Egyptian Arabic Curriculum — Grade 10, Semester 1 — Page 18

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

نَشَاطٌ.

Activity.

الْوَحْدَةُ الأُولَى: قِيَمٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ.

Unit One: Arab Values.

وَضِّحْ حُدُودَ بِلَادِ الْعَرَبِ.

Define the borders of the Arab lands.

الْبِيئَةُ الِاجْتِمَاعِيَّةُ: مِنَ الْعَرَبِ مَنْ عَاشَ فِي الْمُدُنِ مِثْلِ مَكَّةَ وَسُمُّوا أَهْلَ الْحَضَرِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَنَقَّلَ وَارْتَحَلَ وَسُمُّوا أَهْلَ الْبَدْوِ، وَيَرْجِعُ أَصْلُ الْعَرَبِ إِلَى عَرَبِ الْمَالِ وَهُمُ الْعَدْنَانِيُّونَ.

The Social Environment: Arabs were divided into those who lived in cities like Mecca, known as city-dwellers, and those who lived a nomadic life, known as Bedouins. The origins of the Arabs trace back to the Northern Arabs, the Adnanites.

أَمَّا عَرَبُ الْجَنُوبِ فَهُمُ الْقَحْطَانِيُّونَ.

The Southern Arabs are the Qahtanites.

عُرِفَ الْعَرَبُ فِي الْعَصْرِ الْجَاهِلِيِّ بِكَثِيرٍ مِنَ الشِّيَمِ النَّبِيلَةِ مِثْلِ الْفُرُوسِيَّةِ، وَالشَّجَاعَةِ، وَالصَّبْرِ، وَالْكَرَمِ، وَمُنَازَلَةِ الْأَعْدَاءِ، وَالْوَفَاءِ، وَنَجْدَةِ الْمُسْتَغِيثِ.

In the pre-Islamic era, Arabs were known for noble traits such as chivalry, courage, patience, generosity, fearlessness in battle, loyalty, and aiding those in need.

أَمَّا مَعَارِفُ الْعَرَبِ الَّتِي بَرَعُوا فِيهَا فَهِيَ الْفِرَاسَةُ، وَالْعِلْمُ بِالْأَنْسَابِ.

The fields in which the Arabs excelled were physiognomy and genealogy.

اسْتَعِنْ بِالْمُعْجَمِ وَابْحَثْ عَنْ مَعْنَى الْفِرَاسَةِ.

Use a dictionary to look up the meaning of physiognomy.

نَشَاطٌ.

Activity.

الْبِيئَةُ الدِّينِيَّةُ: أَهَمُّ الدِّيَانَاتِ الَّتِي عُرِفَتْ فِي بِلَادِ الْعَرَبِ الْيَهُودِيَّةُ وَالنَّصْرَانِيَّةُ، وَكَانَ أَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ الْجَزِيرَةِ يَتَّخِذُونَ آلِهَةً مُتَعَدِّدَةً، فَعَبَدُوا الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالْأَصْنَامَ وَالْأَوْثَانَ، وَكَانَتْ هَذِهِ الْفَوْضَى الدِّينِيَّةُ مِنَ الْعَوَامِلِ الَّتِي مَهَّدَتْ لِنَجَاحِ الدَّعْوَةِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ وَانْتِشَارِهَا.

The Religious Environment: The most prominent religions in the Arab lands were Judaism and Christianity. Most people on the Peninsula practiced polytheism, worshipping the sun, the moon, idols, and statues. This religious fragmentation was one of the factors that paved the way for the success and spread of the Islamic message.

ارْجِعْ إِلَى الْإِنْتَرْنِتِ لِتَتَعَرَّفَ أَيْنَ انْتَشَرَتِ الْيَهُودِيَّةُ وَالنَّصْرَانِيَّةُ.

Use the internet to find out where Judaism and Christianity spread.

نَشَاطٌ.

Activity.

الْبِيئَةُ الْأَدَبِيَّةُ: بَرَعَ الْعَرَبُ فِي الْأَدَبِ شِعْرِهِ وَنَثْرِهِ، وَدَلَّ مَا وَصَلَنَا مِنْهُ عَلَى ذَكَائِهِمْ وَقُدْرَتِهِمْ فِي هَذَا الْمَجَالِ، وَقَدْ جَاءَ الْأَدَبُ صُورَةً صَادِقَةً لِلْبِيئَةِ وَالْعَصْرِ، وَسِجِلًّا لِعَادَاتِهِمْ وَأَخْلَاقِهِمْ.

