبَخ، وَإِذَا هِيَ تَسْلُقُ بِٱلْقِدْر عِدَّةَ حَبَّاتٍ مِن ٱلْبَطَاطِس، وَفَجْأَة وَإِذَا بِهَا تُخْرِجُ ثَمَرَةَ بَطَاطِس مِن ٱلْمَاء ٱلْمَغْلِي ثُمَّ تُلْقِيهَا عَلَيَّ قَائِلَة: هَيَّا أَمْسِك بِهَا يَا ٱبْنِي. أَمْسَكتُ بِهَا وَلٰكِنَّهَا لَسَعَتْنِي وَأَخَذتُ أَتَقَافَز وَأَصْرُخ مِن شِدَّةِ ٱلْأَلَم، فَمَا كَانَ مِنِّي لا شُعُورِيًّا إِلَّا أَنْ أُلْقِيهَا عَلَى أُمِّي مَرَّةً ثَانِيَة، فَأَمْسَكَتْ بِهَا وَأَلْقَتْهَا سَرِيعًا دَاخِلَ ٱلْقِدْر، ثُمَّ قَالَتْ لِي: سَوْفَ تَذْكُر هٰذَا ٱلْمَوْقِف طِوَالَ حَيَاتِك، فَعِنْدَمَا يَقْذِفُكَ أَحَدٌ بِثَمَرَةِ بَطَاطِس سَاخِنَة فَٱقْذِف بِهَا إِلَيه، وَٱسْتَمَرَّتْ فِي مُخَاطَبَتِي قَائِلَة: إِنَّ ثَمَرَةَ ٱلْبَطَاطِس ٱلسَّاخِنَة هِيَ بِمَثَابَةِ ٱلْمَوْقِف اَلَّذِي يَصْعُبُ عِلَاجُه، أَوْ ٱلسُّؤَال اَلَّذِي يَكُونُ ٱلرَّدّ عَلَيْهِ عَسِيرًا.
He said to me: I learnt from my mother a lesson I will never forget and which has affected the course of my life. She was semi-illiterate as she could barely read and write. And one day I came in on her in the kitchen and she was there boiling several (whole) potatoes in a pot. Suddenly she took out one [lit. a fruit] of the potatoes from the boiling water and threw it at me saying: Come on! Catch it my son! I caught it but it burnt me and I started jumping around and screaming from the intensity of the pain. There was nothing I could do involuntarily [lit. unconsciously] other than throw it back at my mother. She caught it and threw it quickly into the pot and then said to me: Youll remember this situation for all your life because when someone throws you a hot potato throw it [back] to him. She continued addressing me saying: A hot potato is equivalent to a situation which is difficult to solve or a question whose answer is difficult.
يَتَوَجَّهُ ٱلْيَوْم أَكْثَر مِن مِلْيُونَيْن وَخَمْسُمِئَةِ أَلْف حَاجٍّ نَحْوَ مَشْعَر مِنَى لِقَضَاء يَوْم ٱلتَّرْوِيَة اِقْتِدَاءً بِسُنَّةِ ٱلْمُصْطَفَى عَلَيْهِ ٱلصَّلاةُ وَٱلسَّلام، وَسْطَ تَكَامُلٍ فِي مَنْظُومَةِ ٱلْخِدْمَات وَٱلْإِمْكَانَات اَلَّتِي أَعَدَّتْهَا مُخْتَلِف ٱلْجِهَاتِ ٱلْمَعْنِيَّة بِشُؤُون ٱلْحَجّ وَٱلْحُجَّاج لِيَتَمَكَّنُوا مِن أَدَاء مَنَاسِكِهِم وَشَعَائِرِهِم بِكُلّ يُسْرٍ وَسُهُولَة، وَفِي جَوٍّ مُفْعَمٍ بِٱلْأَمْن وَٱلْإِيْمَان. وَيَأْتِي ذٰلِكَ فِي وَقْتٍ يَسْتَقْبِلُ فِيه مَطَار ٱلْمَلِك عَبْد ٱلْعَزِيز اَلدَّوْلِيّ آخِر رِحْلَةٍ صَبَاح ٱلْيَوْم، وَهُم أَلْفَا حَاجٍّ فِلَسْطِينِيّ يَتَّجِهُون إِلَى مَكَّةَ ٱلْمُكَرَّمَة مُبَاشَرَةً، فِي حِين أَغْلَقَ مِينَاء جُدَّة بَوَّابَتَهُ مُعْلِنًا اِسْتِقْبَال اِثْنَيْن وَعِشْرِين أَلْف حَاجٍّ عَلَى مَدَار ٱلْأَسَابِيع ٱلْمَاضِيَة.
