al-Abarat lil-Manfaluti
- Author died
- 1343 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Hudá al-Waṭanīyah lil-Ṭibāʻah wa-al-Nashr wa-al-Tawzīʻ
al-Abarat lil-Manfaluti (The Tears by al-Manfaluti) is a collection of dramatic short stories composed and adapted by the Egyptian writer and stylist Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfaluti (1289–1343 AH / 1872–1924 CE), published in 1915 CE .
Composition and Contents
The work contains a series of tragic short narratives centered on themes of suffering, grief, moral integrity, and social misfortune . Al-Manfaluti opened the collection with a dedication to the wretched and distressed of the world, stating that pouring out these tears before them was his meager attempt to offer consolation .
The stories in the collection are divided into two distinct categories based on their origin :
- Original compositions: Stories conceived directly by al-Manfaluti to address contemporary social and moral problems, including al-Yatim ("The Orphan") and al-Hijab ("The Veil") . These stories portray marginalized figures, the destitute, and the victims of oppression .
- Adapted works: Stories adapted from Western literature, including al-Dhikra ("Remembrance"), derived from Chateaubriand's Les Aventures du dernier Abencérage; al-Shuhadaʾ ("The Martyrs"), adapted from Chateaubriand's Atala; and al-Dahiyyah ("The Victim"), adapted from Alexandre Dumas fils' La Dame aux camélias .
Method and Style
Because al-Manfaluti did not read European languages, he commissioned colleagues to provide him with literal Arabic translations of foreign texts . He then recast the plots into fluid, rhythmic, and emotive classical Arabic prose, exercising substantial artistic liberty through additions, omissions, and stylistic harmonization with his own worldview . His style is characterized by lyrical phrasing, lucidity, avoidance of archaic ornament, and an emphasis on eliciting pathos and moral reflection .
Reception and Critique
Al-ʿAbarat enjoyed wide popularity among contemporary readers and helped popularize early modern Arabic short narrative fiction aimed at moral and sentimental reform . His rendering was praised by many for its stylistic purity and expressive beauty . However, his method of adaptation drew criticism from literary peers who argued that his extensive departures and indirect translations altered the foreign originals rather than faithfully translating them . Literary historians nevertheless classify the book among the pioneering experiments in the development of the modern Egyptian short story .
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