Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Why would "qaswarah" be claimed to be Ethiopic?

In the Qur'ān, 74:51, an interesting word occurs:

{ كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُّسْتَنفِرَةٌ } * { فَرَّتْ مِن قَسْوَرَةٍ }
ka'annahum ħumurun mustanfirah * farrat min qaswarah
As if they were wild donkeys. Fleeing from a Qaswarah.

This tends to be rendered as "lion" in English, but the early commentators indicate that that is only one of several possible meanings of the word. al-Ṭabari (d. 310 AH), gives four (all supported by chains of transmitters whose reliability I am not competent to judge): الرماة archers, القُنَّاص hunters, جماعة الرجال a group of men, الأسد a lion. The point of interest here is that two of these explanations are supported by allusions to Ethiopic:
حدثنا هناد بن السريّ، قال: ثنا أبو الأحوص، عن سِماك، عن عكرِمة، في قوله: { فَرَّتْ مِنْ قَسْوَرَةٍ } قال: القسورة: الرماة، فقال رجل لعكرِمة: هو الأسد بلسان الحبشة، فقال عكرِمة: اسم الأسد بلسان الحبشة عنبسة.

...[`Ikrimah] said: "al-qaswarah is archers." Then a man told `Ikrimah: "It is 'lion' in the language of the Ḥabashah (Ethiopians)." Ikrimah said: "The name of the lion in the language of the Ḥabashah is `anbasah."

حدثني محمد بن خالد بن خداش، قال ثني سلم بن قتيبة، قال: ثنا حماد بن سلمة، عن عليّ بن زيد، عن يوسف بن مهران عن ابن عباس أنه سُئل عن قوله: { فَرَّتْ مِنْ قَسْوَرَةٍ } قال: هو بالعربية: الأسد، وبالفارسية: شار، وبالنبطية: أريا، وبالحبشية: قسورة.

...[Ibn `Abbās] said: It is 'asad (lion) in Arabic, and in Persian šēr (شير), and in Nabataean 'aryā (ܐܪܝܐ), and in Ethiopic: qaswarah.
The thing is, it looks like `Ikrimah was right: in Ethiopic, "lion" is indeed `anbasā (ዐንበባ), and no Ethiopic word qaswarah has been found. Qaswarah is most likely an originally Arabic word. But these were intelligent people, and the saying attributed to Ibn `Abbās above is obviously right about Persian and Nabataean; why would they say that qaswarah was the Ethiopic word for "lion" if it wasn't? One obvious possibility is that they were referring to another language of the Ethiopia region. This cannot be ruled out, since many languages of the area have no doubt gone extinct without documentation since then; but it looks as though the words for "lion" in Somali, Oromo, Beja, Agaw, Sidamo, Nubian, Nara, and Kunama are rather different. One might momentarily be tempted to think of Berber, cp. Nafusi war, but that's certainly not long enough.

Could the idea that qaswarah is "lion" in Ethiopic have derived from a misreading of `anbasa at some point? That certainly wouldn't be plausible in Arabic. It doesn't look all that plausible in Ethiopic either: ዐንበባ doesn't look all that similar to ቀስወራ. But there is another alphabet that might conceivably have been involved: the musnad, the Old South Arabian letters that continued to be used in Yemen into the Islamic period. In this alphabet, ` ع is quite similar to q ق, and n to s. The other two letters are rather less similar, but I can imagine b plus the right side of s being miscopied as w, and the remainder of s being reinterpreted as r. Here's roughly how the two words (qswr on the left, `nbs on the right) would have looked (ignoring the possibility of a final feminine -t):


Suppose this is right. Why then would someone at the time have learned an Ethiopic word from a text written in the musnad, rather than by asking an Ethiopian? Histories and travelogues are both genres attested in the Middle East of the time, and might have found occasion to mention in passing the Ethiopian word for "lion", given its cultural importance (it is a common theme in Aksumite art, and in later Ethiopia was adopted as a royal title.) Some Yemeni scholar who's never been to Ethiopia reads a miscopied version of such a history, thinks: ah, this must be the same word as in the Qur'ān, and goes on to tell everyone he knows, including (if the attribution is correct) Ibn `Abbās.

But there's a difficulty here: all that's ever been discovered in the musnad is stone inscriptions and occasional letters. No books have survived at all, much less histories or travelogues. And if there were books, you would think they would be written in the cursive script used in the letters, rather than the monumental script of the inscriptions - which reduces the similarity of the two words even more (see the table on p. 13 of History of the Arabic Script for cursive forms.)

On the other hand - anyone have a better idea?

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

العامية تغزو ساحات كانت مقصورة على الفصحى

هل الفصحى ضد التقدم؟ .. العامية تغزو ساحات كانت مقصورة على الفصحى (1ـ 3) - بوابة الشروق
هل الفصحى ضد التقدم؟ .. العامية تغزو ساحات كانت مقصورة على الفصحى (1ـ 3)
آخر تحديث: الاثنين 28 سبتمبر 2009 11:43 ص بتوقيت القاهرة

عزة حسين -

قبل أن يحسم الصراع بين اللغة العربية واللهجة المحلية (العامية)، التى تمدد مجالها الآن ليشمل مناطق كانت قبل ذلك مقصورة على الفصحى، كالصحافة والسرد الأدبى، ولغة الحوار الرسمى والتعليم وغيرها، نجد أن طرفا ثالثا قد قفز إلى حلبة الصراع لينافس الاثنتين اللغة واللهجة، مستمدا مشروعيته من جيل كامل من مستخدمى الهواتف المحمولة والإنترنت بات يستخدمه وينحاز إليه فى الكتابة، فيكتب العربية بحروف لاتينية، فيما يعرف بـ(الأنجلو ــ عربية) وهو ما يعيد إلى الأذهان دعوة الكاتب «سلامة موسى» إلى العامية كبديل للغة الفصحى واستخدام لغة واحدة فى الكتابة والكلام، وكتابة اللغة العربية بالحروف اللاتينية فيما اعتبره «وثبة نحو المستقبل»، وها هى دعوة «موسى» تتحقق وتترسخ الآن بانسيابية هادئة، رغم اعتبارها ــ فى وقتها ــ نوعا من الشطط والتخريف، وتعرض الرجل الذى سار على نهجه العديد من التلامذة كـ«لويس عوض» فى مصر و«يوسف الخال وأنيس فريحة» فى الشام وغيرهم للعديد من الانتقادات والسباب الاتهامات

Click on the link if you want to read more.

Also see Text book of Younes Monzir Living Arabic: A Comprehensive Introductory Course [With CD (Audio) and DVD] (Hardcover)
by Munther Younes (Author)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Living-Arabic-Comprehensive-Introductory-Course/dp/0974484342

Monday, September 28, 2009

Introductory Arabic: The Idafa الإضافة

The idafa الإضافة is a basic construct essential to understanding Arabic. Without understanding it one can never get beyond a beginner's level. The word idafa literally means "the addition". In newspapers you will see اضاف المصدر (adafa almusdar) "the source added" used very often. Arabic is unlike languages like English and Spanish in that there isn't really a word for "of" in the possessive sense. In Spanish you would say "the book of the teacher" to mean "the teacher's book", but in Arabic you would say "book the teacher" to mean the same thing; كتاب الأستاذ (kitaab alustaadh).

