Egyptian Arabic Curriculum — Grade 8, Semester 2 — Page 13

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

إِبْرَاهِيمِ الرِّفَاعِي أَسْطُورَةُ الصَّاعِقَةِ المِصْرِيَّةِ، مِن أَعْظَمِ قادَةِ القُوَّاتِ الخَاصَّةِ المِصْرِيَّةِ فِي القَرْنِ العِشْرِينَ.

Ibrahim al-Rifai is a legend of the Egyptian Thunderbolt (Sa'iqa) and one of the greatest Egyptian Special Forces commanders of the twentieth century.

وُلِدَ في عام ١٩٣١م في حي العباسية وَفِي أُسرَة ترجعُ جُذورُهَا إِلَى قَريَةِ الخِلَالَة، إِحْدَى قُرَى بِلْقاسَ بِمُحافَظَةِ الدَّقَهْلِيَّةِ.

He was born in 1931 in the Abbasiya district into a family with roots in the village of al-Khilala, located in the Belqas district of the Dakahlia Governorate.

وَتَخَرَّجَ فِي الكُلِّيَّةِ الحَرْبِيَّةِ عام ١٩٥٤م، ثُمَّ الْتَحَقَ بِسِلاحِ المُشاةِ، حَصَلَ عَلَى ماجيستير العُلُومِ العَسْكَرِيَّةِ عام ١٩٥٩م.

He graduated from the Military Academy in 1954, joined the Infantry, and earned a Master's degree in Military Sciences in 1959.

كَمَا حَصَلَ عَلى فِرْقَتَي الصَّاعِقَةِ والمظَلَّاتِ، وكانَ تَرْتِيبُه الأول؛ لِيَبْدَأَ رِحْلَةَ مَجْدٍ سَتَبْقَى حَاضِرَةً فِي ذاكِرَةِ الوَطَنِ.

He also earned his Thunderbolt and Paratrooper badges, graduating at the top of his class, and began a glorious career that remains etched in the nation's memory.

عُرِفَ الرِّفَاعِيُّ بِشَجَاعَتِهِ الفَائِقَةِ وَإِقْدامِهِ النَّادِرِ، وَكَانَ دائِمًا فِي الصُّفُوفِ الأُولَى لِلْمَعَارِكِ، يَقُودُ رِجَالَهُ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَيَضْرِبُ المَثَلَ فِي التَّضْحِيَةِ وَالإِخْلاصِ.

Al-Rifai was known for his immense courage and rare boldness. He was always on the front lines, leading his men personally and setting an example of sacrifice and devotion.

كَانَتْ كَفاءَتْهُ وَجُرْأَتُهُ تَبْهَرُ رِجَالَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَبْهَرَ العَدُوِّ نَفْسَهُ.

His competence and daring dazzled his own men before they even struck the enemy.

وَلَأَنَّ رُوحَ الجُنُودِ مِنْ رُوحِ قائِدِهِمْ، فَقَدْ أَحَبَّ الرِّفَاعِيُّ رِجَالَهُ وَوَثِقَ بِهِمْ وَوَضَعَ نَفْسَهُ فِي خِدْمَتِهِمْ، وَتَكَفَّلَ بِأُسَرِ مَنِ اسْتُشْهِدَ مِنْهُمْ.

Because a leader’s spirit defines his soldiers, Al-Rifai loved and trusted his men, dedicated himself to their service, and provided for the families of those who fell in battle.

وَكَانَ يَنْخَرِطُ مَعَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ مُناسَبَاتِهِمُ السَّعِيدَةِ أَوِ العَصِيبَةِ، وَكَانَ دائِمًا يَقُولُ: "إِنَّ مَنْ يُواجِهُونَ المَوْتَ مَعًا يَجِبُ أَنْ يَعِيشُوا حَياتَهُمْ مَعًا".

He shared in all their joys and hardships, often saying, 'Those who face death together must live their lives together.'

أَسْتَنْتِجُ الفِكْرَةَ الرِّئيسَةَ وَالفِكَرَ الفَرْعِيَّةَ للنَّصُ.

Identify the main idea and the supporting points of the text.

شارَكَ فِي حَرْبٍ ١٩٥٦م؛ حَيْثُ قامَ بِأَكْبَرِ عَمَلِيَّةٍ شَهِدَتْهَا بُورْسَعِيد، عَمَلِيَّةِ تَدْمِيرِ مَجْمُوعَةٍ مِنَ الدَّبَّابَاتِ الإِنْجِلِيزِيَّةِ بِوَسَطِ المَدِينَةِ.

He participated in the 1956 war, where he carried out the largest operation Port Said had ever seen: the destruction of a group of British tanks in the city center.

