[p. iv]2 | On the basis of the preceding it is thus evident that the Egyptian writer definitively must have a comprehensive overview of psychology to acquire a thorough understanding of human nature.
In our opinion, the Egyptian author has not so far taken into account its [sc. psychology’s] principles, neither in writing (styles) nor in the way he forms the personality of his various characters.
It is not our aim in this brief preface to study what is wrong with the Egyptian writer, or his mental diseases – we have attempted to study all this in a book that we are going to publish separately.1
We are presenting here only a few of these deficiencies so that somebody who finds in himself the talent to create [prose] stories, may become acquainted with them2
and [try to] repair/attenuate them, and
Also, the (to our knowledge) most important defect after those, referred to above, of [excessive]fantasy, lack of observation and absence of [psychological]analysis, is the lack4
of talent to describe and present.
Depiction of the places where the characters have grown up is among the most important requirements for this art, precisely because it will affect the way of designing their thoughts and feelings.
The reason for the Egyptian writer’s weakness in the field of depiction lies in his lack of training in, or ignorance of, the basic principles of real art.
AR: sabab/ʔasbāb, ḍuʕf, kātib, miṣrī (Miṣr / Miṣriyyaẗ), taṣwīr, tadrīb, ǧahl, ʔuṣūl, fann, ḥaqīqaẗ / ḥaqīqī EN: real art
فإنّه إذا وجد مثلاً مكاناً جميلاً فلا يحاول أنْ يصوّره على القرطاس كما شاهده ،
so that he will produce a sterile, unclear, weak picture of it, a picture of which nothing will remain when we will try to recall it: it will leave no impression on our minds.6
In contrast, [real] art does not simply aim, as some people imagine, at a beautification of nature and a perfection of the souls in order to highlight a sublime beauty, bare of all defects;
an advancement that had been stopped by our blind, stiff and stupid imitation of ancient Arabic literature11
and the emulation of the ancient Arabs’ imagery,12
similes, metaphors, rhetoric embellishments and expressive language.
وإن ميل الكاتب المصري إلى تهذيب الطبيعة وطلائها برواء الجمال النقي غریزي يتجلّى في كلّ سطر يخطّه ، ويكفينا لتعزيز هذه النظرية أنْ نلقي نظرة واحدة على كتّابنا .
The Egyptian writer’s inclination to make nature more refined13
and paint it with pure beauty and prettiness is like an instinct, it permeates every line he writes. In order to support our argument, it will suffice to have just a short look at one of our authors.
ألم يجعل السيّد لطفي المنفلوطي كبير كتّاب اليوم روايته "تحت ظلال الزيزفون" التي حاول تجريدها من "الفونس كار" خيالية شعرية بعد أن قضى بقسوة على شخصية "استیفن" !؟
Has not Mr. Luṭfī al-Manfalūṭī,14
the greatest of today’s writers, in an attempt to render Alphonse Karr’s15
novel Sous l’ombre des tilleuls16
into Arabic, turned it into a romanticfantasy after he had severely butchered “Stéphen”’s character?!
We do not criticize/reprimand him for this because we count ourselves among those who respect this man even though his style of storytelling and way of composition differs from ours –
AR: maḏhab, nazʕaẗ, taʔlīf EN: …
لأنّنا ممّن يدعون إلى تعدُّد الأنواع الأدبية والمذاهب الكتابية لإدخال عناصر الحياة في الأدب الحدیث ،
إلا أنّ تعديله شخصية الأشخاص وتحريفه الرواية هذا التحريف - ألا يدلّ على خضوعه لحكم مزاجه الشرقي الذي دفعه إلى تصوير الكمال (و) الإنساني والمثل الأعلى للحبّ الروحاني ،
But isn’t the fact that he modifies the personality of the characters18
and makes heavy changes to the plot an indication of his submission to the regime of his oriental temperament which urges him to depict [nothing but] human [p. vi] perfection and the highest ideals of spiritual love?
ثمّ إنّ مجرّد اختیار المنفلوطي تلخيص رواية "سيرانو دی برجراك" تلك الرواية الخيالية الوجدانية ، ألا يعدّ دليلاً كافياً على وجود نزعة كامنة في الكاتب المصري تجنح به إلى تصوير الجمال النقيّ والكمال السامي البعيدين عن الحقيقة بُعد السماء عن الأرض؟
Moreover, should not al-Manfalūṭī’s deliberate choice to [considerably] shorten the plot of Cyrano de Bergerac19
– this [highly] idealistic imaginative/romantic story – be regarded as sufficient proof of the presence, in Egyptian authors,20
of a hidden inclination to show [nothing but] impeccable beauty and sublime perfection, both of which are as remote from reality as heaven is from earth?
This psychological inclination will push Egyptian writers in the direction of the emotionalist/sentimentalist approach, [i.e.] idealism,21
and it will obstruct new developments in modern literature.
