Egypt.. Those days..

Hassan Fadl Al-Mula

They call it (Al-Mahrousa) ..
And we call it (Egypt the Protected) ..
And (Egypt the Protected),
The title of a poem, of (one hundred verses), composed from my country (Sudan),
The worshipper Sheikh (Abdul Rahim Al-Bu’rai), in which he counted (seventy-one) of
the saints marked with righteousness in (Egypt), from among hundreds

Hundreds composed ..
Calling,

(Do not ignore their matter
In Egypt is their abode) ..
And there is no wonder in that,
And that is not too much for (Egypt) ..
For from it the lights of the first prophecies emanated,
And it responded to the calls of the first monotheism,
And it received the vanguards of the first Islam ..
And it drew the features of civilization
The first ..
And thus it became in the eyes of many
The first ..
It is indispensable,
Never, never ..
Even those who criticize it,
You find them rushing to it,
And taking refuge in it ..
And it is to me like time,
And time, if a time displeases you from it,
Times please you from it ..
And so is the Egyptian,
If a word or action angers you from it,
You are pleased from it from words and actions ..
And Egypt has been since eternity,
And will remain in eternity ..
It is (Egypt) ..
It is not only (the mother of the world),
It is (the world) in its entirety and its entirety ..
And you can imagine this existence
Without (Egypt) ..
And you can imagine humanity without
(Egyptians) ..

This is what I came out with,
And I left it in the year (2006 ) ,

After (three and a half years),

I spent it as a (media advisor),

in (the Sudanese Embassy)..

And today I am overcome with nostalgia, so I return

to what my thoughts included,

(methods and refinements,

(from the book to the Blue Nile Channel)..

It is a remembrance and attachment to those days

of the past and the bright days..

And here I am today,

my family, acquaintances and those of my affection,

flowing to it, taking it as a good residence,

and a good livelihood,

and a safe haven..

In (the year 2002) I submitted my resignation

from (Sudan TV), so Mr. (Abdul-Dafi Al-Khatib) offered me

a job (as a media advisor in Egypt)..

And (Abdo) as our friend

editor (Saleh Mohamed Ali),

He was that day (the Secretary-General) of the Ministry of Information),

and (the preacher), one of those who shower you with care and kindness that makes you happy and elevates you,and you are with him like someone sitting with (a musk bearer) who does not bring you anything of his own accord except
what comforts and pleases you..
I agreed, after hesitation that was caused by a feeling of my helplessness regarding this great mission, in this (country),
(the country) from which (the action) begins,
and (the country) to which (the doers) end..
And I landed in (Egypt), burdened with fears and hopes..
And fortunately for me, the ambassador that day was
(Ahmed Abdel Halim) ..
And (Uncle Ahmed) when you approach him
you realize what the morals of the nobles are like,
and what their actions are like..
He is generosity, politeness, modesty, elegance, and understanding..
You can’t help but respect him,
for I heard more than once
the president (Hosni Mubarak) calling him (Uncle Ahmed) ..
and he is patience, for he was sick with a sickness that only those close to him knew, for he
did not complain, nor get bored, nor weaken,
to the point that we derived strength and endurance from him as he dealt with us and sought
among us..
He would sit for long hours in
his inhabited inn, telling his guests the talk of an expert about the events that took place and their outcomes, so he did not get bored nor did they get bored..
He would flow as he narrated and told stories,
so you would regret that these treasures of knowledge remained locked in his chest to go
with him..
I was happy when I saw the brilliant journalist (Mudawy Khairallah), sitting with him
and He interrogated him, and when he realized in his notebook, page 47,The disease intensified on (Uncle Ahmed)
and then he passed away ..
He passed away after a life spent its years
in a chaste and ascetic manner ..
And since I was close to him, he preferred me to him and confided in me his special affair, so I bear witness that he met his Lord while he was in debt and free from what people boast about
and marvel at ..And no one informs you like an expert ..
And I do not find anyone more knowledgeable than our professor the distinguished prince (Jamal Ankara),
who supports what I have gone to,
and what I will come to ..
And I began to turn around in the regions of (Egypt)..
And by virtue of my interest,
I came very close to (Maspero) where
the headquarters of (the Radio and TV Union) is located,which can accommodate (35,000 employees)
And I was the first to strive ( To the city of media production, where the image is made and visions are formulated..
I frequent the (Opera) to relax and unwind..
I often visit (Al-Ahram Foundation), in the days of (Ibrahim Nafeh),
where the greatness of journalism and its authority is evident,
And once I accompanied the ambassador (Abbas Al-Nour),
and he was (Minister of State for Information) at the time,
and he was amazed when he saw the (elevators) despite their large number and size, and they were filled with many people, so he turned to me jokingly:
(Oh Hassan, now God, they all come here to write and walk!!) ..
And dozens of dozens of mothers of (their) expectations and (their) rewards, which bear fruit every time, from the arts of speech, performance, knowledge and the adornment of worldly life..
And its effect was that tomorrow ( The action)
What (Egypt)did,
And (the saying) what (Egypt) said,
And (the good) what (Egypt) approved of..
And you are in (Egypt), and with the least effort
You find yourself surrounded by a dear group of people with a common concern, who support you and pave the way for you..
On the first day of my arrival,
I woke up to the phone of the journalist and the brilliant writer (Asmaa Al-Husseini), and she is (Sudanese)
More by passion than (Egyptian),
And after that the writer doctor
(Amani Al-Tawil), and I remember her invitation
To me one day at her house with a generous group,
And what she overwhelmed us with of celebration
And honor, And the lover of (Sudan) and its people, (Sabah Musa),
And the media professor (Mahmoud