Today more than two million five hundred thousand Hajj pilgrims are heading towards the ritual site of Mina [a valley near Mecca] to spend Tarwiyah Day observing/following the Sunnah of the Chosen One [Muhammad] peace and blessings be upon him amid the [perfect] integration in the organisation of services and facilities which [all] the various authorities concerned with the affairs of the Hajj pilgrimage and the Hajj pilgrims have made ready so that they [the pilgrims] are able to perform their rituals and rites with all easiness/smoothness and ease in an atmosphere brimful with security and faith. This comes at a time in which The King Abdul Aziz International Airport this morning received the last flight and that was of two thousand Palestinian Hajj pilgrims who are heading straight to Blessed Mecca while the port of Jeddah closed its gate announcing it had received twenty two thousand Hajj pilgrims over the course of the last [few] weeks.
لَمْ تَقْتَصِر أَحْدَاث «ٱلْأَرْبِعَاء ٱلْأَسْوَد» عَلَى ٱلْخَسَائِر ٱلْبَشَرِيَّة وَٱلْاِقْتِصَادِيَّة اَلَّتِي أَحْدَثَتْهَا سُيُول جُدَّة، إِذْ حَذَّرَ خُبَرَاء بِيئِيُّون مِن أَنْ تَتَسَبَّب هٰذِهِ ٱلسُّيُول فِي كَارِثَةٍ بِيئِيَّةٍ قَادِمَة، مُطَالِبِين بِسُرْعَة سَحْب ٱلرَّدْمِيَّات وَٱلسَّيَّارَات اَلْمَجْرُوفَة وَٱلطَّمْي وَٱلرِّمَال اَلَّتِي غَطَّتْ ٱلْأَحْيَاء ٱلشَّرْقِيَّة وَٱلْجَنُوبِيَّة مِن مُحَافَظَةِ جُدَّة، بِٱعْتِبَار هٰذِهِ ٱلْمُخَلَّفَات أَصْبَحَتْ كَٱلْقَنَابِل ٱلْمَوْقُوتَة اَلَّتِي قَد تُهَدِّد سُكَّان جُدَّة لِعَشَرَات ٱلسِّنِين ٱلْمُقْبِلَة. وَأَوْضَحَ ٱلدُّكْتُور أَسْعَد أَبُو رَزِيزَة، رَئِيس مَجْلِس إِدَارَةِ ٱلْجَمْعِيَّةِ ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة لِلْعُلُوم ٱلْبِيئِيَّة، لـِ«اَلشَّرْق ٱلأَوْسَط»، أَنَّ ٱلْمَحَلَّات ٱلتِّجَارِيَّة اَلَّتِي تَبِيعُ ٱلْمُبِيدَات ٱلْحَشَرِيَّة وَٱلْأَسْمِدَة وَٱلْمَوَادّ ٱلْكِيمَاوِيَّة بَعْدَ أَنْ دَاهَمَهَا ٱلسَّيْل وَأَخْرَجَتْ مَا فِي مَخْزُونِهَا فَإِنَّ آثَارَهَا أَصْبَحَتْ خَطِرَة جِدًّا. وَتَابَعَ أَنَّ ذٰلِكَ يَشْمُل أَيْضًا خَزَّانَات مَحَطَّات ٱلْوَقُود اَلَّتِي ضَرَبَتْهَا ٱلْأَمْطَار، وَأَكَّدَ أَنَّ خَطَر بَقَايَا ٱلْوَقُود لا يَزَال مَوْجُودًا أَيْضًا دَاخِلَ أَكْوَام ٱلسَّيَّارَات اَلَّتِي جَرَفَهَا ٱلسَّيْل.
The events of Black Wednesday were not restricted to the human and economic losses which the Jeddah floods caused as environmental experts have warned that these torrential floods will result in a future environmental disaster and they called for the speedy removal of the debris the swept-away cars the silt and the sand which covered the eastern and southern districts of the governorate of Jeddah [as they] considered these remnants to have become like time bombs which could threaten the residents of Jeddah for dozens of years to come. Dr. As`ad Abu Raziza Chairman [lit. head of the management committee] of the Saudi Society for Environmental Sciences explained to Asharq Alawsat that: the commercial stores which sell insecticides and fertilizers and chemicals - after the torrential flood caught them unaware and emptied out what was stored inside their remnants have become very dangerous. And he continued that this also includes the reservoirs/storage tanks of the petrol stations which the rains struck and he stressed that the danger of the remains of the fuel is also still present inside the piles of cars which the flood swept away.