For, in our opinion, tomorrow’s literature will be erected on the pillars of observation and psychologicalanalysis,22
both of which aim to portray life as it is, without exaggeration or reduction,
AR: ʔadab, ġadan, mulāḥaẓaẗ, taḥlīl, nafsī, taṣwīr, ḥayāẗ, ka-mā huwa/hiya EN: observation, psychological, analysis, portray life as it is, without exaggeration or reduction
أيْ الحياة العارية المجرّدة وهو ما يسمّونه مذهب الحقائق "الريالسيم" .
Therefore, [we expect that] a tough battle will break out between the followers of the old school, Emotionalism/Sentimentalism, who are the majority,
and the supporters of Factualism, who are [still only] a few in whose hearts/souls new driving forces/incentives have found their way as a result of their acquaintance with the manifold and lively varieties of art in the West.
AR: maḏhab al-ḥaqāʔiq, nufūs (nafs), ʕawāmil (ʕāmil), ǧadīd, ʔaṯar, funūn (fann), ġarb, taʕaddud, ḥayawī (ḥayawiyyaẗ, ḥayāẗ) EN: art in the West
فعزّ عليهم أنْ يروا جمود آدابهم المحتضرة ، فأحبّوا أنْ ينفخوا فيها روحاً جديدة قوية تحطّم القيود العاتية والأوضاع السقيمة التي رسمتها لنا أجدادنا .
This is why it was painful for them to see that their [own] literature was lying in agony and stagnating, and this is why they wanted to breathe new life into it, so strong as to destroy the thick bonds and the boring conditions that our ancestors had designed for us.
As for us, we are convinced that the Factualists/Realists24
will succeed although they are so few in number and that they will defeat their powerful opponents, but only after severe suffering and a long time,
They adore their past and venerate/sanctify what the forefathers have created, in the erroneous assumption that what their Arab ancestors have produced is the optimum of creative perfection that one cannot but take as an example to follow with respect and deference.
Since the Egyptian people have such an optimistic opinion about their habits and customs,26
they believe in the purity [p. vii] of these and the solidity of their holy/venerable inherited tradition.
Therefore, the brutal, dry and bitter truth will cause them pain, and they will rise in protest against anyone who dares to portray it [as it is], refusing this and trying to show that it is a lie, [just] in order to keep their sweet dreams.
وقد ظهر أثر ذلك في كتابة كثيرٍ من كتّاب الناشئة الجديدة فقد تجلّوا لنا أنّهم من أنصار الجديد ،
wa-qad ẓahara ʔaṯaru ḏālika fī kitābaẗ kaṯīrin min kuttāb al-nāšiʔaẗ al-ǧadīdaẗ fa-qad taǧallaw la-nā ʔanna-hum min ʔanṣār al-ǧadīd,
Such an influence has [already] appeared clearly in the writing of many of the writers of the new emerging generation: they’ve made it clear to us that they are followers of the new.
Like us, they are convinced that our current literature is weak and stagnating, and they are very much looking forward to seeing [the emergence of] a new literature that will be a [real] contemporary of Western literature – science-based, [psycho-]analytical, and with high aesthetic ambition.27
For what we aim at with them is the creation of an Egyptian literature that carries the traits of our Egyptian [national] character and will be representative of our social, emotional and national life.
AR: ġāyaẗ, ʔīǧād, ʔadab, miṣrī (Miṣr / Miṣriyyaẗ), ṭābiʕ, šaḫṣiyyaẗ, miṣrī (Miṣr / Miṣriyyaẗ), ḥayāẗ, iǧtimāʕī (muǧtamaʕ), nafsī (nafs), waṭaniyyaẗ EN: Egyptian, Egyptian [national] character, social, emotional and national life
وقد جاء الدكتور أحمد ضيف أستاذ الآداب العربية بالجامعة المصرية في كتابه "مقدّمة في بلاغة العرب" مؤيداً لنا في نظريتنا
In his book Introduction to the Rhetoric of the Arabs,28
Dr Aḥmad Ḍayf,29
Professor of Arabic Literature at the Egyptian University,30
has shown to be a supporter of our theory
There is no doubt that this book will create a new era for modern Egyptian literature and that it will sketch a new path for creative writers31
to follow.
We thank the Professor for coming out with this book, and we hope he’s not sparse and will commit to print [also] his valuable lectures.
AR: muḥāḍaraẗ, qayyim (qīmaẗ) EN: …
كما أنّ رجاءنا هذا موجّه أيضاً إلى سائر أساتذة الجامعة المصرية لا سيّما الأستاذ حسين افندي رمزي لِما سيكون لمحاضراته العلمية النفسية من التأثير على الأدب الحديث .
Our request is likewise directed at all other professors at the Egyptian University, especially Professor Ḥusayn Efendi Ramzī;32
his lectures on psychology could have a [similar deep] impact on modern literature.