"Good morning, Abu-Swelam" "What a beauty" "If you were good at work, you would not been expelled from work in Cairo" "Go and find work" "Ask any property owner for a work" "We will work in your father's field" "You make a mock of me!" "So where is your land?" "You filth, get away or I will get you to pull the carriage instead of the donkey" "You talk as if you were a government official We know you work like a donkey for the Englishmen" ""The Egyptian Foundation for Cinema"" "Get away, get down you filth" "Who are they?" "What did they do?" "They left their land to work in Cairo However, they failed, now they beg for work here" "Welcome back, welcome back" "God bless you" "You have grown up What did you do in the exams?" "He passed the primary." "I wish you the best in the secondary" "Thank you Abu-Swelam How is your daughter Wasifa?" "She is all right, thanks god" "I wish everything were alright" "It is ok until we see about the cotton harvest" "And after the cotton harvest!" "How would we get the harvest!" "You know the water problem" "Why, the officials gave you ten days for Irrigation" "Ten days are not enough for the whole village" "Talk about that with the mayor" "The mayor!" "What about Mr. Mahmoud?" "A peasant has no way with a mayor or a property owner" "You have been through a lot However, you have always been a tough man" "He will never understand He digs his own grave" ""Al-Ard" "The Land" translated from scratch by:" "Samir Omran 2010" ""If the land is thirsty we would irrigate it with our blood It is our old vows and our responsibility to fill it with good"" ""The land of our ancestors and the reason of our existence We would sacrifice our lives to give the land a life"" "You promised me a jacket with long trousers If I passed the primary" "We have to wait for the cotton harvest" "The harvest!" "There is a crisis this year my son" "Here you are 10 plaster Spend it all over the summer vacation" "My greetings to the mayor" "Welcome back, I can smell Cairo from the luggage" "What are you looking at?" "Wasifa!" "She fascinates even Cairo residents" "Hey girl, you almost cause me to slip in the water" "Get away" "I want to have a look" "Get away; if you got caught, they will beat you" "I don't care" "The wedding party is tonight" "I wish it were your wedding Wasifa" "Mohamed Effendi, a teacher, he got 4 Pounds a month He will make a great husband" "Who is the one with him?" "Diab, his brother, an Effendi and a peasant A son for money and a son for the hard work" "You let the donkey in the heat of sun" "Just like me, in the heat of sun the whole day" "This is the word "Egypt" in English" "Have you seen Englishmen in Cairo?" "Yes, they even beat us in the demonstrations" "Here is Wasifa" "Welcome back" "We missed you, I am sure you forgot about us Did you bring me anything from Cairo?" "What did she tell you?" "Oh my, she was laughing with you" "What a loss, only two more feet taller, and longer trousers He would have been a perfect husband, and you would have lived in Cairo" "Mohamed Effendi is still the best choice" "My father wish that I got married a man from Cairo" "Your father wishes for a person like Abdel-Hadi, because he is tough like him However, what did your father got for being tough!" "He only got the worst" "You talk bad about my father!" "God forbid, but he still wishes you to marry a guy like Abdel-Hadi And you know, Abdel-Hadi is not bad at all" "Hit him Abdel-Hadi" "Hey Abdel-Hadi, it is not war It is just a game" "I am sorry" "I am sorry Diab" "If you want to play, you have me" "What a shame, you are a like a father for me" "I will play with you" "Come on don't get scared" "Shame on you, get away" "Hey boy, be careful Sheik Youssef is the cleanest man in the village" "Abdel-Ati, the mayor wants you" "Shame on him, it is the guy's wedding night" "Go on, dance and sing" "I wish it were your wedding" "I wish it was your wedding too Wasifa" "When my father says so" "Sheik Youssef, here is a machine made cigarette Have it with your drink" "Do you like our songs?" "We don't know the town songs" "Did you really bring me something from Cairo?" "A bottle of perfume" "Really!" "Where?" "I will bring it to you at Abdel-Hadi's water wheel" "Alright" "Hey Abdel-Ati, the mayor wants you now" "He would spell us if you don't come" "Come on" "Done sheriff, I have informed all peasants That the irrigation days are just five" "It must be Abu-Swelam" "I did a list of the troublemakers I will send it to you" "He is so furious" "Don't get nervous, it is bad for your health" "Get inside" "We missed you at the wedding Mr. Mayor" "Why didn't you inform peasants that Irrigation days will be only five" "It has always been 10 days" "It is not my decision" "Why didn't you inform them?" "It must be Abu-Swelam who told him to do so" "I swear by God, Abu-Swelam has nothing to do with it" "I did write his name in the list of the troublemakers" "Only 5 days of irrigation" "You are the mayor, do as you wish" "Oh yes, you only think about succeeding me after my death?" "God forbid" "Long life to Mr. Mayor" "Take this to the sheriff" "What is this!" "It is Abu-Swelam!" "I swear he has nothing to do with this" "Shut up or I will include your name too" "Best wishes for Wasifa" "Have a look on the cow I think there is something wrong" "So, where is Wasifa?" "I sent her to borrow flour" "Is it necessary to sent her at night?" "She is a tough girl like her father" "We will have bad days I want a better life for her" "I wish Abdel-Hadi won you Wasifa My house will be happier with