يُعَدُّ ٱلزَّعْفَرَان مِن أَغْلَى ٱلْمَوَادّ اَلَّتِي تُسْتَعْمَلُ فِي طَهْي ٱلْأَطْبَاق ٱلْمَغْرِبِيَّة، حَيْثُ إِنَّ غرَامًا وَاحِدًا مِن هٰذِهِ ٱلْمَادَّة يُسْتَخْلَصُ مِن مَسْحُوق مِئَة وَخَمْسِين وَرْدَة، وَتُنْتِجُ كُلّ وَرْدَةٍ ثَلاث شُعَيْرَات. وَيُقَدَّرُ ٱلْإِنْتَاج ٱلسَّنَوِيّ مِن هٰذِهِ ٱلْمَادَّةِ ٱلزِّرَاعِيَّة ٱلنَّادِرَة فِي ٱلْمَغْرِب مَا بَيْنَ طُنَّيْن إِلَى ثَلاثَةِ أَطْنَان فِي أَفْضَل ٱلْأَحْوَال، وَيُسْتَعْمَلُ ٱلزَّعْفَرَان ٱلْأَصْلِيّ، أَوْ «اَلْحُرّ» كَمَا يُطْلَقُ عَلَيْه فِي ٱلْمَغْرِب، مَعَ أَكَلات ٱلْأَفْرَاح وَٱلْمُنَاسَبَات ٱلْاِجْتِمَاعِيَّة، خَاصَّةً «اَلطَّوَاجِن»، اَلْأَكْلَةُ ٱلْأَكْثَر رَوَاجًا فِي ٱلْمَغْرِب، وَهِيَ ٱللُّحُوم ٱلْمَطْهِيَة مَعَ ٱلْخُضَر، أَوْ اَلدَّجَاج ٱلْمُحَمَّر مَعَ ٱلزَّيْتُون وَٱلْحَامِض (اَللَّيْمُون). وَيَقُولُ ٱلْأَطِبَّاء إِنَّ إِضَافَةَ ٱلزَّعْفَرَان لِلْأَكْل تَبْقَى مُفِيدَة، لِأَنَّهُ مَادَّةٌ ضِدّ ٱلتَّشَنُّج، وَيُدْخِلُ ٱلْاِسْتِرْخَاء وَٱلْاِنْشِرَاح عَلَى مَنْ يَتَنَاوَلُهُ مَعَ ٱلْأَكْل، كَمَا أَنَّهُ مُنَبِّهٌ لِلْمَعِدَة، وَمُفِيدٌ كَذٰلِك لِلْأَمْعَاء وَٱلْأَعْصَاب.
Saffron is considered one of the most valuable/expensive substances which is used in the cooking of Moroccan dishes as one gramme of this substance is extracted from the powder of one hundred and fifty flowers each flower producing three filaments [ed. stigmas]. The annual production of this rare agricultural substance in Morocco is estimated at between two tons and three tons in the best of circumstances. Authentic saffron or pure [saffron] as it is called in Morocco is used with the meals of weddings and social occasions in particular the tagines [=stews cooked in shallow earthen pots] the most common/widespread meal in Morocco which is meat cooked with vegetables or roast chicken with olives and lemon [mor.] (lemon [fusha]). Doctors say that adding saffron to food is still beneficial because it is a substance [which] counters cramp/tension and brings (in) relaxation and [a sense of] well-being to those who have it with food and that it is a stimulant for the stomach and useful likewise for the intestines and the nerves.
يَقَعُ مَطْعَم «نَافِذَة عَلَى ٱلْعَالَم» بِفُنْدُق رَمْسِيس هِيلْتُون، عَلَى بُعْد أَمْتَارٍ مِن مِيدَان ٱلتَّحْرِير، أَشْهَر مَيَادِين قَاهِرَةِ ٱلْمُعِزّ، وَمِن شُرْفَتِهِ ٱلزُّجَاجِيَّة ٱلشَّفَّافَة تَتَخَطَّفُ عَيْنَيْك إِطْلالَةٌ سَاحِرَة، عَلَى بُرْج ٱلْجَزِيرَة، وَٱلْمَتْحَف ٱلْمِصْرِيّ اَلَّذِي يَضُمُّ تُرَاث ٱلْفَرَاعِنَة، وَٱلْمَرَاكِب ٱلشِّرَاعِيَّة وَهِيَ تَتَرَاقَصُ فَوْقَ صَفْحَةِ ٱلنِّيل، وَتُبْهِرُكَ شَمْس ٱلْأَصِيل بِخُيُوطِهَا ٱلذَّهَبِيَّة، كَمَا يُمْكِنُكَ أَنْ تَنْعَم بِرَوْعَةِ ٱلصُّبْح وَهُوَ يَتَنَفَّس مِثْلَ طِفْلٍ صَغِير.. إِنَّهَا بَانُورَامَا حَيَّة تُصَادِفُكَ بِٱلطَّابِق ٱلسَّادِس وَٱلثَّلاثِين، حَيْثُ يَقْبَعُ ٱلْمَطْعَم. جَوٌّ مُفْعَمٌ بِٱلسِّحْر وَٱلْمُوسِيقَى تَتَحَسَّسُهُ وَأَنْتَ تَتَنَاوَل مَشْرُوبَكَ ٱلْمُفَضَّل، مُسْتَمْتِعًا بِمَنْظَر ٱلْغُرُوب عَلَى نَغَمَات ٱلْبِيَانُو ٱلْحَانِيَة، اَلَّتِي تَتَدَفَّق عَلَى مَسَامِعِك مِن بَيْن أَصَابِع ٱلْعَازِف ٱلشَّهِير أَكْرَم اَلشَّرْقَاوِيّ، وَعِنْدَمَا يُسْدِلُ ٱللَّيْل أَسْتَار ظَلامِه عَلَى ٱلْمَكَان سَتَشْعُرُ وَكَأَنَّكَ أَصْبَحتَ وَسْطَ مَجَرَّةٍ مِن ٱلنُّجُوم ٱلْمُتَلَأْلِئَة بِخُيُوطِهَا ٱلْفِضِّيَّة اَلْمُتَرَاقِصَة حَوْلَك.
The restaurant Window on the World in the Ramses Hilton hotel lies a distance of [just a few] metres from Tahrir Square the most famous square in the Cairo of al-Mu`izz [lidiin illah (d. 975) founder of Cairo]. From its transparent glass balcony a magical view dazzles [lit. grabs] your eyes [a view] onto the Cairo Tower [lit. Island Tower] the Egyptian Museum which holds [lit. brings together] the heritage of the Pharaohs and the sailboats as they dance on the expanse/surface of the Nile. The sun of the late afternoon bedazzles you with its golden rays [lit. threads] just as you can [also] enjoy the splendour of the morning as it breathes like a young child. It is a lively/full-of-life panorama which meets you on the thirty sixth floor where the restaurant lies tucked away. An atmosphere brimful of magic and music which you can experience as you have your favourite drink enjoying the view of the sunset to the soft melodies of the piano which flow forth to your ears from the fingers of the famous pianist [lit. player] Akram el-Sharkawy. And when the night lowers the veils of its darkness over the place you will feel as if you have come to be amid a galaxy of shimmering stars with their silvery rays [lit. threads] dancing around you.