تُحَدِّقُ فَاطِمَة اَلشَّابَّة ٱلْأَفْرِيقِيَّة فِي حُزْمَةٍ مِن ٱلنُّقُود وَتَعُدُّهَا مَرَّتَيْن لِلتَّأَكُّد مِن صِحَّتِهَا، ثُمَّ تَحْزِم ثَلاث حَقَائِب وَتَقِفُ عَاقِدَةَ ٱلْعَزْم عَلَى ٱلرَّحِيل، إِذْ أَنْهَتْ فَاطِمَة، وَهِيَ شَابَّة تُتَاجِرُ فِي هَدَايَا اِشْتَرَتْهَا بِمَبْلَغٍ زَهِيد وَتَبِيعُهَا عَلَى ٱلْحُجَّاج، عَمَلَهَا لِلْيَوْم ٱلْخَامِس عَلَى ٱلتَّوَالِي، مُنْذُ أَنْ بَدَأَ ٱلْحُجَّاج بِٱلْقُدُوم إِلَى ٱلْمَشَاعِر ٱلْمُقَدَّسَة. وَمَا بَيْنَ شَرِكَةٍ حَقَّقَتْ مَبِيعَاتٍ بِمَلايِين، وَشَابَّةٍ مُخَالِفَة حَقَّقَتْ حَفْنَةَ آلاف مِن ٱلرِّيَالَات، وَهِيَ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِن ٱلْاِعْتِقَال، تَتَحَقَّقُ حِكْمَةُ ٱلله تَعَالَى فِي ٱلْآيَةِ ٱلْقُرْآنِيَّة «لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ»، حَيْثُ يَبْدَأ جَمْعٌ مِن ٱلْمُنْتَفِعِين بِٱلْحَجّ فِي ٱلرَّحِيل، عَقِبَ مَوْسِمٍ رُوحَانِيّ تُقَاسِم ٱلنَّاس فِيه أَرْبَاحًا دِينِيَّة، وَأُخْرَى اِقْتِصَادِيَّة وَثَقَافِيَّة.
Fatima a young African woman stares/looks intently at the bundle of cash and counts it twice to make sure it is correct then she packs three suitcases/bags and stands with her mind made up [lit. firm of determination] to leave as Fatima who is a young woman who trades in gifts she bought for a small/trifling amount and sells to the Hajj pilgrims ends her work for the fifth day in a row [having worked] since the Hajj pilgrims began arriving at the sacred ritual sites. And what between a company which has realised sales in millions and a law-breaking young woman who has realised a handful of thousands of riyals who is on the brink [lit. brink of the pit (ref. Quran 3:103)] of being arrested the wisdom/wise words of Almighty God in the Quranic verse: That they may witness the benefits [provided] for them (ref. Quran 22:28) prove to be true as a crowd/throng of beneficiaries [a reference to the above Quranic verse] from the Hajj start to leave following a spiritual season in which the people share out the profits - [some] religious and others economic and cultural.
قَالَ ٱلزَّعِيم ٱللِّيبِيّ اَلْعَقِيد مُعَمَّر ٱلْقَذَّافِيّ إِنَّ سوِيسْرَا قَدَّمَتْ أَكْبَر خِدْمَة لِتَنْظِيم ٱلْقَاعِدَة وَلِلْإِرْهَابِيَّيْن حِينَ حَظَرَتْ بِنَاء مَآذِن ٱلْمَسَاجِد فِيهَا، مُنْتَقِدًا ٱلْأَصْوَات اَلَّتِي أَعْرَبَتْ عَن تَفَهُّمِهَا لِمَوْقِف سوِيسْرَا عَلَى أَسَاس أَنَّهُ خَوْفٌ مِن أَسْلَمَتِهَا. وَأَضَافَ ٱلْقَذَّافِيّ، فِي خِطَابٍ «نَحْنُ لا نَتَمَنَّى أَنْ تَكُون سوِيسْرَا مُسْلِمَة، حَتَّى لا تَدْخُل ٱلْجَنَّة، وَلا يَرْضَى عَنهَا الله، نُحِبُّ أَنْ تَظَلّ فِي وَثَنِيَّتِهَا إِلَى يَوْم ٱلْقِيَامَة وَتَدْخُلُ ٱلنَّار». وَشَنَّ ٱلْعَقِيد ٱلْقَذَّافِيّ هُجُومًا حَادًّا عَلَى ٱلْغَرْب، وَقَال إِنَّهُ مُتَقَدِّمٌ عِلْمِيًّا، لٰكِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مُتَحَضِّرًا. وَأَضَاف «يُمْكِنُ ٱلْمُقَارَنَة بَيْنَهُم وَبَيْنَ ٱلْعَنْكَبُوت وَٱلنَّمْل وَٱلنَّحْل، هٰذِهِ ٱلْحَشَرَات وَاصِلَة إِلَى دَرَجَةٍ عَالِيَة جِدًّا مِن ٱلتَّقَدُّم وَٱلتِّقْنِيَّة، فَٱلْهَنْدَسَة اَلَّتِي عِنْدَ ٱلنَّحْل، وَٱلْإِنْشَاء وَٱلْبِنَاء فِي بَيْت ٱلْعَنْكَبُوت، حَاجَةٌ مُذْهِلَة جِدًّا، وَمَعَ هٰذَا هِيَ لَيْسَتْ إِنْسَانًا فَهِيَ حَشَرَة».
The Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi said that Switzerland rendered the greatest service to the al-Qaeda organisation and to terrorists when it banned the building of minarets of mosques in it [the country]. And he criticized the voices which expressed their understanding of the position of Switzerland on the basis that it [its position] is fear of its Islamization. Al-Gaddafi added in a speech: We dont wish that Switzerland were Muslim so that it doesnt enter Paradise and God is not pleased with it. Wed like it to remain in its idolatry until the Day of Resurrection and enter the Fire [of Hell]. Colonel al-Gaddafi launched a sharp attack on the West and said that it is advanced scientifically but is not civilized. And he added: It is possible to [make a] comparison between them [the West] and (between) the spider the ant and the bee. These insects [note: the spider is considered a حشرة] have reached a very high degree of advancement and technology and the engineering which the bee has and the construction and building in the spiders web is a very astonishing thing yet it is not human it is an insect.
«لَوْ كَانَتْ وِلادَة مُتَعَثِّرَة لِأَرْبَعَةِ تَوَائِم، لَتَمَّتْ بِنَجَاح. وَلٰكِنَّ ٱلْمَخَاض مُسْتَمِرٌّ مُنْذُ مَا يَزِيد عَلَى أَرْبَع سَنَوَات. حَتَّى ٱلصَّحْن ٱللّاقِط بَاتَ مِن شُرُوط إِتْمَام ٱلزَّوَاج. شَيْءٌ لا يُطَاق». بَدَلًا مِن كَلِمَات ٱلْحُبّ وَٱلْهِيَام وَٱلرُّومَانْسِيَّة اَلرَّقِيقَة فِي فَتْرَةِ ٱلْخُطُوبَة، صَدَرَتْ هٰذِهِ ٱلْكَلِمَات اَلْجَافَّة اَلَّتِي تَنُمَّ عَن قَدْرٍ غَيْر قَلِيل مِن ٱلسَّخَط وَٱلْغَضَب وَٱلْحَنَق مِن هَيْثَم اَلَّذِي يَحْتَفِل بَعْدَ أَيَّام بِمُرُور أَرْبَع سَنَوَات عَلَى خِطْبَتِهِ مِن سَارَة. وَسَبَب هٰذِهِ ٱلْمَشَاعِر هِيَ شُرُوط وَالِد سَارَة لِإِتْمَام ٱلزِّيجَة. يَقُولُ هَيْثَم: «مِن غَيْر ٱلْمَعْقُول وَمِن غَيْر ٱلْمَنْطِقِيّ أَنْ يَتَوَقَّعَ ٱلْآبَاء أَنْ يَكُونَ عِرْسَان بَنَاتِهِم قَادِرِين عَلَى شِرَاء كُلّ كَبِيرَةٍ وَصَغِيرَة فِي بَيْت ٱلزَّوْجِيَّة. وَبِصَرَاحَةٍ شَدِيدَة لَوْلا أَنَّنِي أُحِبُّ سَارَة، لَأَلْغَيْتُ ٱلْفِكْرَة مِن أَسَاسِهَا».
[Even] if it had been a difficult birth of quadruplets it would have happened successfully [by now] but the labour pains have been going on for more than four years. Even the satellite [lit. pick-up] dish has become one of the conditions for the fulfilment of marriage. Its intolerable. Instead of words of love and ardency/mad love and tender romanticism in the period of the engagement these dry words which betray not a little discontent and anger and frustration were issued by Haitham who in [a few] days will celebrate the passing of four years of his engagement to Sarah. The cause of these feelings are the conditions of Sarahs father for the fulfilment of the marriage. Haitham says: Its unreasonable and illogical that parents expect the grooms of their daughters to be able to buy every big thing and little thing in the marital home. To be quite honest if I didnt love Sarah I would have cancelled the whole idea.