your presence" "Why was Wasifa here?" "She borrowed flour" "That is not her house direction" "I have no idea" "Be careful you hulk?" "Where are you going?" "You should be praying now." "Nobody goes to the mosque except for the Friday prayers" "Get out of the way or someone may see us" "Why are you silent?" "I am late" "It is a talkative village" "Where is the perfume you brought me?" "Take that 10 plaster and buy it yourself" "Oh my, a whole 10 plaster" "I wish I found a bag full of money" "What would you do then?" "I would take a boat like that one and go to Cairo" "I bet they eat flour bread and sweats everyday in Cairo" "Moreover, they shower everyday with a bottle of perfume" "Why are you silent?" "Hey" "Do you remember when we were little kids?" "We used to play the pride and groom game" "We were here" "Do you remember when sheikh Shennawi caught us?" "He beats us, how many years passed?" "Four years" "Many years, do you remember?" "Why sitting away?" "So why did you brought me here?" "You are still young" "No, I am man;" "I am going to high school" "Welcome Abdel-Hadi, come and sit on the leaves" "Shame on you, what is wrong with the ground You talk as if you were grown in town" "Where have you been?" "With a girl!" "I wish I would spend the rest of my life singing and dancing" "Oh my" "Can you lend me 20 plaster?" "No one in the village have 20 plaster" "Only the property owner you guard his land And Mohamed Effendi too" "Sheikh Youssef has a lot too" "However, he wouldn't sell me sugar and tea Unless I bay for what I already bought" "Who operates the water wheel?" "Welcome Effendi" "No one operated the water wheel" "I saw a girl beside the water wheel" "A girl!" "Where?" "Anyway, the irrigation is prohibited now We informed the mayor that you would have only five days" "We always have 10 days" "No, it will be just 5 days Anyone operates his water wheel we will..." "What are you saying?" "Anyone operates his water wheel will be caught by the police" "Even the 10 days were barely enough" "It is the government decisions" "Who the government saving the water for?" "Mahmoud Bey!" "He already has water pumps" "I will operate my water wheel and you can do whatever you want to do" "Please don't tell anyone about this" "I have never been to the field by night" "I will wait for you tomorrow" "Go now" "Who is there?" "Wait" "What are you doing here?" "Are you waiting for someone?" "Your father will get mad and will lock You for the rest of the your vacation" "Hey girls, the wedding party is over" "God damn you, you dance as if Egypt got the independence" "Soap" "One more egg" "Sugar and tea" "Pay first" "Abdel-Ati, buy more Halva It is good for the newlyweds" "Tell that to the mayor he needs to buy a lot to fulfill his new wife he brought from the town" "Here is the egg you greedy" "Here is the soap" "The mayor told me to inform peasants That they only have 5 days of irrigation" "I didn't, and I will not" "Are you crazy, you should inform them?" "So they get prepared, go and tell" "The mayor already gave a list of the troublemakers To the sheriff, and Abu-Swelam name is in it" "Go now and tell Abu-Swelam He will get in troubles" "He never cared" "You filthy bastard, go and tell him" "Hey, don't hit me like that, I am still a groom" "Hey, it is mine" "No it is mine, I was after it the whole day" "Only the poor ones get the worst treatment" "Khadra is a poor one" "She needs food; give her some Abdel-Ati" "It is you Elwani" "The government!" "What are you talking about?" "!" "Go and ask the mayor" "She is hungry" "Where are you going?" "I am going to irrigate my master's land The government shortened the irrigation days" "Khadra, I will be in the field in the night" "What will I get?" "A cucumber" "Make it 2" "Alright Deal" "What are they up to this time?" "They reduced the irrigation days to five" "5!" "The land dies!" "I will not obey" "Take it easy, you will be punished" "Let them do whatever they want to do" "Discuss it with rest of men first" "Discussion!" "Men!" "Oh, yes" "Go and call for them peasants" "Alright, but what about the sugar and tea" "How can't you read it?" "!" "Try again" "You must be good in reciting poetry" "I am thirsty" "Say so" "Diab, Diab" "The donkey is for riding" "Get away" "You beat Khadra in your house" "I am sorry Khadra, you are welcomed" "Thank you; you are the best of men" "Unfortunately..." "What?" "You admire Wasifa" "But how can you get her?" "I am counting on you" "I will bring her here" "What is this?" "It is dry" "You behave like the government" "We must have our 10 days of irrigation" "Do you think the peasants will dare to do that?" "Of course, they need the 10 days" "If they all agreed, no one will stop us" "Not the mayor, not Mahmoud Bey and not even the Englishmen" "Will peace be upon you?" "And you too" "Hey girl, where have you been last night?" "Girl!" "Where have you been?" "You are neither my father nor my husband to ask me" "I will be your..." "Mohamed Effendi has arrived" "The sheikh also arrived, why didn't you notice that too" "All this time to drink!" "We have big problem to solve" "And are you the one who will solve it!" "Hey you Abdel-Hadi" "Let us listen to the old men" "They are furious young men" "We should pray for God to avenge us from the government" "Who prohibit us from our 10 days of irrigation?" "Pray in silence and shut up" "And let us regain our rights" "Your rights!" "You heretic!" "We should go to the mayor" "The mayor!" "He is the one behind all this" "I am going to the mosque to pray" "What to do you