لَمْ يُخْفِ ٱلْأَمِين ٱلْعَامّ لِلْأُمَم ٱلْمُتَّحِدَة بَان كِي مُون دَهْشَتَهُ اَلَّتِي وَصَلَتْ إِلَى حَدّ ٱلصَّدْمَةِ أَمْس، وَهُوَ يُشَاهِدُ تَشَابُك ٱلْاِسْتِيطَان وَٱلْجِدَار ٱلْفَاصِل وَتَقْسِيم ٱلشَّوَارِع وَعَزْل ٱلْأَرَاضِي ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيَّة وَتَقْسِيمَهَا إِلَى ثَلاثَةِ أَجْزَاء، فَخَاطَبَ رَئِيس ٱلْوُزَرَاء ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيّ سَلام فَيَّاض اَلَّذِي كَانَ يُطْلِعُهُ عَلَى خَرِيطَةِ «حَقَائِق ٱلْحَيَاةِ ٱلْيَوْمِيَّة فِي ٱلْأَرَاضِي ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيَّة»، قَائِلًا: «أَنْتُم تَعِيشُون تَحْتَ قُيُودٍ بَالِغَةَ ٱلشِّدَّة، كَيْفَ تُحْرَمُون مِن ٱلْعَمَل فِي سِتِّين فِي ٱلْمِئَة مِن أَرْضِكُمْ؟ هٰذَا أَمْرٌ غَيْر مَقْبُول». وَقَفَ فَيَّاض وَضَيْفُه فِي حَيّ ٱلْمَصْيُون فِي رَام ٱلله، وَشَاهَدَا مَعًا اَلتَّوَسُّع ٱلْاِسْتِيطَانِيّ ٱلْجَارِف فِي تَجَمُّع «غِفْعَات زَئِيف» اَلْاِسْتِيطَانِيّ اَلْمُقَام عَلَى أَرَاضِي شَرْق ٱلْقُدْس، كَمَا شَاهَدَا اَلْجِدَار وَٱلْأَرَاضِي اَلَّتِي يَعْزِلُهَا خَلْفَه، وَٱلطَّرِيق اَلرَّقْم أَرْبَعُمِئَة وَثَلاثَة وَأَرْبَعِين اَلْمُخَصَّص لِلْإِسْرَائِيلِيِّين وَٱلْمَمْنُوع عَلَى ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين رَغْم مُرُورِهِ فِي قُرَى غَرْب رَام ٱلله.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon did not hide his astonishment which reached the extent of shock yesterday as he was looking at the interweaving of the settlements the separation wall the partitioning/division of the streets the cutting off/isolating of Palestinian land and its partitioning/division into three parts [with different administrations]. Addressing the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad who was acquainting him with a map [showing] the realities of daily life in the Palestinian territories he [Ki-moon] said: You live under severe restrictions. How can you be prohibited from working in sixty percent of your land? Its unacceptable. Fayyad and his guest were standing in the district of Masyoun in Ramallah and they saw together the sweeping settlement expansion in the settlement conglomeration of Giv;at Ze;ev built on land east of Jerusalem as also they saw the wall and the land which it cuts off/isolates behind it and Road Number 443 [which is] designated/set aside for Israelis and forbidden to Palestinians despite its passing through villages west of Ramallah.
مَحْمُود (ثَلاث وَعِشْرُون سَنَة) عَادَ قَبْلَ أَيَّام مِن إِيْطَالِيَا. لَمْ يَكُن فِي رِحْلَةٍ سِيَاحِيَّة، وَلا حَتَّى مَبْعُوثًا مِن جِهَةِ عَمَلِه، بَل كَانَ فِي مُحَاوَلَةٍ لِلْهِجْرَةِ غَيْر ٱلشَّرْعِيَّة تَكَلَّلَتْ بِٱلْفَشَل، وَإِنْ كَانَ «سِتْر رَبِّنَا» أَعَادَهُ مِنهَا عَلَى قَيْد ٱلْحَيَاة. مَحْمُود بَاعَ مَصُوغَات زَوْجَتِهِ ٱلذَّهَبِيَّة بِٱثْنَي عَشَر أَلْف جُنَيْه، وَٱقْتَرَضَ مِن أَهْلِه وَجِيرَانِه مَا قِيمَتُهُ أَلْف دُولارٍ أَمِيرِكِيّ، وَسَافَرَ إِلَى لِيبِيَا بَرًّا، وَمِنهَا عَبْرَ قَارِبٍ مَعَ أَرْبَعَةٍ وَثَمَانِين شَابًّا آخَرِين مُتَوَجِّهًا إِلَى إِيْطَالِيَا، حَيْثُ تَمَّ ٱلْقَبْض عَلَيْهِم قُبَالَةَ ٱلسَّوَاحِل ٱلْإِيْطَالِيَّة، وَإِيْدَاعُهُم مَرْكَز اِحْتِجَازٍ لِمُدَّةِ أُسْبُوع قَبْلَ تَرْحِيلِهِم. اَلْأَغْرَب مِن ٱلرِّحْلَةِ ٱلدَّامِيَّة هُوَ تَأْكِيدُهُ أَنَّهُ لَوْ أُتِيحَتْ لَهُ ٱلْفُرْصَة مَرَّة أُخْرَى، فَسَيُحَاوِل مُجَدَّدًا حَتَّى يَضْمَنَ لِزَوْجَتِهِ وَٱبْنِه اَلَّذِي لَمْ يَتَعَدَّ عُمْرُهُ بِضْعَةَ أَشْهُر حَيَاةً أَفْضَل.
Mahmoud (twenty three years old) returned [a few] days ago from Italy. He hadnt been on a tourist trip nor even [was he] a representative [lit. envoy] on the part of his work; Rather he had been on an attempt to immigrate [lit. migrate] illegally which ended [lit. was crowned/wreathed] in failure although the protection of our Lord brought him back from there alive. Mahmoud sold his wifes gold jewellery for twelve thousand [Egyptian] pounds and borrowed/loaned from his family and neighbours what amounted to one thousand American dollars and he travelled to Libya by land and from there [he travelled] by way of a boat with eighty four other young men [which was] heading to Italy where they were arrested off [lit. opposite] the Italian coast and put in a detention centre for a period of a week before they were deported. Stranger than the ill-fated/unhappy [lit. bloody] journey is his certainty that if he were given the opportunity another time he would try again in order to guarantee for his wife and son whose age does not exceed a few months a better life.
اَلزَّكَاةُ كَمَاَ نَعْلَم هِيَ ٱلرُّكْن ٱلثَّالِث مِن أَرْكَان ٱلْإِسْلام، وَيَقُول تَعَالَى: «قَدْ أَفْلَحَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ ٱللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ». وَقَد قَرَنَ ٱلله سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى بَيْنَ ٱلصَّلاةِ وَٱلزَّكَاة فِي أَكْثَر مِن ثَمَانِين مَوْضِعًا فِي ٱلْقُرْآن ٱلْكَرِيم. وَٱلْإِنْسَان جُبِلَ عَلَى حُبّ ٱلْمَال وَٱدِّخَارِه: «وَتُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا»، لِذَا أَوْجَبَ ٱلله تَعَالَى هٰذِهِ ٱلْفَرِيضَة لِيَتَخَلَّصَ ٱلْإِنْسَان عَن طَرِيقِهَا مِن مَشَاعِر ٱلْأَنَانِيَّة وَحُبّ ٱلذَّات وَيَتَعَلَّم كَيْفَ يُؤْثِر عَلَى نَفْسِه وَيُطَهِّرُهَا مِن دَاء ٱلشُّحّ وَٱلْبُخْل اَللَّذَيْن يَقْتَرِنَان بِجَمْع ٱلْمَال وَٱدِّخَارِه. وَيَقُولُ تَعَالَى: «خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِمْ بِهَا».
Zakat [=alms/the poor-due (Isl. Law)] as we know is the third pillar [lit. corner] of the pillars of Islam [God] Most High says: Blessed [lit. successful] are the believers who in their prayers are humble who from foolish talk turn away and who of the zakat perform/pay [Quran 23.1]. Almighty God linked/made a connection between prayer and zakat in more than eighty passages/places in the Holy Quran. Man was fashioned [with a natural propensity] for the love of money/wealth and the hoarding/saving of it: You love wealth with abounding love [Quran 89.20]. Therefore God Most High made obligatory this [religious] duty so that man may rid himself by way of it of feelings of selfishness and love of the self and learn how to care for [lit. prefer] more than his [own] soul and to purge/cleanse it [his soul] of the diseases of stinginess and miserliness which [diseases] are linked with the accumulating of wealth and the hoarding/saving of it. [God] Most High said: Take [O Muhammad] alms [Isl. law] of their wealth with which [alms] you may cleanse them and purify them [Quran 9.103].