فَجْأَةً بَدَأَ شَابٌّ «مُعَوَّق» يَظْهَرُ فِي ٱلْحَيّ. لَيْسَ زَائِرًا، وَلَيْسَ حَدِيث عَهْدٍ بِٱلْمَكَان. فَقَط بَعْض ٱلْجِيرَان اَلْقَاطِنِين فِي ٱلْعِمَارَة نَفْسِهَا كَانُوا يَعْلَمُون بِوُجُودِه، وَإِنْ كَانُوا نَادِرًا مَا يُصَادِفُونَه، فَٱرْتَأَتْ أُسْرَتُهُ أَلَّا يَظْهَرَ أَمَامَ ٱلْآخَرِين قَدْر مَا ٱسْتَطَاعَتْ قَضَاء حَاجَاتِه دَاخِل ٱلْبَيْت. كَانَ مُخْتَلِفًا. «شَدِيد ٱلْاِخْتِلاف» تَقُولُ أُخْتُهُ مُتَأَلِّمَة. أَطْرَافُهُ بِهَا ٱعْوِجَاج، وَحَرَكَتُهُ مُتَشَنِّجَة، وَرَأْسُهُ لا يَسْتَقِرُّ عَلَى وَضْع، وَفَمُهُ مَائِلٌ إِلَى جِهَةِ ٱلْخَدّ ٱلْأَيْسَر، لٰكِنَّهُ كَانَ يُدْرِك مَا يُحِيطُ بِه، وَيُعَبِّرُ بِبَعْض ٱلْكَلِمَات لٰكِنَّهُ يُفَضِّل غَالِبِيَّةَ ٱلْوَقْت اَلْاِحْتِفَاظ بِهَا لِنَفْسِه، لِأَنَّ لا آذَان صَاغِيَة لِمَا يَقُولُه. فِي وَقْتٍ لاحِق، لَمَّا تَقَدَّمَ فِي ٱلْعُمْر نَحْوَ سِنّ ٱلْمُرَاهَقَة، صَارَ لا يُبْقِي كَلِمَاتِه أَسِيرَةَ صَدْرِه. صَارَ يُطْلِقُهَا، وَلا يَتَوَقَّف عَن تَكْرَارِهَا حَتَّى تَخْتَرِق ٱلْآذَان وَتُطَوِّعُ ٱلرَّافِضِين. كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْخُرُوج مِن سِجْنِه.
Suddenly a young disabled man started appearing in the neighbourhood. He is not a visitor and he is not new to the place. Only some of the neighbours living in the same building had known of his existence though they had rarely encountered him as his family thought it best that he didnt appear in front of others to the extent that they were able to fulfil his needs inside the house. He was different very different says his sister with pain [in her voice]. His limbs are crooked and his movement is spastic/convulsive and his head doesnt stay in place and his mouth goes over to the side of his left cheek. But he was aware of his surroundings and he uttered some words but the majority of the time he preferred to keep them to himself because no ears [were] listening to what he said. Subsequently when he had advanced in age towards the age of adolescence he began not leaving his words a prisoner in his chest. He started letting them loose and did not stop repeating them until they penetrated the ears and rendered obedient the people who had refused [his demands]. He had wanted to get out of his prison.
يَتَبَيَّن أَكِيدًا، أَنَّكَ لا تَسْتَطِيع أَنْ تَشْتَرِيَ مَارْكَة مُسَجَّلَة لِجَائِزَةٍ أَدَبِيَّة كَمَا تَشْتَرِي وَكَالَةَ «مَاكدُونَالد» أَوْ «كَنْتَاكِي» لِلْوَجَبَات ٱلسَّرِيعَة. اَلتَّفَاؤُل اَلَّذِي أَبْدَاهُ ٱلْأُدَبَاء بَعْدَ ٱلْإِعْلان عَن إِطْلاق جَائِزَةِ «ٱلْبُوكَر لِلرِّوَايَةِ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة»، اِسْتِنْسَاخًا لِشَقِيقَتِهَا ٱلْإِنْجْلِيزِيَّة ٱلشَّهِيرَة اَلَّتِي تَحْمِلُ ٱلْاِسْم نَفْسَه وَتَتَمَتَّع بِمِصْدَاقِيَةٍ كَبِيرَة، تَحَوَّلَ مَعَ ٱلْوَقْت إِلَى خَيْبَةِ أَمَلٍ عَلْقَمِيَّة. فَإِمَّا أَنَّ ٱلْقَيِّمِين اَلْإِنْجلِيز عَلَى ٱلْجَائِزَة وَٱلَّذِينَ يُدِيرُونَهَا مِن بَعِيد يَسْتَخِفُّون بِمُهِمَّتِهِم وَيَسْتَصْغِرُون عُقُولَنَا، أَوْ أَنّ ٱلْأَعْضَاء ٱلْعَرَب فِي ٱلْجَائِزَة هُم مِن ٱلْفَسَاد، بِحَيْثُ اِسْتَطَاعُوا أَنْ يُقْنِعُوا ٱلْبِرِيطَانِيِّين بِجَدْوَى أَسَالِيبِهِم اَلتَّشَاطُرِيَّة اَلْمُلْتَوِيَة. وَإِلَّا فَلِمَاذَا فَقَط اَلْجَوَائِز ٱلْبِرِيطَانِيَّةَ ٱلْأَصْل هِيَ وَحْدَهَا اَلَّتِي يَسْتَقِيلُ أَعْضَاء لِجَانِهَا ٱلتَّحْكِيمِيَّة وَيَحْرَد مُشَارِكُون فِيهَا، وَتَثُور حَوْلَهَا ٱلشُّكُوك وَٱلْحِكَايَات ٱلْبُولِيسِيَّة.
