A Ceasefire in Ramadan?
Ramadan in Khartoum
Above, stills from the two brief reports featured in this week’s post. Al-Hadath outlines the realities of celebrating Ramadan in Khartoum during wartime, left, and Al- Arabiya, right, discusses the latest ceasefire proposal.
Background to This Week’s Texts
The two, 1.5-minute texts featured this week outline reactions to the most recent ceasefire proposal for Sudan and present an overview of the situation in Khartoum in this Holy Month of Ramadan.
The language is fast, intermediate level, journalistic Arabic and the reports provide powerfully succinct media snapshots of the current situation as well as useful lexis used in war and conflict situations.
Possible Approaches
Text 1: A Ceasefire in Ramadan?
What do you know about the latest ceasefire proposal? If you are unfamiliar with the proposal, what reception do you predict it has been given by the warring sides? If you have read about this news item, what information do you expect the report to give?
Alternatively, watch and summarize the information and views provided by the presenter (centre), the RSF (top) and the SAF.
The report also provides a brief breakdown of territorial control enjoyed by the RSF and SAF forces. What do you predict the report will say about the following regions? Were you right?
Text 2: Ramadan in Khartoum
The Al-Hadath report has built-in subtitles. You might like to read the subtitles in real time along with the presenter, focusing on correct vowelling and natural intonation, or echo his delivery, one phrase at a time, pausing playback.
Alternatively, watch the report on mute and read the subtitles as if you were the presenter. Then check your delivery against the original. Of course, you can always listen to the report without watching and try to picture the scenes described too. How much could you understand without the aid of subtitles? You could also use the text as a dictation test, writing down what you hear in real time and checking your accuracy with the transcript below.
Lexical Focus
As you might expect, the first text contains many expressions related to conflict. Try to predict which expressions will be used for the following:
“international call for a ceasefire”, “truce”, “alleviate suffering”, “facilitate movement of civilians”, “withdrawal”, “to be contingent on”, “be welcomed” (for a proposal)”, “forces are concentrated”, “to be in control of”(a region), “contribute” and “displaced”. Which expressions are used for “villages”, “quarters” and “territory”?
In the second text, describing Ramadan in Khartoum after nearly a year of war, expect to hear words describing the atmosphere in the city. Can you predict which expressions might be used to describe the streets of the capital? if you would like to focus on specific lexis, then consider the terms that will be used for:
“hubbub / hustle / noise”; (two related words), “empty of” (two words), “destruction”, “miserable. wretched”, “preparations”, “features”, “utensils”, “ghost town”, “camps”, “look forward to / long to”, and “in vain”.
Watch Text 1 Ceasefire in Ramadan?:
Transcript
Annotated Transcript
1 da`wa umamiyya; an international call; umamiyy; international / also in this context relating to UN; note; ammama; to nationalize
da`wa; call / appeal
2 waqf iTlaaq an-naar; ceasefire
3 hudna; truce
4 HaZiyyat 5) bi-tarHiib; note this way of saying “was welcomed by / positively received by”
6 tushimu; contribute to
7 takhfiif; lightening / alleviation
8 ma`aanaah; suffering
9 iiSaal al-musaa`idaat; transportation of / getting aid through / aid
10 tashiil; facilitating of movement of civilians
11 marhuuna bi; contingent upon, also in other contexts pledged / pawned, given as security / mortgaged; al-insiHaab; withdrawal
12 Hallaal / Hilaal; plural of Hilla; village
13 furqaan; plural of fariiq; quarter of a town, can also refer to a section of a bedouin camp
14 tusayTir; to be in control of
15 yatarakkaz; concentrated in
Watch Text 2 Here:
Transcript
Annotated Transcript
1 mawaa’id; plural of maa’ida; tables
2 khaaliyya min; empty of
3 Dajja; bustle / noise, also din; 4) al-maara; of passers-by
5 kharaab; destruction / devastation
6 baa’isa; miserable, wretched, woeful
7 bi-laa Dajiij; hubbub / noise
8 ikhtafat; disappeared / vanished
9 al-taHDiiraat; the preparations that the women
10 tu`iddu; prepare
11 khaawiyya `ala; empty of
12 `uruushihaa; literally, thrones; here seats, meaning completely empty
13 al-awaanii; utensils; plural of inaa’
14 mu`aalim; features, outline, also milestones
15 ka-medina ashbaaH; a ghost town
16 Saamita; silent / silenced; taHawwala ..ila; change into / turn into
17 naaziHiin; displaced
18 min khashaash al-arD; literally gathering / collecting from creeping things; khashaash can mean both vermin and insects but here it is used in a phrase echoing stories from sacred texts well known to the listeners; the displaced are forced to gather / forage for anything they can find, being in a desperate situation
19 al-amna; more secure / safer
20 al-mu `askaraat; camps
21 aS-SiraaH; conflict
22 bi-laa malaamiH; literally; without features
23 yatashawwaq ‘ila; look forward to returning to / long to return to
24 duuna jadwa; in vain
25 al-ma`huud; customary / usual
Sudanese Arabic Documentary Transcripts with English Notes 