فِي شَرْق سُورِيَّة، حَمَّلَتْ أَزْمَةُ جَفَاف ٱلْجَزِيرَةِ ٱلسُّورِيَّة (اَلْحَسَكَة، اَلرَّقَّة وَدَيْر ٱلزُّور) نَهِيَّة دَرْوِيش مَسْؤُولِيَّةَ رِعَايَةِ وَالِدَيْهَا ٱلْمُعَوَّقَيْن وَإِخْوَتِهَا ٱلصِّغَار وَهِيَ فِي ٱلْخَامِسَةِ وَٱلْعِشْرِين مِن عُمْرِهَا، وَأَجْبَرَتْهَا عَلَى ٱلْعَمَل كَخَادِمَة فِي ٱلْبُيُوت لِتُغَطِّي مَصْرُوف مَا يَسُدُّ رَمَقَهُم. اَلْمَدَاخِيل ٱلصَّغِيرَة لِإِخْوَتِهَا ٱلصِّغَار مِن ٱلتَّسَوُّل وَأَعْمَال ٱلتَّنْظِيف، زَادَتْ يَأْسَهَا مَعَ ٱسْتِمْرَار أَزْمَةِ ٱلْجَفَاف، إِلَّا أَنَّ ٱلْأَمَل تَسَرَّبَ إِلَيهَا فِي يَوْمٍ وَزَّعَ فِيهِ «بَرْنَامَج ٱلْأَغْذِيَةِ ٱلْعَالَمِيّ» مُسَاعَدَاتَهُ ٱلْغِذَائِيَّة لِلْعَائِلات، «فِي ذٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْم أَكَلنَا وَجْبَة كَامِلَة لِلْمَرَّةِ ٱلْأُولَى مُنْذُ زَمَنٍ بَعِيد»، تَقُولُ نَهِيَّة اَلَّتِي مَكَّنَتْهَا ٱلسِّلَل ٱلْغِذَائِيَّة مِن تَخْصِيص دَخْلِهَا لِلدَّوَاء وَإِعَادَةِ إِخْوَتِهَا إِلَى ٱلْمَدْرَسَة.
In the east of Syria the drought in the Syrian island [actually land surrounded by rivers] ([comprising the governorates of] al-Hasaka al-Raqqa and Deir az-Zor) burdened Nahiyya Darwish... ...with the responsibility of caring for her disabled parents and her young brothers when she was twenty five [years] of age and forced her to work as a maid in houses to cover the expenditure of what would keep them from starving. The small incomes of her young brothers from begging and cleaning increased her hopelessness alongwith the continuation of the drought. However hope seeped/crept/flowed into her on the day on which the World Food Programme distributed its food aid to families. On that day we ate a full meal for the first time for a very long time said Nahiyya who the food baskets have enabled to allocate her income to medicine and to return her brothers to school.
أَطْفَالٌ فِي عُمْر ٱلْوُرُود تَرَاهُم يَفْتَرِشُون ٱلْأَرْض وَيَلْتَحِفُون ٱلسَّمَاء عِنْدَ إِشَارَات ٱلْمُرُور وَمَحَالّ تَصْلِيح ٱلسَّيَّارَات وَٱلْمَزَارِع وَفِي ٱلْأَسْوَاق... عُيُونُهُم شَاخِصَة تَطْلُبُ ٱلرَّحْمَة وَتُنْذِرُ بِٱلضَّيَاع. سَلَبَتْهُم ٱلظُّرُوف ٱلْقَاسِيَّة مُتْعَةَ ٱلطُّفُولَة، تَرَاهُم شِئتَ أَمْ أَبَيْت أَمَامَ نَاظِرَيْك وَأَنْتَ تَجُوبُ ٱلْعَاصِمَةَ ٱلْأُرْدُنِّيَّة عَمَّان. لَيْسَ لَدَيهِم وَقْتٌ مُحَدَّد، لَيْل نَهَار وَصَيْف شِتَاء. يَسْتَيْقِظُ عَامِر (خَمْس عَشْرَةَ سَنَة) صَبَاحًا لِيَذْهَبَ إِلَى عَمَلِهِ فِي كَارَاج (مِرْأَب) لِتَصْلِيح ٱلسَّيَّارَات، فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَة ٱلصِّنَاعِيَّة فِي ٱلْبَيَادِر، بَيْنَمَا يَذْهَب أَصْدِقَاؤُهُ إِلَى ٱلْمَدْرَسَة. وَيَقُولُ عَامِر، بِحُزْن وَأَسَى، إِنَّهُ يَقْضِي سَحَابَةَ ٱلْيَوْم وَهُوَ يَعْمَل كَيْ يَسْتَطِيع إِعَالَةَ وَالِدَتِهِ وَأُخْتٍ فِي ٱلسَّادِسَةِ مِن عُمْرِهَا، بَعْدَمَا تَرَكَهُم وَالِدُهُ، وَطَلَّقَ أُمَّهُم وَتَزَوَّجَ أُخْرَى «لَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِهَا رَحْمَة». وَتَمَنَّى فِي نِهَايَةِ ٱلْحَدِيث أَنْ يَعُودَ إِلَى ٱلْمَدْرَسَة وَيُكْمِل تَعْلِيمَه.
Children of a young age [lit. the age of flowers] - you see them lying on the ground under [lit. wrapped in] the [open] sky by traffic lights car repair shops farms and in markets... Their eyes are blank/glazed calling for compassion and telling of ruin/loss. Cruel circumstances robbed them of the pleasure of childhood. You see them [whether] you want to or not [lit. you refused] in front of your eyes as you wander around the Jordanian capital Amman. They dont have a fixed time; Night day summer and winter. Amer (fifteen years old) wakes up in the morning to go to his work at a garage (garage [fusha]) for repairing cars in the industrial zone in Bayader while his friends go to school. Amer says with sadness and sorrow that he spends the whole day working so that he can support his mother and sister of six years of age after his father left them and divorced their mother and married another woman [who has] no compassion in her heart. He hoped at the end of the conversation that he would return to school and complete his education.
تَصِلُ «قَمَر» إِلَى ٱلشَّارِع ٱلْمُحَاذِي لِشَاطِئ ٱلْأَوْزَاعِيّ فِي بَيْرُوت. اَلْفَتَاةُ ٱلْحَسْنَاء اَلَّتِي أَجْمَعَ سَائِقُو ٱلدَّرَّاجَات ٱلنَّارِيَّة عَلَى إِطْلاق صِفَةِ «قَمَر» عَلَيْهَا، تُلْهِبُ ٱلْمَشَاعِر، وَتُحَفِّز اَلسَّائِقِين عَلَى تَقْدِيم أَرْوَع ٱلْاِسْتِعْرَاضَات وَأَخْطَرَهَا. فِي هٰذَا ٱلْوَقْت، يَزِيدُ «ٱلشَّيْطَان» مِن سُرْعَةِ قِيَادَةِ ٱلدَّرَّاجَة، وَيَرْفَعُهَا قَدْرَ ٱلْإِمْكَان بَعْدَ أَنْ يَتَجَاوَز سُرْعَةَ مِئَة وَخَمْسِين كِيلُومِتْرًا فِي ٱلسَّاعَة. أَمَّا «تَلَوُّث» فَيَقِف عَلَى مَقْعَد دَرَّاجَتِهِ ٱلْكَبِيرَة أَثْنَاءَ قِيَادَتِهَا بِسُرْعَة فَائِقَة، وَيَفْرِد ذِرَاعَيه كَأَنَّهُ طَائِرٌ بِجَنَاحَي سُتْرَة جِلْدِيَّة. تَخْرُج «قَمَر» مِن سَيَّارَتِهَا مِن نَوْع «بِي أَمْ دَبَلْيُو» وَتَجْلِس عَلَى سَقْفِهَا. تُرَاقِبُهُم. تُصَفِّق لِأَجْمَل اِسْتِعْرَاض... وَتُعْرِب عَن إِعْجَابِهَا بِٱلْمُغَامِرِين. يَبْدَأ ٱلتَّنَافُس اَلَّذِي لا يُنْهِيه إِلا صَوْت سَيَّارَات ٱلشُّرْطَة ٱلْمُقْبِلَة مِن بَعِيد. يَبْدُو أَنَّ ٱلْاِسْتِعْرَاض اِنْتَهَى بِسُرْعَةٍ اَلْيَوْم، نَعُود بَعْدَ ظُهْر غَد.
