The Unique History and Culture of Wad Medani 1/4

The Unique History and Culture of Wad Madani

Below, and title photo, stills from the beautifully filmed series on Sudanese regional life and culture, arD as-sumur.

Background to This Week’s Text

This week’s text is the first of six posts dedicated to the short arD as-sumur documentary on the city of Wad Medani. This visually stunning series explores some of the most beautiful and culturally unique towns, cities and regions of Sudan.

This week’s documentary explores the historical, religious and cultural importance of a much loved city. The upper-intermediate level opening section of the text explores the spirit and origin of the city through the evocative words of its citizens, often in snatches of refrains and poetic descriptions.

If like me, you are unfamiliar with Wad Medani, this documentary is a wonderful introduction to the city and its character. If you have visited or lived in the city and have fond memories of it, what might you expect or hope the film to focus on?

We will be discussing the lyrics of the series’ theme song next week, along with the second installment of the text.

Possible Approaches

I found I missed several key points in the commentary of the first two of the three speakers featured in this extract and pictured below. How about you? Did you catch all the details of the poetic welcome to the city, given by the first speaker? And the essence of the Wad Medani spirit, as summed up by the second speaker? What atmosphere does the first speaker create? And what are the signature traits of the Wad Medani citizen, in the view of the second speaker?

What, according to the third speaker, is the origin of the city and its name?

Next week, we move on to consider the religious and political legacy of the city.

What rhymes and refrains can you identify?

Lexical Focus

If you would like pre-viewing orientation on the expressions you can expect to hear, then try to activate your memory on the following?

What is the plural of “guard”, “bird”, “minaret” and”throat” in Arabic? How would you say “creativity”, “barefoot”, “nectar”, “innermost sentiments / conscience”, “humourous / witty”, “Islamic jurisprudence”, “inheritance”, “to sponsor a pupil”, and “sorrows”?

You will also hear expressions for “passing through a place”, “run parallel to”, “to rest”, “stay permanently in a place”, “to feel compassion for “, “woods”, “wild animals”, “hill”, and”patch of land”.

What Sudanese colloquial expression is used for “street kids / homeless people”? You will hear an expression for “to calm down / smooth the ruffled feathers of an angry person”. What might it be?

Watch the Episode (From Minute 2:30 – 6:00) Here:

Transcript

Transcript with Explanatory Notes

1 arD as-sumur: plural of asmar, samra, golden brown skinned people

2 mu`idd; producer / maker

3 al-ibdaa` Haafiyyaan kaHurraas; (the city where) creativity walks barefoot (Haafiyyaan) like the guards, for verb Haras, (i), Hiraasa min, to watch / guard, Haras; guard, escort, of the old city and

4 taSHuu; awakens to the

5 aSwaat Hanaajir: the voices from the throats, plural of Hanjara, of birds; here birdsong

6 al-`aSaafiir; of birds, plural of

`uSfuur

7 al-mu`aqama: literally, sterilized / disinfected, perhaps here, purified by the sounds / voices, perhaps here the calls of the

8 al-maa aadhin; minarets, plural of mi’dhana,

9 raHiiq almubda`iin; nectar of (its) creative people

10 wijdaanuhaa; sentiment / feelings but also innermost heart and conscience

11 shamaasatuhaa kamaashatahaa; shamaasi / shammaashi; street kid / homeless person. The expression literally means the street kids are like pincers / tongs for picking up hot coals. We are not sure what this expression means. Any guidance much appreciated

12 Turfa; joke, funny saying / amusing / witticism

13 Tiyyib khaaTir; this expression can mean willing / with good grace / to do something gladly. When the same expression is used later in the text, (see 17) it has the idea of “smoothing ruffled feathers” , as in تَهْدِئَةُ رَوْعِهِ, almaany.com

14 faham; understanding

15 biwaddir al-aHzaan; waddar; wideer / wadaar; to lose one’s way, go astray / to lose / waste (biwaddir `umr-o; he’s wasting his life; here, to remove / to lose sadness within us (wijdaan; heart-felt sentiments)

16 the speaker possibly makes reference to two famous sons of the city in a refrain, note the rhyme with

17 al-qaDaa al-fii al-qawaaniin; even the judges will smooth the ruffled feathers (see 13) of its debtors

18 tawafa; to die / pass away

19 on the basis that he undertook his upbringing / education; tarbiya

20 kafaala; from kaffala; to maintain, support or sponsor

21 al-fiqh; Islamic jurisprudence

22 `ilm al-faraa’ iD; Islamic science / school of inheritance / bequests; literally obligations

23 `ilm al-miiraath; study / science of legacies

24 Hanna; (i) (Hinn); to be kind to, Haniin; kind, compassionate; also, here, to miss

25 maariin; passing through

26 taHaazii; Haaza; (i), muHaazaa; to run parallel to

27 yastiriiHuu; to rest

28 naDDafuu; to clean / clear

29 al-ghaabaat; woods / forests

30 Huush; also Huwuush; wild animals

31 rubwa; hill

32 fa-jaa’ fii khaaTrihi; and a thought came to his mind / it occurred to him

33 yastadiim; to stay permanently, also perpetuate in other contexts

34 following the wisdom, Hikma, that (only) God knows

35 li-wasiiTa, in the middle

36 ruq`ia; patch

37 al-aHyaa’; plural of Hayy; town district, quarter, neighbourhood; aHyaa `ashaa’iyya; unplanned, illegal settlements