think my friend?" "I think we need to calm down and think" "Right, and to let the land dies" "We should talk to the mayor and Mahmoud Bey too" "I think we should write a petition to the government" "Oh, yes" "Mahmoud Bey knows a lot of important persons" "Yes, that is right" "A petition!" "That is nonsense, a waste of time" "I will do what I think is the right thing" "I will irrigate my land for the whole 10 days" "You are right" "Folks we must have one decision" "No collision, we do both The irrigation and the petition" "What do you think?" "I agree" "Alright" "I will write it with a strong tone" "Sheikh Youssef is the right person to write it All his colleagues are schools headmasters" "Shut up, all my colleagues are judges and inspectors And the most failed one became mayor" "Sheikh Youssef I meant no insult, the sugar and tea" "I have to go now, I will start writing tonight" "Will peace be upon you?" "And you too Mohamed Effendi" "I want to propose to you for Wasifa now" "That is not the right time Abdel-Hadi" "Here we are, read it loudly Mohamed Effendi I hope you wrote strong words like "especially" and "what happened was"" "If the sheikh co-wrote it, God would bless it" "Oh yes, he would mention "Judgment", "Punishment" and "Angels"" "Then the government would say "let Angels get you water"" "You heretic, are you making fun of god" "Me?" "!" "I vow to God to make a banquet for Poor ones if this petition makes any good" "It will be a banquet of a goat Let poor ones eats, and you too" "Let it be a sheep, it is a banquet" "So it be a sheep then" "Swear by "The Holy Quran" that you will fulfill your vow" ""In the name of God the Merciful"" ""Amen"" "Read the petition loudly Mohamed Effendi" "Let us just seal it" "I wrote it in the style of eloquent Arabs" ""Your Excellency the Minister, peasants are sleeping On the dust and are covered by the sky"" "Who is the Retarded who wrote this?" "Yes, it may lack figurative language" "It is not reasonably to take all this time drawing the road" "Hey boy, take care of the furniture" "Hey Mayor, get a blank paper and get the peasants Signatures on it and I will write the petition by myself" "Alright Bey" "You stay Mohamed Effendi" "Be careful you stupid" "No we must know what will be written before we sign" "Come on folks sign and seal and don't care about Abdel-Hadi" "Who loves God and his profit may come and seal" "Get away" "Elwani, haven't you seen my father" "Your father!" "Come here" "Take this Pumpkin Wasifa, sweet, like you" "You take it" "Mayor has no value;" "I will accompany Mahmoud Bey to hand the petition to the His Excellency the Prime Minister personally" "The Prime Minister!" "God have mercy on your father Mohammed Effendi You will meet the Prime Minister personally" "What did you say?" "What should I say!" "Excuse me;" "I have to get prepared to accompany Mahmoud Bey" "Excuse me too; he will meet the Prime Minister personally!" "I want to propose to Wasifa" "It is not the right time" "Hey girl, why are you listening?" "It is men talk" "I am the daughter of Abu-Swelam" "Mohamed Effendi will travel to Cairo, Prepare A gift to send with him to his uncle sheikh Hassouna" "I wish I can, but we have nothing" "I only have this plate of rice with cream" "He likes it a lot, it is the best gift" "Good-bye Mohamed Effendi" "Please give this to my son in Cairo" "Hey you, I am going to meet the Prime Minister" "Mohamed Effendi, please deliver this plate of Rice with cream to sheikh Hassouna, he loves it" "He must, as it was made by you" "Good-bye" "Beware of the girls of the town" "He will meet the Prime Minister personally" "I swear by no more sugar and tea on credit" "Take it down; it is a bad omen for Mohamed Effendi" "Who is she?" "She is the daughter of sheikh Youssef" "A very polite girl, she took down the empty water jar for me" "The land of Mahmoud Bey is full of water" "And the entire village gets only 5 days" "But he is a great man; he wants to serve the village" "What a hot weather!" "Take care of yourself; you will get a wife after the harvest" "Why the wait for harvest, we have enough money" "And who will be the pride?" "The daughter of sheikh Youssef" "No, I want to marry Wasifa" "The sun sets a fire on the bridge" "Diab, get back riding the donkey" "Take a good care of your mother, and the land too" "Come on, Mahmoud Bey is waiting" "Here is my telephone number if you get lost in Cairo" "Mohamed Effendi" "What?" "Please I want to taste this hot Falafel" "Get a way for Effendi" "I am not a passenger, I just want Falafel" "How lucky is the town residents" "Wasifa, oh my" "Mahmoud Bey, I am Mohamed Effendi" "Who?" "The Madam!" "A second please" "Who?" "Oh no, he lefts a long time ago" "Four days and still waiting for the phone call?" "!" "I am in a hurry" "Mahmoud Bey" "Down with Colonialism" "See" "The land is thirsty and they think he is meeting the Prime Minister" "Where is Mohamed Effendi!" "Or Mahmoud Bey!" "Or the Prime Minister!" "Finish your work" "Any news from Mohamed Effendi?" "Where is your brother?" "Any letters?" "Any news?" "The mail carrier says no" "Down with Colonialism" "What is in this basket?" "Get away" "I know it is a little" "But after the prime minister agrees we will pay the rest" "I did a petition, not for irrigation, but a new project" "A new project!" "And what about the water?" "!" "Listen" "This is the Nile road, this is the village, and this is my palace" "And what are those two lines?" "That is the new project, a new road that will Connect the village to the civilization" "The