وَبَرَزَ اسْمُهُ فِي حَرْبِ الاسْتِنْزَافِ؛ حَيْثُ أَسَّسَ مَجْمُوعَةَ العَمَلِيَّاتِ الخَاصَّةِ الَّتِي اشْتَهَرَتْ فِيمَا بَعْدُ بِاسْمِ المَجْمُوعَةِ ٣٩ قِتال.

His name rose to prominence during the War of Attrition, when he founded the Special Operations Group that later became famous as Group 39 Combat.

وَهِيَ مَجْمُوعَةٌ نَفَذَتْ عَشَرَاتِ العَمَلِيَّاتِ النَّوْعِيَّةِ خَلْفَ خُطُوطِ العَدُوِّ، جَعَلَتْهُمْ يُطْلِقُونَ عَلَى رِجالِ المَجْمُوعَةِ لَقَبَ (الأَشباح)؛ نَظَرًا لِقُدْرَتِهِمْ عَلَى التَّخَفِّي، وَالدُّخُولِ وَتَنْفِيذِ العَمَلِيَّاتِ، بَلْ وَالعَوْدَةِ دُونَ أَنْ يُرْصَدُوا.

This unit executed dozens of specialized missions behind enemy lines, earning the nickname 'The Ghosts' for their ability to infiltrate, strike, and return undetected.

كَانَتْ تِلْكَ العَمَلِيَّاتُ تُثِيرُ الرُّعْبَ فِي قُلُوبِ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ؛ إِذْ دَمَّرَتْ مَواقِعَهُمْ وَأَوْقَعَتْ خَسائِرَ جَسِيمَةً فِي صُفُوفِهِمْ.

These operations struck terror into the hearts of the Israelis, destroying their positions and inflicting heavy losses.

حَيثُ قَامَ الرِّفَاعِي وَرِجَالُه بِقَصفِ مَدينة بيسان، ونَسفِ مَخَازِن لِلذَّخِيرَةِ - فِي الشَّيخ زويد - فَضْلًا عَن نَسفِ قِطَارٍ حَرْبِيَّ يَحمل ضُبَّاطًا وجُنودًا إسرائيليين في الشيخ زويد أيضًا.

Al-Rifai and his men shelled the city of Beisan, blew up ammunition depots in Sheikh Zuweid, and destroyed a military train carrying Israeli officers and soldiers in the same area.

أكَدَتْ تِلك العَمَلِيَّات أَنَّ المِصْرِيِّينَ لا يَلِينُونَ أَمَامَ التَّحَدِّياتِ.

These operations proved that the Egyptians remain unyielding in the face of challenges.

مَعَ انْطِلاقِ الضَّرْبَةِ الجَوْيَّةِ الأُولَى وَمَعَ صَيْحاتِ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ يَوْمَ السَّادِسِ مِنْ أَكْتُوبَرَ، انْطَلَقَ البَطَلُ وَرِجَالُهُ فِي ثَلَاثِ طَائِراتٍ هِليكوبتر لِتَدْمِيرِ آبَارِ البِتْرُولِ فِي مَنْطِقَةِ (بَلاعِيم) شَرْقَ القَناةِ لِحِرُمانِ العَدُوِّ مِنْ مَصْدَرِ الوَقُودِ لِدَبَّابَاتِهِ وَمَرْكَبَاتِهِ.

As the first air strikes began and the shouts of 'Allahu Akbar' rang out on October 6, the hero and his men took off in three helicopters to destroy oil wells in the Bala'im area east of the Canal, depriving the enemy of fuel for its tanks and vehicles.

وَنَجَحَ الرِّجالُ فِي إِنْجازِ المهمَّةِ، وَفِي السَّابِعِ مِنْ أُكْتُوبَرَ نَجَحَتِ المَجْمُوعَةُ أَيضًا فِي الإِغَارَةِ عَلَى مَطارِ (الطُّورِ) وَتَدْمِيرِ الطَّائِراتِ الرَّابِضَةِ بِهِ، وَتَدْمِيرِ مَمَرَّ الطَّائِرَاتِ كَي يَخْرُجَ المَطَارُ مِنَ الخِدْمَةِ.

The men successfully completed the mission. On October 7, the group raided El-Tor airport, destroying the aircraft stationed there and wrecking the runway to put the facility out of commission.

وهو ما أَصابَ القِيادَةَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيَّةَ بِالارْتِباكِ وَالذُّهُولِ مِنْ سُرْعَةِ الضَّرَبَاتِ المُتَتَالِيَةِ لِرِجالِ الصَّاعِقَةِ المِصْرِيَّةِ البَواسِلِ وَدِقَّتِهَا.

This left the Israeli command in a state of confusion and shock at the speed and precision of the successive strikes carried out by the brave men of the Egyptian Thunderbolt.

