Uncle Abdur-Raheem 3/3

Above, shaded coffee stall on Tuti Island

Background to This Week’s Text

This week we explore the final, highly lyrical and moving section of the epic poem and ballad, Uncle Abdur-Raheem. Before tackling this section, make sure you have studied Uncle Abdur-Raheem 1/3 and Uncle Abdur-Raheem 2. You can find further background and orientation to the poem in https://womensliteracysudan.blog/2019/10/22/uncle-abdur-raheem-2/, with links to a dramatic English recital of the poem.

This closing installment includes powerful imagery and several uniquely Sudanese cultural references.

Muna Zaki has very kindly provided a full transcript of the poem, which corrects errors in the Poetry Translation text referenced in the first section, and coheres with the most widely known version, which is sung below. Remember there are multiple versions of the poem in popular culture.

This series of posts would not be possible without the detailed explanations, generous research undertaken by Muna and her colleagues.

You can read Adil Babikir’s translation (Modern Sudanese Poetry) of this section of the poem at the end of this post.

Camel herders, Omdurman.

Possible Approaches

As suggested in Uncle Abdur-Raheem 1/3, you might like to listen to Nancy Ajaj’s version with your eyes closed and try to visualize the scenes and imagery evoked and just enjoy the sound of the words and note the rhymes and poetic rhythms you can catch.

How many different scenes or phases of the poem do you notice? What is the atmosphere and emotional tone created? What does the poem reveal about the poet and his cultural and political ideals? Which verses resonate most with you and why? How do you predict Abdur-Raheem’s story will end?

Alternatively, you might like to make notes of all the specifically Sudanese turns of phrase, syntactical features, such as assimilation of possessive suffixes and word order, and cultural references you hear. If your Sudanese Arabic is of advanced level, you might enjoy comparing the original text with Adil Babikir’s translation and explore the choices made by the translator.

After you have worked through the poem, why not try learning a section by heart or reciting it in time with the subtitled version?

If you would like specific comprehension questions then consider the following:

What is Abdur-Raheem’s fate and what factors have contributed to it? How does the poet emphasize the tragic quality of the final events of the poem? What does the poet say about the way news of Abdur-Raheem’s fate is circulated and what emotional effect does that have on the reader? What do you feel are the messages of the poem as a whole? What political or sociological interpretations might you bring to bear on the poem? What role does religion play in the poem, in your opinion? Now you have read the whole poem, which verses did you find to be most moving or memorable?

Can you summarize the events of the poem and your reactions to them in your own words in standard Arabic?

Lexical Focus

This week’s section opens with the verses first seen in Part 2 on the nature of government in Sudan and its impact on ordinary citizens. How much can you remember before listening to this section again? Which key expressions describing forms of government in Sudan can you recall?

In the poem you will hear expressions for the following:

to “chirrup”, encourage a horse or donkey to move and “to bolt / startle”, “to join the army as a private”, to “travel south”, “to gush / flow / pour”, of rivers and rain, “fate or destiny” (two words) and “grudges. What words do you predict will be used? Which verb would you use for “to stay awake / hold vigil / not sleep”? Which colloquial verbs might you hear for “abandon / leave someone”, “give” and “bring”? And for “shoes”? You will also hear words for “to tilt”, “avert / avoid / dodge”, “squeeze”, “salary” and “prescription”.

The poet uses the word كمين, literally, trap / ambush. Why do you think he has chosen this word and what resonances does it have in the poem?

You will also hear these expressions, which have powerful cultural associations:

After listening to the poem, can you explain how these are used and the images they create?

Can you predict what the underlined phrases below are referring to?

Above, ice seller on the streets of Khartoum, pre-war.

Watch Here:

Nancy Ajaj

Subtitled Version

Transcript, 5 Pages

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Annotated Transcript

1 literally; and governments sink; taghur; ghaar, (u); sink, descend, become sunken, also subside for land; taking up the earlier refrain (see Part 2), the poem explores the cycles of government in Sudan and ordinary people’s way of coping with them:

2 taHkum bi-; (sometimes), they rule by Hujii; variant plural of Hujwa; -aat, aHaaji,Huja; folktales, fairy tales

bi-ddajal al-kajuur; dajjaal; imposter, charlatan, quack, the quackery of the kujuur, plural kajara; medicine man / diviner; Sometimes the military rule –

3 kasaar aj-jabuur; (spirit-)breaking bully / bullying, from kasar, to break; kassar; to smash / break into pieces; jabur; force, compulsion, coercion; bi-j-jabuur; by force; the idea here is of the cruel bully; jabbaar; ruthless

4 (and at other times) they rule by the name of the Prophet and the tombs; gabuur; referencing the sway of shiekhs, religious leaders, the weight of the past

5 you know, young man; yaa Sabii; plural; Subyaan; a (brave) young man

6 sometimes you (just) turn away and turn round; talif; taduur; meaning here you reject them

and you say “barii”; an interjection used when you wish to be kept safely away from danger; bariyya; invocation to God for protection from any kind of evil (also said when someone is ill)

7 or you burn incense; taHrig bukhuur; again to ward off evil as a protective rite

8 hiim yaa fanjari; haana; to arise / stand up; as in guum! yaa fanjari, this form of address is used for a man deemed to be of good character and chivalrous behaviour, who offers service to others

jerif aS-Sabuur; to be updated

9 all you have left are dates; tamuur, as, previous line, “All the seeds you had sown died.” (Adil Babikir)

10 and your lands lie fallow; buur; arD buur; fallow land

11 laa tiiraab waSal; the seed provisions provided by local government didn’t arrive

laa baabuur yaduur; and no irrigation pump turns / runs

12 nagriT lil-Humar; he chirrups the donkey; onomatopoeic expression for the clicking noise made to urge on a horse or donkey

nagriiTa al-Humar; verbal noun from above; “he chirrups the donkey, / his nudge on the beast’s belly / triggers his own memory:” (Adil Babikir); don’t forget

13 laa tansa al-ni`aal; pair of shoes or slippers, plural;

ni`laat

ni`leen

14 aT-Tirgii; a toub / robe worn inside the home of rough material, shaygi dialect;

see Part 2

alternative spelling of al-khuDaar; literally, vegetables; Adil Babikir explains this as “the noon time meal” and libis al-jadiid; as (new) school uniform; literally new clothes

15 taSriiH al-safar; travel permit; taSriiH; permit

lil maashii aS-Sa`iid; going south

maashii ad-daysh nafar; going to join the army; daysh; Sudanese colloquial pronunciation of jaysh; army, as a private, ordinary soldier; nafar

16 wa-l-baal ishtaghal; and the mind working and working; occupied / preoccupied; “And his mind went on full spin” (Adil Babikir), (preoccupied with..:

bil-aba maa yu`iid; (the son) who refuses; biyaaba, abayaan; to refuse, the past tense can also be used for the present, often used with maa; aba maa yaakul; he refuses / refused to eat; here the poem is referring to the son’s refusal to repeat / resit the exams (he has failed)

17 al-Hool maa ishtaghal; Hool, Hoolaat; year, sometimes used to refer specifically to the agricultural year; referring to his son who hasn’t found a job, he hasn’t worked for a year; “a son unwilling to re-sit/ the exams, but unable to get / a job either”; (Adil Babikir)

18 al-ghubun ash-shadiid; ghubun, plural of ghabiina; literally, resentment / grudge, also extreme anger against somebody; plural form also ghabaayin

al-saab(haa) wa raHal; the one (referring to his daughter’s suitor / husband / fiance) who left her; saaba, sayabaan; to leave / abandon / desert and went away; ” a daughter deserted by her groom”; (Adil Babikir)

19 aD-Diig al-muHal; Diig; literally, narrowness, also, Diig al-nafas; breathlessness, also anxiety or distress; here the word muHal refers to harsh circumstances, specifically hunger and drought; “destitution, drought”, (Adil Babikir)

wal-faraj al-gariib; faraj; relief; “and relief remains as elusive and beyond reach as ever” Adil Babikir

20 wa saal ad-dam maTar; and the blood, ad-dam, poured (like rain); saal,(i); pour, stream, seep, flow; “a blood stream” (Adil Babikir)

21 wa Taarat dumu`atayn; and tears flew, from Taara (i); fly; literally two tears flew, dual; “And gushing tears” (Adil Babikir)

wa-inshaaiiH watar; watar, literally, tendon / vein, also sinew, nerve; inshaaiiH; used here for when a wound opens up; see Part 2

22 yaa TaaHin al-khabr; TaaHuuna, plural, TawaaHiin, mill; TaaHin, literally grinder; emphasizing the rapid spreading of the news, like the particles of flour that are scattered under the grindstone.

maa bayn al-gaDaa wal-murHaakaat-al-gadar; between fate and the grindstone / millstone of fate; murHaaka, plural; maraaHiik; see below;

there are many sayings and folk tales in Sudanese Arabic associated with the murHaaka; see some in Kambala 

bayn al-gaDaa wal-gadar; a set expression meaning according to fate / what is ordained by God

23 ash-shahiduu ad-dumuum; the ones who witnessed the blood, plural of damm;

wa-d-dama´ al-hadar; and the tears streaming / gushing; al-hadiir; stream

`aarifiin fi-l-khadhr; translated as “they know the bottom truth” (Adil Babikir); al-khadhr, to be updated

24 al-khabr al-yaqiin; the certain; yaqiin, news

bawwakh wa-intashar; literally, from baakha,(II), to vaporize / steam / fumigate; here the news spreads like so many airborne particles, and spreads

25 addohu aT-Tiyuur; literally, they gave it to the birds; from the verb adda; (ya’addi, iddeey) to give / provide with, to pass or hand; also to carry out / fulfil a job / obligations

wadanuu al-baHr; and conveyed it / send / bring; wadda, (i), widdeey; ” it passed to flying birds,/ was picked up by the sea waves”, Adil Babikir