When first starting to learn Arabic it seemed so foreign and strange that they don't have the simple word "of". I found myself struggling to form basic sentences because I didn't really understand the idafa. I would throw in the word مِن thinking that it meant "of" instead of "from" and get blank stares from my teachers. Here are some more examples to help drive home the idea of the idafa:

  • صواريخ بعيدة المدى (Sawareekh ba'eedat almada) - Long range missiles, literally "missles long of the range"
  • سرطان الجلد (Sarataan aljild) - Skin cancer, literally "cancer of the skin"
  • تكنولوجيا المعلومات (Technologia alma'loomaat) - Information technology, literally "technology of the information"


When the owner of the object is already a definite noun, such as a proper name, you don't add the alif and lam. For example, if you're talking about Nadir's wallet, you're not going to say "wallet alNadir". You would just say "wallet Nadir". محفظة نادر is correct, NOT محفظة النادر . Here are some more examples:

  • ولاية فلوريدا (wilaayat florida) - The state of Florida
  • مراسل بي بي سي (muraasil BBC) - BBC correspondent (correspondent of BBC)
Something else you may have noticed about idafas is that when the first word in the idafa (the thing that is owned) ends in altaa almarbouta ة it makes a "t" sound. This can be see in the example of "the state of Florida". Even though, by itself, the word ولاية (wilaaya) doesn't have a "t" sound at the end, if it's the first word in an idafa then it does have a "t" sound. If you didn't make the "t" sound at the end of it and just said "wilaaya Florida" it would mean "a state is Florida". My teachers used to always stop me when I wouldn't make the "t" sound at the end in situations like that and I never understood what the big deal was. Some time later I realized that not pronouncing the "t" actually gives the phrase a different meaning.

Transcript of Rifqa Bary Testimony 09-24-09

The following is a transcription of the phone call recorded by Right Wing Watch and put on YouTube. It's apparently a telephone prayer meeting that occurred on Thursday, Sept. 24. It's led by Lou Engle and features Rifqa Bary, the 17 year old girl who ran away from her home in Ohio, claiming that her Muslim parents were going to kill her. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Lou Engle heads up a radical Christian (Christianist?) organization named TheCall and is currently joined at the hip with the International House of Prayer movement based out of Kansas City, Missouri. Engle was also a bit player in the documentary Jesus Camp.





[Capitals used for references to deity throughout the transcript Reason: This is how Rifqa thinks of God. Dotted numbers are times within the 9 minute, 3 second video.]

Unknown male: Our little sister is on the line.

Rifqa Bary: Hey, hello?

Lou Engle: OK, we are back on schedule. Everybody on this line, we have a special privilege. You may know the story of this 17 year old girl that has fled under the threat of death, because she’s converted to Jesus. A very precious young lady, named Rifqa Bary. Rifqa is with us tonight, to tell her story and then we’re going to pray for her and this case, court case that’s going on.

RB: Hello, thank you so much. What an honor and privilege. My testimony goes back….I grew up, my family is from Sri Lanka, so my parents were very devout in their faith and very intent on following the original Islam. Uhm, uh, I never really knew I could pray. Prayer in Islam is you physically pray. And I had heard 0.59 somewhere that I could pray, like talk in English. And I cried out to God one night, uhm, I didn’t know who this God was, a lot of things happened at the moment but I asked God this one prayer, I said, “God, if You’re real, show me Who You are and I will follow, I will give my life to You. Stop hiding from me, reveal to me Who You are.” And a couple months later, He, uhm, opened a door for me to go to church without my parents knowing. This was the first time I, I would go to church and I went and I encountered the presence of the Lord and I was struck by His beauty and gave my heart to God. That was when I was 13. At this point, I knew what the consequences were, which was death, uh, my family and I knew it. Of course, I wouldn’t tell anyone, because who would believe me? This is the U.S. I hid my Bible in my house. I would wake up in the middle of the night and cry out to God in the bathroom 1.56 and that’s how God sustained me. I would cry out in there and I would be OK [because He would be enough(?)]. I would pray on a balcony when my parents were asleep. And, uhhh, that’s for four years I hid as a secret Christian and the Lord is simply good in sustaining me and setting my heart ablaze for His Kingdom, every step of the way.

RB: The Islamic community there is very strong and that’s how my parents…I had a Facebook and the community, the mosque had found out that my name was related to Jesus and it had things about God in there, Jesus, and was screaming about Jesus and talked about Jesus and phone calls and e-mails started pouring in and threats were made by my father. That was when I had to make the decision to either leave or denounce my faith. And uh, so I wrote my parents a letter that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and that I refused to deny Him, that I’d pray that they would find His mercy and forgiveness and that I loved them very much. 3.09

RB: I put on a backpack and no clothes. The Lord told me to leave everything behind. So, uhm, I ran for my life and God brought me here to Florida. And now, uh, my dad and the Islamic community want me back home so there’s a whole court proceeding going on in trying to get me back to Ohio. Uhm, so, yeah, that’s my story and but, I’ll go wherever the Lord leads me. Thank you so much for all the prayers of the saints. Like, I’m not supposed to be here (laughs). The Lord is simply good. Uhm, yeah, that’s my…3.49

LE: Rifqa, we are so thrilled that you could join us and there are thousands that are on this phone call. Now, they’re going to want to pray with you and for you. But before we pray for you, you said to me, “This is not about me.”

(RB: Yes, yes)

LE: It’s about millions of Muslims hearing about Jesus. I believe you’re an Esther for such a time as this. I wonder if you would simply lead us in prayer

(RB: Yeah)

LE: that Muslims would hear your testimony and the testimony of Jesus and come to know Je[sus]. Would you lead us in prayer? We’ll join you. 4.20

RB: Certainly. Yeah. Father God, we just thank You, Jesus. We thank You, God. I cry out, God, on behalf of my people, Jesus. I plead Your blood over them, God and I ask [unintelligible] God, would you expose the lies, expose the lies, Father [unintelligible] allowed tonight 4.43 [unintelligible] make us ready to gather tomorrow to pray for Jumuah, Father. I pray that You would encounter them with dreams and visions [unintelligible] where You would break through and break the bonds of generational curses that stand, that the blood of Jesus speak Lord. 5.02 Father, we declare that You are Lord, Jesus, that You are Lord. Father that you send forth fire from heaven, God, on [unintelligible] and break the hardened hearts, Jesus, because I stand [unintelligible] Jesus, I cry out on behalf of my people 5.25, o God that a testimony would arise even tomorrow as we gather for this Father God [unintelligible] plan [unintelligible] Jesus, go forth Father God 5.38, for Your glory, Jesus, for Your glory, God. [stops abruptly at 5.42] [sniff] Jesus.

LE: 5.51 Come Holy Spirit

RB: [low cry]

LE: We agree [pause] with our little sister’s prayer [background: yes Lord]. We stand with her now, in Jesus’ Name. [more background noise] Ohhhh, come Holy Spirit, come Holy Spirit, use Rifqa to be an Esther for His [unintelligible] right now, God, for such a time as this. 6.16

Unknown female: Father, we pray, God, for Rifqa, we thank you that you’ve raised the voice in this hour, God, that you’ve [unintelligible] an Esther in this hour, God, to stand [unintelligible] that Muslims would be saved, God. We cry 6.39 [unintelligible] great awakening 6.45 in the Muslim community. Let your voice begin to thunder and make it to shatter [unintelligible] so the Islamics (?) will be saved. Your name, o God, is above every other name and we lift your name, God, and we say, Come, receive your inheritance today, in Jesus’ name. 7.04