village needs the water" "This road will civilize the village, try to understand" "Please Mahmoud Bey, this will be a disaster" "The road will eats the land and divide it" "Who said it would harm YOUR land" "I have my ways" "Go and convince the peasants and no harm will get to your land" "What shall I tell them?" "!" "You are an educated man and you will convince them" "Where is Sheikh Hassouna?" "Who are you?" "I am his nephew" "He is praying in Sultan Hassan Mosque" "It is a disaster; the road will eat the land" "How did you give him signed blank papers?" "We have no one but you uncle" "I can do nothing alone, I must return to the village" ""God is great"" ""No God but Allah"" "I will hurry, you can come later" "All peasants want to irrigate today" "No wonder, it is only 5 days" "But there is a queue" "A queue!" "I am going to check why there is no water" "5 days are not enough" "Hey it is not your day" "It is only 5 days, so there is no queue" "Close the canal Diab" "No" "I said close it Diab" "No" "Alright, come on" "Hey guys" "As long as it is only 5 days there is no queue" "So go and irrigate your land with what remains" "You fool, you will kill each other And still the land is thirsty" "We better irrigate for 10 days" "We have only 5 days" "Even 10 days were not enough" "I am the first" "No I am the first by my own hands" "Hurry and open our canals" "HELP, the cow fell in the water wheel" "HELP" "I am just behind you Abdel-Hadi" "Left her from its belly" "Support me Diab" "Catch" "Hail hob" "Oh God" "Give me the rope" "Support" "Oh God" "Oh God" "God bless you Abdel-Hadi" "Everyone go to his field" "The best of words from the best of men" "Now you laugh while minutes ago you were fighting" "Thanks God" "Take it easy Diab" "You wouldn't fight me if Mohamed Effendi were here" "Diab, sheikh Hassouna is on his way to the village" "I just received the telegraph" "Operate the wheels, all the wheels" "Come on Diab" "Operate the wheel" ""If the land is thirsty we would irrigate it with our blood It is our old vows and our responsibility to fill it with good"" ""The land of our ancestors and the reason of our existence We would sacrifice our lives to give the land a life"" "We lost the land then" "Peace be upon you" "Peace be upon you" "You have to eat" "I can't" "Everything will be fine" "What do they want?" "They want the road" "No, they want the land" "And the land needs water, and the water is in the hand of the government And the government wants the road, and the road needs the land" "Our land" "That is the story, Mahmoud Bey and us His ancestors and our ancestors" "The same old story" "Go Abdel-Hadi" "The mayor wants you" "Do you know why?" "No, but he said he wants you urgently" "Ok, I will come" "Take those men and go" "What is it mayor?" "The officials report the police That those men exceed the five days" "And the police report me to catch them" "Go on Abdel-Ati" "I am sorry Abu-Swelam" "I know it is the mayor" "Where to mayor?" "The police department Mohamed Effendi" "Why taking you father, It is Abdel-Hadi who operate the water wheels" "We all irrigated my daughter" "Leave me alone" "Here come the demonstrations students" "Sheikh Shaban, what brought you back after all those years?" "My master called, and I obeyed" "Where is Abu-Swelam?" "Get him out of here" "Abu-Swelam, stand up" "Stand up, prisoner" "Leave him" "Abu-Swelam" "Catch him" "Hello" "Mohamed Effendi" "Are you alone Wasifa?" "My mother is asleep" "What did you do for the imprisoned men?" "I am going to Mahmoud Bey to give Him money to release the men" "And they will be released today" "Really!" "Beware of your donkey Mohamed Effendi" "Your uncle sheikh Hassouna came back" "A real man, he knows the right thing to do And protects the women whose men are absent" "I searched the whole village and I only Found those two Loafs of wheat flour" "Mother, where is my uncle?" "In the visitors room, with the mayor" "What are you saying sheikh Hassouna" "They didn't obey the government irrigation rules" "Those rules can't be obeyed" "Peace be upon you" "Welcome sheikh Hassouna" "I will visit Abu-Swelam soon" "He will be here soon by gods well" "God favors the patient ones" "God bless you sheikh Hassouna" "God bless you and Wasifa" "Everything will be fine by god's will" "I suspect there is someone stealing from my crop reservoirs" "Mayor" "What is it Abdel-Ati?" "Your father is also imprisoned why asking for your husband only?" "Shut up Abdel-Ati; don't speak in such subjects in front of me" "Hey girl, stay where you are" "Away with your hand or I will cut it" "Who is that girl?" "She is Wasifa daughter of Abu-Swelam The guard commander" "You filth, he is not the guards commander anymore" "Yes I am the daughter of Abu-Swelam" "Like mother like daughter" "Don't speak about her mother" "You old fool, don't talk about my mother" "I will teach you a lesson" "Hey guards, save the mayor" "Say I am a woman" "You bastards" "Down with Colonialism" "Freedom, Freedom" "Long Live Egypt" "You bastards" "God is great" "What are you thinking about?" "Don't worry, it will be fine" "Accept my proposal to Wasifa, now" "Folks, folks" "The imprisoned got released" "Abu-Swelam is back" "My father is back" "Mabrouka, your husband got released" "Diab is back" "Abdel-Hadi my son" "Your help god" "The men are back, we should have a celebration" "God bless sheikh Hassouna" "Welcome back" "Welcome ba.." "Welcome back" "Father, father" "Welcome back father" "Let us go home father" "Diab, Diab" "Drink this sheikh Shaban" "I want to