The Curse of the Bedouin Woman: An Original Story In Jordanian Arabic

Marhaba!

I thought I would share a story I wrote a few years ago when I was still studying in Jordan.

I had a week break from lessons (I think it was the Eid Adha holiday) and decided to complete a story that I had started in class. I remembered buying a sketchbook and a set of colour pencils from the bookshop, and spending the entire week refining the storyline as well as drawing the illustrations.

The book was then given to my teacher as a gift. And I recently found the video that I took of the book when I had just completed it…

I’ve taken screenshots of each page, edited the story for errors and now here it is….I hope you’ll enjoy reading it! 🙂

اعزائي المعلمات

.هدا الكتاب هو هدية إلكم لأنكم علّمتوني

إنتوا بتعرفوا مين إنتوا. بدي أشكركم على تعبكم وصبركم. بدي أشكر هديل عشان عطتني دفعة حتى أكمل هاي القصة من بنات أفكاري وألهمتني أكتب هدا الكتاب. بدي كمان استغل هاي الفرصة حتى أبارك لشادية على حملها

ملحوظة: يا روان – فاطمة وعلي واحمد بسلموا عليكي وشكر خاص لرفيقي, خيري, عشان ساعدني في تصحيح وتدقيق كتابي

طالبتكم
نور

نيسان ٢٠١٦

Dear teachers,

This book is a gift to you because you had taught me. You know who you are. I want to thank you for your hard work and your patience.

I would like to thank Hadeel for giving me the push to continue this story based on my original idea and for inspiring me to write this story. I also would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Shadia for her pregnancy.

P.S. Rawan – by the way, Fatima, Ali and Ahmad send their regards to you. 🙂

P.S.S. Special thanks to my friend, Khayri, for helping to correct/edit and check my book.

Your student,

Nur

April 2016

**I wrote the phrase من بنات افكاري which literally translates to “the daughters of my thoughts.” I had written a post about it explaining the term in more details. You can check it out here.

**Fun fact: ‘Nur’ was the name I used back in Jordan. Technically, I wasn’t lying because ‘Nur’ is actually part of my real name. But almost every Malay girl in Singapore has the name ‘Nur’ attached before their “real” name. Anyway, this whole name thing is quite complicated…moving on…😅

لعنة امرأة بدوية

المقدمة

هدا الكتاب مناسب للأطفال من عمر ٧ وما فوق وللطلاب اللي عم بدرسوا العربية العامية. هدا الكتاب من نسج الخيال. واي تشابه بينه وبين الشخصيات او احداث حقيقية, هو من قبيل الصدفة البحتة

~The Curse of the Bedouin Woman~

~Prologue~

This book is suitable for children from the age of 7 and above as well as students who are learning colloquial Arabic. This book is a fictional story from my imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.

كان يا ما كان في قديم الزمان, في بيت انولدت واسمها فاطمة. متل امها وستها, هي بتكون طفلة وحيدة في العيلة

اهلها دايما بشتغلوا لوقت متأخر وعشان هيك النتيجة كانت انه فاطمة بتقضي وقت بالبيت لحالها. بس لحسن الحظ عندها صديقين للعظم واسمهم علي واحمد

Once upon a time, there was a child born named Fatima. Just like her mother and her grandmother, she’s the only child in the family.

Her parents always work till late and as a result, Fatima spends her time at home all by herself. However, fortunately, she has two best friends whose names are Ali and Ahmad.

.لكن ما حدا بعرف انها عندها سر

عيلتها عندها مزهرية كتير حلوة في غرفة القعدة تبعت ستها واكتشفت فاطمة انه في جني جوا المزهرية اللي رح يطلع اذا لمست ووشوشت “اطلع يا جني!” هي بتحب تقعد وتحكي معه كل ما حست حالها وحيدة

But no one knows that she hides a secret.

Her family has a very beautiful vase in the living room that belonged to her grandmother. Fatima had discovered a genie inside the vase that will come out if she touches the vase and whispers “Come on out, genie!”. She likes to sit and talk to the genie whenever she feels lonely.

يوم من الأيام, فاطمة كانت مريضة ومش قادرة تروح على المدرسة

قرروا علي واحمد يمروا عليها ويطمنوا عليها. هم كانوا متفاجئين لما سمعوا صوت فاطمة كأنها عم تحكي مع حدا مع انه ما في حدا بالبيت إلا هي بس

لما سألوا علي واحمد مع مين عم تحكي, كذبت فاطمة انه الصوت اللي سمعوه إجا من التلفزيون لانها ما بدها اياهم يفكروها مجنونة

One day, Fatima was sick and was unable to go to school.