Second female: And, Father, we pray for Rifqa as an Esther, Father [LE: Yes, God, yes, Lord]. And even as Esther had seasoned as Hadassah, Father, this one that prayed in her closet, Father I ask that you’ll turn her from a season of hiddenness to a season of unveiling. Father, I ask that you’ll open doors for her that no man can shut and that you’ll shut doors that no man can open. Father, I ask for media attention on this little Rifqa girl 7.30 that the testimony of Jesus will go out to CNN, will go out to talk shows (LE: Yeeess), that you’ll use this little story all across America, that the Gospel will be preached [unintelligible]. 7.45

LE: Father, we pray that you would expose the hidden darkness that is rolling into the nation through these ideologies. Use her as an Esther, God. Lord, when her whole life is at stake, really, we pray for your protection, Lord. Esther said, pray and fast for me and my maidens will fast. Father, we pray and fast for our little sister tomorrow. We pray, ohhh, that You would protect her, God, would You cover her, would you grant her an open door to speak and preach Your Gospel. 8.15 We pray, God, that You would, God, give her favor with the courts in America, we need to right now, we need to pray for these courts [glossolalia heard in background], we need to pray for the judges, even, even, even now the very family that took her in is being investigated for criminal activity because they simply harbored her because her life was threatened and the emphasis is more on the family than on the threat of death against her. Something’s wrong. We must break through. Would you lift your voices? We’re going to unmute for a moment and we’re gonna pray for protection, pray for the Lorenz family to get a testimony of Jesus, to [unintelligible for the last 10 seconds of recording].

There's just so much I could say in response to this, but I'm actually kind of speechless. However, I will note Rifqa's got the rhetoric common in this particular movement down cold. "Generational curses"? I'm hard-pressed to detect in what I heard any trace of the Muslim that might have been.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Learn the Arabic Numbers through Song

In Arabic the word nasheed نشيد means "hymn", but they use the word for many things that in English we would just call songs, so when you see نشيد it doesn't always mean "hymn" in the English sense. Basically all children songs are called نشيد الاطفال. This song for teaching the Arabic numbers was posted on YouTube as نشيد الأرقام literally, The Number's Hymn. It's mainly for kids, but it's also useful for adults learning Arabic.



واحد, إثنان, ثلاثة, أربعة, خمسة, ستة, سبعة, ثمانية, تسعة, عشرة - Wahid, ithnan, thalatha, arba'a, khamsa, sitta, seba'a, thamania, tisa'a, 'ashara

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

وقف الواحد ليصلي - Waqafa alwahid liyusulli

One stood to pray.

ركع الإثان لربه - Raka'a alithnani lirubbih

Two bowed to his lord.

و الثلاثة واحد و إثنان - Wa athalatha wahid wa ithnan

And three is one and two.

و الأربعة إثنان و إثنان - wa alarba'a ithnan wa ithnan

And four is two and two.

و الخمسة كعكة بسكر - Wa alkhamsa ka'ka bisukkar

And five is a cake with sugar.

و الستة وقفت لتفكر - Wa asitta waqafat litufakkir

And six stopped to think.

و السبعة تنظر للنجمة - Wa aseba'a tunthuru lilnejma

And seven looks to the stars.

و الثمانية عكس سبعة - Wa athmaniatu 'aksu seba'a

And eight is the opposite of seven.

و عصى جدي مثل تسعة - Wa 'asa jeddi mithu tisa'a

And my grandpa's cane is like nine.

و الصفر مع الواحد عشرة - Wa assifru m'a alwahidi 'ashara

And zero with one is ten.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Iman Ayyad - Al Jazeera News Anchor

Iman Ayyad إيمان عياد often does the evening news on Al Jazeera. She used to go by the last name "Banoura" بنورة before getting married. This clip was right before the 2008 US elections and Iman and Ali Aldhafeeri علي الظفيري were in Washington covering the elections.




هذه النشرة الإخبارية نقدمها لكم من قناة الجزيرة في العاصمة الأمريكية واشنطن. و أبرز ما فيها عشية الإنخابات

We present this news report to you from the Aljazeera channel in the American capital, Washington and the most prominent news in it on the eve of the elections.

Comments: فيها here refers to "in Washington"

شريف بما يجري فيها في أقل من 24 ساعة على هذا الإشتباك الإنتخابي. الآن يبدو ان ناصر حسيني من ولاية فلوريدا الامريكية قد اصبح جاهزا معنا. ناصر يعني هذه الولاية ما زالت حتى صباح هذا اليوم تشتعل فيها المنافسة و نعلم ان المرشحين قد زاراها صباح هذا اليوم

...Sherif, about what happens in less than 24 hours in this electoral clash. Now it seems that Nasir Huseini from the American state of Florida has become ready with us. Nasir, I mean, this state was still, even until this morning, inflamed in competition, and we know that the 2 candidates have both visited it this morning.

Comments: It was an incomplete sentence, so it's hard to know what she's talking about at the beginning. Sherif was most likely another phone in caller.

اذا فاصل قصير في هذه النشرة. نعود بعده لمتابعتها من العاصمة الامريكية واشنطن فكونوا معنا.

So, a short break in this report. We return after it to continue following the news from the American capital Washington, so stay with us.

و ينضم إلينا حول هذا الموضوعة في الإستوديو ويليام غالستون الخبير في شؤون ال

And joining us about this issue in the studio, William Galston, the expert in matters of...

Vocabulary:
  1. النشرة الإخبارية - literally means "the publication of the news"
  2. أبرز - most prominent
  3. بما يجري فيها - "about what's happening in..." يجري means "flowing", but in a sentence like this means "happening" or "on going"
  4. إشتباك - "clash". You'll see إشتباكات عنيفة "violent clashes" a lot in newspapers.
  5. قد - in the past tense it means "has" like "has become ready", but in the present tense it means "might" or "could" as in "الإمتحان قد تكوت صعبة" "the test might be difficult".
  6. إشتعل - to flame up
  7. ما زال - still, continues to be
  8. شأن ,شؤون - matter, matters (issue, issues)

UCLA Language Materials Project: Language - Lessons

UCLA Language Materials Project: Language - Lessons

Authentic Materials Guide
The Authentic Materials Guide, created by Donna Brinton and Andrea Wong, provides an introduction to Authentic Materials, annotated bibliographies on teaching methodology, and links to online resources for creating lessons. The Guide offers sample lesson plans, which you are welcome to adapt for your own use. The following links lead to individual sections of the Guide:

arabic Flashcards

arabic Flashcards
http://www.flashcardexchange.com/tag/arabic

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Ouf ouf - Nelly Makdessi Lyrics

Nelly Makdessi نيللي مقدسي is a Lebanese pop singer affiliated the the Rotana label. Ouf ouf is her most famous song and what's interesting is that it's simply a Turkish song taken and translated into Arabic. The original singer of the song is Gülşen Bayraktar, a Turkish pop star. I have to say that the Arabic version sounds a lot better though, but maybe I'm biased. Let's see what you think.




على حالك انت بعدك
You are still the same.
ما بتعرف ابدا شو بدك
You never know what you want.
مين مفكر حالك يعني
Who do you think you are?
ما تحلم رح ابقى حدك
Don't dream that I will stay by your side.

Comments: بعد can mean "after", but here it means "still". بعدك بالمدرسة means "you're still at school".
لا تحاكيني ولا تخبرني
Don't talk to me and don't tell me anything.
انا قلبي ياما صبرني
My heart has always given me patience.
من غيرك انت مين
Other than you, who?
ضيع من عمري سنين
Years of my life are lost.

اوف اوف لا تسهرني و لا تحيرني
Ouf, ouf. Don't make me lose sleep and don't confuse me.
اوف اوف يللي مطير عقلي مني
Ouf, ouf. Oh one who has made me lose my mind.
اوف اوف منك ياما جن جنوني
I've gone crazy because of you many times.
بحبك انا داب عيوني
My eyes melted in your love.
يا مجنني حل عني
Oh one who has made me crazy, get away from me.