eat" "Diab" "Welcome back Diab" "No more rebels" "You taught them a lesson in the prison" "Alright sheriff" "I will be hard on them" "I will do my best" "I pity your health, this is too much compression" "You only talk about my health;" "I have a very good health" "You should be upset about the rebels, not me" "Yes, be upset about sheikh Hassouna" "No one can ever get over me" "You didn't even got over the village women" "Let alone their men" "You too dare to speak!" "Alright, you are fired" "Gather all the guards" "You are all fired" "God help us" "Abdel-Ati, call Shaban for me" "Abu-Swelam, Abu-Swelam" "Welcome sheikh Hassouna" "Where is Abu-Swelam?" "He is in the field all day long since he got released" "He don't eat, he don't talk" "Elwani" "Go tell sheikh Youssef to meet us in Abu-Swelam's field" "Alright" "Abu-Swelam" "My uncle sheikh Hassouna is with me" "Just as you are" "You know how long I stayed in Cairo" "But the love of fields never left me" "Welcome to the village sheikh Hassouna" "I don't like your sadness" "Egypt's great leaders got imprisoned too" "Saad Zaghloul, Mustapha Kamel, Ahmed Ourabi" "I am not sad because I got imprisoned" "I know, I feel" "It is not that they are brave, And it is not that you are weak" "Get over it; we have all been there together" "It was a revolution, it was for freedom" "The same story, it was freedom, Now it is for the land" "And pride?" "What's left after the man looses his pride" "Uncle, uncle" "Here is a watermelon" "Cut a piece for your uncle with a clean knife" "Please have some" "Thank you but I can't" "I swear by God and his Prophet that you will be the first to have a piece of it" "Come on, you must eat something" "You have always been a good man Diab" "So you must eat from what I offer you" "Come on Abu-Swelam, I cam here to bring back the good old days" "This village will always be my home" "We will get over our problems" "Do you think we can?" "By God willing" "Diab, go to Abu-Swelam's house and Tell them we are coming for dinner" "Huh, yes of course, it will be an honor" "He believes the joke" "It is you who are invited to dine with us" "We have chicken and rice with cream" "Chicken and rice!" "It is no the proper time to talk about food" "Instead of talking about what is proper and what is not, You should get proper clothes for your brother" "I just thought it is not the proper time" "Abu-Swelam was always a patient man" "A patient man!" "When we were in prison he held a jailer up high and throw him on the ground" "Oh god, you are the man Abu-Swelam" "Do you remember when we both got beaten for the sake of sheikh Youssef?" "That was during the 1919 revolution" "The jailer found that sheikh Youssef was hiding more than 30 cigarettes" "And what did he do?" "The jailer starts beating sheikh Youssef, But Abu-Swelam stands up and protects him" "You too helped both of us" "And we all got beaten by jailers" "Did sheikh Youssef beat the jailers?" "No he pretended he was faint and lie on the ground" "But the jailer didn't believe him" "He opened sheikh Youssef's mouth and start putting the 30 cigarettes while telling him to swallow" "Swallow ..., swallow ..." "Peace be upon you" "What?" "Something wrong about me!" "Father, father" "Haven't you seen my father?" "He went home" "I brought him lunch" "So wait for him" "I wanted to see you since the day I got released" "My father was imprisoned too" "And that broke my heart" "Did you thought about me while I was in prison?" "Shame on you Abdel-Ati when you hit a woman, And she is Wasifa, Abu-Swelam's daughter" "He was always like a father to you" "Don't remind me Abdel-Hadi, It was the mayor's orders" "Yes, shame on me, I deserve your contempt" "Beat me Abdel-Hadi, I deserve it, Here you are, do whatever you want" "Beat me more Abdel-Hadi, Beat me stronger" "More Abdel-Hadi, I did wrong" "I am sorry;" "let me kiss your head" "Sheikh Shaban" "Gracious and most merciful, help us" "Sheikh Shaban, charm Wasifa to accept Mohammed effendi as a husband" "Slow down" "Wasifa for Mohamed effendi" "I would make you a plate of meat" "Slow down" "Here are the two pennies I have" "Slow down" "Sheikh Shaban!" "Slow down" "The mayor!" "Be cursed" "Abu-Swelam!" "The best of strong men" "Sheikh Hassouna!" "The best of knowledge men" "Elwani!" "Shame on him, He made me steal the mayor" "Wasifa!" "Wasifa is for Mohamed effendi" "And Mohamed is for Wasifa" "We will have to obey the orders, Only five days to arrogation" "No way, the cotton would die" "The water is always there Abdel-Hadi, in the Nile, But if we lost the land it will never be there" "The most important thing is that we save the land before the railway destroys it" "The problem is that the mayor is against us" "The mayor is not the problem, It is Mahmoud Bey" "They are the same" "Yes so is the government and the British occupation" "Mohamed effendi is every girl's dream" "Don't ever get in my house again" "This dirty girl should not enter any respectable house" "Who own no land, owns no honor" "Oh, I own no land" "I mean women not men" "Alright, tell me when will you be back to your shop?" "I want my share of sugar and tea tonight" "Go away; you have nothing to do here, only who owns land are interested" "Interest, they only talk about interest, nothing about friendship or neighborhood" "Khadra" "What do you want?" "You are like me Khadra, no land, no money and no interest" "Elwani, why don't we get marry?" "Marry you, how come?" "And where?" "Oh I see, in my palace, and I would get a highway road till my door" "You are joking, so