Hussein), before he joined ( To Al Jazeera Channel) ..
And Dr. (Hani Raslan) ..
And the great journalist, (Hamdi Rizk), and I am very grateful to him
For that invitation he made to bid me farewell,And her mother was a group of friends ..
And the beautiful Dr. (Hanan Youssuf ),
Specialised on Media (Ain Shams University),
And (Dean of the Faculty of Media at the Maritime Academy) and Head of the Arab Organization
For Dialogue and International Cooperation),
And (Hanan), the ultimate sweetness, and the ultimate
Love for everything Sudanese, and her attachment to Sudan pushed her to establish (the Nile Popular Initiative) ..
And between me and them the brilliant,
(Nadia Musa), does not rest ..
These and those,
And many of the knights of (the word), I found them by my side, so I achieved of the goals that were difficult for others ..
And for my part, I wandered around it ..I seize every opportunity to be present
in its (clubs) and (forums),
among its (stars) shining
and its (lighthouses) shining ..
I am keen to follow (Cairo Radio and TV Festival) ..
And I am pleased to see my friend (Ibrahim Abu Zekry) head of (General Union of Arab Producers), who made this (festival) a wedding of elegance, beauty and creativity ..
And on a sad day, I participated with more than
(15,000 ) in the funeral of (the brown tiger) the artist , actor (Ahmed Zaki) from the square of the (Mustafa Mahmoud) Mosque,
and I saw how the(Egyptians) cried,
From the highest to the lowest, who embodied
great roles in their lives
and their contemporary history.. I visited the poet (Abnoudi), and once I took him in my car from
his residence to (Cairo Airport), and also when he returned from (Sudan) in response to an invitation from my late friend (Ezz El-Din Mohamed Ibrahim),
founder of (Sudanese Sound).. And this is (Abnoudi), (Spring grass, no matter how much it is trampled by the foot,
or swayed by the wind, it grows up again,
singing for the greenery and the taste of pain)..
And upon the assignment of my brother (Jamal El-Wali
Head of Al-Merreikh Club)that day,
to extend an invitation to him, I was happy to visit the artist (Mohamed Mounir) at his residence
located in (Garden City),
and although the visit did not take place, I stood on the extent of his keenness
to take (sound devices ) His own, the artist (Feeling)
and (Voice) and Time ..
And I stood still for a long time in front of (Sahara)
and his mother who decorates the entrance,
And this is (Munir) when he sings,
(She told me your mail, my boy
My uncle
Come taste the honey running on
My mouth
Take it easy, I don’t carry
The burden
Take it easy, this is my father’s trick
And my mother’s
Mint of the garden watered in
Hiddh
The banana tree casts shade on
Hiddh
Sticks) ..
And in the house of the singer (Jawaher) and her husband
(Sami) I will never forget that (table) crowded with all the delicious and tasty, in honor
of me, and my friend the ambassador Dr.
(Abdul Aziz Hassan Saleh),
And how happy we were when we were the guests of
(My love, O America) ..
And in the last third of (Ramadan)
My phone rings ..
How are you (Abu Ali) ..
Hello (Sheikh Ali) ..
I, my dear, am coming tomorrow as usual
To attend (the artists’ suhoor) and I will be back immediately ..
This is (Ali Mahdi) ..
And the artist ambassador (Ali Mahdi),
He has good fortune and influence in Egypt
And support, and he has followers and disciples ..