The Literary Environment: Arabs excelled in both poetry and prose. The works that have reached us demonstrate their intelligence and skill in this field. Literature served as a faithful reflection of their environment and era, as well as a record of their customs and morals.

وَكَانَ لِلْعَرَبِ مَعَارِضُ أَدَبِيَّةٌ تَشْمَلُ الشِّعْرَ وَالْخَطَابَةَ وَالْكِتَابَةَ.

Arabs held literary exhibitions that featured poetry, oratory, and writing.

اسْتَعِنْ بِمَكْتَبَةِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ وَالْإِنْتَرْنِتِ مَعَ زُمَلَائِكَ لِلْبَحْثِ عَنِ الْأَسْوَاقِ الْأَدَبِيَّةِ فِي الْعَصْرِ الْجَاهِلِيِّ.

Use the school library and the internet with your classmates to research literary markets in the pre-Islamic era.

ثَانِيًا: الشَّرْحُ: هَذِهِ الْأَبْيَاتُ مِنْ قَصِيدَةٍ لِلشَّاعِرِ الْجَاهِلِيِّ السَّمَوْأَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَهَلَّ قَصِيدَتَهُ بِبَيْتَيْنِ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ حَيْثُ يَرَى أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ إِذَا سَلِمَتْ نَفْسُهُ مِنَ الدَّنَاءَةِ وَالضَّعَةِ، وَلَمْ يُلَوِّثْ عِرْضَهُ بِلُؤْمٍ وَخِسَّةٍ، فَكُلُّ صِفَةٍ يَتَحَلَّى بِهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ هِيَ مِنْ جَمِيلِ الْخِصَالِ.

Second: Explanation: These verses are from a poem by the pre-Islamic poet Al-Samaw'al. He begins with two lines of wisdom, arguing that if a person keeps their soul free from baseness and does not stain their honor with meanness, then every trait they adopt thereafter is a noble one.

وَإِذَا لَمْ يَبْذُلِ الْجُهْدَ فِي دَفْعِ الذُّلِّ وَالْقَهْرِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَلَنْ يُحْمَدَ فِعْلُهُ، وَلَنْ يُخَلَّدَ ذِكْرُهُ.

If a person does not strive to repel humiliation and oppression, their actions will not be praised, nor will their memory endure.

ثُمَّ انْتَقَلَ الشَّاعِرُ لِلرَّدِّ عَلَى الْفَتَاةِ الَّتِي تَقَدَّمَ لِخِطْبَتِهَا فَرَفَضَتْهُ قَائِلًا: إِنَّهَا تَعِيبُهُ بِضَعْفِ قَبِيلَتِهِ، وَقِلَّةِ عَدَدِهَا، وَهَذَا لَيْسَ عَيْبًا فِيهِمْ: لِأَنَّ الْكِرَامَ عَدَدُهُمْ قَلِيلٌ، وَلَيْسَ بِتَقْلِيلٍ مَنْ يَضُمُّهُ قَبِيلَتُهُ الَّتِي تَبْقَى مِنْهَا شَبَابٌ وَكُهُولٌ مِنْ طِرَازٍ فَرِيدٍ سَمَتْ أَخْلَاقُهُمْ، وَقَوِيَتْ عَزَائِمُهُمْ، فَطَلَبُوا الْمَعَالِيَ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ قِلَّةَ الْعَدَدِ لَمْ تَكُنْ ضَرَرًا لَنَا وَنَحْنُ أُولُو بَأْسٍ وَقُوَّةٍ، يَعِيشُ جَارُنَا فِي حِمَايَتِنَا عَزِيزًا، عَلَى حِينِ أَنَّ هُنَالِكَ قَبَائِلَ أُخْرَى كَثِيرَةَ الْعَدَدِ تَعِيشُ فِي ضَعْفٍ، وَجِيرَانُهُمْ فِي ذِلَّةٍ: لِعَجْزِهِمْ عَنْ حِمَايَتِهِمْ.

The poet then responds to a woman who rejected his marriage proposal, claiming she looked down on him because his tribe was small. He argues that this is no flaw, for the noble are always few. His tribe is composed of youth and elders of a unique caliber, whose morals are refined and whose resolve is strong, leading them to seek greatness. He asserts that their small numbers are no disadvantage because they are a people of might; their neighbors live under their protection in honor, while many larger tribes live in weakness, unable to protect their own neighbors.