So Ali and Ahmad decided to drop by and check on her. They were surprised when they heard Fatima’s voice as if she was talking to someone although there was no one in the house except for her.

When Ali and Ahmad asked her to whom she was talking to, Fatima lied and said that the sound they heard came from the television. After all,  she didn’t want them to think that she was crazy.

بس استحت فاطمة وبلشت تعيّط وتطلع برا للحقول اللي مليان الزهور وخبيزة. علي واحمد نزلوا وراها بس ما قدروا يلاقيها

عشان هيك , ضرّخوا علي واحمد لفاطمة بالصوت عالي “اطلعي من بين الخبيزة يا فاطمة!” بعد شوي, طلعت فاطمة وطلبت السماح من اصدقائها

هي فوّتتهم للبيت وورجتهم المزهرية. لكن الجني ما طلع مع انها لمستها ووشوشت اكتر من مرة

حزنت فاطمة وصارت منحرجة وروّحوا علي واحمد حاسين بقلق من صاحبتهم

But Fatima felt ashamed and started to cry. She went outside to the fields filled with flowers and hibiscus. Ali and Ahmad went after her but they could not find her.

Thus, Ali and Ahmad shouted loudly “Fatima! Come out from amongst the hibiscus!” A while later, Fatima came out and asked for forgiveness from her friends.

She let them in the house and showed them the vase. However, despite touching the vase and whispering more than once, the genie never came out.

Fatima was sad and became embarrassed. Ali and Ahmad then went home, feeling worried for their friend.

**The phrase اطلع من بين الخبيزة is a Jordanian expression that is said to tell someone that their lies have been discovered and therefore asking him/her to come out from the field of hibiscus (a hiding place). 

قرروا يتصلوا علي واحمد لأمها وخبروها عن شو صار

لما رجعوا اهل فاطمة عالبيت, امها اخدت بخاطرها وقالتها انها تعرف الجني. بس رح يطلع الجني بوجود الاناث من عيلتها فقط

حكت ام فاطمة كمان انه بلشت هاي القصة لما ستها سرقت المزهرية من امرأة بدوية عشان عجبتها المزهرية كتير

Ali and Ahmad decided to call Fatima’s mother and told her about what had happened.

When Fatima’s parents returned home, her mother comforted her and told her that she knew about the genie. However, the genie will only come out in the presence of the females in the family.

Fatima’s mother told her that the whole story started when Fatima’s grandmother stole the vase from a Bedouin woman because the vase was very appealing to her.

الامرأة بدوية سبت على ستها انها رح تقدر تجيب بنت واحدة بس بنفس شي رح يصير لحفيدتها وكذا

لحسن الحظ, الجني اللي محبوس جوا المزهرية سلّى ستها كل ما حست حالها وحيدة ورح يسلي كل البنت من كل جيل

The Bedouin woman had cursed her grandmother that she could only give birth to a girl and that the same thing will happen to all of her grandchildren.

Fortunately, the genie that was trapped in the vase had entertained and kept her grandmother company whenever she felt lonely, and will continue to keep all the girls in every generation company.

تاني يوم, راح فاطمة لمدرسة وخبرت القصة ل علي واحمد

قالتلهم انها بدها تدوّر على عائلة الامراة البدوية وترجع المزهرية عشان بدها تكسر اللعنة. لانهم بعتبروها كصاحبتهم روح بالروح, علي واحمد وعدوا يساعدوها في مهمتها

The very next day, Fatima went to school and told the story to both Ali and Ahmad.

She told them that she wants to search for the family of the Bedouin woman and return the vase so that the curse can be broken. And since Ali and Ahmad considered her as their best friend, they promised to help her with her mission.

مغامرة فاطمة وعلي واحمد والبحث عن عائلة بدوية

The adventure of Fatima, Ali and Ahmad, and the search for the Bedouin family.

وصلوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد لوادي رم بالصبح يوم الاول من عطلة المدارس. جابت فاطمة المزهرية واستأجروا تلات جمال وبلشوا الرحلة بعد الفطور

تحمسوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد وهم بركبوا جمالهم في الصحراء وبساءلوا حالهم شو رح يصير

In the morning on the first day of the school holidays, Fatima, Ali and Ahmad arrived in Wadi Rum. Fatima had brought the vase along and they began the trip after breakfast after renting three camels.