Qamar [=moon] arrives at the street running parallel to Ouzai Beach in Beirut. The beautiful young woman who the motorbike riders have unanimously agreed to apply the attribute moon [implying beauty] to sets feelings on fire and incites the drivers to give the finest of the performances and the most dangerous. At this time Shaytan [=Devil] increases the speed of [his] bike-riding raising it [=the speed] as much as possible after exceeding the speed of one hundred and fifty kilometres an hour. As for Talawwuth [=pollution] he stands on the seat of his large bike while driving it at high speed and he extends his arms as if he were a bird with the wings of a leather jacket. Qamar gets out of her car of the type BMW and she sits on its roof. She watches them and claps for the most beautiful performance and expresses her admiration for the risk-takers/adventurous. The rivalry starts which nothing stops except the sound of police cars approaching from the distance. It seems that the show has ended quickly today. Well return tomorrow afternoon.
طَالَبَتْ أُسْرَةُ طِفْلَةٍ يَمَنِيَّة تُوُفِّيَتْ يَوْم ٱلْجُمْعَة ٱلْمَاضِي جَرَّاءَ عُنْفٍ جِنْسِيّ، بِمُحَاكَمَةِ زَوْج ٱبْنَتِهِم، وَبِإِنْزَال ٱلْقِصَاص ٱلشَّرْعِيّ، أَيْ اَلْإِعْدَام بِحَقِّه. وَكَانَتْ ٱلطِّفْلَة إِلْهَام اَلْعَشِّيّ (ثَلاثَةَ عَشَر عَامًا) تُوُفِّيَتْ بَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِن زَوَاجِهَا. وَٱعْتَرَفَ ٱلزَّوْج، اَلَّذِي تَجَاوَزَ عُمْرُهُ عِشْرِين عَامًا، فِي ٱلتَّحْقِيقَات ٱلْأَوَّلِيَّة اَلَّتِي أُجْرِيَتْ مَعَهُ، بِأَنَّهُ شَعَرَ بِعَجْز، وَٱسْتَخْدَمَ مُنَشِّطًا جِنْسِيًّا أَعْطَاهُ إِيَّاه أَحَد ٱلْأَطِبَّاء. وَتَزَوَّجَتْ إِلْهَام عَلَى طَرِيقَةِ زَوَاج ٱلْبَدَل أَوْ اَلشِّغَار، حَيْثُ تَزَوَّجَ فِي ٱلْوَقْت ذَاتِه، شَقِيقُهَا بِشَقِيقَةِ زَوْجِهَا، إِضَافَةً إِلَى مَبْلَغٍ مَالِيّ كَمَهْر هُوَ مِئَتَيْن وَخَمْسِين أَلْف رِيَال يَمَنِيّ (مَا يُعَادِل أَلْف وَمِئَة دُولار أَمِيرِكِيّ) لِكُلّ عَرُوس. وَتَعِيش أُسْرَةُ اَلْعَشِّيّ فِي إِحْدَى ٱلْقُرَى ٱلنَّائِيَّة فِي مُحَافَظَةِ حَجَّة اَلْوَاقِعَة إِلَى ٱلشَّمَال ٱلْغَرْبِيّ مِن ٱلْعَاصِمَةِ صَنْعَاء، وَهِيَ أُسْرَةٌ فَقِيرَة، كَمَا أَنَّ مُعْظَم سُكَّان تِلْكَ ٱلْمُحَافَظَة يُعَانُون فَقْرًا مُدْقِعًا.
The family of a Yemeni [girl] child who died last Friday due to sexual violence have called for the prosecution of the husband of their daughter and the bringing down/inflicting [the punishment of] legitimate retribution i.e. execution on him. The child Ilham al-Ashi (thirteen years old) died three days after her marriage. The husband who is over twenty years old admitted in the preliminary investigations which were being conducted with him that he had felt impotent and had used a sexual stimulant which one of the doctors had given him. Ilham married in the manner of a swap (or shighar) marriage where her brother married the sister of her husband at the same time in addition to a financial sum [being given] as a dowry being two hundred and fifty thousand Yemeni riyals (which equals one thousand one hundred American dollars) to each bride. The al-Ashi family lives in one of the remote villages in the province of Hajjah which lies to the north-west of the capital Sanaa. It is a poor family just as most of the inhabitants of that province suffer from grinding [lit. abasing] poverty.
أَحْيَتْ إِسْرَائِيل أَمْس ذِكْرَى ٱلْهُولُوكُوسْت، أَوْ خَمْس وَسِتِّين سَنَة شَهِدَتْ تَحَوُّل ضَحَايَا ٱلْمَحْرَقَة اَلنَّازِيَّة وَٱلْمُتَحَدِّرِين مِنهُم إِلَى نَازِيِّين جُدُد يَقْتُلُون ٱلنِّسَاء وَٱلْأَطْفَال وَيَحْتَلُّون ٱلْأَرْض وَيُدَمِّرُون، ثُمَّ يَبْتَزُّون ٱلْعَالَم كُلَّه بِمَا حَصَلَ قَبْلَ خَمْس وَسِتِّين سَنَة، وَيُنْكِرُون مَا يَرْتَكِبُون تَحْتَ سَمْع ٱلْعَالَم وَبَصَرِهِ ٱلْيَوْم. مُجْرِم ٱلْحَرْب مَائِير دَاغَان، رَئِيس ٱلْمُوسَاد، قَالَ عَن صُورَةٍ مَعْرُوضَة فِي مَكْتَبِهِ إِنَّ ٱلرَّاكِع أَمَامَ ٱلْجُنُود ٱلنَّازِيِّين كَانَ جَدَّه. وَأَسْأَلُهُ كَمْ رَكَّعَ مِن ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين فِي غَزَّة أَمَامَهُ فِي ٱلسَّبْعِينَات قَبْلَ أَنْ يَذْبَحُهُم بِسِكِّين، وَكَمْ جَرِيمَةٍ نَازِيَّة اِرْتِكَبَ مُنْذُ ذٰلِكَ ٱلْحِين بِحَقّ أَهْل ٱلْأَرْض. هُوَ شَرِيك أَرِييَل شَارُون فِي جَرَائِم ٱلْحَرْب، وَٱلْعَدَالَةُ تَقْضِي أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ مِن قَفَصٍ أَمَامَ مَحْكَمَةِ جَرَائِم ٱلْحَرْب ٱلدَّوْلِيَّة فِي لاهَاي.
Israel yesterday commemorated the anniversary of the Holocaust or sixty five years which have witnessed the transformation of the victims of the Nazi Holocaust and their descendants into neo-Nazis who kill women and children and occupy land and destroy. Then they blackmail the whole world with what happened sixty five years ago and deny what they are doing/committing under the nose [lit. hearing] of the world and its eyes [lit. sight] today. The war criminal Meir Dagan head of Mossad said about a picture displayed in his office that the person kneeling in front of the Nazi soldiers was his grandfather. I ask him how many of the Palestinians in Gaza he made kneel in front of him in the seventies before he slaughtered them with a knife and how many Nazi crimes he had committed since that time against the people of the land [of Palestine]. He is the partner of Ariel Sharon in war crimes and justice demands that he speak from a dock [lit. cage] in front of the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.