why not, girls in Cairo lives in palaces" "Wake up, I have no house and no land" "Me too, I have nothing, we would be a perfect couple" "Low the lantern to her face" "It is poor Khadra" ""We are from God and to him we shall return"" "She was poor and lonely and had no enemies, I wonder who would kill her!" "It is that bastard Elwani for sure" "No it can't be him, he was sitting with us all night long" "Why not anyone of us who did it?" "It must be Elwani, he is filthy just like her" "She lived in mud and died in mud too" "She never liked her life" "No one is accused, she is just a slut" "Were where we will burry her?" "Where?" "!" "In sheikh Shennawi's graveyard for sure" "Shut up heretic, I wouldn't burry this dirty slut with respected people" "Why?" "You are the most related one to her in the village" "I know you were always a heretic, I will never allow her to be buried in my graveyard" "She was poor in her life and in her death too" "Mayor, we should report the police" "Felony of premeditated and surveillance" "No, she was trying to drink and she felled" "It is better than getting people in trouble" "Poor Khadra they didn't even respect her after she died" "Why!" "Because she was lonely and homeless!" "She was the village's servant" "No they want to throw her dead body away" "Take it easy Wasifa" "Poor girl, she has no mercy even after she died" "That's life my daughter" "No mother, I will got to live with my sister in the town" "Hey girl, we have enough troubles" "I want to get rid of the village and the Land and the everyday disastrous life" "Take it easy my girl" "Please mayor" "Please have a mercy" "I swear by god I was Going to marry Khadra" "You can say so to the commissioner, or in the criminal court" "This village has a mayor, it is not chaos" "We brought all the billets, and we store it on the bridge" "Talking, talking, and no work" "All I care about is to see the highway road passing in front of my palace" "So visitors can drive their cars to my door" "Hurry up, you are so late" "Mayor, please send me the dog" "Mayor, the dog of the Bey" "And the most important men in the village will be in your place till we find who did it" "A village of no shyness" "Mayor, the dog of the Bey" "The dog of the Bey, mayor" "Your legs are alright" "Take a cigarette and go away" "No let me be with you" "We have to have a talk with the mayor" "A talk!" "We still have to talk!" "The mayor starts with Elwani to threat all of us, and all we think about is to talk" "I have a feeling that sheikh Shaban is behind it" "Shaban became a sheikh, very well" "Very well done mayor" "A day or two he could arrest anyone of us for murdering Khadra" "No way" "He can" "The murder of Khadra was a threat to all men because the billets have arrived" "So they expect us to fear and shut up" "We lost the land" "No Abu-Swelam, have some patience" "Only who lives here can feel what I feel" "I left my children in Cairo and here I am with you" "It is too late sheikh Hassouna" "When I have to come I came" "I left the village for my job" "But I have never failed you" "I fought the occupation with you" "Yes, fought the British occupation together" "We fought in Syria in winter" "We faced death, many of us has been buried under the snow" "We weren't afraid, we didn't walk away" "Why?" "Because we were real men and we've endured as real men" "And during 1919 revolution we fought with Saad Pasha" "We cut the railroad against the British forces" "They strike back and many of us were killed" "But we were real men and we've endured as real men" "And the last election" "Regardless of the results" "But we supported you sheikh Hassouna" "What did we get?" "We have been beaten, we have been insulted but we were real men and we've endured as real men" "When there were a few steps between us and death," "We weren't afraid; we fought with bare hands, because we were real men and we've endured as real men" "And then" "Then what" "Each went on his way" "Each thought about oneself" "And forgot about the others" "You sheikh Hassouna, you left the village to live in the town" "And enjoyed the government salary" "And sheikh Youssef" "He opened a shop to sell goods to the penniless peasants" "And me" "What became of me!" "I kept working in my land" "I kept living on the memory of good old days" "Hoping that one day we would be the men we used to be" "But those days were gone, And it don't seem to be back" "We used to have courage and dignity" "We used to be the shield of the village" "And now, here we are" "We talk and weep like women" "Here we are sheikh Hassouna, And here are the village's young men" "Watching us weeping like women" "Watching us saying patience is good" "Watching us talking and talking" "Our life is talking" "Our sleep is talking" "Our silence is talking" "Talking and talking and talking" "You old man" "You are still that young rebel" "You remind me of the young Hassouna" "You are the best of us Abu-Swelam" "Life drifts me, but what shall I do" "I wonder what we shall do!" "I was thinking" "But I didn't find a way" "When we were young we weren't thinking, We acted" "We are still the same" "Abu-Swelam, I will stay" "I will stay till we bring back all our rights" "My hand in your hand, Whatever happens" "We should throw the billets in the canal" "Good idea" "We can do it" "Good idea Abdel-Hadi" "That is best solution" "Yes, yes" "Come on folks" "Come on" "Come on Abdel-Ati" "Abdel-Hadi you are know to the police" "I don't care" "You shouldn't be involved" "Your acre is so far from the road" "When I