It has become very clear that you cant buy a registered trade mark for a literary prize [in the same way] as you would buy an agency for McDonalds or Kentucky [Fried Chicken] for fast food. The optimism which authors displayed after the announcement of the launching of the Booker Prize for Arabic Fiction (a replica of its famous English sister [prize] which bears the same name and enjoys great credibility) has changed with time into bitter disappointment. For it is either that the English organisers of the prize who run it from afar treat their task lightly and think little of our minds or that the Arab members of the prize are [so] corrupt [lit. of corruption] that they are able to convince the British of the advantage of their crooked cunning methods. And if not then why are only prizes of British origin the only ones where the members of their judging panels resign and whose participants become disgruntled and around which rage doubts and detective stories?
وَكَانَ كَثِيرًا مَا يَسْتَيْقِظ فَيَسْمَع تَجَاوُبَ ٱلدِّيَكَة وَتَصَايُح ٱلدَّجَاج، وَيَجْتَهِد فِي أَنْ يُمَيِّزَ بَيْنَ هٰذِهِ ٱلْأَصْوَات اَلْمُخْتَلِفَة. فَأَمَّا بَعْضُهَا فَكَانَتْ أَصْوَات دِيَكَة حَقًّا، وَأَمَّا بَعْضُهَا ٱلْآخَر فَكَانَتْ أَصْوَات عَفَارِيت تَتَشَكَّل بِأَشْكَال ٱلدِّيَكَة وَتُقَلِّدُهَا عَبَثًا وَكَيْدًا. وَلَمْ يَكُن يَحْفِل بِهٰذِهِ ٱلْأَصْوَات وَلا يَهَابُهَا، لِأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ تَصِلُ إِلَيه مِن بَعِيد. إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَخَافُ ٱلْخَوْف كُلَّه أَصْوَاتًا أُخْرَى لَمْ يَكُن يَتَبَيَّنُهَا إِلَّا بِمَشَقَّةٍ وَجَهْد، كَانَتْ تَنْبَعِث مِن زَوَايَا ٱلْحُجْرَة نَحِيفَة ضَئِيلَة، يُمَثِّل بَعْضُهَا أَزِيز ٱلْمِرْجَل يَغْلِي عَلَى ٱلنَّار، وَيُمَثِّل بَعْضُهَا ٱلْآخَر حَرَكَةَ مَتَاعٍ خَفِيف يُنْقَل مِن مَكَانٍ إِلَى مَكَان، وَيُمَثِّل بَعْضُهَا خَشَبًا يَنْقَصِم أَوْ عُودًا يَنْحَطِم.
He would often wake and hear the cockerels replying to each other and the chickens calling out to each other and he would try hard to distinguish between these various sounds. Some of them were really the sounds of cockerels but others were the sounds of ifreets [=sprites/goblins] who had taken the form of cockerels and imitated them with mischief and trickery. He wasnt concerned about these sounds and he didnt fear them because they came to him from afar. But he was really afraid of other sounds which he couldnt distinguish except with difficulty and effort which emanated from the corners of the room thinly and feebly. Some of them were like the bubbling sound [lit. droning/humming] of a cauldron boiling on the fire and others were like the movement of a light object being moved from place to place and some were like wood breaking or a stick going into pieces.