وَزِير ٱلْخَارِجِيَّة ٱلسُّورِيّ وَلِيد اَلْمُعَلِّم، قَالَ، أَمْس، إِنَّ سُورِيَّة تَعْتَبِر اَلْمَزَاعِم ٱلْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّة وَٱلضَّجَّة ٱلْمُفْتَعَلَة تُجَاهَ تَهْرِيب أَسْلِحَةٍ إِلَى حِزْب ٱلله «تَهْيِئَةً لِعُدْوَانٍ إِسْرَائِيلِيّ». وَقَالَ اَلْمُعَلِّم، خِلالَ زِيَارَتِهِ طَهْرَان إِنَّهُ «لا يُوجَد تَهْرِيبٌ لِلْصَوَارِيخ فِي ٱلْأَسَاس وَٱلْقِصَّةُ بِرُمَّتِهَا مُفْتَعَلَة مِن قِبَلِ إِسْرَائِيل». فِي حِين وَضَعَتْ مَصَادِر مُطَّلِعَة فِي دِمَشْق اَلتَّهْدِيد ٱلْإِسْرَائِيلِيّ فِي إِطَار اِفْتِعَال ٱلتَّهْوِيل وَلِصَرْف ٱلْاِهْتِمَام ٱلْعَالَمِيّ عَمَّا تَقُومُ بِهِ مِن مُمَارَسَاتٍ وَٱنْتِهَاكَاتٍ عُدْوَانِيَّة فِي ٱلْأَرْض ٱلْمُحْتَلَّة وَٱلتَّهَرُّب ٱلدَّائِم مِن تَلْبِيَةِ مُتَطَلَّبَات ٱلسَّلام وَقَالَتْ لـِ«اَلشَّرْق ٱلأَوْسَط»: «إِنَّ سُورِيَّة كَانَتْ دَائِمًا مُسْتَعِدَّة لِمُوَاجَهَةِ كُلّ ٱلْاِحْتِمَالَات سَوَاء اَلسَّلام أَوْ اَلْحَرْب»، وَلَمْ تَسْتَبْعِد ٱلْمَصَادِر أَنْ تَكُون إِسْرَائِيل «اَلَّتِي تَسْعَى إِلَى تَوْتِير ٱلْأَجْوَاء فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَة، تُهَيِّئ لِعُدْوَانٍ إِسْرَائِيلِيّ لِلْهُرُوب إِلَى ٱلْأَمَام فَٱلْحُكُومَة ٱلْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّة ٱلْحَالِيَّة هِيَ ٱلْأَكْثَر اِبْتِعَادًا عَن ٱلْإِيْفَاء بِمُتَطَلَّبَات ٱلسَّلام».
The Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said yesterday that Syria considers Israeli allegations and the fabricated uproar over the smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah [to be] a preparation for Israeli aggression. And Muallem said during his visit to Tehran that there is no smuggling of missiles at all. The whole story has been fabricated by Israel. Meanwhile informed sources in Damascus put the Israeli threat within the framework of scaremongering [lit. fabricating alarm] and [an attempt] to divert global attention from what it [Israel] is doing in terms of hostile practices and violations in the occupied territory and the perpetual evading [lit. escaping from] observing/obeying the requirements of peace. They [the informed sources] said to Asharq al-Awsat that Syria is always ready to face every eventuality whether peace or war. And the sources did not rule out that Israel which [always] strives to make the atmosphere tense in the region is preparing for an Israeli aggression [based on the tactic] of escaping [by going] forward as the current Israeli government is the [one which is the] most averse to fulfilling the requirements of peace.
تَعِيشُ ٱلسَّيِّدَة ٱللُّبْنَانِيَّة شِيرِين اَلْمُعَلِّم حَالًا مِن ٱلْقَلَق «ٱلْمُؤْلِم» وَٱلْأَمَل «ٱلْمُقْلِق». فَتِلْكَ ٱلسَّيِّدَة اَلَّتِي طَلَّقَهَا زَوْجُهَا، وَهِيَ فِي رَيْعَان ٱلشَّبَاب، تَعَلَّقَ قَلْبُهَا بِٱبْنِهَا ٱلْوَحِيد اَلَّذِي تَكَاد مُدَّةُ حَضَانَتِهَا لَهُ تُشَارِف عَلَى ٱلْاِنْتِهَاء مَعَ بُلُوغ ٱلصَّبِيّ اَلسَّابِعَة مِن عُمْرِهِ بَعْدَ أَشْهُرٍ قَلِيلَة. لٰكِن هٰذِهِ ٱلْأَشْهُر ٱلْمُتَبَقِّيَة قَد تَحْمِل إِلَيهَا مُفَاجَأَة تَسُرُّهَا إِذَا أَقَرَّ ٱلْمَجْلِس ٱلنِّيَابِيّ تَعْدِيلًا قَانُونِيًّا لِمُدَّةِ ٱلْحَضَانَة يُعْطِيهَا بِضْع سَنَوَاتٍ إِضَافِيَّة تَرْعَى خِلالَهَا «ضَنَاهَا» وَلا يَذْهَب إِلَى فِرَاش زَوْجَةِ أَبٍ لَمْ يَرَهَا فِي حَيَاتِه وَ «أَسْهَمَتْ بِخَرَاب بَيْتِي»، كَمَا تَقُول شِيرِين.
The Lebanese lady Shireen al-Muallem is living [in] a state of tormented unease/worry and uneasy hope as this lady whose husband divorced her when she was in the prime of youth [has] her heart devoted [lit. attached] to her only child whom her period of custody over is almost coming to an end with the boys reaching seven years of age in just a few months. But these remaining months might bring her a surprise which will make her happy if Parliament [lit. the representative council] approves a legal amendment to the period of custody which would give her a few additional years in which she can look after her [very own] child and [in which years] he doesnt [have to] go to the bed of a fathers wife who he has never seen in his life and who takes part in the destruction of my house as Shireen says.
بَضَائِع تَالِفَة وَأُخْرَى أَغْطِيَتُهَا مُمَزَّقَة تَكَدَّسَتْ مُنْذُ حَوَالَي ثَلاث سَنَوَات فِي سَاحَاتٍ وَشِبْه مَخَازِن فِي مَدِينَةِ سْدِيرُوت وَقُرَى إِسْرَائِيلِيَّة مُحِيطَة بِهَا لِمُسْتَوْرِدِين مِن غَزَّة مَنَعَتْهُم إِسْرَائِيل مِن إِدْخَال بَضَائِعِهِم إِلَى ٱلْقِطَاع بَعْدَ أَنْ فَرَضَتْ ٱلْحِصَار عَلَيْه صَيْف عَام أَلْفَيْن وَسَبْعَة. وَفِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَة ٱلصِّنَاعِيَّة فِي مَدِينَةِ سْدِيرُوت اَلْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّة اَلْحُدُودِيَّة يُغَطِّي غُبَار صَحْرَاء ٱلنَّقَب بَضَائِع ٱلْغَزِّيِّين فِي مُجَمَّعٍ ضَخْم يُسْتَخْدَم كَمَخْزَنٍ مُؤَقَّت. وَمِثْلَهُ تَنْتَشِرُ مَخَازِن فِي قُرَى أُوفَاكِيم وَنَتِيفِيم وَأَشْكَلُون اَلْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّة ٱلْحُدُودِيَّةِ أَيْضًا. وَتَكْسُد فِي ٱلْمَخْزَن مِئَات ٱلْأَصْنَاف مِن ٱلْبَضَائِع مِثْل عُبُوَات ٱلشَّامْبُو وَبَلْسَم ٱلشَّعْر وَمِظَلَّاتٍ وَأَحْذِيَةٍ وَحِفَاضَةٍ نِسَائِيَّة وَعُلَب ٱللُّبَان (اَلْعِلْكَة) اَلَّتِي تَنْتَهِي صَلاحِيَّتُهَا فِي تَمُّوز/ يُولِيُو أَلْفَيْن وَعَشَرَة.
