Original image by There Stands the Glass.
I recently asked my barber to translate the lyrics of Abdel Halim Hafez’s “Ala Hasab Wedad” as he passionately sang along to a live version of the lavish Egyptian hit. He told me it wasn’t possible.
I didn’t protest, partly because the futility of Americans fully understanding the worldview of Arabs is a primary theme of The Spider's House, the 1955 novel by Paul Bowles I’m currently reading.
Bowles’ protagonist foresees a time in which globalization will narrow the gap between disparate cultures and rues the era in which the loss of faith that had already transformed Western society will eventually make the Islamic world less intellectually sequestered.
The unwanted imposition of so-called enlightened ideals has long justified war. My opposition to these transgressions doesn’t mean much. And while I can’t comprehend the nuances of “Ala Hasab Wedad,” hapless infidels like me must recognize their brilliance.