And I took him from (the airport) to

(Mariouteya Canal), where he lit up

the place (with stars) and (chandeliers),

And the artist

(Laila Elwi) shared (the suhoor table) with us, and she stayed next to

(Sheikh Ali) throughout our stay,

And she was clearly happy and delighted

To be next to him, which aroused my joy,

Not my envy, and after a while he complained about me, jokingly, to a mutual friend that he

Introduced me On (Laila Elwi), and I kept walking behind him..

With the utmost smoothness and ease you find yourself flowing in (Egypt),
(Egypt) that you knew and became familiar with,

before you descended to its land, and mingled with its humans and jinn,

you find yourself knowing it pyramid by pyramid,

and street by street,

and cafe by cafe,

and neighborhood by neighborhood..

you know it,

mosques, markets, gardens,

and restaurants, beaches, theaters,

and universities, and libraries..

and if you never chanted (Nasser)

your eyes have teared up and the lady

(Umm Kulthum) is crying (the ruins)..

(Perhaps our destinies will bring us together one day after the meeting has become rare) ..

and (Ahmed Rami) mourns her after her death,
(It never crossed my mind that I would mourn her after what I composed of her most sorrowful songs.
I used to hear her sing and it would delight me, and today I hear myself crying and making her cry)..
And if you haven’t read (Al-Abqariyyat)
or (Al-Ayyam) or (Al-Zilal) or (Kul
Al-Shuhur July), or (Rahleti min
Al-Shuq ila Al-Yaqin), or (Al-Ebrat),
then you have certainly stayed up nights with
(Awlad Haratna) or (Al-Omr Lahza)
or (Al-Batiniya) or (Al-Farafeer)
or (Al-Wusada Al-Khaliyya)..
And certainly,
you have read (By Mohamed Hassanein Heikal)
and (Anis Mansour)..
and you have listened to (Kishk),
and (Abdel Basset Abdel Samad),
and ( Al-Shaarawy),

And (Al-Shaarawy) shook me, in his last days, while holding (Hosni Mubarak)’s hand, reminding and preaching, and he said,

Among what he said:

(If you are our destiny, God will help us against you,

And if we are your destiny, God will help you against us..

All the kingdom is in God’s hand, He gives it to whomever He wills, so do not conspire to take it, nor plot to reach it..

Therefore, I advise everyone who thinks of being a ruler, I advise him not to ask for it, but rather to ask for it,

For the Messenger of Allah said:

“Whoever is asked for something will be helped with it,

And whoever asks for something will be entrusted with it”)..

And who among us was not shocked by (the setback 67),

And rejoiced in (October 6),

And confused by (Sadat’s) assassination,
And the tragedy of Cinderella (Soad Hosni) ..
And how much (ego) captivated us
The Prince of Poets (Shawqi) ..
(Yes, my heart longs for them, but
I put my dignity above my longing
And I desire to be with them, but
The path of humiliation does not please my legs) ..
And no less than that (ego)
Our poet (Al-Tijani Haj Musa),
For those who came to search the past,
And the past is long gone ..
(And my pride is not upon me
I surrender myself to you again
And (Egypt) remains in the conscience of many of us (the sons of Sudan) ..
(O my friend, our desire is to visit our mother
Egypt, the believer in the people of God) ..
And it is,
(Egypt, my country’s sister, my sister
O garden of sweet springs and leaf
O truth) ..
And it is,
(In you, Egypt, are the causes of my harm
And in Sudan are my worries and consolations)
And it is,
(O dark-skinned and beloved
O fair and moist
I die in Qasr Al-Aini
And the doctor saves me) ..
And it is,
(My mistakes will be far from a country
A heart of stone, Eve is solid
And I will hide the wounds in my liver
Deep, countless) ..
And it is not like that with me, but
Our unique poet, the poet of (O my girl),
(Al-Tayeb Muhammad Saeed Al-Abbasi),
His luck willed it Falling into the clutches of that (provocative) girl,

As for everything else, (Egyptian women)

are friendly and tame ..

And you are attracted to them, that is,

(the soft, deadly, lively, and displaying beauty

strangely) ..

And the description was said by (Al-Mutanabbi) ..

And this leads me to the fact that (Egyptians),

and no matter how much (bad) comes from (a few)

some (savages), they are mostly friendly and mix

and offer kindness ..

And in their culture and psychological makeup

a readiness to mix and merge

and (marriage) ..