Damaged goods and others with torn wrappers/covers have been piled up for around three years in yards and quasi-warehouses in the city of Sderot and surrounding Israeli villages [warehouses] of importers from Gaza who Israel prevented from bringing in their goods to the [Gaza] Strip after imposing the siege on it [the Strip] in the summer of the year 2007. In the industrial zone in the Israeli border city of Sderot the dust of the Negev desert covers the goods of the Gazans in a huge complex being used as a temporary warehouse. Similar warehouses are spread around the Israeli border villages of Ofakim Netivim and Ashkelon as well. Languishing unsold in the warehouse are hundreds of kinds of goods such as bottles [lit. packs] of shampoo and hair conditioner umbrellas shoes sanitary towels and packs of chewing gum [fusha] (chewing gum [dialect]) whose use by date is in Tammuz / July 2010.
لَوْ كُنتَ مِن ٱلرَّاغِبِين فِي حُضُور إِحْدَى حَفَلات «مِهْرَجَان ٱلرَّقْص ٱلْمُعَاصِر»، اَلَّذِي يُقَدَّم حَالِيًّا فِي بَيْرُوت، عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَحْجِزَ بِطَاقَتَكَ سَلَفًا، وَإِلَّا بَقِيتَ عَلَى ٱلْبَاب، وَلَنْ يَتَمَكَّن مِن أَنْ يَشْفَعَ لَكَ أَحَد. فَٱلْإِقْبَال كَثِيفٌ عَلَى هٰذِهِ ٱلْحَفَلات، بِشَكْلٍ مِن ٱلصَّعْب تَفْسِيرُه. وَقَد يَظُنُّ ٱلْبَعْض أَنَّ ٱلرَّقْص ٱلْمُعَاصِر هُوَ «طَقْش» وَ«فَقْش»، يَجْذِبُ طَالِبِي اَلْوَجَبَات ٱلْفَنِّيَة ٱلسَّرِيعَة وَٱلْخَفِيفَة، لٰكِن اَلْحَقِيقَة هِيَ غَيْر ذٰلِك. وَٱلْجُمْهُور ٱلْمُتَنَامِي يَعْرِف، بَعْدَ سِتّ سَنَوَات اِخْتَبَرَ خِلالَهَا هٰذَا ٱلْمِهْرَجَان، أَنَّهُ ذَاهِبٌ لِلتَّأَمُّل وَٱلتَّفْكِير، لا لـِ«ٱلْبَهْرَجَةِ» وَ«ٱلتَّصْفِيق». فَهُوَ فَنٌّ أَقْرَب إِلَى ٱلْمَسْرَح ٱلتَّجْرِيبِيّ اَلَّذِي يَسْتَفِيد مِن طَوَاعِيَةِ ٱلْجَسَد، وَيَحْتَاجُ تَرْكِيزًا، وَطُول بَال، وَيَقْتَرِب مِن ٱلْمِزَاج ٱلنُّخْبَوِيّ وَلا يَنْتَمِي إِلَى ٱلْفُنُون ٱلتَّرْفِيهِيَّة ٱلْبَسِيطَة، وَقَد تَدْخُلُ فِيه اَلتِّكْنُولُوجِيَا، وَيَسْتَفِيد مِن عُلُوم ٱلرِّياضِيَّات، وَيُلامِسُ ٱلْفَلْسَفَة.
If you are one of those wanting to attend one of the performances of the Contemporary Dance Festival which is currently being shown in Beirut you should reserve your ticket in advance. If not youll remain at the door. And it will be impossible [for] anyone to intervene/put in a good word on your behalf. Attendance is high [lit. dense] for these performances in a manner which is hard to explain. Some might think that contemporary dance is just noise and commotion [lit. finger clicking/playing finger cymbals] attracting those seeking artistic fast and light food. But the truth is otherwise; The growing audience knows after six years in which it has experienced/examined this festival that it [the audience] is going for contemplation and thinking and not for gaudiness/trashy show and applause. It is an art which is closer to experimental theatre which makes use of the compliance of the body and needs concentration and patience. It gets close to an elitist mood/temperament and doesnt belong to simple/light entertainment art. Technology might go into it and it makes use of mathematics and touches philosophy.
«اَلطَّلاق»... هَلاك ٱلرِّبَاط ٱلْمُقَدَّس، «اَلْمُطَلَّقَة»... مَنْبُوذَة مَقْهُورَة هَدَّامَةُ بُيُوت، «أَنْتِ طَالِق»... أَنْتِ خَارِج ٱلْمَكَان وَٱلزَّمَان لِحِينِ مَيْسَرَة، هٰذِهِ صُورَةُ ٱلطَّلاق وَٱلْمَرْأَة ٱلْمُطَلَّقَة فِي أَذْهَان ٱلسَّوَاد ٱلْأَعْظَم مِن مُوَاطِنِي اَلْعَالَم ٱلْعَرَبِيّ. لَمْ تَجِد هٰذِهِ ٱلْفِئَة مِن ٱلسَّيِّدَات، وَٱلَّتِي يُنْظَر إِلَيهَا غَالِبًا بِشَكٍّ مَشُوبٍ بِٱلشَّفَقَةِ وَٱلْحَذَر، مِنْبَرًا حَصْرِيًّا لِلتَّنْفِيس عَمَّا يَجُولُ فِي خَاطِرِهِنّ وَتُحَدِّثُهُنَّ بِهِ أَنْفُسُهُنّ، إِلَّا عَبْرَ ٱلْإِعْلام ٱلْجَدِيد وَعَلَى رَأْسِه ٱلْمُدَوَّنَات وَإِذَاعَات ٱلْإِنْتَرْنَت. دَيْنٌ ثَقِيل تَدِينُ بِهِ هٰؤُلاء ٱلنِّسَاء لِطَفْرَةِ ٱلْإِعْلام ٱلْجَدِيد وَٱلثَّوْرَة ٱلتِّكْنُولُوجِيَّة اَلَّتِي لا تَتَوَقَّف، إِذْ تَسْتَطِيعُ ٱلْمُطَلَّقَة اَلآن اَلتَّعْبِير عَن آرَائِهَا بِحُرِّيَّةٍ غَيْر مَسْبُوقَة مُحَطِّمَة اَلصُّورَة ٱلنَّمَطِيَّة اَلظَّالِمَة عَنهَا، فَضْلًا عَن ٱلتَّفَاعُل مَعَ أَشْخَاصٍ مِن قِطَاعَات وَفِئَات مُتَبَايِنَة مِن بُلْدَانٍ عِدَّة قَد تَتَشَابَهُ ظُرُوفَهُم ٱلْحَيَاتِيَّة أَوْ لا.
Divorce is the destroyer of the sacred bond. The divorced woman is an outcast humiliated/defeated the destroyer of homes. You are divorced!.... You are outside place and time until [you have] better times [lit. a time of prosperity]. This is the image of divorce and the divorced woman in the minds of the great majority of the citizens of the Arab world. This group of ladies which is mostly viewed with doubt mixed with pity and caution has not found an exclusive platform to give vent to what is going round in their minds and [what] their hearts/innermost feelings [lit. souls] tell them other than by way of the new media at the head of which are blogs [lit. writings] and internet radio [stations]. A heavy debt these women owe to the boom/rise of the new media and the technological revolution which doesnt stop as the divorced woman is able now to express her views with unprecedented freedom smashing the unfair stereotyped image of her As well as to interact with people from different/dissimilar sectors and groups from numerous countries whose life circumstances might be similar or not.