وَكَانَ يَخَاف أَشَدّ ٱلْخَوْف أَشْخَاصًا يَتَمَثَّلُهَا قَد وَقَفَتْ عَلَى بَاب ٱلْحُجْرَة فَسَدَّتْهُ سَدًّا، وَأَخَذَتْ تَأْتِي بِحَرَكَاتٍ مُخْتَلِفَة أَشْبَه شَيْء بِحَرَكَات ٱلْمُتَصَوِّفَة فِي حَلَقَات ٱلذِّكْر. وَكَانَ يَعْتَقِد أَنَّ لَيْسَ لَهُ حِصْنٌ مِن كُلّ هٰذِهِ ٱلْأَشْبَاح ٱلْمَخُوفَة وَٱلْأَصْوَات ٱلْمُنْكَرَة، إِلَّا أَنْ يَلْتَفَّ فِي لِحَافِه مِن ٱلرَّأْس إِلَى ٱلْقَدَم، دُونَ أَنْ يَدَعَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ ٱلْهَوَاء مَنْفَذًا أَوْ ثُغْرَةً. وَكَانَ وَاثِقًا أَنَّهُ إِنْ تَرَكَ ثُغْرَة فِي لِحَافِه فَلا بُدَّ مِن أَنْ تَمْتَدَّ مِنهَا يَد عِفْرِيت إِلَى جِسْمِه فَتَنَالَهُ بِٱلْغَمْز وَٱلْعَبَث.
He would most fear people who he imagined stood in the doorway of the room blocking it completely and who began making various movements something like the movements of Sufis [when they stand] in circles incessantly reciting the Lords name. He believed that he had no protection from all these frightful apparitions and abominable sounds other than by wrapping himself in his blanket/coverlet from head to foot and not leaving between him and (between) the air an opening or a gap. And he was certain that if he left a gap in his blanket/coverlet then for sure the hand of an ifreet would reach through it to his body and get hold of him poking/touching [him] and playing/messing around.
لِذٰلِكَ كَانَ يَقْضِي لَيْلَهُ خَائِفًا مُضْطَرِبًا، إِلَّا حِينَ يَغْلِبُهُ ٱلنَّوْم، وَمَا كَانَ يَغْلِبُهُ ٱلنَّوْم إِلَّا قَلِيلًا. كَانَ يَسْتَيْقِظ مُبَكِّرًا أَوْ قُل كَانَ يَسْتَيْقِظ فِي ٱلسَّحَر، وَيَقْضِي شَطْرًا طَوِيلًا مِن ٱللَّيْل فِي هٰذِهِ ٱلْأَهْوَال وَٱلْأَوْجَال وَٱلْخَوْف مِن ٱلْعَفَارِيت، حَتَّى إِذَا وَصَلَتْ إِلَى سَمْعِه أَصْوَات ٱلنِّسَاء يَعُدنَ إِلَى بُيُوتِهِنّ وَقَد مَلَأنَ جِرَارَهُنّ مِن ٱلْقَنَاة وَهُنَّ يَتَغَنَّينَ «اَلله يَا لَيْل اَلله».. عَرَفَ أَنْ قَد بَزَغَ ٱلْفَجْر، وَأَنْ قَد هَبَطَتْ ٱلْعَفَارِيت إِلَى مُسْتَقَرِّهَا مِن ٱلْأَرْض ٱلسُّفْلَى.
So he would spend his night afraid and agitated except when sleep overcame him. And sleep didnt overcome him except rarely. He would wake early or lets say he would wake in the time before dawn and hed spend a large portion of the night among these terrors and fears and the dread of the ifreets until when there came to his hearing the voices of the women returning to their houses having filled their [earthenware] jars from the canal and they were singing My God! What a night! My God! [and then] he knew that the dawn had broken and that the ifreets had descended to their abode of the nether [lit. lower] world.
فَٱسْتَحَالَ هُوَ عِفْرِيتًا، وَأَخَذَ يَتَحَدَّث إِلَى نَفْسِه بِصَوْتٍ عَال، وَيَتَغَنَّى بِمَا حَفِظَ مِن نَشِيد ٱلشَّاعِر، وَيَغْمِز مَنْ حَوْلَه مِن إِخْوَتِهِ وَأَخَوَاتِه، حَتَّى يُوقِظَهُم وَاحِدًا وَاحِدًا. فَإِذَا تَمَّ لَهُ ذٰلِك، فَهُنَاكَ ٱلصِّيَاح وَٱلْغِنَاء، وَهُنَاكَ ٱلضَّجِيج وَٱلْعَجِيج، وَهُنَاكَ ٱلضَّوْضَاء اَلَّتِي لَمْ يَكُن يَضَعَ لَهَا حَدًّا إِلَّا نُهُوض ٱلشَّيْخ مِن سَرِيرِه، وَدُعَاؤُهُ بِٱلْإِبْرِيق لِيَتَوَضَّأ. حِينَئِذٍ تَخْفُتُ ٱلْأَصْوَات وَتَهْدَأ ٱلْحَرَكَة، حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ اَلشَّيْخ وَيُصَلِّي وَيَقْرَأ وِرْدَه وَيَشْرَب قَهْوَتَه وَيَمْضِي إِلَى عَمَلِه. فَإِذَا أَغْلَقَ ٱلْبَاب مِن دُونِه نَهَضَتْ ٱلْجَمَاعَةُ كُلُّهَا مِن ٱلْفِرَاش، وَٱنْسَابَتْ فِي ٱلْبَيْت صَائِحَة لاعِبَة حَتَّى تَخْتَلِط بِمَا فِي ٱلْبَيْت مِن طَيْرٍ وَمَاشِيَة.
