Modern Arabic Fiction: An Anthology

1079 Pages·2008·4.95 MB·English

by  Salma Jayyusi

Modern Arabic Fiction

Modern Arabic Fiction
an anthology
edited by
Salma Khadra Jayyusi
Columbia University Press • New York
Columbia University Press wishes to express its apprecia-
tion for assistance given by the Ministry of Information
of Qatar and by the Pushkin Fund in the preparation of
the translation and in the publication of this book.

Columbia University Press
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
Copyright © 2005 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Modern Arabic fiction : an anthology / edited by Salma
Khadra Jayyusi.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-231-13254-9 (alk. paper)
1. Arabic fiction—20th century. I. Jayyusi, Salma Khadra.
PJ7694.E8M59 2004
892.7'308006—dc22
2004058251
Columbia University Press books are printed
on permanent and durable acid-free paper.
Printed in the United States of America
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In memory of my grandmother, Su‘da al-Khadra, and of my grand-
father, Dr. Yusuf Sleem.
My father used to tell us, “Your grandmother would not end her
journey to any town in Palestine without having discovered the life
history of the other passengers. She would then sit and tell us.”
And my mother used to say, “During the long winter nights of
Lebanon, your grandfather would sit, surrounded by friends and
family, and recount stories he had read in English by European nov-
elists. If he had to go to visit a sick person, no one would move until
he returned and finished.”
When I went to live abroad
Those same loved voices still I heard.
It seemed they came along with me
In what country I might be.
Yusuf would weave a web, made bright
with tales of wonder and delight;
But Su‘da’s gift was greater yet—
from each stranger that she met
She could draw forth, such was her art,
The inmost secrets of the heart.
—Translated by John Heath-Stubbs

Contents
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction 1
1 The Pioneers
Marun ‘Abboud (1886–1962) 73
The Highway Robber 73
Dhannoun Ayyoub (1908–1988) 77
The Little Gods 77
Mahmoud Badawi (1910–1985) 80
The Snake 81
‘Ali al-Du‘aji (1909–1949) 83
My Sleepless Nights 84
Tawfiq al-Hakim (1898–1987) 86
The Mailman 86
Yahya Haqqi (1905–1993 ) 89
The Divining Stones 90
Ja‘far al-Khalili (1914–1984) 92
Grace 93
Mahmoud Taher Lashin (1895–1945) 96
“Hello” 96
Ibrahim ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Mazini (1890–1949) 99
How I Became a Demon of the Jinn 99
Muhammad al-Muwailihi (1858?–1930) 103
The ‘Umda in the Tavern 104
Mikha’il Nu‘aima (1889–1987) 111
Um Ya‘qub’s Chickens 112
Jamal Sleem Nuweihed (1906–1994) 115
False Teeth 116
Fu’ad al-Shayib (1911–1970) 119
How Misery Was Born 119
viii Contents
Mahmoud Taymour (1894–1973) 121
The Elements of the Ablution 122
2 Short Stories
Amina ‘Abdallah 127
Fury 127
Yahya Taher ‘Abdallah (1942–1981) 131
Who’ll Hang the Bell? 131
Ibrahim ‘Abd al-Majeed (b. 1946) 135
The Tree and the Birds 136
Muhammad ‘Abd al-Malik (b. 1944) 140
The Illusion 141
‘Abd al-llah ‘Abd al-Qadir (b. 1940) 144
The Birthday Party 144
Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wali (1940—1973) 149
Al-Sayyid Majid 150
Jamal Abu Hamdan (b. 1938) 155
The Cloud 155
Qais’s Road Begins Here 157
Abu al-Ma‘ati Abu al-Naja (b. 1938) 161
People and Love 161
‘Abd al-Hameed Ahmad (b. 1957) 166
The Alien Farmer 166
Temptation 171
Daisy al-Amir (1935) 173
The Next Step 173
Yusuf Habashi al-Ashqar (1929–1992) 175
The Banquet 175
Ibrahim Aslan (b. 1939) 185
In Search of an Address 186
Sa‘id ‘Aulaqi (b. 1940) 190
The Trial 190
Tawfiq Yusuf ‘Awwad (1911–1989) 196
The Widow 196
Shukry ‘Ayyad (1921–1999) 202
The Locksmith 202
Muhammad ‘Aziza (b. 1940) 206
Vengeance 207
Samira ‘Azzam (1925–1967) 210
Tears for Sale 210
Layla Ba‘albaki (b. 1935) 214
From Mare to Mouse 214
Liana Badr (b. 1950) 219
Contents ix
Colors 219
Shawqi Baghdadi (1928) 225
Tanyus on Earth and Tanyus in Heaven 225
Salwa Bakr (b. 1949) 230
Doves on the Wing 231
Little Things Do Matter 234
Muhammad Barrada (b. 1938) 237
The Tale of the Severed Head 238
Muhammad al-Busati (b. 1936) 242
A Game of Pursuit 242
Zayd Mutee‘ Dammaj (1943–1998) 250
A Woman 250
Zaki Darwish (1944) 255
The Windows 255
Harib al-Dhahiri (b. 1964) 258
The Death of the Cane 259
Lutfiyya al-Dulaimi (1942) 261
Lighter Than Angels 262
Ahmad Ibrahim al-Faqih (b. 1942) 265
Love Me Tonight 266
Mustafa al-Farisi (b. 1931) 271
Who Knows? Maybe . . . 272
Ilyas Farkouh (b. 1948) 278
Shoulders 278
Gha’ib Tu‘ma Farman (1927–1990) 282
Uncle, Please Help Me Get Across 282
Jamal Fayiz (b. 1964) 289
The Reward 289
Sulaiman Fayyad (b. 1929) 290
The Gray-Colored Vehicle 291
Khalil al-Fuzayyi‘ (b. 1944) 301
The Autumn of Life 301
Fat-hi Ghanim (1924–1998) 305
The Engagement Present 305
Nadia Ghazzi (b. 1935) 310
The Man Who Saw His Own Funeral 310
Gamal al-Ghitani (b. 1945) 317
An Enlightenment to the People of This World 318
Huzama Habayib (b. 1965) 326
Heart Failure 326
Emile Habiby (1921–1996) 333
The Mandelbaum Gate 333
Ghalib Halasa (1937–1986) 337
A Midnight Visit 338