فِي أَحَد مَقَاهِي حَيّ «لافَايَات» فِي تُونِس اَلْعَاصِمَة، اِشْتَبَكَ ٱلطَّالِب ٱلْجَامِعِيّ عِصَام مَعَ نَادِل ٱلْمَقْهَى فِي مُشَادَّةٍ كَلامِيَّة عَنِيفَة اِنْتَهَتْ بِمُغَادَرَةِ ٱلطَّالِب وَزُمَلائِه اَلْمَقْهَى اَلَّذِي تَعَوَّدُوا عَلَى زِيَارَتِهِ فِي شَكْلٍ شِبْه يَوْمِيّ فَوْرَ اِنْتِهَاء ٱلدُّرُوس لِلدَّرْدَشَةِ وَٱحْتِسَاء ٱلْقَهْوَة. اَلسَّبَب اَلَّذِي أَثَارَ حَنَق عِصَام وَغَيْظَه هُوَ رَفْض ٱلنَّادِل اَلسَّمَاح لِلشَّبَاب بِٱلْجُلُوس فِي مَكَانِهِم ٱلْمُعْتَاد اَلَّذِي أَصْبَحَ «فَضَاء لِغَيْر ٱلْمُدَخِّنِين». وَيَقُول عِصَام لـِ«اَلْحَيَاة»: «نَحْنُ نَتَرَدَّد يَوْمِيًّا عَلَى هٰذَا ٱلْمَقْهَى وَلَمْ نَتَعَرَّض يَوْمًا لِمِثْل هٰذَا ٱلشَّرْط ٱلْمُجْحِف اَلَّذِي يُفْرَض عَلَيْنَا. أَمَرَنَا صَاحِب ٱلْمَقْهَى بِعَدَم ٱلتَّدْخِين طِوَالَ مُدَّةِ جُلُوسِنَا ـ وَهٰذَا مَا لا نَقْدِر عَلَيْه ـ أَوْ ٱلْمُغَادَرَة، وَٱلْحُجَّة اَلَّتِي يَسُوقُهَا هِيَ ٱلْقَرَارَاتُ ٱلْجَدِيدَة اَلَّتِي تَفْرِض غَرَامَات عَلَى ٱلْمُدَخِّنِين فِي ٱلْفَضَاءَات ٱلْعَامَّة».
In one of the cafés of the district of Lafayette in Tunis the capital university student Issam clashed with a waiter of the café in a violent verbal argument which ended with the departure of the student and his colleagues from the café which they were accustomed to visiting on an almost daily basis right after the end of lessons for a chat and to drink [lit. sip] coffee. The reason which caused/provoked the fury of Issam and his anger was the refusal of the waiter to allow the young men to sit in their usual place which had become a space for non-smokers. Issam said to Al-Hayat: We have been visiting/frequenting this café every day and have not once been subjected to such an unfair condition which has been imposed on us. The café owner ordered us not to smoke for the whole time we were sitting [there] - something we cant do - or to leave. The argument which he puts forth [lit. markets] is the new resolutions which impose fines on smokers in public spaces.
حَانَ ٱلْوَقْت لِإِطْلاق نِدَاء ٱسْتِغَاثَةٍ مُدَوِّيَة. فَعَمَّا قَرِيب سَيَبْحَثُ ٱلْعَرَب عَن بَطَل، وَلَوْ تَارِيخِيّ، وَلا يَجِدُونَهُ، بَعْدَ أَنْ اِكْتَفَوا بِبُطُولات غَيْرِهِم وَتَبَنَّوْهَا بِحَمَاسَة. فَفِي مِصْر ثَمَّةَ تَحْذِيرٌ جِدِّيّ مِن أَنَّ حُفَّاظَ «ٱلسِّيرَة ٱلْهِلالِيَّة» يَنْقَرِضُون بِوَتِيرَةٍ سَرِيعَة، وَلَنْ تَبْقَى لَهُم بَاقِيَة. وَفِي بَيْرُوت، «مَطْبَعَةِ ٱلْعَرَب»، قَد تَجُوبُ ٱلْمَكْتَبَات كُلَّهَا دُونَ أَنْ تَعْثُر عَلَى «سِيرَةِ عَنْتَرَة» لَوْ كُنتَ مِن ٱلرَّاغِبِين فِي قِرَاءَتِهَا، وَعَلَى ٱلْأَرْجَح لَنْ تُوَفَّقَ فِي شِرَائِهَا حَتَّى مِن مَعْرِض ٱلْكِتَاب، لِأَنَّهَا بَاتَتْ خَزِينًا فِي ٱلْمُسْتَوْدَعَات ٱلْمَنْسِيَة. وَٱلْوَضْع أَسْوَأ حِينَ يَتَعَلَّقُ ٱلْأَمْر بِسِيرَةِ «ٱلظَّاهِر بَيْبَرْس» أَوْ «ٱلْأَمِيرَةِ ذَات ٱلْهِمَّة» أَوْ قِصَّةِ «ٱلْأَمِير حَمْزَة ٱلْبَهْلَوَان». وَقِصَص هٰؤُلاء ٱلْأَبْطَال ٱلشَّعْبِيِّين وَسِيَرُهُم ٱلْجَمِيلَة اَلَّتِي شَكَّلَتْ ٱلْوِجْدَان ٱلْعَرَبِيّ وَتَشَكَّلَتْ مَادَّتُهَا مِن تَارِيخ وَطُمُوحَاتِ أَهْل ٱلْمِنْطَقَة، بَاتَتْ لَيْسَ فَقَط مَوْضِع نِسْيَانٍ، بَل اِحْتِقَارٍ وَٱبْتِذَال.
The time has come to let out a resounding call for help. Because soon Arabs will be looking for a hero even a historical one but they wont find him after having become content with the heroisms of others which [heroisms] they have adopted with enthusiasm. In Egypt there is a serious warning that the memorisers of The Hilali Saga [of the 11th century North African conquests by the Banu Hilal tribe] are dying out at a fast rate and no remnant of them will remain. And in Beirut the printing press of the Arabs you could wander around all the bookshops without finding The Saga of Antara [a black Arabian poet knight (d. circa 615 AD)] even if you were one of those wanting to read it. It is likely you would have no success in buying it even from a book fair because it has been stored away in forgotten depositories. The situation is worse when it comes to the saga of al-Zahir Baybars [Mamluk Sultan of Egypt defeated the Seventh Crusade (d. 1277 AD)] or The Princess of High Resolve [a medieval Arab warrior woman who fought the Byzantines] or the story of Prince Hamza al-Bahlawan [Persian epic about Hamza uncle of Prophet Muhammad] The stories of these folk heroes and their beautiful sagas which have shaped the Arab psyche/consciousness and whose subject matter was formed from the history and ambitions of the people of the region have become not only the object of forget/forgottenness but also of contempt and debasement.
أَرْجَعَ ٱلدُّكْتُور عَبْد ٱلْفَتَّاح ثَرْوَت، أُسْتَاذ ٱلْجِيُوفِيزِيَاء فِي كُلِّيَةِ ٱلْعُلُوم بِجَامِعَةِ ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة ٱلْمِصْرِيَّة، ثَوْرَةَ بُرْكَان آيْسلَنْدَا إِلَى ظَاهِرَةِ تَبَاعُد قَارَّتَي أَفْرِيقِيَا وَأَمِيرِكَا ٱلْجَنُوبِيَّة. وَقَالَ خِلال نَدْوَةٍ عِلْمِيَّة فِي ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ أَمْس إِنَّ آيْسلَنْدَا جَزِيرَةٌ بُرْكَانِيَّة تَكَوَّنَتْ مِن ثَوْرَةِ أَحَد ٱلْبَرَاكِين قَدِيمًا، عَلَى خَطّ ٱلتَّبَاعُد بَيْنَ ٱلْقَارَّتَيْن، مِمَّا يَجْعَلُهَا عُرْضَة لِلثَّوْرَات ٱلْبُرْكَانِيَّة وَٱلزَّلازِل نَتِيجَةَ ٱلتَّحَرُّك ٱلْمُسْتَمِرّ لِلصَّفَائِح ٱلْقَارِّيَّة. وَٱعْتَبَرَ ٱلْأَكَادِيمِيّ ٱلْمِصْرِيّ، أَنَّ تَعْطِيلَ حَرَكَةِ ٱلطَّيَرَان اَلْمُتَّجِهَة إِلَى بِرِيطَانِيَا وَٱلدُّوَل ٱلْأُورُوبِّيَّة كَانَ ضَرُورِيًّا، بِسَبَب مَا تَحْوِيهِ ٱلسُّحُب ٱلرَّمَادِيَّة ٱلْبُرْكَانِيَّة مِن مَوَادّ مُؤذِيَة لِمُحَرِّكَاتِ ٱلطَّائِرَات. وَلَفَتَ خِلال شَرْحِهِ إِلَى إِنَّ ٱلْبَرَاكِين يَسْهُل نِسْبِيًّا تَوَقُّع ثَوْرَتِهَا بِعَكْس ٱلزَّلازِل.