26 inSaa`id siHaab; it rose up / ascended;

inSaa`id (like) a cloud

wa indaafag maTr; gush / pour (like) rain;

fi-shaari`

27 `aSar; in the street, (Abdur-Raheem) squeezed himself (because he had to avoid the police patrol)

from `aSar; (i), to squeeze, press (oil); also

`aSar benziin; accelerate

28 lii taal al-yasaar; he tilted to the left;

mutfaadii al-kajar; from yatafaada; to avert / avoid / dodge; al-kejer / kajar; police patrol

29 dawriyya a-t-al kajar; dawriyya; patrol; for more context on the more recent associations of the word kajar, see https://womensliteracysudan.blog/2023/06/17/the-vulnerable-soul/

30 jaffalat al-Humaar; from jafal, (i), jafla, jafalaan, min; to shy at, to bolt / run away; the donkey bolted, also to startle

wa TawwaH zay Hajar; and was thrown / flung like a stone, passive form of TaaHa

31 itlaafa al-gaTr; the train carried him away; itlaafa; to be fetched; laafiinii; hand me / fetch me …

32 jirtig bil-turaab; A thread of blood-stained earth is described as a jirtig – a strand of red silk threads with amulets worn in wedding ceremonies. See Anointing in Robes of Red and Gold for more on jirtig symbolism and ceremony. See too Jirtig – A Sudanese Wedding Ceremony

33 rooshita-wa jawaab; prescriptions; rooshita, and letter

wa-maahiyya shahar; maahiyya, plural mawaahi; monthly salary

34 muftaH ab gharaab; see below;

oriniikiin sahar; orniik; (plural araaniik); form / document (dual); sahara; to stay awake / not sleep; suhar; vigil / sleeplessness; here, the idea of working late, working at night, hence ” two overtime slips” (Adil Babikir)

35 libda Humaar; libda, plural, libad; saddle pad (that sits under the saddle)

muqTuw`iin Dahar; literally back, broken, referring to the saddle pads; note Dahar, plural Duhuur, Dahar at-toor; a roof sloping on both sides; also:

`ind-o Dahar; he has someone in his family with power or wealth who can back him, also a small island in a river

36 yaa kamiin bashar; kamiin, plural; kamaayin, literally, ambush or trap, (this word has many associations), but here the idea is that Abdur-Raheem is one of so many suffering similar circumstances; he is one of us, so many, hence Adil Babikir’s “how many souls are taking refuge in you?” Perhaps too the idea that Abdur-Raheem in his death absorbs those other sufferings of all Sudan’s poor? We would welcome any comments and ideas on this phrase.

37 SaHii -al mawt; wake up the dead; “wake them up, / to your serene world”; Adil Babikir

The poem now loops back to the opening stanzas;

38 The poem opens with Abdur-Raheem at his morning prayers and we hear four of the sacred names / attributes of God, frequently invoked in prayer, among which are; fataaH, often translated by Muslim sources as The Opener of the doors of mercy to whom He pleases / also the Granter of Success; `aliim; the All-Knowing and razzaaq; the Sustainer (rizq; livelihood / sustenance / life), and the Holder of the Key of our Sustenance. The latter perhaps holds special relevance for those in precarious circumstances and those struggling, like Abdur-Raheem.

39 Note the religious invocation which opens the poem; laa yaghshaak ash-sharr; May evil not befall you; a phrase echoed with powerful effect later in the poem; from the verb ghashiya; come to, visit, descend upon, afflict, befall and overwhelm

40 He prayed quickly / hurriedly; Sala `ala`ajal

41 hamham hamhama; literally, he murmurs with the verbal noun; hamhama; mumble / hum / mutter / murmur; note the echoes of the word hamm; care / worry within these words, echoed in the 8th line, hamm foog hamhama, and later in the poem contrasting the careworn workers and those with few cares; baarid hamm(haa)

42 HaSn lil-`ibaad; literally; the fortress of the believers

43 howzaz SibHat-u; to fidget with / nervously finger, from shake, hazza; note the Sudanese pronunciation; SibHat-u; his prayer beads / rosary

44 6 wa dangara li-turaab; note this Sudanese colloquial verb; dangar, dingeer, dangara, to bend down / bend over, (as he prays)

Uncle Abdur-Raheem 2/3

Uncle Abdur-Raheem 2/3

Above, a tea stall on Tuti Island, pre-war.

Background to This Week’s Text

This week we explore the second section of the iconic Sudanese poem Abdur-Raheem. Before tackling this section, make sure you have worked through section one, discussed and annotated in Uncle Abdur-Raheem 1/3. There you can also find external links offering greater orientation on the poem and its dramatization in English.

The second section of the poem contains some of the most well known and poignant verses in modern Sudanese poetry and reveals much of the poet’s political and humanistic philosophy. For many, these verses encapsulate the social and political challenges facing Sudan and their impact on the most vulnerable.

Muna Zaki has very kindly provided a full transcript of the poem, which corrects errors in the Poetry Translation text referenced in the first section, and coheres with the most widely known version, which is sung below. Remember there are multiple versions of the poem in popular culture.

This series of posts would not be possible without the detailed explanations, generous research undertaken by Muna and her colleagues.

Possible Approaches

As suggested in Uncle Abdur-Raheem 1/3, you might like to listen to Nancy Ajaj’s version with your eyes closed and try to visualize the scenes and imagery evoked and just enjoy the sound of the words and note the rhymes and poetic rhythms you can catch.

How many different scenes or phases of the poem do you notice? What is the atmosphere and emotional tone created? What does the poem reveal about the poet and his cultural and political ideals? Which verses resonate most with you and why? How do you predict Abdur-Raheem’s story will unfold?

Alternatively, you might like to make notes of all the specifically Sudanese turns of phrase, syntactical features, such as assimilation of possessive suffixes and word order, and cultural references you hear. If your Sudanese Arabic is of advanced level, you might enjoy comparing the original text with Adil Babikir’s translation and explore the choices made by the translator.

After you have worked through the poem, why not try learning a section by heart or reciting it in time with the subtitled version?

If you would like specific comprehension questions then consider the following:

What regrets and sadnesses haunt Abdur-Raheem? How do we know his circumstances have changed? How are Sudan’s governments and her people’s reactions to them described? Can you make a note of all the occupations mentioned in this section? Why do you think the poet mentions so many? What is the poet saying about the nature of poverty in Sudan?

In this section you will hear many examples of the conditional in informal Sudanese Arabic. Perhaps make a note of all the ones you can catch. What is the poetic impact of these conditionals?

Khartoum, near Baladiyya Street, pre-war.

Lexical Focus

If you would like pre-listening orientation, then consider the following:

What words might you expect to hear for “shame”, “harm”, “worry / anxiety”, “poverty or hardship” and “to toil / labour”, also as a noun for drudgery? Which words are used for “lie fallow”, irrigation pump”, and “dates” (fruit)?

What words do you predict will be used for these occupations and their irregular plurals; dockworkers, sugarcane cutters, cotton pickers, and rope hawker?

You will hear expressions for “come to the surface” (of an object, especially in water), “become distracted / daydream”, colloquial verbs for “pull /drag”, “gush / pour / leak”, “spit” and “frown”. What verb might be used for “to spur on / nudge a donkey”? How would you say “drowned man”, “sink / subside”; “folktales”, “medicine men”, “charlatans /imposters”, and “bully”. How would you say “sweat, n/v”, “burrow / hole”, “brow / forehead”, “pearls”, and which verb would you use for “clothe someone?

When would you use theses forms of address: yaa fanjeri! And yaa Sabii! What protective exclamation is often used when someone feels they are in the presence of danger?

What meanings do you associate with these words; طين and غبش? What religious term is used for godlessness / unbelief in God?

Zubier Basha Street, Khartoum

Listen Here:

Nancy Ajaj

Subtitled Version

Transcript, 5 Pages

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Annotated Transcript

1 perhaps here, “Are you really free?” Note the rhetorical construction maa-kaa; and the use of yaa rayt / yaa reet; if only, I wish; the dates; at-tamr, would (yield) every three months

2 and if only the old days hadn’t passed; tamurr; to pass; the poem here is wistfully evoking happier times

3 Had shame / humiliation / degradation but also extreme poverty; hawaan, a feeling of shame or great embarrassment, condition of being looked down upon or despised (al-ma`any), not come to you.

Note the name Um Rahoum, present in Adil Babikir’s translation, is missing from the text. It appears the poet Uncle Abdur-Raheem is speaking regretfully about her (his wife’s?) suffering;

Had harm / injury; Durr, Darra; to harm, damage (u), not befallen you; literally; met / found you

4 Had not straightened circumstances (Diig), stifled / constricted you, from Daaga, (i); in some versions of this line might be rendered as tasted; Dugti; to taste; Daaga (u), Diig; anxiety / distress, also discomfort

itghaghar; literally, we have a form of the verb to gargle, so perhaps here the idea is “if poverty hadn’t risen bitterly / repeatedly into your throat (?); al-fagr; poverty

5 laa shaabayt ghariig; nor, literally; the bobbing up and down in the water, coming to the surface, shaabayt; of a drowning / drowned man; ghariig; drowned; again the desperation of trying to keep one’s head above water is evoked here

TawaH fagr; literally the passive of the verb to fling; had poverty not been flung at you;

6 Had what had been not been, kaan aksiiki durr; I would have clothed; kiswa, plural, kasaawi; garment, especially when new, also the cover of the Kaaba, you in pearls; durr; synonym of luulii

7 literally; and governments sink; taghur; ghaar, (u); sink, descend, become sunken, also subside for land; the poet now explores the cycles of government in Sudan and ordinary people’s way of coping with them:

8 taHkum bi-; (sometimes), they rule by Hujii; variant plural of Hujwa; -aat, aHaaji,Huja; folktales, fairy tales

bi-ddajal al-kajuur; dajjaal; imposter, charlatan, quack, the quackery of the kujuur, plural kajara; medicine man / diviner; Sometimes the military rule –

