The Map of Love

by Ahdaf Soueif

  Omar!’ she cries out loud. ‘My brother …!’

  The battered trunk, ransacked of its treasure, sits by the wall. The old journals, emptied of their secrets, lie on the table. Beside them are the pages, neatly stacked, in which Amal has written down the story of Anna and Sharif al-Baroudi. Next door, Isabel sleeps soundly. Sharif is cradled in Amal’s arms as, once again, she makes her way with him down the long, dark corridor. She holds him close, patting his back. Whispering. ‘Hush, my precious,’ she whispers, ‘hush …’

  GLOSSARY

  Abeih: title of respect for an older brother or male relative (feminine: Abla). Turkish.

  Abuzeid: an epic ballad describing the life and deeds of Abuzeid al-Hilali.

  afandiyyah (also effendis); plural of afandi (effendi or efen-di): an urban (Western-) educated man (see Basha).

  ahlan wa sahlan: welcome. Literally ‘[you are among] your people [and on] your plain’.

  akhi: my brother.

  al- (and el-): prefix meaning ‘the’. ‘A1—’ is formal, while ‘el —’ is colloquial.

  al-hamdu-1-illah (also el-hamdu-1-Illah): thanks be to God.

  alf mabrouk: a thousand congratulations.

  Allahu Akbar: God is the greatest.

  am: uncle. Specifically father’s brother. Used as title of respect for older man.

  amrad: a man who has no facial hair.

  Antar: an epic ballad of the love story of Antar and Abla.

  Aqsa: the Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Islam’s third holiest shrine (after the Kaba in Makkah and the Mosque of the Prophet in Madinah).

  aragoz: a Punch and Judy show.

  arbagi: driver of a cart. Derogatory.

  Ard, el-: The Land, a 1970 classic of the Egyptian cinema by Yusuf Chahine. Based on the novel by Abd al-Rahman al-Sharqawi, it shows the peasants uniting with a religious leader and a patriotic city lawyer to take issue with unjust irrigation laws.

  asr: afternoon. Also the name of the third of the five prayers of the day.

  Assiuti chairs: a particular type of wooden armchair with reclining back originating in Assiut in Upper Egypt.

  awqaf (plural of waqf): an endowment or trust. Most great Muslim institutions in Egypt, such as hospitals, schools, libraries and mosques, are established upon endowments, or awqaf, which come under the supervision of a ministry of that name.

  aya: a verse from the Qur an, a sign demonstrating the existence of God, also a woman’s name.

  aywa: yes.

  Azhari: a graduate of al-Azhar, the thousand-year-old religious university in Cairo.

  Bahawat: plural of Bey (see Basha).

  balah el-Sham: a sweet pastry (literally dates of the Levant).

  Balfour Declaration: Arthur Balfour, British foreign minister in 1917: ‘His Majesty’s Government looks with favour upon the creation of a national homeland for the Jews in Palestine …’

  barakah: blessing or grace.

  barsim: a green plant similar to clover. Used for feeding cattle, donkeys, etc.

  Basha: Ottoman title, roughly equivalent to ‘Lord’. Can be placed at the end of a name or in the middle. The titles in use in Egypt — and all countries subject to Turkish Ottoman rule — were ‘Efendi’ (an urban person with a secular education and wearing Western dress — although not Western himself), ‘Bey’ and ‘Basha’ (Turkish: Pasha). The last two were conferred formally by the Khedive in Egypt or the Sultan in Constantinople. The Khedive, alone, was known as ‘Efendeena’ (or Our Efendi).

  The Arab titles, acquired through attaining a degree of learning, were ‘Ustaz’: master; and ‘Sheikh’: head or principal.

  bass: Stop it! Enough! Probably from Italian ‘Basta!’

  Bey: see Basha.

  b’iftikarak …: What good will it do you to remember?

  brawa aleiha: bravo (on her).

  Coptic calendar: the most extreme persecution of Christians in Egypt took place in the reign of the Roman emperor Diclidianus. The Coptic Church adopted the year of his ascension, AD 284, as the beginning of a new calendar: the Time of the Martyrs.

  corvée: forced labour — employed for large national projects like digging the Suez Canal, but also for work on the Pashas’ or the Khedive’s lands.

  courbash (kurbaj): the whip. Normally made of rhinoceros hide.