Vocabulary · المفردات (49 verbs · 97 nouns)

• وَلَدَ — to be born
• رَجَعَ — to return
• تَخَرَّجَ — to graduate
• اِلْتَحَقَ — to join
• حَصَلَ — to obtain
• بَدَأَ — to begin
• بَقِيَ — to remain
• عَرَفَ — to know
• قَادَ — to lead
• ضَرَبَ — to give an example
• بَهَرَ — to dazzle
• أَحَبَّ — to love
• وَثَقَ — to trust
• وَضَعَ — to place
• تَكَفَّلَ — to guarantee
• اِسْتَشْهَدَ — to die as a martyr
• انْخَرَطَ — to engage
• قَالَ — to say
• وَاجَهَ — to face
• وَجَبَ — to be necessary
• عَاشَ — to live
• اسْتَنْتَجَ — to deduce
• شَارَكَ — to participate
• قَامَ — to stand
• شَهِدَ — to witness
• دَمَّرَ — to destroy
• بَرَزَ — to emerge
• أَسَّسَ — to establish
• اشْتَهَرَ — to be famous
• نَفَّذَ — to execute
• جَعَلَ — to make
• أَطْلَقَ — to launch
• رَصَدَ — to observe
• أَثَارَ — to provoke
• أَوْقَعَ — to cause
• قَصَفَ — to shell
• نَسَفَ — to blow up
• حَمَلَ — to carry
• أَكَّدَ — to confirm
• لَانَ — to soften
• انْطَلَقَ — to set off
• نَجَحَ — to succeed
• أَغَارَ — to raid
• رَبَضَ — to lie in wait
• خَرَجَ — to exit
• أَصَابَ — to afflict
• تَخَفَّى — to hide/disguise
• حَرَمَ — to deprive
• أَنْجَزَ — to accomplish
• عَوْدَة — return
• اِرْتِبَاك — confusion, bewilderment
• خِدْمَة — service
• مَوْت — death / decease
• بَطَل — champion
• مُتَتَالِيَة — consecutive
• مُشَاة — infantry
• قَنَاة — canal, channel
• قَرْن — century
• ذَاكِرَة — memory
• أَكْبَر — bigger
• اسْتِنْزَاف — depletion
• مِصْرِيَّة — Egyptian (female)
• اِسْم — name
• جُرْأَة — audacity
• قِطَار — train
• إِخْلَاص — loyalty
• بِتْرُول — petroleum
• وَسَط — center
• إِنْجَاز — accomplishment
• إِنْجِلِيزِيَّة — English
• فَائِقَة — excellent
• فَرْعِيَّة — secondary
• فِكْرَة — idea
• قَرْيَة — town
• عَسْكَرِيَّة — military
• جَسِيمَة — enormous, grave (adjective, feminine)
• حَرْبِيَّة — military, warlike (adjective, feminine)
• إِسْرَائِيلِيَّة — Israeli
• أُسْطُورَة — legend
• صَاعِقَة — thunderbolt/commando
• قَائِد — leader
• قُوَّة — force
• عَام — year
• حَيّ — neighborhood
• أُسْرَة — family
• جِذْر — root
• مُحَافَظَة — governorate
• كُلِّيَّة — college
• سِلَاح — weapon/branch
• مَاجِسْتِير — master's degree
• عِلْم — science
• فِرْقَة — division/unit
• مِظَلَّة — parachute
• تَرْتِيب — ranking
• رِحْلَة — journey
• مَجْد — glory
• وَطَن — homeland
• شَجَاعَة — courage
• إِقْدَام — boldness
• صَفّ — row/rank
• مَعْرَكَة — battle
• رَجُل — man
• مَثَل — example
• تَضْحِيَة — sacrifice
• كَفَاءَة — competence
• عَدُوّ — enemy
• رُوح — spirit
• جُنْدِيّ — soldier
• مُنَاسَبَة — occasion
• حَيَاة — life
• نَصّ — text
• حَرْب — war
• عَمَلِيَّة — operation
• مَجْمُوعَة — group
• دَبَّابَة — tank
• مَدِينَة — city
• قِتَال — combat
• عَشْرَة — ten
• خَطّ — line
• لَقَب — title
• شَبَح — ghost
• قُدْرَة — ability
• رُعْب — terror
• قَلْب — heart
• مَوْقِع — site/position
• خَسَارَة — loss
• مَخْزَن — warehouse
• ذَخِيرَة — ammunition
• ضَابِط — officer
• تَحَدِّي — challenge
• انْطِلَاق — launch
• ضَرْبَة — strike
• صَيْحَة — shout/cry
• يَوْم — day
• طَائِرَة — airplane
• بِئْر — well
• مِنْطَقَة — area
• مَصْدَر — source
• وَقُود — fuel
• مَرْكَبَة — vehicle
• مُهِمَّة — mission
• مَطَار — airport
• مَمَرّ — runway/corridor
• ذُهُول — astonishment
• سُرْعَة — speed
• دِقَّة — precision