9 kasaar aj-jabuur; (spirit-)breaking bully / bullying, from kasar, to break; kassar; to smash / break into pieces; jabur; force, compulsion, coercion; bi-j-jabuur; by force; the idea here is of the cruel bully; jabbaar; ruthless

10 (and at other times) they rule by the name of the Prophet and the tombs; gabuur; referencing the sway of shiekhs, religious leaders, the weight of the past

11 you know, young man; yaa Sabii; plural; Subyaan; a (brave) young man

12 sometimes you (just) turn away and turn round; talif; taduur; meaning here you reject them

and you say “barii”; an interjection used when you wish to be kept safely away from danger; bariyya; invocation to God for protection from any kind of evil (also said when someone is ill)

13 or you burn incense; taHrig bukhuur; again to ward off evil as a protective rite

14 hiim yaa fanjari; haana; to arise / stand up; as in guum! yaa fanjari, this form of address is used for a man deemed to be of good character and chivalrous behaviour, who offers service to others

jerif aS-Sabuur; to be updated

15 all you have left are dates; tamuur, as, previous line, “All the seeds you had sown died.” Adil Babikir

16 and your lands lie fallow; buur; ariD buur; fallow land

17 laa tiiraab waSal; the seed provisions provided by local government didn’t arrive

laa baabuur yaduur; and no irrigation pump turns / runs

18 wa-lmaahiyya uff; and the wages; are nothing; uff, (dissolving away like bubbles; bubble)

`iisha haak wa kuff; a possible translation; to live from hand to mouth; ka /uff, palm of the hand; the idea is your wages are almost snatched away from your palm as soon as you receive them

19 tuff ya dunya tuff; literally spit; tufaaf; spittle; “Spit on you! / Miserable of a world”, Adil Babikir; it is as if the world spits upon the poor

20 yaa `abd-ash-shagii; oh slave / bearer of hardship / misery; shagyaan; miserable

maa it`awad shakii; unaccustomed to complaining; shaka (i), shakwa, shakiyya, (min), complain / grumble

21 lakin al-kafaaf; but al-kafaaf; extreme poverty / destitution; perhaps here instead of “but”, even though

upon you / over you is leaning; muntakii; to lean heavily, also to lean back in a chair; intaka

22 here the poet is reminding us of the merciless power of the market for people like Abdur-Raheem; and the market trades against you / you are traded / at the mercy of the market, also many demands are made of you

haal-aa maa tasurr; literally, their condition / situation doesn’t please; perhaps here doesn’t smile (on them)

faayiitaak bi-S-Sabr; exceeding; from faata; exceed / outdistance, you in patience; but there are others who surpass even you in patience

23 saakiniin bi-iijaar; living in rented (homes)

laa Tiin laa tamr; without (their own agricultural) land or dates (or any income from agriculture)

24 maa laagiin juHar / jaHar; (some people not even finding) a burrow; JuHar; hole / burrow

25 sila`-tum aD-Duraa`; literally; your wares / goods are your arms; your bodily labour, you sell your labour;

w-al-`arig al-yakhurr; pouring; yakhurr; from kharra,(u), to leak, gush water; sweat; al- ` arig

kilaat al-mawaanii; dockhands, plural of kila; al-muwaanii; plural of miinaa’; port

26 al-ghubush at-ta`aanii; al-ghubush; very poor people / miserable people (Dictionary of Sudanese Colloquial Tamis / Persson) but this word is also often used by Sudanese to refer to the ordinary man of modest means; note the verb ghabbasha; to cover or pollute with dust or mud; al-walad de ghabbash nafs-o; the boy got himself really dusty ghabsha; at-ta`aanii; suffering

27 baHHaarat-as-sufun; baHHaar, plural; baHHaara; sailors (of ships)

Hashshaashat-al-quSuub; Hashshaash; a person who has the job of cutting, etc; Hashsha; to cut grass / weed; al-gaSuub; sugar cane

28 ligaaTat-l-guTn; cotton pickers, plural noun from laggaTa; (u), to pick cotton (or flowers)

al-jaalib al-Hibaal; from jalaba, (i); to bring for sale, hawker of rope; Habil, Hibaal

29 al-fiTn al-furun; Adil Babikir; “bakers: fused by oven flames”; fiTn; (within) the belly / stomach in Sudanese colloquial, especially Shaygia, as in dakhal fiTn al-bayt; al-furun, plural afraan; furnace, oven, bakery

their work is at the fire (of the furnaces / ovens)

30 furg-aan shata bayn; expression used to express the idea that something is completely different from something else; furga; gulf / gap

31 majruura wa tajurr; from the verb jarra (u); to pull or drag; dragged along (by circumstances) or dragging

32 takdaH bil-ajr; from the verb kadaHa; to toil, labour, drudge slave, grub, so perhaps here, slaving away or toiling for wages and sometimes for no wages at all

33 wa daysh-n haan gadar; here we have the Sudanese colloquial variant pronunciation for “army”, jaysh; the poet is referring to the many mouths the poor must provide for, like an army; “And look how many mouths on their feed list”; Adil Babikir renders the previous line as “look how much they get?”

34 and there are other people whose situation / condition; Haal-(haa) zayn; fine / beautiful; (they are;) Adil Babikir; “And here are the well-heeled:”

35 (owners of) a factory; maSna`, a factory or two factories, (dual), (or more); emphasizing they have property / business interests

36 here Tiin has the idea of land, especially agricultural land; the poet is emphasizing that there are people who have so much land that if you were looking out at it, stretching away into the horizon, you couldn’t see where it ends; Tiin also means mud or clay.

37 maa maraa-baa murr; to be updated

38 baarid hamma-(haa); literally their (of an-naas) cares are cool; they have few worries

laa ya`rig jabiin; no sweating brow;

ya`rig; to sweat, `irig,

`argaan; sweating; jabiin, brow / forehead

39 laa wushsh-(haa) yaSurr; no frowning face; Sarra (u), frown; Sarra washsh-o; frown / screw up one’s eyes

40 `ayn `ayn; there are two possible interpretations; the exclamation look, look! (at their good fortune) and also possibly implied reference to envy and the evil eye, as the expression is also used to ward off the evil eye;

The poet then goes on to contrast the worldly heaven of the fortunate and Abdur-Raheem’s impoverishment in this life, knowing that only after death will he enjoy heavenly ease: “Little these fortunes weigh, be assured,/ against the eternal bliss of paradise – / and heavenly mansions”, Adil Babikir

41 wa `izza-haa haan gadar; to be updated

42 dii aj-janna umm na`iim; literally, Mother of Bliss; perhaps here Heaven abode of bliss

aj-janna umm gaSr; heaven / paradise of palaces / mansions

43 literally, behind, perhaps here, beyond, the grave; al-gabr; grave / tomb

44 yalkid fii-; spur on / nudge his donkey; Sudanese colloquial

perhaps here; don’t become too distracted / inattentive (because of your worries); tasraH; saraHa, (a), sarHa; to become absent-minded / daydream / distracted by thoughts; sarHaan; inattentive, absent-minded, daydreaming. This warning will take on great significance later in the poem. “Don’t give free rein / to your mind’s eye” (Adil Babikir)

45 for indeed / verily; Inn kaan, poverty; al-fagr

resembles; ashbah bi-; lkufr; unbelief, the state of being an infidel; kafara; to be godless, be an atheist; the poet is saying those ground down by extreme poverty can come to / appear to come to rejection of faith; as in the proverb; aj-jaw` kaafir; literally hunger is infidel. “Surely, Abdur-raheem, / poverty whittles away faith, / from the boldest of hearts.” (Adil Babikir)

Below, this section in Adil Babikir’s Abdur-Raheem, Modern Sudanese Poetry, An Anthology

Uncle Abdur-Raheem 1/3

Uncle Abdur-Raheem

Background to This Week’s Text

This week we offer the first of three posts dedicated to the famous musical version of one of the most poignant poetic tributes to the Sudanese poor, Uncle Abdur-Raheem or The Tragedy of Abdur-Raheem, by Mohammed El-Hassan Salim Himmaid. This iconic work has been been taken up time and time again as inspiration for the downtrodden in periods of political and social turbulence in Sudan.

Although the language and syntax are often straightforward, the cultural density and use of Sudanese colloquial make this text upper-intermediate to advanced in level.

Today we look at the first third of the work and explore the Sudanese colloquial expressions used and the beautiful yet simple imagery of the poem. We provide a literal breakdown of the poem’s concepts and expressions, followed by the elegantly wrought official translation of the section studied by Adil Babikir in his Modern Sudanese Poetry, An Anthology.

Below, you will find two musical versions of the poem; an exquisitely sung and very clearly enunciated non-subtitled version by the artist Nancy Ajaj, accompanied by another, popular and accurately subtitled version. Start with whichever version you feel most comfortable with.

The text of the poem which we annotate comes from the Poetry Translation website. There are slight inaccuracies in the text, which are indicated. You can also check these out by comparing the text with the accurate subtitled video version.

After you have studied the text, you can find more background and context to the poem and its musical arrangement, as well as a beautifully recited English performance, directed by Moniem Ibrahim in Uncle Abdur-Raheem .

You can read an interview with Moniem in In Conversation.

Possible Approaches

If you are unfamiliar with the poem, you might like to listen to Nancy Ajaj’s version with your eyes closed and try to visualize the scenes and imagery evoked and just enjoy the sound of the words and note the rhymes and poetic rhythms you can catch.

How many different scenes or phases of the poem do you notice? How do you picture Abdur-Raheem in your mind’s eye? How does Abdur-Raheem sustain himself psychologically and spiritually? What is the atmosphere and emotional tone created? What does the poem perhaps reveal about the poet and his cultural and political ideals? Which scenes are most evocative or moving for you? How do you predict Abdur-Raheem’s story will unfold?