Comments: يللي مطير عقلي مني literally means "the one who has flown my mind away from me". اوف is a word that Arabs say when there are fed up with or tired of something. ياما means "lots" or "many times". جن جنون means "to go crazy". "He went crazy" would be جن جنونه and حل عني means "get away from me" or "leave me alone".

انا دربي مش ع دربك
My path is not on your path.
و لا قادر قلبي يحبك
And my heart is not able to love you
انا بحالي و انت بحالك
I'm the way I am and you're the way you are.
خلي غيري يجرب حبك
Let someone else try your love.
ياما ليالي و انا سهرانة
There have been so many nights that I couldn't sleep.
بدي من هلق تنساني
From right now I want you to forget me.

مش وقت اللي بدك فيك
ترجع لي لا ما فيك

You can't just come back to be whenever you want to. No, no you can't

Comments: This literally says "Not the time that you want can you come back to me, no you can't". فيّ here means "to be able to". It's different from في meaning "in" because it has a shadda on the ya.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Dreams

What does it mean if you dream that your pillow is full of bees and you have to get it out of your house before you get stung?

What does it mean if your car is filled with dozens of old legal size files (like the kind that were used in law firms years and years ago), big thick legal files, you know they don't belong to you, you know they need to go back to where they came from and you know that you'll have to sneak them back--when the temptation is to drive up to a dumpster and just throw them in?

What does it mean when you spray water on a ceiling and you see the termites in the ceiling move to another part of the ceiling and start working on that wood?

What does it mean if you walk outside and the pine trees are full of honeycombs, from the bees you got rid of (see first dream)?

What does it mean if you spend the entire dream worrying about getting stung?

Did I mention I had this dream early this morning? I have no idea what it means.

Ibn Hazm again, and Cypriot Arabic

I just found a full translation online of the fifth chapter of Ibn Hazm's 11th-century work Iħkām fī Uṣūl al-Aħkām, discussed previously - a chapter remarkable for anticipating the ideas of a language instinct and of conlanging, and for clearly stating the relationship between Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac. Enjoy! The Origins of Language: Divine Providence or Human Codification.

Not long before Ibn Hazm's time, some Arabic-speaking Maronites fled the Levant for Cyprus. In the village of Kormakiti, they have kept their language up to the present. YouTube being what it is, you can hear some on a program called Sanna (ie لساننا - our language) - go straight to 2:40, 5:00, 7:04 to hear the language itself. (Ignore the video's ill-informed claims that this is descended from Aramaic, by the way.) If you speak Greek, there are even lessons at Hki Fi Sanna. This is far more incomprehensible to me than any mainstream Arabic dialect I've ever heard, including the Levantine Arabic from which it presumably derives - a remarkable case study in how much isolation from related varieties speeds up language differentiation.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Introduction to Levantine Arabic

Levantine Arabic is spoken in the Levant region which is composed of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. The dialect isn't as different from Egyptian as it is from, say, Iraqi or Gulf Arabic. A few important facts about the Levantine dialect are,
  1. Levantine Arabic changes the ق to a ء in most words.
  2. ة is changed to ي in most words.
  3. The word عم adds -ing to the verb after it.
  4. The letter ب is added before present tense verbs in most cases. This basically just makes the words flow together better.

Here's a list of some high frequency words in the Syrian, Lebanese, Jordanian, and Palestinian dialects. Since it's really not very helpful to just see a list an not know exactly how to pronounce the words I've made a video of the correct pronunciations of the words along with sentences to show their uses in context.



  • What - ايش/شو
شو بدك؟ - What do you want?
ايش عم بيصير؟ - What's going on?
  • Where - وين
لوين رايح - Where are you going? (said to a male)
  • Why - ليش
ليش ما بترد على جوالك؟ - Why don't you answer your cellphone?
  • When - إمتى
إمتى رح ترجع من شغلتك؟ - When are you returning from your job? (basically, when are you coming home from work)
  • Who - مين
مع مين عم تحكي - Who are you talking with?
  • How - شلون/كِيف
كيف الأجوا الرمضانية - How is the Ramadan atmosphere?
  • How much - قًدّيش
قديش الساعة؟ - What time is it?
  • Now - هَلّق
هلق انا صرت جاهز - Now I'm ready. (literally, now I've become ready)
  • Good - مْنيح
الجو اليوم مش منيح - The weather today is not good.
  • Tomorrow - بُكْرة
بكرة رح بتشوفيني - Tomorrow you will see me. (said to a female)
  • Yesterday - مْبارِح
وَصَلْتْ مبارح - I arrived yesterday
  • Also - كمان
و شو كمان؟ - And what else?
  • Only - بَس
بس بدي اشرب الحليب - I only want to drink milk.
  • But - بَس
بس ما عرفت إسمه - But I didn't know his name.
  • Not - مش
شكلها مش بطال - She doesn't look bad. (مش بطال means "not bad")
  • Still - لسة
لسة عم ببرم عليه - I'm still looking for him
  • Outside - بَرّا
برا البيت - Outside the house
  • Inside - جوّا
جوا قلبي - Inside my heart
  • With - مع/وَيّا
عم بحكي وياهن - I'm talking with them.
  • Which/Who - إللي/يللي
يللي بيلبس القميص الأصفر - The one who is wearing the yellow shirt.
  • To be able to - فيّ
ما في اركض بسرعة - I can't run fast.
  • In order to/for/because of - عَشان
عشان خاطري فكري شوي - for my sake think a little bit
  • After that - بَعْدين
رح أروح لعند الحكيم و بعدين رح أرجع لعندك - I'm going to go to the doctor and after that I will return to your place. (عند means the "house" or "place of" in this case. حكيم in MSA means "wise man", but in Levantine it means "doctor".)

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Disney Songs in Arabic w/ Lyrics on YouTube

I was browsing YouTube the other day and came across 99meemo99's channel. He's a Sudanese guy living in Dubai who has made 56 videos of Arabic Disney songs (Lion King, Little Mermaid, Hercules) with the lyrics written out and translated into English. It's great that he translates these popular songs for free for people trying to learn Arabic. Most of them are Egyptian since that's the language they dub Disney movies in for the Arab world. He's also got the Pokemon theme song, Digimon songs, as well as some other anime songs. Here's the Ducktales opening song from his channel. They translated Duckberg to Duckistan lol!




الحياة دي زي العاصفة هنا في بطستان
عربيات و طيارات
حاجة.. حاجة جنان
و نحل فوازير
عيزالها وقت كتير


This life is like a storm, here in Duckistan.
Cars and planes
Something, something crazy
And we solve puzzles
That take a long time

قصص بطوطية
كل يوم مغامرة جديدة
قصص بطوطية
فيها لعبة و فكرة اكيدة
قصص بطوطية


Ducktales
Every day there's a new adventure
Ducktales
With a definite game and idea
Ducktales

و في خطر حواليك
و غريب بيجري عليك
تعالو بسرعة و شوفو معانا


And there's danger around you
And a stranger is coming at you
Come quickly and look with us
قصص بطوطية
كل يوم مغامرة جديدة
قصص بطوطية
فيها لعبة و فكرة اكيدة
قصص بطوطية
حتلاقو ضحكة و فكرة مفيدة
قصص بطوطية


Ducktales
Every day there's a new adventure
Ducktales
With a definite game and idea
Ducktales
You'll find laughs and a beneficial idea
Ducktales

Friday, September 18, 2009

Myriam Fares - Eih Elly Byehsal Lyrics

The song Eih Elly Byehsal (ايه اللي بيحصل) has been around for about a year, but the music video was just released by Melody Music this week. Myriam Fares (ميريام فارس) is Lebanese, but she sings this song (and a lot of her songs) in the Egyptian dialect because there's a bigger audience for it and it's more widely understood. The lyrics aren't very complicated, but I added explanations for the words and phrases that I thought might be a little bit difficult.