And the fruits of (marriage) and its manifestations
do not miss them with your eyes as you see from the

features and complexions what expresses

the peoples and tribes of the worlds

of (Arabs) and from (Ajam) of those whom you know by their features..
From the faces you see,
(oval) and (round)
and (square) and (triangular)
and (stolen) and (bulging)..
From the eyes you see,
(blue) and (green)
and (gray) and (honey)
and (narrow) and (wide)
and (sunken) and (protruding)
and (with a squint at the tip)..
From the noses you see,
(flat) and (high)
and (straight) and (crooked)
and (pointed)..
From the skin colors you see,
(white) and (yellow)
and (red) and (brown)
and (tending to black)
and (striking two colors)..
And despite From these differences,

However, everyone expresses it with a clear Egyptian tongue ..

And a beloved Egyptian flavor ..

And insightful Egyptian wisdom ..
Here, listen ..
– (It has no repetition
Live it happily) ..
– (Don’t cross your legs

In front of an elder) ..
– (There is no bad food) ..
– (This is forbidden and angers Allah ..
– (Don’t look at the livelihood of others,
Because your livelihood will pass by you and you won’t see it) ..
– (Leave the sweet to its whim
It will come back after it takes its course) ..

And (Egypt) finds you with all faces

And masks ..
And with all motives and incitements ..
And with all kinds of seriousness and play ..
And seriousness is predominant in it,
But play is louder and more dazzling
Atghā ..

And in (Egypt) where the shrines of the prophets are,

and the tombs of the saints, you find tongues moist

with the remembrance of Allahand trust in Him ..

A people among whom spontaneous religiosity is widespread,

so their talk is not devoid of (our God),

and of attributing the matter to Him,

and you find some of them seeking protection with Him, the Almighty,

even in those reprehensible situations and ugly actions,

The dancer (Dina) was asked about the thing

that she regularly does before she

engages in dancing, and she said that she
is keen to repeat this supplication,

(Allahis the best protector and He is the most merciful of the merciful, in front of me and behind me,

and to my right and to my left, and above me

and below me, God is great,
God is great,

God is great),
What do you mean by this type? And (Egyptians) glorify others, and bestow upon them expressions of veneration, (Oh my father), (Oh Basha), (Your Excellency commands), (We are your servants)..

And they glorify giving no matter how little,

Because in their eyes a little is a lot..

And they glorify the profession, and each one admires and brags about his profession, so you may find a (farmer) introducing you as an (agricultural expert), and a (cafe) owner putting up a sign calling him (Chairman of the Board of Directors),

And I was in (the mayor’s café) I expressed my irritability with a reckless boy who does not know how to arrange the (hookah), so the supervisor assigned me another worker, who approached me with confidence and pride, introducing himself,

(So-and-so, 17 years of hookah experience)

So he completed what was missing..

And they glorify going out for the sake of

entertainment and recreation,

They go out with their families, spouses and lovers,

And each one spends according to his ability, so you see

Those who head to the (Corniche) and they

(pump the heart), and those who go to the clubs and luxurious

places..

And (the Egyptian),

Conservative and avoids vulgarity,

And those who go out liberated

Distracted and dissolute, they go to those

places that are prepared for that..

Despite what afflicts (the Egyptian),

Of roughness sometimes, she exudes a strange romanticism that softens the skin..

She said:

(I will go pray and make you breakfast)..

He said:

(Pray for me while you pray)..

She said:

(These are the angels I saved your name from
How much I pray for you) ..

And what you see as (acting) reflects reality
in many aspects ..

And (the Egyptian),
hurts you with his tongue, and his hand does not reach you, so you have to bear with him when he is
in a state of (agitation) and (screaming),

And you have to ignore him when he stings you (you son of a …),

Because he will quickly turn to you with a

(nice) face as if nothing happened ..

And (the Egyptian),
sees nothing but (Egypt),
and does not do anything that offends (Egypt),
so his heart and feelings are full,

(Long live Egypt) ..
And (Egypt) first, second, and tenth ..
And for it is love and heart ..
And it is not sold ..
And it is not bought ..
And do not be mortgaged ..
And do not be cheap ..
And you find,
(drama),
and (music),
and (singing),
and all the fruits of understandings and minds
and tongues, in the service of this noble
goal, which is (Egypt),
and then (Egypt)..

And in Egypt,
Whenever you think you have won,
You find what defeats you with its steadfastness and magic,
And you find someone who defeats you with his vigour,
And defeats you with the beauty of her beauties ..
And (Abdel Halim) defeats you while he
Scorches with (The Cup Reader) by Nizar Qabbani ..
(If you are my lover, help me
To leave you
Or if you are my doctor, help me
To recover from you
If I had known that love
is very dangerous, I would not have loved
If I had known my end
I would not have started ) ..
And peace ..

Re-edited on July 10, 2024.