Alternatively, you might like to make notes of all the specifically Sudanese turns of phrase, syntactical features, such as assimilation of possessive suffixes and word order, and cultural references you hear. If your Sudanese Arabic is of advanced level, you might enjoy comparing the original text with Adil Babikir’s translation and explore the choices made by the translator.

After you have worked through the poem, why not try learning a section by heart or reciting it in time with the subtitled version?

If you would like specific comprehension questions then consider the following:

What is Abdur-Raheem doing as the poem opens and what relevance might this have to insights into his character? What time of day is it and how do we know? How would you describe Abdur-Raheem’s internal monologue in this opening scene? What do we know about his wife? Which everyday tasks are mentioned?

What thoughts occupy him as he travels to work? How can we describe the atmosphere between Abdur-Raheem and his workmates? What does he do when he sees them on the way to work?

What does the poet say about Abdur-Raheem’s life as a rural worker? What advantages of rural life are mentioned? What domestic responsibilities weigh on Abdur-Raheem’s mind?

Lexical Focus

How would you explain the words jerayf / jiriif, and tukl (plural takkaal) and their cultural significance? Which Sudanese colloquial expressions do you predict will be used for “cobbler”, “tailor”, “shoes”, “toubs”, “clothes” and which verb might be used for “to call in on / drop by”? You will also hear Sudanese colloquial expressions for “to look upwards” and “to bend over / down”.

Which names of God are invoked and what is their significance to the poem? How would you explain the concept of “tawakkal”?

You will also hear expressions for “cares”, “mumble / mutter”, “touch of affection”, and “warmth”. Which words might you hear for”wink / blink”, “saddle the donkey”, “the stable”, and milk the goats”? Which verb is used for birds’ singing or tweeting?

You will hear several synonyms for “tease, mock and banter”. How would you say “bear a grudge against someone”? Can you think of two words for “hope”? What would you say for “hardship or suffering”? And for “obstinate”, “by force of circumstance” and “good omen” ?

Video Resources

Nancy Ajaj

Subtitled Version

Abdur Raheem; The Text

Poem Text (4 pages) from Poetry Translation

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Processed with Snapseed.

Text with Explanatory Notes

• 1/2 The poem opens with Abdur-Raheem at his morning prayers and we hear four of the sacred names / attributes of God, frequently invoked in prayer, among which are; fataaH, often translated by Muslim sources as The Opener of the doors of mercy to whom He pleases / also the Granter of Success; `aliim; the All-Knowing and razzaaq; the Sustainer (rizq; livelihood / sustenance / life), and the Holder of the Key of our Sustenance. The latter perhaps holds special relevance for those in precarious circumstances and those struggling, like Abdur-Raheem.
• Note the religious invocation which opens the poem; laa yaghshaak ash-sharr; May evil not befall you; a phrase echoed with powerful effect later in the poem; from the verb ghashiya; come to, visit, descend upon, afflict, befall and overwhelm
• He prayed quickly / hurriedly; Sala `ala`ajal
• 3 hamham hamhama; literally, he murmurs with the verbal noun; hamhama; mumble / hum / mutter / murmur; note the echoes of the word hamm; care / worry within these words, echoed in the 8th line, hamm foog hamhama, and later in the poem contrasting the careworn workers and those with few cares; baarid hamm(haa)
• 4 HaSn lil-`ibaad; literally; the fortress of the believers
• 5 howzaz SibHat-u; to fidget with / nervously finger, from shake, hazza; note the Sudanese pronunciation; SibHat-u; his prayer beads / rosary
• 6 wa dangara li-turaab; note this Sudanese colloquial verb; dangar, dingeer, dangara, to bend down / bend over, (as he prays)
• 7 Sanga`a; Sudanese colloquial verb for to look upwards. The poem then sweeps upwards to early morning summer sky and distant stars and the keen sense of the absence of Abdur-Raheem’s loving wife; she too is labouring in the early morning so cannot ask him if her slept well. Note the use of ad-dunya to express the season / atmosphere
• 8 laa lamsa Hanaan; no touch, lamsa; Hanaan; affection / tenderness / kindness
• 9 laa lamsa widaad; no touch of affection / kindly feeling / love / friendship
• 10 laa ramsha Tarayf; literally no blink / wink; here, gesture, Tarayf; in Sudanese colloquial, nice / pleasant
• 11 min galb(ha) wafii; from her loyal / faithful / constant / true-hearted heart
• 12 ayaam ad-difii; the warm, days

• 13 shaddatlu -l-Humaar; she saddled the donkey, she was in the stable, al-muraaH. Note too the colloquial syntax used; kaanat maa-haa fii
• 14 taHlib fi-lghanam; milking the goat, note the preposition fii used here
• 15 and the birds; aT-Tayr maa naDam; the birds didn’t tweet, hadn’t started tweeting / twittering; naDam, (u), naDim fii / `an; speak / talk about, naDaam; talkative, used both in a positive and negative sense: Here emphasizing that Abdur-Raheem has risen even before the dawn chorus
• 16 maa rasal nagham; literally, they sent no melody / tune / song; they are still silent
• 17 itwakal nazal; he entrusted himself to God; the concept of tawakkal encompasses the duty to take adequate precautions and act responsibly in your personal life and then entrust everything to God; “It’s a delicate dance between action and acceptance”, (The Importance of Tawakkal Allah, Arabian Tongue.com); as in the proverb, tie your camel and trust in God; and he went down to, fi-l mushra`;
• plural mashaari`; landing stage for boats / ferry, pontoon, also anchorage / dock
• 18 zimlaan ash-shagaa; colleagues, a plural variant of zumalaa’, in hardship / misery; ash-shagaa
• 19 here; a proper noun but al-jiriif / jirayf / jerayf, plural jiruuf; cultivated river shore; the area around the river bank and as a proper noun, diminutive of jarif, the region on the Blue Nile near Khartoum
• 20 `alla; he wishes / hopes everyone (is) well
• 21 haaZar(hum); tease / joke / banter
• 22 nagnag naagar(hum); nagga; nag, also grumble, tease / joke / poke fun at; nagaar(hum); literally to beat a drum
• 23 ghaaZoohum); tease /provoke; ighaaZa; teasing, wa na`al; curse
• 24 / 25 note this way of saying he didn’t bear a grudge against anyone; maa bitakhbir za`al; the poet then emphasizes that all the workers there are friends, SiHaab, as one family, and those without family / relatives have their workmates as family;
• al-ma(hum) guraab garrab(hum) al `amal; whose who don’t have relatives, guraab, their workmates become their family; garrab; become close to / be related to
• 26 aT-Taaga al-yaTugg; literally; it exploded; Tagga; make sharp, cracking sounds, explode, burst; here the expression is used to refer to those being teased; if he gets wound up / upset, then let him get wound up/ upset
• 27 `ishta ..bi-lHaala; May you live
• al-`alayk; live (accepting) the situation / circumstances you find yourself in, with
• 28 bil-faal bil-amal; literally, (good / auspicious) omen and hope

• 29 the poem now centres on Abdur-Raheem’s life as a rural worker, falaaH, which for all its harshness, offers greater autonomy as there was
• 30 laa daftur HuDuur; no attendance register or
• 31 laa HiSa faToor; no (regimented / fixed) breakfast break
• 32 taqra` bil-gamr; to irrigate by moonlight
• 33 lakin az-zaman dawaar laa biduum; but time turns (like a wheel) and (nothing) endures / lasts; biduum; last / perpetuate, also swirl / gyrate. Note mistake in the text here; it should be laa
• 34 fi-lbaal al-gadiim it`aaraD tukul..; in his subconscious; baal al-gadiim, (the image of) the tukul (his home) rises up before him in his mind; baal; mind, baal-u murtaH; he doesn’t have to worry, baal-u mashghuul; he’s worried and baal-u Tawiil; he’s a patient person
• tukul; a round, thatched hut found in many regions of Sudan but this word is also associated with the hearth, cooking, Sudanese cuisine and often refers to the kitchen of a compound of huts; The Tukul: Rural Sudan’s Traditional Kitchen
• it`aaraD; is projected as on a screen / displayed, from
• ya`ariD; to display / exhibit
• 35 tashaaiiH jiraaH; (old) wounds, jiraaH, are re-opened / bleed again; tashaaiiH and in the following line, how can this (pain / suffering) be washed away?
• 36 the world, Um SalaaH, begins from here, the tukul
• 37 min Hijja aS-SabaaH; from the morning, perhaps here, issues, Hijja, literally excuses; the things for the stew (mulaaH), new clothes
• 38 fil- gasaT al-gadiim; an old installment (of a debt still to be paid)
• 39 and between them both `asham; hope, this word is also used in the saying;
• `asham ibliis fij-janna, the hope of the Devil to enter Heaven; an utterly unrealistic hope; and `ashmaan; hopeful; sustained by the thought of;
• 40 fil-faraj al-ba`iid; in distant (perhaps here, future) relief; that somehow in the future things would be better

Amuna, in the morning

• 41 an-ni`aal wa-T-Tirga inharin; shoes and toubs; Tirga, plural of Taraga, literally layer but referring here to the type of toub / cloth worn by women inside the home; colloquial, possibly Shaygia; are worn out / are finished
• the shoes; an-na`aal
• plural ni`laat, pair of shoes or slippers
• 42 ghash(hin) an-nugulti; from ghasha, (a), ghashwa, ghashayaan, to drop in / call in on at the cobbler’s; nugulti; plural; iyya; drop them (feminine plural) off at the cobbler’s
• 43 wat-tarzi al-gariib; and the nearby tailor, plural; iyya
• 44 Tagghin maa bifiid; (machine) stitching them will not work / be of no use; this verb is used for stitching by sewing machine
• 45 Tagghin maa biziid; stitching them will add nothing (to their life as they are so worn out)
• 46 inTag(hin); note the sound echoes with Tagga above, inTaga; eaten away by time to shreds
• 47 ghaSb(aan) liZ-Zuruuf; by force of circumstances
• 48 wal-Haal al-Harin; and obstinate situation; Harin; Humaar Harin, a donkey that refuses to move. The poem now moves to Abdur-Raheem wishing he could provide for his family all those things so much part of and required by Sudanese community life;
• 49 `ashaan maa tankasfii yoom; so that you shouldn’t be embarrassed; from kasafa; (i), kasif / kasafaan; to embarrass when
• 50 maargaat lii SufaaH; (feminine plural present participle from the verb marag; (u), muruug, to go out / leave) the women are going out to attend weddings
• 51 aw beeriik najaaH; congratulations (Shaygia dialect word equivalent to mabruuk) on success
• 52 al-wajaab idhan; literally, it’s a duty therefore; perhaps here because al these things are part of our communal duty / the fabric of our lives
• 53 lammat naas bi-khayr aw sa`aat Huzun; the gathering together, also crowd in other contexts; lamma, of people (in times of) happiness and sadness

