Remembering a Pioneer of Fine Arts, Sittana Babekir Bedri

Remembering a Pioneer of Fine Arts, Sittana Babekir Bedri

Title photo, Sittana Bedri in her youth and a stunning mural painted in tribute to her in 2018 by Assil Diab:

See too https://www.instagram.com/sudalove/

Above, stills from the Blue Nile TV tribute featured in this week’s post.

Background to This Week’s Text

This week’s text is a moving, 8-minute, intermediate level Blue Nile TV tribute to the late, great fine artist and educationalist, Sittana Babekir Bedri, who died in 2018.

The report includes footage of the artist recounting formative childhood experiences, her relationship with her father, examples of her work, discussion of her life abroad, and later recognition of her contribution to Sudanese life.

The text is a rich source of colloquial Sudanese Arabic, standard journalistic Arabic and examples of official, legal and administrative register. The warmth and disarming charm of the artist shines through this report and she remains an inspiration for Sudanese women across the generations.

Learn more about this remarkable artist and teacher next month in https://womensliteracysudan.blog/

Possible Approaches

If you are unfamiliar with Sittana Bedri’s life and work, do not consult the lexical focus section before studying the text and treat it as a cold listening test, noting down four key aspects of her life or work.

If you would like specific comprehension questions to focus on, then why not make notes to answer the questions below?

What media did Sittana prefer to specialize in? What childhood experiences does she recall? What role did her father play in her artistic development? How did she first come across coloured paints and pencils? What does she emphasize about her time living abroad and how did it shape her artistic life?

Why was she honoured and how did she feel about it? How would you describe the presenter’s rapport with the late artist?

Below, the presenter of the tribute to Sittana Bedri.

Lexical Focus

You will hear a standard way presenters welcome and address TV viewers at the beginning of a report and formulaic expressions used upon someone’s death. Can you predict what expressions might be used? You will also hear official terms used upon the conferring of honours.

Expect to hear words related to Sittana Bedri’s artistic experiences, such as “hobby”, “pen and brush”, “charcoal”, “scribble” (Sudanese colloquial), “copper”, “cloth”, “table cloths / bedspreads”, “critic”, and “institutes”.

How would you say “pioneers”, “contributions” “values”, “authenticity”, “appreciation”, and to “honour someone with / award someone a medal”? What adjective might be used to extol one’s country?

The presenter talks about Sittana’s smile, and friendliness / warmth and she mentions how emotional / excited she was to be honoured. What expressions do you predict might be used for these ideas?

How do you say “navy blue” and “light blue” in Sudanese Arabic? What word is used for “maternal uncle” in Sudanese Arabic? How many words for “existence” can you think of and which is used here? What’s a “badge” in Arabic?

Watch the Report Here:

Transcription

Transcription with Explanatory Notes

1 in this space; misaaHA. Notice too the standard journalistic way of addressing the viewers and welcoming them to the programme.

2 pioneer; raa’ida; note plural form; alruuaad

3 this expression, fan al-tashkiil, is usually translated as fine art or plastic arts

4 ishaamaat; contributions

5 notice this way of referring to “the late doctor”…

6 she offered her, literally, her gifts; see below;

7 istiDafnaahaa; we hosted her here / she was our guest

8 note this fixed expression, frequently used when mentioning someone who has died, for “May God have mercy on her soul”

9 and she (always) receives you with a smile; bi-bashaasha

10 and friendliness / goodwill / cordiality; wadd / wudd

11 (as is the custom with) great people `uZumaa’; plural of `aZiim;

12 fine art is a hobby; hiwaaya you can’t resist / fight against; yugaawimuhaa

13 I remember I’d take a piece of charcoal; faHm, and scribble; ashkhabaT, from shakhbaTa on the walls

14 and he became my first critic; an-naaqid al-awal

15 and he would take me to the mawlid; Birth of the Prophet celebrations

16 to see the drawings ….on the tents (khiyam, also khiyaam, plural of khayma)

17 al-khaal; maternal uncle

18 al-mu`aahid; institutes,

plural of ma`had

19 rakkaza `ala; concentrate on

20 literally to battle against (using) the pen and 21) brush; forsha so that people would use whatever

22 material, maada; they find

23 an-naHaas; copper

24 literally put pressure on, press / impress; here, to work the copper

25 you pass go / through; bitmarii biihuu

26 note the use of colloquial “gaayila”; what do you think; see too more examples in Two Songs

27 he would hand out badges to us

28 navy (colour) koHliyya

29 light blue / blue and led us in

30 my time is distributed between focusing on colour,

31 drawing on cloth / material, gumaash

32 toubs, plural of toob, atyaab

33 and table cloths / bedspreads; mafaarish, plural of mafrash

34 al-mujasimaat; three-dimensional pieces / also cut-outs

35 li-manH al-wisaam; bestow upon / award her the honour / decoration / medal / insignia

36 in accordance with the provisions; al-aHkaam, of article (al-maada) 5 of the law of literally; decorations / insignia, plural of wisaam, and medals; al-anwaaT, plural of nawT; note the official register used

37 in recognition; taqdiir; appreciation of her pioneering role in driving the course of girls’ education

38 which she approached with conduct based on / perhpas here, rooted in the values, qiyam, and authenticity / uniqueness, also magnanimity; aSaala

39 of this noble / lofty (al-abii) people

40 literally; recorded / documented previously, referring to Babekir Bedri’s pioneering work in education before her and her continuation of those efforts

41 to honour her efforts and

42 her gifts / what she gave; see 6)

43 note this official phrase; literally, in accordance with the text of the decision issued / promulgated

44 signature; tawqii`

45 corresponding to; al-muwaafiq

46 to be honoured (takriim) as artists

47 note this way of saying “presidents have come and gone”

48 binlaaHaZ; notice

49 existence; kaynuuna (in its own right)

50 I was so emotional / excited / affected; munfa`ila, that I had to try to stop myself crying

51 it was like dreaming (Hilmaan) and you will wake up and find that nothing’s there

52 you deserve it, tastaHiqii

53 Sittana Bedri is referring to her museum which she founded and resourced at her own expense in Ahfad University and explains nobody took an interest in it until the Blue Nile TV Channel reported on it, and especially thanks to the rapport she had with its presenter, Amjad, who visited so regularly , he became known by the students

54 Amjad has put on weight

55 Amjad has become thinner

56 Amjad has got married

57 the president will honour you; yusharrif-ik

58 I was chatting / chatted; note this colloquial verb for chat / talk

59 note this formulaic expression used upon someone’s death; May God have mercy on her soul and grant her forgiveness