ايه اللي بيحصل
What's happening?

انا عمري النهاردة تولد من جديد
ده عيد النهاردة و مش اي عيد
Today my life is born again.
Today is a celebration, and not just any celebration.

Comments: عيد can mean feast, holiday, celebration, and things like that. The only one that makes sense here in English is celebration. النهاردة means "today" in Egyptian. It's a combination of the two words النهار meaning "day" and ده meaning "this".

يا حبيبى يا حبيبى
انا عاشقة و اوصف بأيه الغرام
ده راح مني تاه مني كل الكلام
ياحبيبى يا حبيبى

Oh, my love. Oh, my love.
I'm in love and how can I describe this passion?
This has made all my speech leave me and be lost.
Oh, my love. Oh, my love.

Comments: تاه means to be lostايه اللي بيحصل
ايه اللي جرالي مالي كده سرحانة بايه
What's happening?
What has happened to me, what's wrong with me, why am I so preoccupied like this.

Comments: ايه اللي جرالي means "what happened to me". مالي means "what's wrong with me". You can say مالك to mean "what's wrong with you". كده means "like this" and is used a lot in Egyptian. سرحانة means "preoccupied" or "lost in thought". It's the feminine form since it ends in ة

ايه اللي بيحصل
ايه اللي جرالي مالي حالي متلخبط ليه

What's happening?
What has happened to me, what's wrong with me, why am I all mixed up.

Comments: متلخبط means "mixed up" or "confused". It probably comes from the MSA word خلط meaning "to mix".

رجعتلي روحي بنظرة عينيك
فداك عمري كله ما يغلاش عليك
يا حبيبي يا حبيبي

You returned my soul to me with one look from your eyes.
My whole life is for you and it costs you nothing.

Comments: فداك means "for you" as in "I would sacrifice my life for you". ما يغلاش عليك literally means "it is not expensive for you".

يا هوايا اللي غيرلي معنى الحياة
و رجع لقلبي حياة و مناه
يا حبيبي يا حبيبي

Oh my love who changed the meaning of my life
And brought back life and hope to my heart.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Fathima Rifqa Bary

I've been meaning to write about the Fathima Rifqa Bary case for the past month, but the case brings up a lot of emotions in me. That's because I did pretty much the same thing to my parents back in 1977. Thing is, I didn't run away to another state, I became a member of an obscure, very strict, Pentecostal sect. I also became a right royal pain in the ass to my family.

So I think I have a bit of insight into why Miss Bary did what she did, and I REALLY think that's the case after reading this article from today's Orlando Sentinel. Her parents found a flash drive with her writings and the writings of others on it and turned it over to the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Columbus, which provided it to the paper. Here are some excerpts:

A Muslim girl who gave her heart to Jesus and then ran away to Christian evangelists in Orlando is not just any Christian. She is driven to save souls and prays that God will make her a prophet.

That's according to writings she left behind when she fled.

"Lord is preparing me and He has me hidden ... until the time is right," Fathima Rifqa Bary wrote in a computer entry obtained by theOrlando Sentinel. "I am called to the nations. Send me to the deepest darkest places into the pagan land."
[. . .]

The writings reveal a young woman who has embraced fundamentalist Christianity, who has stood outside an abortion clinic, duct tape across her mouth, alongside other protesters, and who has dreamed about Armageddon.
She must convert her family to Christianity, she wrote, including her older brother, Rilvan, 18, who worships "demonic music." She must approach strangers and talk about Jesus. She saved a list of tips on how to do that:

"Do NOT be sneaky," she wrote. "Sit down ... get to know them ... [Ask] would you mind for 5min if I share the gospel with you."

She compared herself to the Old Testament heroine Esther and wrote out or saved religious pep talks.

"What does it take to be a prophet?" she wrote. "If I am a friend of God I can be prophetic. ... You have to want it. Everyday pray for prophesy."
Wow. I know of only one group whose members make a practice of standing outside of abortion clinics with duct tape across their mouths, and that would be Lou Engle's TheCall, which is currently joined at the hip with the International House of Prayer located in Kansas City, Missouri. What's ironic to me is that the Islamophobes are talking about how radical Miss Bary's father is, how radical her mosque is, etc., etc., etc. (None of this is proven, by the way.) But they fail to look at the people she's hanging out with and seeing how they're involved in movements that are even more inimical to American democracy than the alleged Moooooooslim threat, because these people are insinuated right in our society.

And if you think that I'm crazy, let's look a bit at the writings of her mentor, the guy who baptized her into Christianity, Brian Michael Williams, aged 23:

Williams prays with people by "laying my hands on the [computer] monitor and prophesying," Williams wrote. He calls Planned Parenthood's founder a racist Nazi, does not believe in evolution, speaks in tongues and criticizes mainstream Christians as following a "demonic doctrine" for being spiritually lethargic and failing to evangelize.

Williams baptized Rifqa in a creek near her home in June, he said, and helped her run away — unwittingly, he insists — by driving her to the Greyhound bus station in downtown Columbus.

To Rifqa's father, Williams is a Christian extremist who turned Rifqa against her family and put lies in her head.
Like I said, I really think I have a fair amount of insight into what's motivating Miss Bary, because I believed similar kinds of things back in 1977 (not the Planned Parenthood are a bunch of eugenicist Nazis, but similar). I remember having a prophetic dream when I was in this church, believing I'd been left behind at the Rapture and begging God when I awoke to "please take me." (I also worried that the Rapture would come and I would have never experienced "adult" things like marriage and a family. Thirty-two years have passed and I'm still not married and my family consists of two furballs. Oh yeah, and no Rapture.)

[Question: Why isn't Brian Michael Williams in jail for aiding and abetting a runaway, along with Blake Lorenz? Oh. It's because he's a member of the dominant religion, and there's nothing to keep them from doing what they're doing, short of actually killing someone.]

I have more to say about this, but I have to go to work to keep a roof over the heads of the aforementioned furballs that let me be their personal valet. Laters.




مخارج الحروف العربية و أسمائها بالرسم التوضيحي

مخارج الحروف العربية و أسمائها بالرسم التوضيحي

Alif Baa with picture

Basic Arabic (20/8/07)

Basic Arabic
(20/8/07)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Language Program Review: Rocket Arabic

Most of the material I post on this blog is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of Arabic. However, I do realize that the majority of students are at a beginner level, so I'm going to start making more posts on the basics of Arabic.

For those in the beginning stages of learning who want to become advanced, I recently had the chance to try a program from Rocket Languages for learning Arabic appropriately named, Rocket Arabic. It's basically a combination of Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone, but for a lot less money. It teaches Egyptian Arabic since that is the most widespread dialect and all Arabs understand it to varying degrees. Their site has lengthy audio samples from their course, one from the beginning part of the course and one from the more advanced section. Unlike Pimsleur they include the Arabic transcripts and English translations. Anyone who has read my posts knows how much I love transcripts! They really help for those times when you just can't seem to hear what word is being said and when you would otherwise be lost. There is also a 6 day free course you can download to see if you think you'll benefit from the full version.The course comes with a computer program as well, which is comparable to Rosetta Stone in that it shows you pictures and you have to choose the correct response. Unlike simply memorizing vocab lists, this type of learning puts the meanings of the words into your mind on a deeper level. You aren't simply correlating a word in English with a word in Arabic, but you're learning like you learned your native language, by seeing what the words mean and connecting them to their meaning instead of to an English word. This improves recall and means that you'll remember the words for the long term, more so than if you had learned them by simply memorizing vocab lists.