Below, from Modern Arabic Poetry; translated by Adil Babikir, Uncle Abdur-Raheem, pp 80-87

A Ceasefire in Ramadan? Ramadan in Wartime Khartoum

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

Screenshot

Annotated Transcript

Screenshot

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:

@waad11141

يارب تكون اخر مرة 💔💔💔 هل تاتي من عودة #السودان #سودانيز_تيك_توك_مشاهير_السودان #رمضان #رمضان_احلي_في_السودان

♬ original sound – waad11141

Ramadan in Khartoum

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

One Story from a Million Stories; Consolation

One Story from a Million Stories; Consolation

Screenshot from mr ooossh’s Instagram (Khalid Salah) video featured in this week’s post.

Background to This Week’s Text

The highly colloquial 2-minute conversation featured this week for listening and lexical focus encapsulates in miniature the unfolding tragedy of Sudan’s civil war. This fast, lower-intermediate text is full of everyday courteous and formulaic conversational expressions used in Sudan.

A chance meeting in a street in Omdurman sparks a conversation which speaks volumes on Sudanese powers of resilience and dignity.

Possible Approaches

Why not use the text as a dictation test from cold and compare your accuracy against the transcript below?

Alternatively, you might like to make a note of the colloquial responses used by the older man interviewed to describe his health, life circumstances and feelings. What are his circumstances? Why is he where he is? How does he survive financially? How do his responses change as he becomes more relaxed with his interlocutor? What questions does the interviewer ask and what surprises him?

What’s your reaction to the interview and the old man’s situation? And the interviewer’s actions? Do you have any reservations about the video?

Lexical Focus

How would you translate the title of the video clip? What other expressions are derived from the same verbal root? If you have been following this blog, you will remember we’ve seen this expression before. Can you remember where?

Which expression might you use if you feel that words fail you because of the emotional power of the situation you are experiencing?

How many words do you know for “beg / “seek alms” in classical and Sudanese Arabic? Which expressions are used in the text?

Which colloquial verb for “to leave” do you predict will be used in the text? And which expressions might you expect to hear for “to be powerless / have no strength left”, “turbid / murky”, “family / children”?

Which religious phrase is used to say “God save / preserve you”?

Watch the Video Here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by khalid salah (@mr.ooossh)

www.instagram.com/reel/C3VlMgfoJok/

Transcript

Annotated Transcript

1 jabar al-khawaaTir; in this context, the expression means consolation, the healer of broken hearts / souls

You can see more examples of this term in as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah), Part 1/3, where the expression is one of several epithets of Sharifa Maryam; jaabira; literally a bone-setter, (jabiira; splint) / jaarara, III; to treat kindly, ajbara IV; to splint; but as a name, Consoler or Comforter; of al-khawaaTir, plural of khaaTir, here, spirit / soul / heart / mind. The word can also mean thoughts / preoccupations; but here, Consoler of Broken Souls

2 al-waaHid galbu ya`jiz

`an ta`biir zaatu; literally, one’s heart is incapable of expressing; perhaps here, words fail us

3 mafiish `awaja; note this colloquial response to “How are you?”; all is well, no problem and also in other contexts, no harm done

4 maaluu yaa Hajj; here, why is it that while everyone else has left, you’re still here, alone

5 khaalii gudra; a powerful expression of resignation or sadness; I have no power / I am powerless, perhaps here too, no strength left

6 mu`akkara; literally turbid, muddy, perhaps here, describing life, troubled / bitter / harsh

also in the expression washh mu`akkar; looking disturbed, a grumpy face

7 al-dunya Harb; notice this way of describing the situation, using dunya; earthly existence / world for the general situation

8 aZ-Zuruuf kuluhaa maa waaHida; note this way of saying “not everyone enjoys the same circumstances

9 ana fii baab Allah; this expression is used for someone who subsists by begging or seeking alms

10 taHshad; shaHda; see below; to beg

11 faatuu; from the verb faat, (u), foota, fawataan; to go, leave, note also the expression faat `ala, to call in at, drop in on, also overtake

12 baladii al-kaan gaa`id foogu; note the use of the preposition “foog” rather than “fii”

13 maa `indak

`iyaal; Don’t you have any children, also family

Screenshot

14 muHtaaj; in need

15 mablagh maalii; a sum of money

16 aHaawil aZbuT; I am trying to ease your circumstances; from the verb ZabaT, (u, ZabiT) to fix, put something right, also ZabbaT, taZbiiT; to put something right

17 yaa ghaalii; an affectionate form of address, see as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam al-Mirghaniya) Part 2/3

18 Note this religious phrase for “May God preserve you and may God preserve Sudan.”

19 maSaariif; literally, expenses, outlay, here funds

The Sudanese Camel Litter

The Sudanese Camel Litter; Al-Hawdaj

Above, stills from this week’s video report on the beautiful and practical Sudanese camel litter.

Background to This Week’s Text

This clearly delivered, 9-minute, intermediate level as-Sudan TV report offers a unique chance to discover how the Sudanese camel litter is made and used, the key part it plays in nomadic life and the important role of women in its creation.

The text is an excellent resource for re-activating or extending your standard Arabic vocabulary related to nomadic life, as well for learning Sudanese dialect expressions also used in this context.

When you have studied the text, have a look at the article below to learn more about this fascinating artifact.

The Sudanese Camel Litter

Below, camel litter trappings from western Sudan, Sudan Ethnographic Museum.

Possible Approaches

If you are unfamiliar with Sudanese nomad life, then you might like to watch the report and make notes on those aspects that most interest you, possibly information related to nomad seasonal migrations and the many uses of the camel.

Alternatively you could focus on the hawdaj itself and how it is constructed and used. What is the role of women in the creation of the hawdaj? What is the cultural significance of the hawdaj?

Lexical Focus

Which materials might you expect to hear in the section on the assembling of the hawdaj?

How many words can you remember or generate from the Arabic roots for “pasture”, both nouns and verbs; “pastoral” and “herder(s)”? And for “nomad / nomadic / nomadism”? Arabic has many words for “camel”; can you remember three different terms for “camel”? Which ones are used in the report? What’s “camel hair” in Arabic? There is a brief glossary of these terms provided below, taken from Sudan Notes and Records (Sudan Open Archive) and Bab.la Dictionary.

Which expressions might you hear related to nomad interiors?

The report references three additional terms for “hawdaj”. Can you catch them? Which terms are used for the different parts of the hawdaj structure? Which verbs would you use, describing the hawdaj, for “tie up”, “secure”, “erect”, “design”, “prepare” and “decorate / adorn”? Which word for “spoil” or “show endearment” can also mean “unbelief”? And how might you express “assemble / re-assemble”? Can you remember how to say “ostrich feather”?

Which expressions might you hear for “indivisible from / integral part of / part and parcel”, “can’t do without / indispensable”, “transportation”, “occupy a prestigious place, or place of high standing”, and “when the time comes”?

You will also hear expressions for these ideas; “custom / norms / codes”, “esteem”, “elegance”, “exhaustion”, “decoration / adornment”, “precious, priceless”, “changes / fluctuations in weather”, “legacy / heritage”, “core”, and “intuition / instinct”.

Watch the Report Here:

Transcript

Annotations

Screenshot

1 al-bawaadii; in nomadic lands, nomadic pastoral Sudan

2 ar-ra`awiya; pastoral

ra`aa-t-libl; camel (al-ibl) herding

3 manaazil mutanaqila; mobile home

4 hay’ati-ha; feature, form, configuration

5 juz’ -aan laa yatajazaa min; indivisible from; perhaps here, an integral part; part and parcel

6 al-wabar; camel hair; also down, fluff, rough-haired goat fur, to be hirsute; wabira; ahl-l-wabar; Bedouins

7 laa yastaghanuuna `an; cannot dispense with / can’t do without

8 asfaar-ihim; their travels

9 tanaqaalat-ihim; transport

10 iHtalat; occupied

11 makaana; place, status, marmuuqa; eminent, prestigious, of high standing

12 maraa`ii; pastures, plural of

al-mar`a

13 HaZZ wafiir; abundand share, also, great fortune in other contexts

14 the term, word, lafZ; an-naaqa; camel, mushtaq min; is derived from; al-anaaqa; elegance

15 tuzayyin, is adorned / embellished, wa tuzandaq; spoiled, shown endearment see below too;

16 `urf; custom, also convention and customary law

17 out of esteem for them; taqdiir-aan and

18 ma`zzat-aan; esteem, affection, regard

19 dalafnaa; we entered, also, to walk in a leisurely way, stroll

20 muDaarib; traders, here referring to the camel dealers; this word can also mean speculators

21 ar-riish, feather, Hagg-an-na`aam; an ostrich feather

22 bi-kuli fakhr-in, pride, wa zahuu; perhaps here, splendour, also, vanity, gorgeousness, brilliance; zahuu has the idea of boasting

23 thawatihaa; heritage, ath-thamiina; precious, invaluable priceless

24 al-juHfa, 25) aZ-Za`iina, 26) ash-shibriya; all terms for the hawdaj

27 sarij; saddle, verb shadda as-sarij

28 al-ba`iir; camel; see glossary entry above

29 tashaddu; see 27), also to tighten, pull, shadda al-lijaam; to rein in, shadda `aDala; twist a muscle, shidd Heel-ak; be brave, do your best; also become erect, build

and shadda `ala iid; to shake someone’s hand

30 a`waad min al-Hatab; sticks of wood; plural of

`uud

31 min al-khalf; from the back (and both sides)

32 taqalubaat aT-Taqs; fluctuations in the weather; also vicissitudes

33 i`daad; preparation, also elaboration, planning

34 min Samiim; (at the) core

35 al-muqtaniyaat; here, belongings, also in finance, acquisitions, gleanings

36 az-zakhaarif; decorations, plural of zakhrafa

37 tataa’lif; compose / create / form / combine

38 yastariiH ar-ru`aa; the herders, ar-ru`; plural of

raa`ii, rest / relax; yastariiH

39 `anaa’; exhaustion, extreme tiredness after exertion; trouble / pain; hardship

40 Huwaar; young camel of first year; see glossary above

41 dif’; warmth

42 yaHriS `ala; to be devoted to / keen / eager; give care /concern to

43 bi-abha al-Hulaal; the most beautiful (from bahii)

44 Summima li; (which was) designed

45 note this expression for “when the time came for”

46 yatim fakk; the taking down / taking apart of ….