Then he himself turned into an ifreet [sprite/goblin] and he started talking to himself in a loud voice and he would sing what he had remembered of the song/chant of the poet and hed poke/touch those around him from among his brothers and sisters until hed woken them one by one. Once hed done that there would be shouting and singing and thered be noise and clamour and thered be uproar which nothing would put an end to except the rising of the sheikh [i.e. his father] from his bed and his calling for a jug so that he could perform the ritual ablution [before praying]. At that time the voices would die down and the movement would calm down until the sheikh had performed his ritual ablution and had prayed and read his [daily] section [of the Quran] and had drunk his coffee and gone off to his work. But as soon as he had closed the door behind him the whole troop/group rose from bed and streamed through the house shouting and playing until they got all mixed up with what was in the house in the way of birds and livestock.
هَادِئًا وَخَجُولًا مَرَّ مَوْسِم ٱلْأَعْيَاد فِي ٱلْعِرَاق هٰذَا ٱلْعَام، فَعَلَى رَغْم اِنْتِشَار ٱلزِّينَة وَٱلْأَشْجَار فِي كُلّ مَكَان، تَبْقَى ٱلصَّلاةُ فِي ٱلْكَنِيسَة اَلْمُؤَشِّر ٱلْوَحِيد إِلَى ٱلْعِيد اَلَّذِي تَزَامَنَ مَعَ مَرَاسِم عَاشُورَاء، مَا دَفَعَ ٱلْمَسِيحِيِّين إِلَى ٱلْإِعْلان عَن اِمْتِنَاعِهِم عَن اِحْتِفَالِهِم بِٱلْعِيد تَضَامُنًا مَعَ ٱلشِّيعَة. فَٱلْوَلائِم ٱلْمُشْتَرَكَة بَيْنَ ٱلْمَسِيحِيِّين وَٱلْمُسْلِمِين اَلَّتِي كَانَ يُقِيمُهَا ٱلْمَسِيحِيُّون فِي أَعْيَاد ٱلْمِيلاد وَيَدْعُون إِلَيْهَا ٱلْجِيرَان وَٱلْأَصْدِقَاء، اُسْتُبْدِلَتْ هٰذَا ٱلْعَام بِمَوَائِد «حَزِينَة»، فَكَانَتْ ٱلْقِيمَةُ وَٱلْهَرِيسَة وَغَيْرَهُمَا مِن مَأْكُولَات عَاشُورَاء بَدِيلًا عَن حَلْوَى ٱلْكَادَة وَٱلدِّيك ٱلرُّومِيّ، لٰكِنَّ ٱلْمُشَارَكَة بَقِيَتْ ذَاتَهَا. وَكُلّ مَا فَعَلَهُ ٱلْمَسِيحِيُّون هٰذَا ٱلْعَام هُوَ تَزْيِين أَشْجَار ٱلْمِيلاد وَأَدَاء ٱلصَّلاة، أَمَّا بَقِيَّةُ ٱلشَّعَائِر وَمَظَاهِر ٱلْاِحْتِفَال، فَقَد أُجِّلَتْ إِلَى ٱلْعَام ٱلْمُقْبِل.
The season of festivals passed quietly and shyly in Iraq this year as despite the spread of decorations and trees in every place prayer in church has remained the sole indication of Christmas [lit. the festival] which coincided with the ceremonies of Ashura [=10th of Muharram martyrdom of Husayn] something which drove the Christians to announce their refraining from their celebrating Christmas in solidarity with the Shia. The shared banquets between Christians and Muslims which the Christians held at [previous] Christmases to which they invited neighbours and friends were replaced this year by sad/mournful tables as qeema [=stew of finely chopped meat and chickpeas] and harisa [=dish of meat and bulgur or barley] and other Ashoura foodstuffs were a substitute for kadeh [=a sweet flat pastry] and turkey although the sharing remained the same. All the Christians did this year was to decorate the Christmas trees and perform prayer. As for the rest of the ceremonies and manifestations of celebration they have been postponed until next year.