وَيَفْتَخِرُ الشَّاعِرُ بِقَوْمِهِ فَيَصِفُهُمْ بِأَنَّهُمْ سَادَةٌ شُرَفَاءُ تَوَارَثُوا السِّيَادَةَ جِيلًا بَعْدَ جِيلٍ، كُرَمَاءُ قَوْلًا وَفِعْلًا، وَيَقُولُ: إِنَّنَا مَا أُطْفِئَتْ نَارٌ لَنَا دُونَ إِكْرَامِ ضُيُوفِنَا، وَلَا ذَمَّنَا أَوْ عَابَنَا ضَيْفٌ نَزَلَ عِنْدَنَا، وَتَارِيخُنَا حَافِلٌ بِالِانْتِصَارَاتِ عَلَى عَدُوِّنَا وَأَيَّامُنَا مَشْهُورَةٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ مِثْلُ بَيَاضِ الْخَيْلِ الْغُرِّ الْمُحَجَّلَةِ.

The poet takes pride in his people, describing them as noble leaders who have inherited their status generation after generation. They are generous in both word and deed. He claims that no fire of theirs has ever been extinguished without a guest being fed, and no guest has ever left them with a grievance. Their history is filled with victories, and their legacy is as bright and distinguished as the markings on a thoroughbred horse.

وَيَخْتِمُ الشَّاعِرُ قَصِيدَتَهُ وَاثِقًا مِنْ مَكَانَةِ قَبِيلَتِهِ مُتَحَدِّيًا الْفَتَاةَ الَّتِي عَيَّرَتْهُ بِقِلَّةِ قَبِيلَتِهِ فَيَقُولُ لَهَا: سَلِي النَّاسَ عَنَّا وَعَنِ الْقَبَائِلِ الْأُخْرَى الضَّعِيفَةِ - إِنْ كُنْتِ جَاهِلَةً بِقُوَّتِنَا - وَاعْقِدِي مُقَارَنَةً بَيْنَنَا: لِتَعْلَمِي الْحَقِيقَةَ، فَلَا يَسْتَوِي الْعَالِمُ وَالْجَهُولُ.

The poet concludes his poem confident in his tribe's status, challenging the woman who taunted him for his tribe's size. He tells her: Ask others about us and about the weak tribes—if you are truly ignorant of our strength—and compare us for yourself to learn the truth, for the wise and the ignorant are not equal.

Vocabulary · المفردات (48 verbs · 132 nouns)