I suggest that you go with the digital download version when purchasing Rocket Arabic because it's a full $250 cheaper. For some reason they charge $50 for shipping and handling. Some people like to have a physical copy of things though, so to each his own. The program also has a 60 day money back guarantee so if you find that it's not for you or you change your mind there's no harm, no foul.

My Rating:

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Kids Song: The Rabbit and the Fox (الأرنب و الثعلب)

This is another popular song by the Birds of Paradise طيور الجنة . Like all their songs it is strangely catchy and very popular. It's in the Syrian dialect, but even if you aren't used to hearing it spoken it's a pretty simple song. Basically the rabbit asks him mom if he can go out and play. She tells him no because the the fox might get him. Is he supposed to stay inside all the time? I don't know. Anyway, the rabbit goes to the orchard and runs around and sniffs a rose. Then the fox sees him and chases him. The rabbit hides in a hole and the fox gets lost in the orchard. The rabbit goes home crying and his mom tells him that he should have listened to her. You could probably understand this song even if you didn't know a word of Arabic since the video shows everything that happens. That's great for learning a language though. Enjoy!




ايش صار للأرنب لما ما رد على امه؟

  • What happened to the rabbit when he didn't listen to his mom?

Comments: ايش means "what" in Syrian. Most of the time رد means "respond" or "reply", but here it means "obey" or "listen to". You'll notice that they say إم instead of أم in Syrian dialect. صار means حدث , "happened".

قال الأرنب لامه, إسمحي لي روح العب ماما

  • The rabbit said to his mom, "Let me go play, mom."

قالت له لا يا ماما. يمكن يجيك الثعلب. يمكن يجيك الثعلب

  • She said to him, "No." The fox might come for you.

Comments: She says يا ماما which is strange to English speakers since she's talking to her son, but this is something Arab parents do when they talk to their kids.هز الارنب بكتافه ما سمع كلمة امه. راح يتمشى على البستان و يقطف ورد و يشمه

  • The rabbit shrugged his shoulders and didn't listen to his mother's words. He went walking to the orchard and picked a rose and sniffed it.

Comments: هز means "to shake", but "shrugged" works better when talking about shoulders. They say وارد but that's just to make it go with the rhythm. They mean ورد

شافه الثعلب, هجم عليه!! صار يركض و هو خوفان. و تخبأ في جحر صغير. و ضاع الثعلب في البستان

  • The fox saw him and attacked him. He started running and was scared. He hid in a small hole and the fox got lost in the orchard.

إجا الأرنب لامه و عيونه مليانة دموع

  • The rabbit came to his mom and his eyes were filled with tears.

قالت له ثاني مرة, خلي كلامي مسموع

  • She said to him a second time, listen to my words.

Comments: Literally خلي كلامي مسموع means "let my words be heard."

Monday, September 14, 2009

A Taxonomy of Vampire Novels

My, that sounds impressive, doesn't it? All it means is that I'm going to talk about vampire fiction, what I like and what I loathe.

Every few years, journalists go through this thing about how "there's a vampire craze." Hellooooo, there's been a vampire craze for as long as I can remember. When I was a little kid, Dark Shadows was on TV in the early afternoons and Batman (ok, not exactly a vampire show, but it does have a guy in a bat suit) in the evening. In 1972, this lovely Muppet started appearing on Sesame Street:




(At 12, I was too old and yet too young to appreciate the genius that is Count Von Count.)

Anne Rice's book Interview With The Vampire came out in 1976. Bestselling books came out in this series until 2003. The movie came out in 1994.

The comedy horror film Love At First Bite (starring king of the suntan George Hamilton!) came out in 1979. My memory of it is that it was funny, but I suspect it hasn't aged well. (For a 1970s comedy that represents its period well, I suggest Car Wash.)

The movie The Hunger (with Susan Sarandon, Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie) came out in 1983. I saw this with a then-boyfriend. He really thought Deneuve was extremely sexy.

Buffy started slaying vampires on TV in 1997. As numerous articles have pointed out, the subgenres of horror fiction and "urban fantasy" have been a real fertile ground for various takes on vampires.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The vampire novels that I like are the ones where the vamps are trying to live in the real world. They may not be out (as in Lynsay Sands' Family Argeneau series or Marta Acosta's Casa Dracula books) or they may be out and trying to make it with the rest of us striving Americans (such as in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries.) I am not as fond as fanciful vampire novels that purport to have magic in the same world that we live in (example: Michele Bardsley's Broken Heart, Oklahoma vampire, etc. series).

But the vampire novels I dislike the most, and the ones that seem to be the most prominent out there are of the transgressive variety. It's not enough to have sex, the sex has to be transgressive. And not just transgressive, but insanely transgressive. In fact, the sex is more important than the story. It seems like it's the rare vampire novel that doesn't have an emphasis on sex.

And that includes the nauseous, noisome, annoying and downright evil Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. The lack of sex in Twilight is just as transgressive as the novels filled with sex from page 1 to page 312. (Here Lie Spoilers.) Her flat, lifeless heroine, Bella, is stalked by the "sparkling" vampire Edward Cullen, who has no problem with standing in her room and watching her sleep, but won't have sex with her until they're married (seriously, though, there's nothing at all wrong about this), but it's just creepy and stalkeriffic. Can't he stand outside under a tree? Then, once they are married, they have sex, and it goes all wrong, because Bella's going to die as a result of the one sex act that's producing the Killer Froot of the Womb. Considering that the average readers of the Twilight books appear to be teenage girls, all I can say is that this is really giving them good, healthy ideas about sex and marriage. NOT.

So, basically, I like the vampire novels with the vampires living in the real world, I am not at all interested in vampire pr0n, I'm not into sparkly vampires. I would say my tastes are running towards "urban fantasy" except more emphasis on the urban, less on the fantasy. I checked out Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, by Molly Harris. It's a light, humorous read in my opinion, but met my criteria for more urban, less fantasy and not much sex at all.

But one novel I picked up at the library a week ago just GROSSED ME OUT. It was Happy Hour of the Damned, by Mark Henry. Reviews indicated it might be funny. For some reason, I like my zombies braindead, not literate and certainly not literate and hungry. Otherwise they remind me too much of Hannibal Lecter and a certain book by Thomas Harris. There are few things to which I'd like to apply brain bleach, but I do not want to read about people eating other people. It's why I can never again eat lobster, after I found out that a lobster's favorite food is lobster.

Therefore, while I think Happy Hour of the Damned was a perfectly sucky book, I really liked Max Brooks' World War Z. Definitely worth the time if you want to find out what happens when the zombies get loose.

And Law Enforcement Wonders Why Citizens Are Suspicious

(Refer below to the facepalm and double facepalm pictures in the previous post as needed while reading this post.)

I live in Maricopa County, Arizona, home of the notorious Sheriff Joe, he of the green bologna, pink underwear and "Tent City." He's also making a name for himself in harassing the brown people who were here before the white people showed up. He's annoying and eventually, sooner or later, justice will catch up with him. But apparently things are even more whack over in Pima County (largest city: Tucson).