بعد ما ركبوا جمالهم لخمس ساعات, صاروا تعبانين ووقّفوا لما شافوا سبيل في الطريق

الختيار اللي قريب من السبيل صار متفاجئ لما شاف المزهرية اللي حملتها فاطمة بس ضله ساكت

هو أشر على الاتجاه لما سألوه الأصحاب الثلاتة عن الطريق للمخيم اللي تسكن القبيلة اللي عندها نفس رمز اللي مرسوم على المزهرية

After riding the camels for five hours, they became tired and so they stopped when they saw a rest stop on the way.

An elderly man who was near the rest stop was surprised when he saw the vase that Fatima was carrying but he remained quiet.

He pointed out the way when the three friends asked him for direction to the camp of a tribe that has the same symbol drawn on the vase.

شكروا فاطمة وعلي واحمد الختيار وكملوا الرحلة

لكن تركهم الختيار محتارين ومتوترين لما الختيار قالهم المثل اللي بقول

اذا رأيت نيوب الليث بارزة…فلا تظنن أن الليث يبتسم

Fatima, Ali and Ahmad thanked the elderly man and continued on their journey.

However, the man left them confused and nervous when he told them a proverb that says, “If you see the lion baring its teeth, don’t think that it is smiling.”

**The “proverb” is actually a line from a poem written by Abu at-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi (a  famous Arab poet). It means to not be deceived by looks.  

غابت الشمس وصاروا فاطمة وعلي واحمد جوعانين ونعسانين

طول الطريق هم ما كانوا مرتاحين عشان حاسين انه كل الناس اللي شافوهم طلعوا بطريقة غريبة ووشوشوا ورا ظهرهم

قديش مبسوطين هم لما في ختيارة بدوية وقّفتهم واصرت عليهم يضلوا في خيمتها لهاي الليلة. مبيّن عليها لطيفة جدا ووافقوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد يناموا هناك

The sun had set and Fatima, Ali and Ahmad became hungry and sleepy.

Throughout the entire journey, they felt uncomfortable because they felt that the people they saw along the way were looking at them strangely and whispering behind their backs.

How happy they were when an elderly Bedouin woman stopped them and insisted that they stay at her tent for the night. The woman seemed very kind so Fatima, Ali and Ahmad agreed to stay over for the night.

تاني يوم كانت فاطمة قلقانة لما ما قدرت تلاقي المزهريةة جنبها

قامت فاطمة من الفرشة وكانت متفاجئة لما شافت الختيارة البدوية كانت عم تحط رمل جوا المزهرية وعم تبتسم لحالها

“شو عم تعملي؟!” ضرّخت فاطمة بالصوت عالي

The next day, Fatima was worried when she could not find the vase beside her.

Fatima got up from the bed and was surprised to see the elderly Bedouin woman putting sand inside the vase, and smiling to herself.

“What are you doing?!” shouted Fatima loudly.

الختيارة رفعت راسها شوي شوي وضلت تبتسم لما شافت فاطمة اكتشفتها

قالت فاطمة ومدت يدها الى الختيارة

 “اعطيني المزهرية لو سمحتي”

الختيارة سبحت سكين ومشت شوي شوي الى فاطمة وحكت بصوت غميق

“هاي المزهرة اللي”

بس فبل ما قدرت فاطمة تحكي اي شي, سمعت صوت عالي وشافت الختيارة وقعت على الأرض قدامها

The elderly woman lifted her head slowly and continued to smile when she realised that she had been discovered.

“Give me the vase, please,” said Fatima as she stretched her hand out towards the woman.

The elderly woman pulled out her knife, walked slowly towards Fatima and said, “The vase is mine.”

But before Fatima could even say a word, she heard a loud sound and saw the woman fell to the floor right before her.

شو اللي صار انه سمعوا علي واحمد ضرخات فاطمة وراحوا لعندها. لما شافوا شو اللي عم بصير, ضرب علي الختيارة مع مقلاة اللي لاقاها في المطبخ

لمست راسها الختيارة اللي عم بوجعها كتير وحكت لحالها ” والله ما هم قليلين”

قبل ما تغيب عن الواعي, هربوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد مع المزهرية من الخيمة بأسرع وقت ممكن

What happened was that Ali and Ahmad have heard Fatima’s screams and rushed over to her. When they saw what was happening, Ali hit the elderly woman with a frying pan that he had found in the kitchen.