operated the wheels I was alone" "But the police arrested you too, We are all the same for them" "You are good person Abdel-Hadi" "You are my teacher Abu-Swelam" "Go" "Abdel-Ati" "Abdel-Ati" "Can you hear the whispers?" "It is ghosts" "Give me the gun Abdel-Ati" "Throw the billets" "Come on Sheikh Shaban, You asked for it" "Abdel-Hadi, Abu-Swelam" "The mayor died" "As soon as he heard about the billets thrown in the canal" "Very well, we get rid off the billets and the mayor in the same night" "I will bring a dozen of candles If my wish come true" "To protect my father and save our land" "Why are you following me Abdel-Hadi?" "I came here every night" "To see you" "So what were you wishing for?" "To protect my father and save our land" "Just your father and your land?" "Tea and sugar!" "Now!" "Are you out of your mind?" "Freeze, who are you?" "I am the vice mayor, I am a government official" "Run folks, officials hit officials" "My uncle, the camel rider guards arrived" "Everyone to his house, No one is allowed to get out" "No one is allowed to be out afternoon" "I am going to call for ASR prayer" "No one is allowed to be out afternoon" "And what about the two prayers in the night!" "Go home" ""Help us god, help us"" "Freeze, where are you going?" "I am going to borrow some corn flour From Abdel-Hadi's mother" "Hey girl, get inside" "We have no food" "I said get inside you fool" "Let her go" "Soldier, go with her and be back with her and take a good care of her" "Have a cigarette please" "Have a seat please" "Want some tea?" "Do you think this whip can shut us up" "No, but in some cases one has to shut up or die" "So we die then" "No man, every problem has a solution" "We also lost our houses" "Aswan Dam flooded it" "We had to die or to surrender, So we surrendered" "The dam flooded your land" "But been a new life for the rest of the valley" "It was a good thing for many people" "But to steal the land of the poor peasants" "And for what?" "For a road to Mahmoud Bey Palace!" "This is injustice" "This is orders" "And you obey orders without understanding what you are doing" "It is the regime's orders" "What regime?" "The British, The king, or Mahmoud Bey" "Go away, get lost, you are just a whip, nothing more" "Shut up, you are a rude peasant, I am your guest, you should be more polite" "A guest!" "If you came in peace you would be my guest" "You are not a guest" "No Abdel-Hadi" "Come" "What did you do?" "He was protecting me" "Abdel-Hadi, how did you get out?" "Don't you fear the whips" "Whips!" "Not even swords" "You are tough person then" "Wasifa, bring us Two sets of wood" "I came to you to discuss About what is happening" "We shouldn't hide in our houses like rabbits" "We are losing the land" "Here you are" "Come" "What should I do?" "Show me how tough you are" "God bless you Abdel-Hadi" "I am afraid you hurt your hand" "You see, I am still tough Abdel-Hadi" "Please serve us two cup of tea" "Nothing better than two cups of tea in the night, in the field" "And the cotton looks like thousands of lanterns" "So you are not afraid of the whips" "No" "Listen, I will gather the men and attack the camel rider guards" "Sheikh Youssef has a gun" "And you too father" "I will go now to sheikh Hassouna And sheikh Youssef" "I will gather all the men" "And attack the camel rider guards" "And women will attack too" "Hey, hey" "You talk as if you were planning together" "Or is it that you plan this together" "I think we should have dinner first" "Dinner!" "We only have some corn flour for tomorrow" "The corn flour we just borrowed" "I don't care, make us a pie" "You will love it Abdel-Hadi" "And bring cream and cheese" "Abu-Swelam!" "Hey woman" "I am the man here" "Do as I say" "Go on" "Alright" "Never let your wife have the last word Abdel-Hadi" "What brought you here?" "Good morning, I was ..., Mahmoud Bey told me that ..." "What?" "He will tell you" "I am sorry I have to go" "You mean that there is no mayor" "It is done, sheikh Youssef will be the new mayor" "Anything else?" "Look how the artist can do so beautiful things" "I wish some day those artists would be Egyptians" "We have people that are starving" "Starving!" "I don't think so, Maybe poor but not starving" "You exaggerate" "Mahmoud Bey you must listen" "People will starve after you turn their land into a road" "And the camel rider guards make things worse" "They are only fifteen guards" "And we will bring thirty police soldiers" "And the road will not make people starve" "On the contrary, it will make their life better" "The road will bring electricity and freshwater" "Civilization, you are an educated man and you should understand what I say" "You take poor peasant's lands" "That's life, there is a price for every move" "And why them who must pay the price" "Why not you and people like you" "Oh, you are a revolutionist then" "It is not good for you, And you can do nothing" "Don't listen to those ignorant" "Those are my people" "I will personally consider not to harm your land" "Peace be upon you" "Boy , get sheikh Youssef a paper" "Elwani , take care of sergeant Abdullah" "Don't worry I offered him the best tobacco" "This can't be a poor village with a shop like this in it" "There is meat too" "Let me pass" "Give me flour and sugar in exchange for these two corncobs" "Go away , let people by with money" "You don't have money , So let people with money pass" "Shame on you , have mercy" "Give her what she wants" "Go away or I will hit you" "Listen, never raise a hand on me again" "So pay for her then" "You became a money-starved