47 i`aada – tarkiib; re-assembly

48 yatajala; manifests itself in

49 wa-Hads-haa; intuition, also instinct

50 Did you catch this? Whether covering or decorating it

51 mawaad ghadhaa’iya; food resources

52 wa-khalaafu; and otherwise, alike

53 wa-taZalu: remain

54 wa- tajhiiz az-ziina; preparation of adornment

55 tu`id mawaad; prepare resources / sources / materials

56 tuhajjizu mufradaata-haa; and prepare particulars

57 tarbuT; tie up

58 tuthabbitu-haa; secure it

59 irth; legacy

60 their history and a`raafa-hum; norms, conventions, codes, customs

61 wa huwa sharaf laa yudaanih sharaf; honor which is unparalleled; from verb danaa, to be close

Sitt al-Wada`; Reader of the Shells

Song; Sitt al-Wada`

Above, stills from the music video featured as this week’s text:طه سليمان Taha Suliman – ست الودع – اغاني و اغاني 2011

Background to This Week’s Text

Above, Sudanese Arabic terms related to divination, Sudan Notes and Records, Sudan Open Archive.

This week we study a very popular Sudanese love song, (Yaa) Sitt al-Wada`, Reader of the Cowrie Shells. This ancient form of fortune-telling stubbornly endures in Sudanese culture, inspiring numerous songs, sayings, verses and comedy sketches, as in the inimitable سِت الودِع | بطولة النجم عبد الله عبد السلام (فضيل) | , a scene from which is shown below.

Often conducted at home over coffee and accompanied by incense, khaTT al-wada` or divination by casting cowrie shells can be both therapeutic and entertaining in turbulent times.

if you would like to learn more about this fascinating folk practice before listening to the song, take a look at Cowries in Sudan . At the close of the article I provide a summary of the song, so avoid reading that end section before listening.

Possible Approaches

There are many versions of this famous song, all with slightly different lyrics. If you enjoy the song, you might like to compare it afterwards with other versions available on YouTube. What differences in lyrics do you notice? The version below is very loyal to the official lyrics, which are generally clearly enunciated. Any slight variations are mentioned in the annotations. 

Although the syntax and much of the vocabulary is simple, the song includes many Sudanese colloquial expressions and cultural references you might not know and is wonderful glimpse into Sudanese folklore and marriage customs.

If, like me, you find it hard to understand Arabic song lyrics, then why not try first just to see how many different verses you can hear and which ones are repeated. As you listen to the repeated verses, can you understand a couple of lines of the verse? Can you catch any rhymes?

Focusing on the message of the song, do you feel it is happy or sad? What’s the story being told? A young man consults a reader of the cowries so what do you predict he might want to know? What does the fortune teller see in the way the cowries fall? How does the fortune teller address the young man?

Try to listen to the song several times before consulting the written lyrics below. Don’t forget you can slow down playback if needed.

If you feel you would like more written support to your listening, then, as you listen, put the jumbled verses below in the correct order.

Below a gap-fill exercise, if you enjoy this type of test. I have included two rhyming pairs of missing words.

Screenshot

Lexical Focus

What other words from the root w-d-` (cowrie) do you know? Which Sudanese onomatopoeia is used for rattle / jingle? The same root word is also used to describe the rattles worn by Nuba Mountains dancers. The song uses a Sudanese colloquial expression for “in front of me”. What might it be? Which Sudanese expression for “child” might you expect to hear? Which affectionate terms of address are used?

You will also hear words for “pale” to describe the shells, “luggage”, ”whisper”, “betroth / engage”, “forehead”, “embarrass”, “love”, ” be afraid” and “erase”. Can you predict what they might be?

The song refers to “fate / destiny” in two ways. Both ways are frequently used in Sudanese sayings. What could they be?

Watch the Song Here:

Song Lyrics

Annotated Lyrics

1 Reader of the Cowrie Shells, literally Lady of the Cowries, al-wada`; here you are, (referring to the shells); shake / rattle / throw the shells a little for me; below, Al Maany and Bab definitions with the w-d-` root;

2 kashkashii, inperative; from the verb kashkash, (kishkeesh), to jingle, rattle. This verb can also mean to become crazy, round up and lead away a herd, kishkeesh, to pleat, smock. kashkasha, noun, jingling or rattling, also decoration of dresses, sheets, curtains with embroidery and or tassels; kashkoosh, plural, kashaakiish; rattle, bells and rattle

3 maa takhtashii; don’t be afraid to tell me if, kaan, there is something in it; the singer asks the fortune teller not to hold back if she sees bad news for him in the way the shells fall

4 (and she shook the shells) in front of me; Sudanese colloquial expression; Hidaay

5 and she said “Oh my child”; jinaay; from janaa, plural, jinyaat / jannuun, baby, infant, young child

6 if only your fate / destiny; faal; also (good) omen, augury, presage, prediction by some occult means, were the fate of your enemy ( `aduuk) for (what I see here in the shells is)

7 big, here with the meaning of bad news and I haven’t added, zidtu anything to it. IN some versions you might hear kalaam gadiim

8 the two pale (ash-shaaHIbaat, also pallid / wan) cowrie shells (note the use of the dual case) have begun to prophecy;

9 Hamadu; a special term in divination by shells used to indicate the process of the shells revealing their prophecy;

10 what was whispered; from washwasha, to whisper came and said; note the verb “to whisper” also occurs in the first verse and chorus in this version of the song

11 yaa sayyid abuuh; the fortune teller uses an expression which is an affectionate address for the young man, oh my dear one

12 they betrothed (your lovely person); khaTaboo, referring to the zool jamiil, the young man’s beloved, grammatically masculine but referring to his lady love

13 to a young man of noble / highly respected line / of good manners / prestige; zool wad gabaa’il; literally son of the tribes. Note that in this version of the song, the singer adds the expression “wad muluuk” after these words; another expression of respect and praise

14 lamlim, collect / gather together your luggage, `izaalak; this refers to the shayla or dowry gifts traditionally offered by the groom; clothes, perfume etc that the young man has obviously already bought

and (added in this version go away, ziH ba`iid)

15 so that they (can’t) embarrass / humiliate you; yaHrijuuk); the Lady of the Cowries is telling the young man how to save face

16 here the Lady of the Cowries says that your mutual love; riidkum, the two of you still hold in your hearts; the young lady still loves him but

17 literally, what is written, that is pre-ordained / fated cannot be forgotten and is upon

18 (your) two foreheads and cannot be erased; meaning the young man must accept his fate.

As-Sayyida Maryam Al-Mirghaniya 3/3

As-Sayyida Maryam Al-Mirghaniya 3/3

Above, screenshot from the final installment of arD as-Sumur’s celebration of the life of as-Sayyida Maryam al-Mirghaniya. Women devotees at her Howliya, the annual commemoration of a holy person’s death, holding up their lawH or boards used for memorizing sacred verse.

Background to This Week’s Text

This week’s post concludes our study of arD as-sumur’s moving review of the life of as-Sayyida Maryam and her impact on the city of Sinkat.

In this closing episode, we learn details of her later life and the significant influence she exercised in her community and beyond. While most of the text is intermediate-level, standard journalistic Arabic, you will also hear highly poetic and sometimes arcane language in praise of as-Sayyida Maryam. 

Out of respect, we leave untranslated the second half of the faki (pictured below)’s recitation but welcome any insights on this complex section.

Possible Approaches

If you would like specific comprehension areas to focus on as you watch, then consider the following biographical themes:

Which episodes related to the later life of as-Sayyida Maryam do the scenes below illustrate? Use the stills to speculate on these aspects of her life and to activate your lexical fields before viewing.

What was as-Sayyida Maryam’s connection to mosques in the region and what were her links to Port Sudan?

How did train drivers choose to honour as-Sayyida Maryam?

Screenshot

What was as-Sayyida Maryam’s impact on education in the region? And what is said about her influence and recognition abroad?

Screenshot

What was the reaction to as-Sayyida Maryam’s death and what is said about her spiritual legacy?

Lexical Focus

How would you express the idea of being “passionate about something”? And if you wanted to refer to “shocking” news, which adjective might you use? Which complimentary adjectives might you use to praise a woman of religious note? How would you give the idea of someone receiving a “warm / affectionate welcome” and “in succession, in rows one after the other”?