The elderly woman touched her head that was hurting badly and said to herself, “Oh my, aren’t they something.”

Before the woman loses her consciousness, Fatima, Ali and Ahmad quickly escaped from the tent with the vase.

**The phrase ” ما هم قليلين” literally means “Aren’t they small” and it is usually said when people did something that surprises you because you didn’t think that they are actually capable of doing it. To say it to one person, the phrase will be “ما هو قليل” or “ما هي قليلة”

شكرت فاطمة اصحابها عشان انقذوا حياتها من الختيارة الشريرة وهلأ هم استوعبوا النصيحة اللي اعطاها اياها الختيار من قبل

استمروا الاصحاب التلاتة الرحلة في الصحرا ووادي رم بهدوء

Fatima thanked her friends for saving her life from the evil woman and they now understood the advice that had been given by the elderly man.

The three friends continued the journey in the Wadi Rum desert in silence.

اخيرا انبسطوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد لما شافوا العلم اللي يحمل الرمز للقبيلة اللي عم يلاقوه لمدة تلات ايام

قربوا الخيمة ولاقوا الصبية حلوة قاعدة برا الخيمة مع ابوها

الصبية وابوها كانوا متفاجئين لما شافوهم وعيونهم ركزت على المزهرية

على طول وقفت الصبية لما وصلوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد قدامها

Finally, Fatima, Ali and Ahmad were happy when they saw the flag that carried the tribe’s symbol which they had been searching for the last three days.

They approached the tent and found a beautiful young lady sitting outside the tent with her father.

The lady and her father were surprised when they saw the three friends and fixed their gaze upon the vase.

لفترة قصيرة الصبية اللي اسمها مريم, وفاطمة ما عرفوا شو لازم يحكي لبعض ووقفوا قدام بعض في صمت

فكسرت فاطمة الصمت لما قالت لمريم انه اجت هي لهون عشان بدها ترجّع المزهرية اللي تبعت قبيلتها

.ابتسمت مريم وحضنت فاطمة وشكرتها

شرحت مريم انه هاي المزهرية مش عادية بالمرة. فعلا المزهرية انقذت قبيلتها من الجفاف اللي صار زمان لانه اذا واحد يحط رمل جوا المزهرية, رح يغيّر لميّ فورا

For a short while, the young lady (whose name is Maryam) and Fatima didn’t know what to say as they stand in front of each other in silence.

Fatima then broke the silence when she told Maryam that she had come to return the vase that belonged to her tribe.

Maryam smiled as she hugged and thanked Fatima.

Maryam explained that the vase was not an ordinary one. The vase had saved her tribe from the drought that took place a long time ago. This was because should someone put sand inside the vase, it will immediately turn to water.

عشان مبيّن على الاصحاب التلاتة تعبانين كتير من الرحلة, عزمتهم مريم يضلوا ويناموا في خيمتها

وافقوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد وشربوا شاي واكلوا منسف ودردشوا مع مريم وابوها

تاني صباح, ودعت مريم لفاطمة وعلي واحمد وروّحوا لبيوتهم في مدينة عمان

طاروا من فرحة لانهم نجحوا في مهمتهم

Since it was obvious that the three friends were extremely tired from the trip, Maryam invited them to stay the night in her tent.

Fatima, Ali and Ahmad agreed (to stay over). They drank tea, ate Mansaf and chit chatted with Maryam and her dad.

The next morning, Maryam bid Fatima, Ali and Ahmad farewell as they returned back to their houses in Amman.

They were overjoyed because their mission was a success.

الخاتمة

بعد مرور كم سنة, كبروا فاطمة وعلي واحمد

~EPILOGUE~

A few years passed and Fatima, Ali and Ahmad had all grown up.

الرحلة عملت لصداقة بينهم اقوى ومع انه فقدت فاطمة الجني, هي ما حاسسة حالها وحيدة بالمرة لانها عندها علي واحمد اللي دايما جاهزين يسمعوا كل كلامها وهمومها

فاطمة قابلت شريك حياتها اللي اسمه محمد لما كانت تدرس في الجامعة الاردنية وتزوجت بعد تخرجت من دراساتها

The trip strengthened the friendship between the three of them. Even though Fatima lost the genie, she never felt lonely again because she has Ali and Ahmad who are always ready to give her a listening ear to her concerns.

Fatima met her life partner whose name was Muhammad when she was studying at the University of Jordan. She married him after graduation.

