[p. viii] 3 | The purpose of a narration1
has to be a thorough investigation into life and depicting/portraying it in a faithful and reliable manner, [exactly] as it appears to us [i.e., as we see it]; [it also has to be] the collection of observations and evidence2
about the human being
AR: riwāyaẗ, dūsīh, qāriʔ, tārīḫ, ʔinsān, ḥayāẗ EN: like a dossier
ويجمل بالكاتب أنْ يدرس فيها أسرار الطبيعة البشرية وخفايا القلب الإنساني الغامض ، والتطوّر الاجتماعي والأخلاقي ، وعوامل الحضارة والبيئة والوراثة في نفوس الأشخاص،
In it, a writer should ideally study the hidden secrets of the human heart; [he should also study] social and moral development as well as the influence of civilisation, milieu, and what is inherited genetically4
in the characters’ psyche.
He should do so while at the same time holding back, to some extent, his [own] judgment or personal opinion, for his primary task should be to dissect the human soul and to record what he discovers via observation,5
leaving the judgment about all that to the reader who will himself draw the conclusion from it, easily and competently without having to bear the troubles of being called on to do so.
AR: ḥukm, qāriʔ, maġzà, mahāraẗ EN: …
وإنّا لموقنون أنّ هذه الطريقة الجديدة ستصادف بادئ بدء اعتراضاً شديداً من بعض كتّابنا الذين يتوهّمون أنّهم أساتذة مرشدون جادت بهم العناية الإلهية لهداية الأمّة وحملها على اتّباع آرائهم ،
We are convinced that this new way of writing will initially meet strong resistance among some of our writers, those who consider themselves as leading masters whom Divine Providence endowed with guiding the nation and turning it into followers of their opinions.
In contrast, we oppose this idea, and we take on own responsibility for our ideas.6
For a writer has absolutely no right to make such a claim – none of us is immune against making mistakes.
We make up our minds according to our temperaments, preferences and personal tastes – and people’s temperaments are numerous, their preferences opposed to each other, and their tastes may be different and contradictory.
Today we may appreciate a point of view, love it and defend it, while tomorrow we may realize that we’ve made a mistake and our appreciation was too hurried; so we reject it and fight against it.
AR: al-yawm, ġadan, ittaḍaḥa (wuḍūḥ), ḫaṭaʔ EN: …
وكيف يمكن للكاتب أنْ يثبت أنْ آراءه مفيدة للهيئة الاجتماعية غير مضرّة بها ؟
فإنّ أعاظم الرجال الذين أرادوا أنْ يضعوا للبشرية شرائع وأنظمة تؤدّي بها إلى السعادة الدائمة قد أخطئوا وأساءوا إلى المجتمع البشري من حيث أرادوا إسعاده .
Those “giant men” who wanted to lay down for humanity rules and laws that would lead them into eternal happiness have actually failed; they did more harm to human society than making it happier.
that old barren homily that leaves not the least imprint on the reader’s mind. On the contrary, the effect is often the opposite of what was the writer’s intention.
The reader will namely be taken by boredom and dissatisfaction, and he will be annoyed by [all] these virtues to which he is being pushed violently and crudely.
AR: qāriʔ, ḍaǧar, malal, faḍāʔil EN: …
وليس للرواية أسلوب خاصّ ، أو قاعدة عامّة ، فهی تتناول كل الأساليب والقواعد ما دامت مبنية على الملاحظة والتحليل النفساني ؛
Storytelling has neither a particular style nor general principles, it may include all styles and principles as long as it is based on observation and psychological analysis.
Sometimes [the narrative] can be cast in the form of a letter, as in my story Miss Iḥsān, which opens the present collection. [It may also take the form] of memoirs, a confession, a short story, or a dialogue,
because this is secondary to the story’s essential objective – isn’t this the study of his characters, the dissection of their innermost feelings and [p. x] the analysis of their thoughts?
Therefore, it is imperative that he observes them closely and gains insight into their life crises.
AR: ʔazmaẗ EN: …
فإنّ من الأسباب التي تحمل المؤلّف على الجنوح إلى الخيال والتكلّف ، عدم إلمامه التامّ بشخصية أشخاصه وإتيانه في روايته بأشخاص لم يشاهدهم أو شاهدهم عرضاً ولم يتسنَّ له درسُهم .
For one of the reasons that make authors turn to [irrealistic] imagination and mannerism is [often] his lack of a profound/comprehensive knowledge of the character of his protagonists and the fact that he creates in his narrative characters he has never, or only randomly, been able to watch and study carefully.
Our intention with all this is [to make] Egyptian writers produce mature, valuable works that will remain new and lively in spite of years and generations passing by.
And we do not adventure into the art of literature – which currently is an art that earns its masters nothing but poverty and misery – unless driven by that hope,
AR: ʔaqdama (ʔiqdām), fann, ʔadab, ʔamal EN: …
أملُ جعْلِ اسمِنا محترماً عند أطفالنا وأحفادنا الذين سيقرؤوننا ويدركون مقدارَ ما ضحّيناه لأجلهم من دمائنا ونفوسنا .
the hope that all this will make our names respected among our children and grandchildren who will read us and understand to what extent we have sacrificed our blood and heart for their benefit.