  Dar al-Kutub: the National Library of Egypt.

  Dönme: a member of a Judaeo-Islamic syncretist sect.

  Dustur: Constitution.

  el- and al-: prefix meaning ‘the’; see al.

  faddan (also feddan): a measure of area used for agricultural land in Egypt. Roughly equivalent to an acre.

  Fadilatukum: form of address to a sheikh who holds a religious position. Similar to Your Grace. Literally ‘Your Virtue’, from ‘fadeelah’: that by which one person is preferred (f/dd/1) over another.

  fallah (also fellah): peasant. Feminine: fallaha. Plural: fal-laheen, from (f/l/h) to till the land. The root also means: to be successful.

  fantasia: fantaziyya, a display of extravagant joie de vivre (as in ‘what’s all this fantaziyya’ to a child wearing fancy ribbons in her hair). British travellers used it specifically as a name for an event of Bedouin horsemanship.

  fasakhani: a shop that specialises in salted fish and roe.

  Firman: an absolute decree issued by the Ottoman sultan from Constantinople.

  galabiyya: long, loose robe worn by peasants and traditional people of Egypt.

  Ghezirah (also Gezira): island. Also a district of Cairo which is an island in the Nile.

  gibba (also djibbah): traditional long garment of sarinised cotton, usually white with thin black stripes, worn by men of religion under the quftan.

  habara: a woman’s cloak.

  habbet el-barakah: a seed, the oil of which is widely used for medicinal purposes. Recently found to have a good effect on the immune system.

  habibi: my darling, my beloved — masculine (feminine: habibti).

  hadith: discourse.

  hanim: Turkish for ‘lady’.

  haraam: it is sinful, it is pitiful, it is arousing of compassion, it should not be done.

  haraam aleik: literally ‘it is a sin upon you’, used as ‘please don’t say that’ or ‘you should not do that’.

  haram: the root h/r/m denotes a sacred or inviolable space. The haram of a mosque is the space within its walls. The haram of a university is its campus. The haram of a man is his wife. A man is referred to as the ‘zawg’ or ‘the other half of the pair’ of his wife.

  haramlek: the area in a house reserved for women.

  hareem (also harem): women, from h/r/m: sacred.

  hasal kheir: ‘good has come about’, to be said when something not so good has happened but has ended without too much damage. Equivalent: ‘it’s not that bad’.

  hay a wan: animal.

  hayy: alive.

  ibn: son.

  ibni: my son.

  Ibrahimiyyah: large irrigation canal from the Nile.

  iftar: literally ‘breaking the fast’. Used for breakfast on normal days and for the sunset meal during Ramadan.

  imma: turban.

  ingelisi: Englishman; feminine ingeliziyya.

  insha Allah (also inshalla): if God wills. Used as ‘I hope’ or ‘let’s hope so’ or ‘I wish’, etc.

  Isa: Jesus — a name common to both Muslims and Copts.

  ‘Isha: dusk or early evening. From a/sh/a: to become unable to see. Also the name of the prayers performed at dusk — the last of the day’s five prayers.

  Iskindiriyya: Alexandria

  ismallah (ism Allah): the name of God (protect you).

  itfaddal: please go ahead, please come in, please sit down. Literally ‘do [me] the favour’ (as in Italian per favore). Feminine: itfaddali.

  izzay el-sehha?: How are you? Literally how is the health?

  Jama’at (Islamiyyah): (Islamist) groups. General name for several factions of Islamist activists in Egypt who believe in armed opposition to the state. />
  jinn: supernatural beings. Generally naughty, can be evil.

  kalb ya ibn el-kalb: (you) dog, you son-of-a-dog.

  kattar kheirak: (may God) increase your bounty. Literally ‘increase the good that comes from you’, used as ‘thank you’.