Ms. Elvira Zatarain, aged 49, was driving home Friday evening, June 12, when she was pulled over for driving down the center of the road. She was asked if she was impaired and if there were illegal substances in the car. She said no to both. The officer administered a field sobriety test, which she passed. Then he asked Ms. Zatarain if he could search her car and purse. She consented.

The officer found a red bag with some crystals in it in her purse. A field test did NOT indicate they were methamphetamine. However, the officer proceeded to issue Ms. Zatarain a citation for "possession of an imitation controlled substance." Ms. Zatarain went to justice court last Thursday, where she was told that if she pled guilty, she would receive a $130 fine and be sentenced to drug counseling.

Ms. Zatarain decided to pursue a trial, because, as she said, she'd been given the crystals to ward off evil. Had she been found guilty, she would have been fined $272. However, Pima County's Misdemeanor Enforcement Unit decided, probably after the first article appeared in the paper last Friday morning, that they were going to drop charges. Oh, there might have been some language barriers or something, per yesterday's article. In the meantime, Ms. Zatarain has learned a big lesson: Do Not Consent To A Search of Your Person and Vehicle. It Will Not Go Well For You, Even If You Are As Pure As The Driven Snow.

Now, no matter how you feel about magic crystals (and, I think crystals are pretty but I ascribe no magic to them), this is just crazy. Especially the charge: "possession of an imitation controlled substance." *facepalm* **double facepalm** I know why this is a crime, because, believe it or not, there are scummy drug dealers who aren't really giving you what you're buying when you seek them out for the teeth rotting goodness that is methamphetamine. Shocking, I know, that you *can't trust drug dealers.* But gosh, you can't even trust the cops. This cop was absolutely reaching for this charge. Unbelievable. Thankfully Ms. Zatarain said nope, I want my trial.

(I feel some sympathy for Ms. Zatarain as I was pulled over on Friday evening, June 19, as I was leaving a Tempe bar/restaurant. I knew this guy was behind me, and had been behind me for a solid mile. I was watching my speed limit VERY carefully because at that point on University Dr., it changes. But I still got pulled over. It was kind of hard for him to argue that I was impaired when I was sitting there waiting for him with my license, registration and insurance. But I was both amused and annoyed. Yes, it was my 49th birthday. No, I hadn't been drinking. (I don't drink.) Etc., etc....I didn't have to do a field sobriety test, but you know, it's like DUDE, you could have been arresting the real drunks instead of going after me. Waste of time that was. And no, it really did not increase my respect for the local police.)

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Manual - acon

Manual - acon


Enter the radices: For example, consider كتب, it has the radices kaf-ta-ba. Simply select the radices in a right-to-left order in the radix selector. You should enter the verb in it's perfect form!
Select the forms: ACON conjugates into the first ten forms (marked by the Roman numerals I to X). For example, if you want to conjugate انفتح you enter the radices فتح and select form VII.
Form I vowels: When conjugating in Form I, do select the vowels corresponding to the verb. This is not mandatory in the case of sound verbs but weak verbs can be drastically changed by the vowels one supplies.
Click the "conjugate" button

Arabic Manual - acon

Manual - acon

Enter the radices: For example, consider كتب, it has the radices kaf-ta-ba. Simply select the radices in a right-to-left order in the radix selector. You should enter the verb in it's perfect form!
Select the forms: ACON conjugates into the first ten forms (marked by the Roman numerals I to X). For example, if you want to conjugate انفتح you enter the radices فتح and select form VII.
Form I vowels: When conjugating in Form I, do select the vowels corresponding to the verb. This is not mandatory in the case of sound verbs but weak verbs can be drastically changed by the vowels one supplies.
Click the "conjugate" button

Saturday, September 12, 2009

MBC Program: مسلسلات حليمة (Mosalsalat Halima)

Halima Poland (حليمة بولند) is a popular Kuwaiti actress and host of the show Mosalsalat Halima (literally Halima's series) which the Saudi TV station MBC is airing for the month of Ramadan. مسلسلات حليمة is basically a game show where viewers call in and answer questions about other Arabic TV shows. At the end of the show, Halima impersonates the role of an actress on a show and the callers have to guess who the character is that she is playing. I know the answers to none of the questions, but the show is still fun to watch, mainly because Halima is really bubbly and cute. It's also a good chance to hear some Kuwaiti dialect. She always says بندش على طول which means "let's start right away", and instead of جديد she says يديد since Kuwaitis replace the ج with ي in some words. Also, the ك is sometimes replaced with a "ch" sound and the ق makes a "g" as in "girl" sound. Enjoy!




00:00 - مساء الغلا لكل الجمهور الغالي في كل أنحاء الوطن العربي الكبير من مشرقه و حتى مغربه
Good evening to the precious audience in all parts of the big Arabic world from its east to its west.


00:28 - على بركات الله و بشكل سريع بندش على أول بورد. بعد ما حفظتو بلا شك قواعد اللعبة. و بنشوف شنو هي المسلسلات على بركات الله
With the God's blessings and quickly we enter the first board. Without doubt you still remember the rules of the game. Let's see what the series are, by the blessings of God.


1:01 - أنا مبسوطة انك سهرانة معنا اليوم. أنا إسمي ساهرة. إسم على مسمى
I'm happy that you are staying up late with us tonight. My name is Sahira (literally "the one who stays up late"). That's a good name for you. ("Ism 3ala mosama" basically means, "you're living up to your name". For example, if someone's name was Joy and she was happy and joyful all the time you could say this phrase to her since she's acting like her name.)

02:24 - ! بس انت بروحك؟ وينكم شباب؟ 1, 2, 3
Only you, by yourself? Where are you, you guys? 1, 2, 3! (She says this because only 1 of the guys in the audience shouted "heeya" which is what Halima always say when the answer is correct. "Bi rohak" could be translated as "by your lonesome", but literally means "by your soul".)

02:30 - شفت شلون ساهرة؟ قاع إنحمسك و إنشجعك
You see that, Sahira? They're giving you enthusiasm and encouraging you. (Literally, "shift shloan" means "see how". قاع here adds -ing to the verbs.)

02:57 - لا بها بحماس اكثر
No, it has more enthusiasm (because she said "heeya" with no enthusiasm)

03:33 - تكملين ولا تنسحبين؟
Continue or quit? (literally withdraw)

04:00 - ! صارت ترايد مارك هاذي على فكرة. هنا عم شوف لبنان كل من يطلعني هيييية
This has become a trademark, by the way. Here I'm seeing Lebanon and everyone is going "heeya" to me!

04:16 - ساعة مرصعة بالماس
A watch encrusted with diamonds.

04:53 - هو ده الكلام
That's the talk! (You could say "that's more like it" here. The context is that the caller got the question wrong at first, but then corrected herself. Then Halima says, "that's more like it". It's an Egyptian phrase.)

04:57 - الحين اقدر اقولك هيييية
Now I can tell you "heeya"! ("alheen" is the most common way to say "now" in the gulf and Kuwait)

05:08 - شو عم بتقول إلي جنبك؟
What's the person next to you saying? (عم is used in the Syria region and it adds -ing to the verb. Halima changes from dialect to dialect when she speaks.)

05:42 - تعرفيها بدون إختيارات؟
Do you know it without (seeing) the choices? (because the caller kept giving the answer before Halima read the choices)05:56 - الله يدوم هالضحكة
May God make this laughter continue. (دوم is related to دائما which means "always". "May God make this laughter always be there" would be more exact, but it doesn't flow right in English.)

06:06 - على إطار الضحكة,اليوم بالفزورة رح تبكون لان الفزورة كلها بكي بكي. مسلسل سعودي شهير بس كلها دموع و بكي و صراخ و انا جسد شخصية إن شاء الله تعجبكم
Since we're talking about laughing, today during the riddle you're all going to cry because the riddle is all crying, crying. It's a famous Saudi series, but all of it is tears and crying and wailing. I play a character and hopefully you all will like it. (على إطار is literally "in the framework of". بكي sounds like "bitchy" because in Iraqi and Kuwait they make the ك have a "ch" sound. جسد means to "embody", but here I think "play" is better since she's acting out a scene)

07:19 - إلي بعدو
Next! (literally, "the one that is after it")

08:44 - شفت شلون؟ كنت بلحظة رح تضيعين كل إلي وصلت لها
You see that? In one moment you were going to lose everything you had gotten.

08:48 - اذا الإسحاب مطلوب
Therefore, withdrawing is requested.

09:27 - كيف الأجواء الرمضانية عندكم؟
How is the Ramadan atmosphere there?

10:16 - بداية موفقة لإبتسام. شدي حيلك معايا هذا اول سؤال
A good beginning for Ibtisam. Get ready, this was just the first question. (شد حيلك can mean "pull yourself together", "get it together", "prepare yourself", things like that)

12:39 - الوقت يداهمنا
Time is creeping up on us. ("we're running out of time", that's the idea)

12:59 - والله إتصالك عزيز علي. عزيز جدا. عزيز وايد
I swear, your call is dear to me. Very dear. Extremely dear. (He asked her to help him. The guy who is the answer's first name is Aziz and so she's giving him clues by saying aziz. وايد means "very" in Kuwait.)

Friday, September 11, 2009

MBC Program: خواطر (Thoughts)

This is the 5th season of MBC's Ramadan TV show خواطر (Thoughts) with host أحمد الشقيري (Ahmad Alshukairy). This season is all about Japan. The shows focuses on how clean and sanitary the Japanese are and also how they are so successful and yet still hold on to their customs and traditions. The following is a 5 minute clip from the program as well as the transcript and translation. The host speaks in Saudi dialect which is really close to MSA. There were a few words that I had to look up such as ماصات and حقته, but the majority of it is pretty clear. This is one of my favorite Arabic shows along with مسلسلات حليمة!




Eating in the schools.

و نتابع الإبداعات في المدارس اليابانية في موضوع مهم و هو موضوع الأكل. الطلبة في اليابان بيأكلو في المدرسة كما عندنا كثير من المدارس العربية الطلبة بيأكلو في المدرسة. ولكن هناك فرق. الأكل في المدارس اليابانية بنظام


And we follow the innovations of the Japanese schools in an important subject, the subject of eating. The students in Japan eat in the school just as in many Arabic schools the students eat in the school. But there's a difference. Eating in the Japanese schools follows a system.

Comments: The word طلبة means "students". Just as طلاب also means "students". طالب is "student". The word أكل can mean "eating" or "food".

The period is over. Thank you.
Thanks very much.

تخلصو كلهم يقولو "اريغاتو" يعني "ثانك يو" للمدرسة. شكراً. و بعدين... جاء وقع ايش يا جماعة؟ ايش قاعين يسوو؟ جاء وقت الغداء

As they finish they all say "arigato", meaning "thank you" to the teacher. Thank you. And after that... what time has come, everyone? What are they doing? Lunch time has come.

Comments: تخلص means "to be finished" with something. بعدين means "after that". ايش means "what". قاعدين literally means "they are sitting", but in Saudi Arabic the word قاعد is used to add an -ing to the verb, just like عم is used in Levantine.

لقينا فجاة الطلاب قاعدين يضبّط الماصات. 4 ماصات جمب بعض 4, 4, 4. صارت طاولات. بعدين جابو طاولات. صفوها صف زي البوفي. و لبس 3 طلبة البلوفرات البيضا إلي هم هذول الطلبة, هم المسؤولين عن تقديم الأكل لباقي الطلاب. إجاهم الأكل من المطبخ, حطو الأكل إترصو. كل طالب طلع مفرش جايبه من البيت. حطه على الطاولة حقته


We found suddenly the students organizing the desks. 4 desks next to each other. 4, 4, 4. They became tables. After that they brought tables and lined them up in a line like a buffet. And 3 students wore white pullovers. These students were the ones responsible for serving the food to the rest of the students. The food came (to them) from the kitchen. They put the food (on the trays) and they line up. Every student brings out a place mat they brought from home. He puts it on his own table.

Comments: He calls the white coats the kids are wearing pulloveraat. It took me a while to figure that out. إترص means "to line up". The very last word حقته means "his own". It is used the same way as مالته in Iraqi, بتاعته in Egyptian, and تبعته in Levantine. They all add possession.

قاعدين يجهزو الصحون و يجهزو الأكل لطلبة الفصل. هذه مسؤولية تناوب عليها الطلبة. اليوم هذه المجموعة هي المسؤولة. اليوم التاني تكون مجموعة أخرى


They are preparing the plates and the food for the students of the class. This is a responsibility that rotates among the students. Today this group is responsible (for it). The next day it is another group.

تغسيل اليد قبل الأكل
Washing the hands before eating.
الطلبة يغرفو لبعض... الأكل. و شوف كيف الأمور منظمة. جلسو و لا واحد اكل. ما في احد اكل إلا أن ينتهي كل الطلبة من صب الأكل


The students scoop out the food for each other. And look how things are organized. They sat down and not one of them ate. No one ate until all the students finished getting food.

Comments: The word صب means "to pour" and I've heard it more commonly with liquids, but I guess it can be used with food too.

بتكون هون تقاليد الأكل في اليابان للطلبة. و بتشرح للفصل مكونات الأكل حق اليوم. و لهم اليوم الأكل في رز و لحمة و خضار. و تقاليد الأكل في اليابان انه الرز على اليسار و الشربة على اليمين. فشوف كلهم نفس النظامة

Here are the eating traditions of students in Japan. And she explains to the class the contents of the food today. And today the food is rice, meat, and vegetables. The eating traditions in Japan is that the rice is on the left and the drink is on the right. Look at how all of them follow the same system.

I don't know why, but I heard him say حق اليوم which I just translated to هذا اليوم. That's pretty much the only thing I'm not sure of in this passage.

تخيلو لو النظام هذا الي شفناه في اليابان موجود في بلد إسلامي. الطفل بداءاً ما يطلع... ياباني يطلع و يقول لهم تقاليدنا الإسلامي. تخيلو كل يوم هذا يحصل. تقاليدنا الإسلامية نقول بسم الله قبل الأكل. و الأولاد كلهم يستمعين لسة ما يأكلو. و انه نأكل بيميننا. تخيلو كل يوم طفل مسؤول عن ذلك. و الأطفال قبل ما يأكلو يطبقو هذا السيستم. كل يوم من اول إبتدائي سينشاء لكم جيل و إحترم يقدر نعمة الأكل

Imagine if this system that we saw in Japan was present in an Islamic country. At the beginning a Japanese child (goes) and recites to the others our Islamic traditions. Imagine this happening every day. "Our Islamic traditions are that we say in the name of God before we eat." And the children all listen, still not eating. "And that we eat on the right." Imagine every day a child responsible for that. And before they eat, the children apply that system. Every day beginning in elementary school. A generation will grown up (for you) that will be respectful and value the blessing of eating.

بتقول لهم أنه اليوم الأكل في بيض و البيض فائدته كذه كذه كذه لأنه يفيد إلك بكذه كذه كذه

She's saying to them that today the food is an egg and that the egg has the benefits etc, etc, etc, and that it benefits you etc, etc, etc.