Dr. Abdel Fattah Tharwat Professor of Geophysics in the Faculty of Science at the Egyptian University of Alexandria attributed the eruption of the Iceland volcano to the phenomenon of the separating/moving apart of the continents of Africa and South America. And he said during a scientific conference/symposium in Alexandria yesterday that Iceland is a volcanic island formed from the eruption of a volcano in ancient times on the separating line between the two continents which makes it liable to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes as a result of the continual moving of the continental plates. The Egyptian academic considered that the stopping/suspending of air traffic heading to Britain and European countries was necessary because of what the volcanic ash clouds contain in terms of substances harmful to the engines of aeroplanes. And he drew attention during his explanation to the fact that volcanoes are relatively easy to anticipate their eruption in contrast to earthquakes.
إِنَّهَا أَحْدَث مَاكِينَةٍ لِلصَّرْف ٱلْآلِيّ.. لٰكِنَّهَا تُقَدِّم لِمُسْتَخْدِمِيهَا اَلذَّهَبَ بَدَلًا مِن ٱلنُّقُود. وَرَغْم حَدَاثَتِهَا تَبْدُو ٱلْمَاكِينَة وَكَأَنَّهَا جُزْءٌ مِن ٱلْأَثَاث فِي فُنْدُق «قَصْر ٱلْإِمَارَات» فِي أَبُو ظَبْي، ذِي ٱلْأَسْقُف اَلْمَطْلِيَة بِٱلذَّهَب، وَٱلَّذِي يَرْتَادُهُ أَفْرَاد ٱلْأُسَر ٱلْحَاكِمَة وَأَصْحَاب ٱلْمِلْيَارَات اَلْمُغْرَمُون بِأَقْدَاح ٱلْقَهْوَة اَلَّتِي تَعْلُوُهَا رَقَائِق ٱلذَّهَب. وَٱلسَّطْح ٱلْخَارِجِيّ لِلْمَاكِينَة مُغَطَّى بِطَبَقَةٍ رَقِيقَةٍ مِن ٱلذَّهَب وَتُقَدِّم لِلزَّبَائِن ثَلاثُمِئَة وَعِشْرِين نَوْعًا مِن ٱلْمُنْتَجَات ٱلذَّهَبِيَّة يُمْكِن ٱلْاِخْتِيَار مِن بَيْنِهَا، مِن سَبَائِك ٱلذَّهَب اَلَّتِي يُمْكِن أَنْ يَصِل وَزْنُهَا إِلَى عَشَرَةِ غرَامَات وَحَتَّى ٱلْعُمْلات ٱلْمَعْدِنِيَّة ٱلذَّهَبِيَّة اَلْمَصْنُوعَة خَصِيصًا بِنَاءً عَلَى طَلَب ٱلزَّبُون. وَمِن خِلال نِظَامٍ مُبَرْمَج بِٱلْكُمْبيُوتَر تَقُوم ٱلْمَاكِينَة بِتَحْدِيث أَسْعَار ٱلذَّهَب كُلّ عَشَر دَقَائِق لِتُوَاكِبَ ٱلْأَسْوَاقَ ٱلْعَالَمِيَّة. وَتَتَعَامَل ٱلْمَاكِينَة حَالِيًّا بِٱلدِّرْهَم ٱلْإِمَارَاتِيّ وَلٰكِن قَرِيبًا سَيَكُون أَمَامَ ٱلزَّبَائِن خِيَار اِسْتِخْدَام ٱلْبِطَاقَات ٱلْاِئْتِمَانِيَّة.
It is the latest machine for automated telling... but it offers to its users gold instead of cash. And despite its newness the machine seems to be like a part of the furniture in the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi [a hotel which is] the possessor of gilded ceilings and which is visited by members of ruling families and owners of billions [people] enamoured with coffee cups which are topped with gold leaf. The outer surface of the machine is covered with a fine/slender layer of gold and it offers to customers three hundred and twenty kinds of gold products from which it is possible to choose from gold ingots which can weigh up to ten grammes and even gold coins made specifically in accordance with the demand of the customer. And through a computerised system the machine undertakes the updating of the gold prices every ten minutes to keep in line with global markets. The machine currently deals with the UAE Dirham but soon customers will have the choice of using credit cards.
يَلْعَبُ ٱلصِّغَار عِنْدَ مَفَارِق ٱلْأَزِقَّة. يَتَرَاكَضُون وَيَتَشَاجَرُون. يُرْسِلُون ضَحَكَاتِهِم بِلا تَرَدُّد. لا يَتَذَمَّرُون مِن قَسْوَةِ ٱلْمَكَان. وَلا مِن ٱلْمَاء ٱلْآسِن وَٱلْحُفَر. لَمْ يَتَغَيَّر ٱلْمُخَيَّم كَثِيرًا. تَضَاعَفَ عَدَد ٱلسُّكَّان مَرَّاتٍ عِدَّة. وَتَضَاعَفَتْ أَعْدَاد ٱلْأَعْشَاش ٱلصَّغِيرَة ٱلْمُتَلاصِقَة ٱلْمُكْتَظَّة. وَعَدَد سُكَّان ٱلْمَقَابِر. فَوْضَى ٱلْأَسْلاك ٱلْكَهْرَبَائِيَّة. وَٱلْعُيُون ٱلْعَاتِبَة اَلْمُطِلَّة مِن ٱلنَّوَافِذ ٱلصَّغِيرَة. وَٱلثِّيَاب ٱلْمُعَلَّقَة عَلَى ٱلْحِبَال ٱلْقَصِيرَة. وَٱلسَّيَّارَات اَلَّتِي اِسْتَهْلَكَهَا ٱلْوَقْت. وَدَاخِل ٱلْغُرَف هَجَمَ ٱلصَّدَأ عَلَى ٱلْمَفَاتِيح ٱلْقَدِيمَة. وَهَجَمَ ٱلْعُمْر عَلَى صُوَر ٱلشُّهَدَاء. عَلَى ٱلْمِصْطَبَةِ ٱلصَّغِيرَة يَجْلِسُ ٱلرَّجُل ٱلسِّتِّينِيّ يُدَخِّن. قُرْبَهُ بِضْع شَتَلات مِن ٱلْحَبَق وَنَبَاتَاتٍ أُخْرَى. كَأَنَّهُ يُحَاوِل أَنْ يَتَذَكَّر أَنَّهُ كَانَ صَاحِب أَرْض وَلَوْ صَغِيرَة. وَصَاحِب تُرَاب يَصْلُح لِلزَّرْع وَٱلْقَبْر.
The young ones play at the intersections of the alleys. They race each other and they quarrel with each other and send out their laughter without hesitation. They dont grumble about the harshness of the place. Nor about the stagnant water and the holes. The camp has not changed much. The number of residents has doubled several times. The numbers of small shacks [lit. nests] stuck together and jammed together has doubled and the number of residents of the cemeteries. The chaos of the electricity wires and the reproving eyes looking out from small windows. The clothes hanging on short lines. And the cars which time has worn out. Inside the rooms rust has attacked the old keys [of the refugees homes in Palestine] And age has attacked the pictures of the martyrs. On the small bench sits a man in his sixties smoking. By him are a few seedlings of basil and other plants as though he is trying to remember that he was [once] an owner of land even if only a little. And the owner of earth/soil suitable for cultivation and the grave.