The Flood (Arabic: الفيضان, romanized: Al-Fayḍān) is the 1975 short story collection by the Syrian writer Ḥaidar Ḥaidar. The collection includes 11 short stories, all revolving around the suppression and oppression faced by Arab countries post liberation revolutions. Similar to his other works, Ḥaidar Ḥaidar employs stream-of-consciousness in his collection, where he focuses on the psychology of the Arab world and the inner machinations of nationalistic pioneers.[1]
| Author | Ḥaidar Ḥaidar |
|---|---|
| Country | Damascus, Syria |
| Language | Arabic |
| Genre | Short Stories |
| Published | 1975 |
| Publisher | Al-Ward Publishing |
| Pages | 168 |
Stories in the collection edit
11 short stories make up the collection:
- Al-Namlu Wal Qat (Arabic: النمل والقط, lit. 'Ants and Cats')
- Al-Rihan (Arabic: الرهان, lit. 'The Bet')
- Al-Zawaghan (The Illusion)
- Ughniya Ḥazina Li Rajulin Kana Ḥayyan (Arabic: أغنية حزينة لرجلٍ كان حياً, lit. 'A Sad Song for A Man that Was Alive')
- Man Allathi Yathkuru Al-Ghaba? (Arabic: من الذي يذكر الغابة؟, lit. 'Who Recalls the Forest?')
- Ṣamtu An-Nar (Arabic: صمت النار, lit. 'Fire's Silence')
- Al-Ightiyal (Arabic: الإغتيال, lit. 'The Assassination')
- Al-Fayḍān (Arabic: الفيضان, lit. 'The Flood')
- Al-Juuʿ Wal Luṣuṣ Wal Qatala (Arabic: الجوع واللصوص والقتلة, lit. 'The Hunger, Thieves, and Killers')
- Al-Barabira (Arabic: البرابرة, lit. 'The Barbarians')
- Wishaḥun Wardiyun Li Rajulin Waḥid (Arabic: وشاحٌ وردياً لرجلٍ وحيد, lit. 'The Lonely Man’s Pink Scarf')[2]
Author's statements edit
Ḥaidar Ḥaidar attributes his use of stream-of-consciousness to his childhood, for he stated that the recollections of childhood put him in a state closer to dreams than reality. He also critiqued traditional Arabic narratives, saying that they simplify reality by narrating it as it is without looking at the inner machinations of the characters. Despite being Syrian, Ḥaidar Ḥaidar looks at all Arab countries as a single united cause. His narratives are often cynical; however, he does not look at the tragedy of Arab countries as inevitable and unchangeable; contrarily, he frames reality as changeable and reformable, and necessarily so. His short story collection, ‘The Flood’, embodies those features.[3]
Complete works of Ḥaidar Ḥaidar edit
- A Feast for the Seaweeds (Arabic: وليمة ل أعشاب البحر, romanized: Walimah li A'ashab al-Bahr) (Novel)
- The Desolate Time (Arabic: الزمن الموحش, romanized: Az-Zaman Al-Muwḥesh) (Novel)
- The Mirrors of Fire (Arabic: مرايا النار, romanized: Maraya An-Nar) (Novel)
- Elgies of Days: Three Stories on Death (Arabic: مراثي الأيام: ثلاث حكايةٌ عن الموت, romanized: Marathi Al-Ayyam: Thalathu Ḥiakayatun ʿAn Al-Mawt) (Novel)
- Immigration of Swallows (Arabic: هجرة السنونو, romanized: Hijratal Sununu) (Novel)
- Al-Fahd (Arabic: الفهد, lit. 'The Cheetah') (Novel)
- Al-Fayḍān (Arabic: الفيضان, lit. 'The Flood') (Short Stories)
- Ighwā’ (Arabic: إغواء, lit. 'Temptation') (Short Stories)
- Al-Wuʿul (The Deer) (Short Stories)
- Al-Wamḍ (Arabic: وميض, lit. 'The Shimmering') (Short Stories)
- Al-Tamawujāt (Arabic: التموجات, lit. 'The Ripples') (Two Stories)
- Awraqul Manfa: Shahadatun Ḥawla Zamanuna (Arabic: أوراق المنفى: شهادةٌ حول زماننا, lit. 'Exile's Papers: Testimony of Our Time')[4]
References edit
- ^ "Kitab Al-Fayḍan (The Flood)". Foula Book. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ Ḥaidar, Ḥaidar (1975). Al-Fayḍān (The Flood). Al-Ward Publishing. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ Haj Sah, D. Mohammed (23 September 2008). "Ḥiwar Maʿ Ḥaidar Ḥaidar (A Conversation With Ḥaidar Ḥaidar)". Anfas. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Ḥaidar Ḥaidar: Syria". Bilarabiya. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2022.