هلأ هاي نهاية القصة. فاطمة ومحمد جابوا اربع اولاد وهم بعيشوا حياة حلوة

مبيّن انه كسرت اللعنة اخيرا

This is the end of the story. Fatima and Mohammad had four children together and they live a beautiful life.

It seems that the curse has finally been broken.

النهاية

~THE END~

هاي القصة بتحكي عن تلات صحاب جيدين اللي بروحوا بالمغامرة في الصحراء وادي رم

بدهم يرجّعوا المزهرية تبعت قبيلة المرأة البدوية لانها بتتمنى فاطمة تكسر اللعنة اللي كانت انلعنت على عيلتها

بس الوضع مش سهل ابدا ويواجهوا عقبة في طريقهم

رح ينجحوا فاطمة وعلي واحمد في بحثهم عن صاحب المزهرية او رح تكون الرحلة عالفاضي؟

This story is about three good friends who went on an adventure in the Wadi Rum desert.

They wanted to return the vase that belonged to a Bedouin woman’s tribe because they hope that Fatima can break the curse that has been cursed upon her family.

But the situation is not easy at all and they faced some obstacles along the way.

Will Fatima, Ali and Ahmad succeed in the search for the owner of the vase or will the trip be a futile one?

نور – هي من سنغافورة وقررت تسافر للاردن لما كان عمرها ٢٢ سنة لانه كان بدها تدرس اللغة العربية

بالنسبة إلها اللغة العربية بتجنن ودرستها في مركز علي بابا لمدة سنة. بدها تقول لكل معلماتها ديروا بالكم على حالكم. هي رح تشتاقلكم كتير وما رح تنسى الخبز والملح اللي بينها وبينكم

هي بتتمنى إنه هادا الكتاب رح يكون في مكان آمن في المركز علي بابا, وما رح ينسرقه من الأربعين حرامي

Nur – she is from Singapore and decided to travel to Jordan when she was 22 years old because she wanted to study the Arabic language.

According to her, the Arabic language is beautiful and she studied it in Ali Baba centre for a year. She wants to tell all of her teachers to take care of themselves and that she will miss them a lot, and that she will not forget the relations forged.

She hopes that the book will remain in a safe place in Ali Baba Centre and will not be stolen by the forty thieves. 😂😂😂

**The phrase “الخبز والملح اللي بيناتنا” literally means “the bread and salt that’s between us”. It is an expression that describes the harmonious relations forged or a sort of alliance. In other words, the relationship is not an ordinary one and is instead placed on a special level. There’s a Wikipedia page dedicated to this expression. 

**Fun fact, I left the right side empty because I wanted to paste a photo there…not of me, but of Fairouz – just to create a mismatch.  😅

AJ + القصة الرئعة من جي كي رولينغ الجديدة – عربي

اولادي بحبوا هاي القصة لدرجة انهم بقرأوها كل ليلة قبل ما يناموا – عمرو دياب

القصة عن الشجاعة والصداقة والعطف. ابيش احلى من هيك – رجائي قواس

• A great story from the new JK Rowling – AJ+ Arabic
• My children love this story so much that they read it every night before they go to sleep – Amr Diab
• A story about courage, friendship and compassion. There’s nothing more beautiful than this – Rajaee Qawas

(hahaha this section is quite over the top but I had fun coming up with these fake reviews)

**The word ابيش means ما في and if I’m not wrong, it’s a word used in the city of As-Salt, Jordan. I used the word because my teacher, Hadeel, lives there. Although I don’t think Rajaee Qawas is from As-Salt…

~~~

That’s it, folks! I wrote this story back in 2016 and the actual book should be in Ali Baba International Centre in Amman, Jordan…or not. 😂

I hope you enjoyed the story and please let me know your thoughts!

Now, who actually want to have the book published?! I’ll go search for an illustrator right now… 🙂

If you find stories a great way to learn a language, then I got good news for ya!

theLevanTongue will be publishing its first ever set of storybooks written in Levantine Arabic! There will be two versions of the book – one written in Jordanian/ Palestinian Arabic and the other in Lebanese/Syrian Arabic.

I have teamed up with a small group of native speakers to put these books together.

So presenting to you…

Folktales Around The World In Jordanian & Palestinian Arabic

&

Folktales Around The World In Lebanese & Syrian Arabic

More details will be released soon…but for now, do help to spread the news to other Levantine Arabic learners who might be interested!

Thanks y’all for actually reading all the way till the end. 🙂

Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn