الشارع راح لطفه وطيبته وسماحته، وشجره الذي كان يعرفنا ونعرفه، ويحتوينا بظلاله كلما اقتربنا وترمقنا من علٍ شواشيه، ويطالع كل هلَّة صبح معنا كأنها أول نور له ولنا في الحياة..

The street has lost its gentleness, its kindness, its tolerance—and its trees, which knew us as we knew them, sheltered us in their shade whenever we came near, watched us from above, and greeted every dawn with us as if it were the first light of life for them and for us.

دنيا تشد البصر كما لو أنها تستحق الإعجاب، وفوضاها تبدو وكأنها محكومة بقانون..

A world that pulls the eye as though it deserved admiration, its chaos seeming to be governed by a law.

ولقيت نفسي ألقي بجسدي عليها مثلما فعلت هي قبل لحظات، وأقبلها على خديها ويديها ومفرق شعرها الذي يلوح من وراء طرحتها السوداء، أسلم كل منا نفسه للآخر، كأننا لحم وعظم يعاود الالتئام.

I found myself throwing myself on her as she had done moments before, kissing her cheeks, her hands, the parting of her hair showing beneath her black headscarf; each of us surrendered to the other, as if we were flesh and bone knitting back together.