• وَضَّحَ — to clarify
• عَاشَ — to live
• سَمَّى — to name
• تَنَقَّلَ — to move
• ارْتَحَلَ — to travel
• رَجَعَ — to return
• عَرَفَ — to know
• بَرَعَ — to excel
• اسْتَعَانَ — to seek help
• بَحَثَ — to search
• اتَّخَذَ — to take
• عَبَدَ — to worship
• مَهَّدَ — to pave
• تَعَرَّفَ — to recognize
• انْتَشَرَ — to spread
• دَلَّ — to indicate
• وَصَلَ — to arrive
• جَاءَ — to come
• شَمِلَ — to include
• اسْتَهَلَّ — to begin
• رَأَى — to see
• سَلِمَ — to be safe
• لَوَّثَ — to pollute
• تَحَلَّى — to adorn
• بَذَلَ — to exert
• حَمِدَ — to praise
• خَلَّدَ — to immortalize
• انْتَقَلَ — to move
• تَقَدَّمَ — to advance
• رَفَضَ — to refuse
• عَابَ — to blame
• ضَمَّ — to include
• بَقِيَ — to remain
• سَمَا — to rise
• قَوِيَ — to be strong
• طَلَبَ — to request
• افْتَخَرَ — to boast
• وَصَفَ — to describe
• تَوَارَثَ — to inherit
• أَطْفَأَ — to extinguish
• ذَمَّ — to condemn
• نَزَلَ — to descend
• خَتَمَ — to conclude
• عَيَّرَ — to taunt
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• عَقَدَ — to hold
• عَلِمَ — to know
• اسْتَوَى — to be equal
• نَشَاطٌ — activity
• وَحْدَةٌ — unit
• قِيمَةٌ — value
• حَدٌّ — boundary
• بِلَادٌ — country
• بِيئَةٌ — environment
• مَدِينَةٌ — city
• أَهْلٌ — people
• حَضَرٌ — settled life
• بَدْوٌ — bedouin
• أَصْلٌ — origin
• مَالٌ — wealth
• جَنُوبٌ — south
• عَصْرٌ — era
• كَثِيرٌ — many
• شِيمَةٌ — trait
• فُرُوسِيَّةٌ — chivalry
• شَجَاعَةٌ — courage
• صَبْرٌ — patience
• كَرَمٌ — generosity
• مُنَازَلَةٌ — combat, duel, confrontation (verbal noun)
• عَدُوٌّ — enemy
• وَفَاءٌ — loyalty
• نَجْدَةٌ — aid
• مُسْتَغِيثٌ — supplicant
• مَعْرِفَةٌ — knowledge
• فِرَاسَةٌ — physiognomy
• عِلْمٌ — science
• أَنْسَابٌ — lineages, ancestries, genealogies
• مُعْجَمٌ — dictionary
• دِيَانَةٌ — religion
• جَزِيرَةٌ — island
• آلِهَةٌ — gods
• شَمْسٌ — sun
• قَمَرٌ — moon
• أَصْنَامٌ — idols (objects of worship, statues regarded as gods)
• أَوْثَانٌ — idols
• فَوْضَى — chaos
• عَامِلٌ — factor
• نَجَاحٌ — success
• دَعْوَةٌ — call
• انْتِشَارٌ — spread
• إِنْتَرْنِتٌ — internet
• أَدَبٌ — literature
• شِعْرٌ — poetry
• نَثْرٌ — prose
• ذَكَاءٌ — intelligence
• قُدْرَةٌ — ability
• مَجَالٌ — field
• صُورَةٌ — copy, image
• سِجِلٌّ — record
• عَادَةٌ — habit
• أَخْلَاقٌ — morals
• مَعْرِضٌ — exhibition
• خَطَابَةٌ — oratory
• كِتَابَةٌ — writing
• مَكْتَبَةٌ — library
• مَدْرَسَةٌ — school
• زَمِيلٌ — colleague
• بَحْثٌ — research
• سُوقٌ — market
• شَرْحٌ — explanation
• بَيْتٌ — verse
• حِكْمَةٌ — wisdom
• إِنْسَانٌ — human
• دَنَاءَةٌ — baseness
• ضَعَةٌ — meanness
• عِرْضٌ — honor
• لُؤْمٌ — meanness
• خِسَّةٌ — vileness
• صِفَةٌ — quality
• خَصْلَةٌ — trait
• جُهْدٌ — effort
• ذُلٌّ — humiliation
• قَهْرٌ — oppression
• فِعْلٌ — action
• ذِكْرٌ — mention
• فَتَاةٌ — girl
• عَيْبٌ — flaw
• كَرِيمٌ — noble
• عَدَدٌ — number
• شَابٌّ — youth
• كَهْلٌ — man
• طِرَازٌ — style
• فَرِيدٌ — unique
• مَعَالِي — high aspirations
• ضَرَرٌ — harm
• بَأْسٌ — might
• قُوَّةٌ — strength
• جَارٌ — neighbor
• حِمَايَةٌ — protection
• عَزِيزٌ — powerful
• قَبِيلَةٌ — tribe
• عَجْزٌ — inability
• سَيِّدٌ — master
• شَرِيفٌ — noble
• سِيَادَةٌ — sovereignty
• جِيلٌ — generation
• نَارٌ — fire
• إِكْرَامٌ — hospitality
• ضَيْفٌ — guest
• تَارِيخٌ — history
• حَافِلٌ — crowded, full
• انْتِصَارٌ — victory
• يَوْمٌ — day
• مَشْهُورٌ — famous
• مَعْرُوفٌ — known
• بَيَاضٌ — whiteness
• خَيْلٌ — horse
• غُرٌّ — white-faced
• مُحَجَّلَةٌ — white-footed
• مَكَانَةٌ — status
• نَاسٌ — people
• ضَعِيفٌ — the weak
• جَاهِلٌ — ignorant
• مُقَارَنَةٌ — comparison
• حَقِيقَةٌ — truth
• عَالِمٌ — a scholar; a scientist; a knowledgeable person
• جَهُولٌ — ignorant
• أُولُو — possessors of
• عَرَب — Arabs (as a people or ethnic group)
• مُتَعَدِّدَة — multiple
• أَدَبِيَّة — literary
• أَكْثَر — more
• صَادِقَة — truthful
• عَرَبِيَّة — Arabian
• وَاثِق — confident
• تَقْلِيل — diminution
• قَوْل — saying, statement, utterance
• إِسْلَامِيَّة — Islamic
• بَيْضَاء — white
• أُولَى — first (feminine)