Which terms would you use to express “concern yourself with / for, care about”, “supervise”, “be affected by”, “compensation”, “be awarded a medal”, “out of recognition for”, “blow a whistle” , “medical crew”, “competent”, “on board / aboard”? Can you remember the words for “delegations”, “reputation”, “influence” and “pioneer”? Which words would you expect to hear for “lamp”, “civilizations” and “treasure”? Can you remember the expressions in Arabic for “early morning / early rising” and “eve”?

What do the Sudanese call Quranic school? There is a poetic expression for “heart / soul / mind”. What might it be?

Egypt is often known by which epithet, mentioned in the excerpt? An Egyptian hospital is mentioned. Which one and what does its name mean?

Can you think of any euphemistic religious set phrases to refer to the fact someone has died? Which one is used in this week’s excerpt? How is the Day of Judgment often referred to in Arabic? How would you say “wish for someone’s cure”?

We provide an Arabic glossary of some of the key terms used in the excerpt at the end of the post.

Watch the Excerpt Here, Minutes 16.00-End:

Transcript

Transcript with Notes

1 shaghuufa bi; passionate about, also curious to know in other contexts

2 khalaawii; plural of khalwa; elementary Quranic school

3 mulHaqa bii; attached to

4 yaa ghaniyya; literally, rich but here full of riches / generous; this is also a woman’s name in Arabic with associations of readiness to help others, someone rich in many qualities

5 greetings; taHiya, in the early morn/ rising early, bukuur; and at eve, eventide; `ashiyya

6 more words of praise for as-Sayyida Maryam; al-`afiifa; chaste, pure, virtuous; aZ-Zariifa; lovely / nice, al-bahiya; magnificent, gorgeous, beautiful, splendid

7 literally, the sun of bariyya; the universe, creation, living beings. Note barriyya means open country / wildlands

8 nuur al-baSaa’ir; the light of insights; plural of baSiir. This word has many meanings; insightful / showing great learning / versed in / well acquainted with

9 the light of mysteries, here; soul / heart / mind; Duw’ as-saraa’ir, plural of siriira

10 siraaj; lamp of civilizations, HaDaar’ir, plural of HaDaara

11 she has precedence (in being of noble religious stock); isbaqiyya

12 kanz az-zakhaa’ir; here, a treasure trove

13 fii muHiiT al-mufaakhir; here, in the vicinity of glory; muHiiT can mean ocean but also environment, perimeter, surroundings, proximity; mufaakhir can also mean feats / actions to be proud of, root fakhara

14 the idea here is that another who enjoyed her lofty / sublime position; mu`alii; would have become arrogant; yukaabir

Screenshot

15 da`amat; supported

16 raa’ida; pioneer, plural, ruwaad

17 note this term for public / state education; al-ta`aliim al-ahliyya

18 saahamat fii; contributed to

19 naaDalat min ajli; battled / struggled / fought literally, for the sake / in the cause of

20 lahaa qubuul; note this way of saying “she was well accepted”

21 mumayizaat; features / characteristics

22 wa shakaawiyyahaa; complaints

23 tatajaawab; respond

24 ta`wiiDaat; compensation / reparation

25 niishaam; medal / honour

26 Did you catch this section? She rejected the medal in protest; here literally, anger; ghaDab, against the killing, here literally martyrdom, istishhaad; of a group, nafar, of her sons (in the struggle) who were demonstrating

27 the legislative assembly

28 al-maHruusa; note this is also one of the epithets for Egypt; literally, the guarded / protected

29 li-a`Zaa’im al-umuur; literally, for great matters, for matters of great import, see glossary below

30 Taaqim Tibbii; medical crew

31 muqtadir; competent

32 wa `ala matnihaa; note this way of saying “on board”

33 Hafaawa; warmth (of wlecome)

34 notice this way of saying “if you review the records ….

35 wufuud; delegations, plural of wafd

36 /37 tatamana lihaa ash-shifaa’; to wish for her to be cured

38 siira; life / biography

39 sum`a; reputation / fame

40 nufuudh; influence

41 maa maHSuur fii; not confined / restricted to

42 ash-shawq ila riHaab Allah ghaalib; literally, the longing for the spaciousness / welcome of God is victorious. This is a standard euphemism for referring to someone’s passing.

43 Saa`iqaan; shocking / shocked, from

Saa`iq; staggering / terrible /

44 zaHfaan, here, march; maHmuumaan mashaataan wa rakbaanaan; a frenetic, maHmuumaan; from Hamma, fever / maHmuum, feverish / hectic, walking and riding / on foot and mounted

45 Daamir; from the adjective meaning lank, scraggy, skinny, lean; here the narrator is emphasizing that so great was the desire to pay homage to the departed that people pressed even their weakest animals into service

46 iSTaffat; lined up in rows, aS-Sufuuf

47 ka-yoom khashrin, used to refer to the Day of Judgement

48 al-`aTira; literally, perfume, perhaps here, the memory of her which infuses

49 tahfuu lahaa aln-nafuus; see glossary below:

Glossary

Screenshot

as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam al-Mirghaniya) Part 2/3

as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa Part 2

Above, stills from this week’s episode from the ArD as-Sumur documentary on Maryam al-Mirghraniya and the eastern Sudanese city of Sinkat. See as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah), Part 1/4 for background to and an annotated transcription of the opening section of this film.

Background to This Week’s Text

This week’s text provides more details on as-Sayyida Maryam’s inspiring life and the impact on Sinkat of the annual celebrations in her honour. The excerpt includes stunning views of the city and evocative scenes of religious devotion.

The text is largely upper-intermediate level, standard Arabic, interspersed with Sudanese colloquial expressions as well as poetic evocations of the atmosphere surrounding the religious celebrations.

Before viewing Part 2, consult as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah), Part 1/4 for background to the events described and the religious expressions often used in Sudanese Sufi Islam.

Possible Approaches

Why not make notes as you watch to answer questions on any two of the following comprehension areas?

What is said about the women who attend events described? And what information is given about as-Sayyida Maryam’s life and good works? What is the connection between India and the women’s attire?

What do camels have to do with the celebrations? And how has the city benefitted from the annual celebration of as-Sayyida’ Maryam’s life?

What societal benefits does the annual celebration bring to communities who attend?

Lexical Focus

If you would like pre-viewing orientation, then consider which expressions might be used for the following ideas:

“to reach marriageable age / adulthood”, a collocation for “in groups and individually”, “ancient”, “joy” and “joyful”, “bright / vibrant” for colours; “rainbow”, ”shrine”, “of one’s own freewill / willingly”, “loyalty” and a verb for “attend regularly”.

You will hear a Sudanese colloquial term for large / heavy lorries. Can you predict what it might be?

Which expressions will you hear for “communication”, “gain acceptance”, “unparalleled”, and “to provide shelter”? What are the plural forms of “widow” and “orphan”? How would you say “open a window wide” and “under the cover of darkness / in the dead of night”?

How many words do you know for “perfume or fragrance”? And for “custom”, “adversary”, “marriage” and “popularity”?  How would you say “battalions / regiments”?

The narrator refers to “kinship or relationship through marriage”. Which word might her use for this? What collocation might be used for “hurt someone’s feelings”?

Watch the Excerpt Here (Minutes 9-16.18)

Transcript

Transcript with Notes

1 zaawiya; see as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah), Part 1/4

2 balaghat mablagh ar-rijaal; and when she reached adulthood, in this sense, of marrageable age

3 fii kanfihi; and she lived under his protection / patronage; see as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah), Part 1/4

4 al-ma`ruuqa; literally; these thin face; skinny, with little flesh on the bones

5 in this ancient / very old / also time-honoured; `atiiqa, also old-fashioned / out-of-date in other contexts, as-saaHA; square, piazza, also field or yard

6 `abaq, perfume, fragrance

7 zuraafaat wa wuHdaanaan; set phrase meaning in groups and individually

8 in celebration; iHtafaa’iya, perhaps here, unparalleled

9 fii shahar rajab; seventh month of the hijri year, followed by Sha`baan. One of the sacred months in which fighting is forbidden

10 al-Howliyya; the anniversary of a saint’s death, can also mean journals / annals in other contexts, See Part 1 for links

11 bi-iraadatihim; of their own free will ⁄ willingly

12 wafaa’ aan; loyalty, constancy

13 yatawaarathuu; literally, inherited, perhaps here, passed down from

14 jiilaan `an jiil; generation to generation

15 yataHalaquun; gather round / stand in circle, also fly or hover in other contexts

16 mubhij; joyous / cheerful / delightful, also exhilarating

17 faraH; joy / happiness

18 qaws quzaH; rainbow

19 yudaawimuun; attend regularly / steadfastly / keep on doing something / practice constantly

20 al-`unSuur an-nisaa’ii; literally the female element, among women

21 / 22 Did you catch this? That facilitated / made easy, yusahhil, this communication al-tawaaSil, without (the need of) translation

23 iqbaal; acceptance, unrivalled or unparalleled; munqaTi` an-naZiir

24 ashra`at shubaakahaa; opened wide her window; the narrator is referring to the living hearts of the devotees that opened themselves to her and

25 are kindled / ignited / burning; literally kindle their eyes, from the verb waqqada, noun waquud, fuel;

in the evening time / at eve; `ashiya. This also refers to the eve of a religious festival

26 Diiq fii-l- ma`aaiish; straitened; Diiq; hardship living conditions

27 araamil; plural of armala; widows

28 yutaama; orphans, plural of yatiim; also al-aytaam; the broken plural used here is unusual and dialect-based

29 yawiihum; shelter / accommodate receive / habour; al-maa’wa; shelter / refuge

30 al-umsiiyaat fii junHi-l-layl; evenings under the cover of darkness (so as to remain unseen / anonymous) in her good works. This expression also means “at the dead of night”

31 as in 6) the fragrance of dhikr (see Part 1) and the light of prayer fill the place

32 ruHaaniyataan; spiritually and

33 iimaanan; in faith

34 / 35 fawj; plural, afwaaj; literally, regiment / battallion, referring to the streams of worshippers

36 yatasawwaquun; and they shop for

37 fa-l`urf ma zaala Haakimaan; custom still rules / applies / prevails

38 `ala sharaf; in honour of

39 sibaaq al-hijn; camel racing, also hujn; camels in general;

40 tuwafir; offer / provide, especially opportunity

41 tawaaSil ijtimaa`ii; social communication

42 muwaaSila li; continuing / following the message of

43 khilaafaat; as-Sayyida Maryam was an (arbitrator) judge / adjudicator / magistrate in disagreements

44 bir-riDaa; goodwill / satisfaction

45 as-samaaHa; tolerance / forbearance / munificence / magnanimity

46 tatalaaqa; converge

47 ziijaat; marriages (are contracted)

48 al-muSaaharaat; alliances / affinity but here, kinship through marriage / relationship through marriage

49 DariiH; shrine

50 khaSm, plural khuSuum; adversary

51 maa taksir bi-khaaTir; without hurting someone’s feelings, see below:

52 tatakaamal az-ziina biHilya; …..complemented by jewel / charm / ornamentation

53 bahja; joy / delight

54 aqmasha, plural of qumaash; fabric / material / cloth

55 ath-thiyaab; plural of thawb; dress / clothes

56 tatasarrab; literally, to infiltrate / infuse

57 tajidu ar-rawaaj; found popularity

58 Saarikha; here perhaps vibrant, also gaudy / flamboyant loud / blatant in other contexts

59 buDaa`a; goods

60 muu’ajiriin; hiring

61 gunduuraanaat; large lorries

62 Did you catch this conditional? If it wasn’t beneficial, they wouldn’t come

as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa (Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah), Part 1/3

as-Sayyida Maryam ash-Sharifa; Maryam Al-Mighraniyah

Above, stills from al-arD as-sumr documentary, السيدة مريم الميرغنية | أرض السمر | الموسم الرابع | نبتة لللإنتاج الفني والإعلامي .

Background to This Week’s Text

This week’s text is the visually stunning, opening section of a 20-minute arD as-sumr documentary dedicated to the remarkable life of as-Sayyida Maryam al- Mirghraniya, her impact on the Khatmiyya Sufi order and the beautiful city of Sinkat in eastern Sudan. 

This upper-intermediate to pre-advanced level excerpt follows the film crew as they journey to Sinkat, interview followers of the Khatmiyya Sufi Order there and discuss the life of Maryam al-Mighraniya, considered by many as a Sudanese woman of outstanding piety and good works. The text includes key terms used in Sufi practices.

The celebrations honouring ash-Sharifa Maryam annually are spectacular and are ones in which women play a major role.

Get a taste with the 1-minute clip here:

After you have watched the excerpt and studied the text, have a look at these links, which provide more background to the Sufi orders in Sudan, the Khatmiyya in particular, and as-Sayyida Maryam al-Mighraniya.

The Khatmiyya Order

The Annual Ceremony of the al-Sharifa Maryam Al-Mirghaniyah in the City of Sinkat

Sudanese_Major_Sufi_Orders_pdf.pdf – this contains a chapter on Sudan’s Holy Women

Zawiya (Institution)

Murshid

wird-awraad

Possible Approaches

If you are unfamiliar with the city of Sinkat and the life and work of ash-Sharifa Maryam, why not watch the excerpt and make notes on any aspects you were curious to learn about. If you have visited Sinkat, what are your memories of it and what do you hope might be mentioned? If you are interested in Sudanese Islam, why not focus on what information is given about the Khatmiyya Order and its impact on the region.

Below, the Khatmiya worship area in the Mawlid celebrations, Omdurman, 2019.

If you would like specific comprehension areas to focus on, then make notes to answer the following questions:

What’s the Beja name for Sinkat? How are the city and its inhabitants described? What is their attitude to the many visitors who come there? What do we learn about the background to the Khatmiya Order, its founding, structures and reach? What do we learn about as-Sayyida Maryam, her family background, childhood, and marriage? What epithets are given to her and why?

Alternatively, make notes to summarize the information and comments made by any two of the three contributors below:

Lexical Focus

The language used in this excerpt is predominantly formal, sometimes poetic, standard Arabic, interspersed with Sudanese colloquial, with smatterings of Bejawiyya.

What words would you predict will be used for “innate quality, distinguishing feature” of a people, and for “rough or bumpy” terrain?

You will hear expressions for “starvation”, “songs”, “torrent / stream”,  “refuge”, “delegations”, “faith” and “spirituality”. What might they be? And for “feed”, “satiate”, “flee”, and “embrace”? What expression will be used for “perfume bottle” and “splash” and “spill / pour”?

Specific religious terms are used for a Sufi shrine / home of a holy person, and a small mosque / gathering place for Sufi orders (without pulpit), Islamic jurisprudence, religious verses which are repeated at set times and which are specific to the individual Sufi order.

Which formulaic religious phrases are used for “God bestowed upon him (the opportunity to undertake a task)” and “May God be pleased with him”?

Watch the Documentary Here, to Minute 9:

Transcript

Transcript with Notes

1 one of several epithets of Sharifa Maryam; jaabira; literally a bone-setter, (jabiira; splint) / jaarara, III; to treat kindly, ajbara; to splint; but as a name, Consoler or Comforter; of al-khawaaTir, plural of khaaTir, here, spirit / soul / heart / mind. The word can also mean thoughts / preoccupations; but here, Consoler of Broken Souls

2 raSiif; the paved road from …..; raSiif can also mean ridge / path / pier / quay

3 we travel through / over, cross hard; aS-Sald, firm, hard; al-wa `ar ; uneven, rough, rugged, bumpy (terrain)

wa`ira; having an uneven surface; aS-Sald; firm / hard

4 tatakannafahaa; and the mountains surrounding her;

5 sajiyya; innate character, attribute, trait, genius disposition

6 we crossed Aqaba; note this expression, when not a proper noun can also mean mountain pass, road; al-`aqaba; also, obstacle, hindrance, hurdle, inconvenience

7 the woman who (also) went into / made her way into Aqaba; iqtaHamat; literally, to break through / storm, go into / make a way into sth, and in other contexts, face danger bravely, go into obstacles

8 aT`amat; fed

9 ashbi`at; sated / also feed, assuage

10 al-masghaba; hunger, starvation; and who drove out /removed starvation

11 ad-durra; pearl / jewel

12 Taqs, climate

13 maljaa’; refuge, haven

14 yafirruuna ilay; fleeing to it in summer

15 literally, the houses of Sinkat aren’t mean / miserly / sparing; bakhiil; meaning the inhabitants offer hospitality to / welcome their many visitors

16 as they face (delegations) in torrents / streams; bi-saylin

17 delegations, plural of wafd,

18 taHtaDinahum; embrace them with, iHtaDana

19 extreme tenderness, Hanaan baaligh

20 baaligh; extreme, also ostentatious in other contexts

21 and they fill her streets with songs, / melodies / cheers, al-ahaaziij, plural of ahzuuja; song, in particular, religious or national anthems, also used as “warbler” for several species of birds

22 fi’ aat; denominations, groups, categories; different ethnic groups

23 Did you catch this? Eritreans

24 rashafaat; sips; if it weren’t for the sips of coffee and the drinking companions …

25 under every hill / mountain a nadiim; drinking companion; nadiim; also confidant

26 and the mutaka’; a place for reclining on couches and drinking coffee / relaxing for conversation companions; musaamir; conversation partner, also evening entertainment in other contexts. The idea is if it weren’t for these things the film crew would be bored of carrying on

27 kanaf; shrine or home of a religious person, from kanafa; protect, guard, take in, take someone (orphan, for example) under one’s protection

28 bilaa munaazi`; without dispute

29 literally, a splash; dafqa; of perfume, `iTr, spilled from, indalaqa min,

30 al-qaaruura; carafe, flask, the contents of a bottle, a narrow-neck, bulbous bottle for wine / perfume / chemistry, etc, here, perfume bottle

31 murshid; guide, note in Sufism, spiritual guide. Also teacher, from the root to have integrity, being sensible, mature, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murshid

32 note this religious formula for “The Almighty bestowed upon him the opportunity to (undertake a task)

33 quduum; coming / arrival

34 raDiya Allah `anhu; “May God by pleased with him.”

35 zaawiyya, plural, zawaayaa; a room dedicated for prayer / small mosque without a pulpit / centre for prayer or a Quran school, also in other contexts, corner / nook / angle, but here, see Zawiya (Institution) They were central to the spread of Islam by travelling holy men

These orders when established in Sudan were not centralized and all religious authority was canalized into the hands of the various teaching sheikhs. Sudanese Islam became “cellular”, in the literal as well as the metaphorical sense, the zāwiya being the nucleus of the embryonic Islamic civilization in a pagan environment. (Islam in the Sudan, J.S. Trimingham)

36 asraar; secrets, mysteries; also sacred practices, in Christianity, sacraments

37 al-abraar; the righteous

38 al- a`luum al-fiqh; Islamic jurisprudence

39 muulaanaa; title of respect for a religious authority

40 gharaqa; perhaps here embedded the foundation of the order

41 shabbat; she grew up

42 al-mushabba` bi; literally, saturated but perhaps, steeped in spirituality, ar-ruuHaaniya;

43 HaafiZa li-kitaab Allah; referring to a person who has memorized the Quran

44 awraad; plural of wird; these are portions of the Quran or elements of dhikr, repetition of Divine Names, sacred litanies, specific to a Sufi order and which are recited at certain times regularly. The spiritual work undertaken by the muriid; Sufi novice, with the direct permission of his Murshid, or spiritual guide.

“To take the wird of a sheikh is to take his tariqa, that is his rule for wird is the term for daily or seasonal collects which the new muriid promises to repeat”, Trimingham, Islam in the Sudan

45 multazima bi-nahj …; committed to the approach

46 f-afaaDa `alay; and, perhaps here, showered her with