  Kesh malik: Cringe, King! Warning before checkmate.

  keteer: a lot.

  khalas: literally ‘it’s finished’, used also as ‘done’ or ‘agreed’.

  khali (also khalu): my uncle — specifically my mother’s brother.

  khamaseen: winds that blow in March and bring the desert sands into the cities.

  khatibet akhuya: my brother’s fiancée.

  khawagaya: a foreign (European) woman. Masculine: kha-waga.

  Khedive: title of the ruler of Egypt from Abbas Pasha in 1849 to the Sultan Hussein Kamel during the First World War.

  kheir: (may what has happened/the news be) good.

  kit tan: flax.

  kufiyya: scarf.

  kufr: disbelief. Kafir: an unbeliever (in Islam, Christianity or Judaism, the three religions of the Book).

  kunafa: a sweet pastry.

  kuttab: traditional elementary school which teaches reading, writing and the Qur’an.

  la hawla wala quwwata ilia b-Illah: there is no power or strength but with the support of God. Said when matten go beyond what you can help. It is a kind of ‘I am absolved of responsibility in this’. An expression of helpless sadness as one watches matters get out of hand. Also of exasperation as an opponent refuses to see sense.

  la hawl Illtah: short, ungrammatical version of above.

  lalu: childspeak for ‘khalu’: my uncle — specifically my mother’s brother.

  lek yom: your day will come (when you will be defeated).

  lessa: not yet.

  maalesh: never mind.

  mafish: there is no[ne] …

  magzub: one drawn (to God) by religious fervour to the extent that he separates himself from all worldly matters -and (the worldly) part of his mind. From g/z/b: to pull.

  mamur: chief of police (of the markaz).

  mandarah: a room slightly apart from the house to receive male visitors who are not of the family.

  tnarhab: welcome.

  markaz: centre. Also central police station (of the district).

  masha Allah: literally ‘Look what God has willed!’ Used to express admiration without being thought envious or activating the evil eye.

  mashrabiyya: the ornate wooden screen that protects the privacy of the balconies in traditional houses.

  mawwal: a traditional form of folk song, usually narrative, performed by one singer to the accompaniment of a rudimentary string instrument (a rabab). It is roughly equivalent to the English ballad, but relies heavily on verbal play, the lines often ending in a pun.

  mayyit: dead.

  Misa al-khairat: Oh evening of many good things!

  mutasarrif: governor (Ottoman title).

  n’har iswid: (Oh) black day.

  Nahdet Masr: the Renaissance of Egypt.

  nazra: a look.

  oud: lute.

  Qaroon: historical (or mythological) character reputed to be fabulously rich.

  quftan: traditional long garment of wool or heavy cotton, in a dark colour, worn by men of religion over the gibba.

  Rabb: God — although the specific name of God is ‘Allah’. So: Allahu Rabbi: Allah is my God.

  Rabi al-Thani: a month of the Arab year. The Arab year has twelve months. But since the months are lunar (the full moon falls on the 14th day of each month), it is shorter by eleven days than the Western year.

  ruqa: the informal Arabic script used for personal letters, drafts and notes. Ruqa is also the piece of paper on which the writing is done. Possibly: writing done on a scrap — rather than the formal ‘naskh’ (copying script) done on a formal folio.

  Safar: the second month of the Arab year.

  Sahara: desert.

  salamlek: part of the house where men can move freely (as opposed to the haramlek, where they can only go by permission of the women).

  ’Salamu aleikum (alaykum)’. “Aleikum as-salam wa rahmatu allahi wa barakatuh.’: ‘Peace be upon you.’ ‘And upon you peace and the mercy of God and His blessings.’ Traditional greeting and response upon arrival and departure. Spelled differently according to level of formality in speech.

  Sallim silahak ya Urabi: surrender your arms, Urabi. Used for when an opponent is in an impossible position — as Urabi was in Tel el-Kebir. Chess terminology: Wazir: [Prime] Minister. In the West the Queen; the Elephant is the Bishop, the Horse is the Knight and the Fortress is the Rook.

  sanduq el-dunya: Literally ‘the box of the world’. A peep-show. Putting your head beneath a black hood and your eye to the peephole, you could see the seven wonders of the world or the Eiffel Tower etc.

  Satir: One of the names of God. Literally He who shields, covers, protects.

  Sattar: One of the names of God. Emphatic form of He who shields, covers, protects.

  sayyid: master, also used as ‘mister’.

  sayyidna: our master, used to a sheikh.

  sebertaya: small stove lit with seberto (spirits, alcohol).

  sett: lady.

  Settena Maryam: Our Lady Mary.

  setti: my lady.

  shahada: the creed. ‘I bear witness that there is no God but God and that Muhammad is his prophet.’ From sh/h/d: to bear witness. This is the first of the five essential bases of Islam and what a Muslim will say in extremis, such as at the moment of death.

  sheikh el-mestakhabbi, el-: the hidden sheikh (kh/b/a: to grow faint; kh/bb/a: to hide (transitive); makhba is a hideout, an air-raid shelter)

  Shobbeik lobbeik, khaddamak bein eidek: the traditional opening line of the jinni of the lamp. ‘Lobbeik’ is a variation on 1/bb/a; to respond. ‘Shobbeik’ is there for the rhyme, although it is also a variant on ‘What’s the matter with you?’ in Levantine dialect. ‘Khaddamak’: your servant, from kh/ d/m: to serve. Bein: between. Eideik: your hands.

  shwayya: a little.

  si: shortened version of sidi.

  sidaq: money given as pledge of marriage. Normally given by the man to the woman, the lesser part on the signing of the marriage contract, the greater held back as the woman’s insurance against divorce.

  sidi: my master (abbreviated from sayyidi) used in secular context.

  Southern Lebanon Army Militias: army created and funded by Israel from right-wing Lebanese militias.

  Sublime Porte: a title for the Sultan (al-Bab al-’Ali).

  sufragi: a male attendant. From Turkish ‘sufra’: table (laid for dining), one who attends the ‘sufra’ — a footman.

  suhur: late meal eaten to prepare for the next day’s fast during Ramadan. Can be any time from two in the morning until just before the rising of the sun.

  sura: a chapter of the Quran.

  Suret Yasin: the Chapter of Yasin. A favourite chapter for reciting for the dead as it tells of God’s mercy and of paradise.

  syce: groom. From Arabic ‘sayis’, root: s/a/s, to tame (siyasah is politics, siyasi is both a politician and a tactful person, musayasah is coaxing).

  takht: literally ‘a raised platform’ and by métonymie transfer the musical ensemble to accompany a singer. It consists of a lute, a qanun (a kind of small horizontal harp), a tambourine and a tabla (drum). The musicians are all seated.

  tar ab: explained in text, mutrib: one who causes tarab, shab tereb: a gay dog, a young blade; tarabattatta tarabattat-tee: tra-la-la; Jamal wa Taroob: a Lebanese singing couple who were in vogue in Cairo in the Sixties; etmanni mniyyah: make a wish; w’estanni alayya: and give me some time; iddili Pmiyya: count to a hundred,…

  tarbush: fez.

  tarha: headcover of black chiffon used by traditional women. If worn in the house it is white and shows great piety.

  tayyib: good, very well, OK.

  Tewfiq: the Khedive of Egypt in 1882 during the Urabi Revolution.

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nbsp; Tokar, I’ll have you sent to: a common expression of threat. Tokar was a distant province in the Sudan known for its harsh climate and conditions. When the Sudan was under Egyptian/Turkish rule, an officer or civil servant who incurred the displeasure of the authorities was posted to Tokar — there to live a miserable life and die an early death.

  Toshki: a huge irrigation project, inaugurated in January 1997, to create another main branch for the Nile at Toshki, slightly south-west of Aswan.

  Toubah and Baramhat: Coptic names of the months corresponding to January and April. Fallaheen, in their dealings with the land, still work by the old Coptic calendar as it most accurately corresponds to the specific climate of Egypt.

  umdah: the headman of a village. In 1997 a law was passed making it possible for women to hold the position of umdah.

  umm/u: mother. In traditional society a woman, rather than being called by her given name, is called umm followed by the name of her oldest child. Similarly a man is called abu (father of) followed by the name of his oldest child. This is considered more respectful than using the given name.