beast" "I am thinking of leaving my job to get rid of the government dirty money" "I am still the same old peasant" "Abdel-Ati you are a guard not a peasant" "And you are the new mayor" "And I will not serve under you" "You throw away your uniform!" "Take this and give her what she wants" "Save your money sergeant Abdullah" "Go to my home and take what you want" "Shame on you" "Alright Bey, alright, alright" "Here is the road, it was straight" "Have your coffee sheikh Hassouna" "But the straight road became snaky" "To avoid the lands of powerful people" "May god help helpless people" "So could you avoid the land of someone like Abu-Swelam?" "No, I can only do that for you" "Abdel-Hadi, Abdel-Hadi" "They are putting the billets in my father's land" "Calm down Wasifa" "Don't worry , we are all here" "Sheikh Hassouna has to be here by now" "Wait for me here" "Alright" "Diab, gather men and wait for me in Abu-Swelam's land" "Come on guys" "I want to join you Abdel-Hadi" "Alright, gather men till sheikh Hassouna arrive" "Wait for me Diab, I am with you" "Peace be upon you" "And you too" "Have a seat please" "Excuse me, I am busy working" "It is ok, do what you are doing" "Alright" "Haven't you seen Mohamed effendi?" "There he is, Mohamed effendi" "Hey you, get lost" "I hope everything is fine" "God knows what is best" "God helps whose in need" "I am sorry about what is happening" "But it was orders" "You are right, order must take place" "We have all been through this" "Whose the first land to be taken?" "The poor Abu-Swelam" "Would they take your land too sheikh Hassouna?" "Sergeant Abdullah" "What is it?" "The sheriff wants you, And he is very angry" "Excuse me, I have to see what does he wants?" "Where are you going to?" "They need men to build the road" "Come on guys we already late" "And you get lost" "Shut up, don't you know who you are talking to?" "He is sheikh Hassouna" "We need work, we have children to feed" "And they are taking the land" "So we are not peasants anymore" "Come on guys" "Why don't you take her on a stroll, Stand up" "Where is that bloody sergeant" "He was just drinking tea with me a few minutes ago" "Very nice, drinking tea with peasants!" "Camel rider guards befriend peasants" "That is chaos" "Mr. Sheriff, the village has no mayor yet" "Sergeant Abdullah is coming" "Why the sheriff is here?" "Not now" "Who is this girl?" "Why not working as a servant for me" "She is ... , here is sergeant Abdullah" "Where have you been?" "You have made a fool out of yourself" "And me too I will make a fool out of you" "You are all fired, I will get police soldiers instead of you" "Come on Abu-Swelam" "We have to talk to sheikh Hassouna to decide what to do" "God bless you my dear brother" "Sheikh Hassouna" "Where is your uncle?" "I think he is at sheikh Youssef's shop" "Attention" "Father, the camel rider guards are leaving the village" "Good-bye" "Good-bye sergeant Abdullah" "Please accept my gift, Some tea and sugar" "We will miss you" "Hey boys , get lost" "It will be chaos" "The camel riders will leave before the police soldiers came" "Let me pass" "Elwani, get those kids away" "Sergeant Abdullah gives us some time" "To collect cotton from the taken lands" "We are still waiting sheikh Hassouna" "Where is he?" "Where is he?" "We need to act quickly" "I am putting every pound in a paper" "Alright but get out now" "You are selling meat!" "So what Abdel-Hadi?" "Why I shouldn't" "There are many workers that needs to eat" "So you are taking advantage of our crisis" "You are helping them building the road" "For their filthy money" "Money is better than exchanging with corncobs" "And I don't care what the workers are doing in the village as long as they have money" "That is my work, you should go work in your field" "You sell yourself for money" "Selling myself, are you out of your mind" "You want me to quit my job" "Alright, here is my money" "Take it Abdel-Hadi, take my family's money" "Collect your money sheikh Youssef" "I am an old man, I have no son to work in my land" "I don't have your strength" "Nor your courage" "And I have a daughter" "I must leave her some money to spend when I die" "Abu-Swelam too has no son and has a daughter, He even don't have a shop like you do" "But he is still fighting" "We are talking while the land is being taken" "We have to go to sheikh Hassouna" "No, no, we have to go to collect Abu-Swelam's cotton" "We have to collect the cotton before the police soldiers arrive" "Yes Mohamed effendi, everyone is after his interest" "What do you mean?" "Stop your devious talk" "Listen all of you" "Let Mohamed effendi tell you the truth" "Tell them why there are no workers in you land" "Go on see for yourselves" "Let Mohamed effendi tell you how the road moved away from his land and his uncle's land" "Sheikh Hassouna ask the road planners to avoid his land" "Shut up" "No I will not" "Listen, listen all of you" "Do you know where sheikh Hassouna is" "He left the village" "He has escaped" "Come on guys" "Come on Wasifa" "Elwani, make us two cups of tea" "It was a lousy morning" "The tea is in the small box" "You don't want to drink tea with me!" "So take those sacks and go to collect Abu-Swelam's cotton" ""If the land is thirsty..."" ""If the land is thirsty..."" "What do you want sweet girl" "I acme to collect our cotton" "Oh I see, you do whatever you want" "But have some rest with me first" "Abdel-Hadi" "You beat your guest!" "That is enough" "You beat a woman!" "Get lost or I will kill you" "Shame on you" "They are strangers, they don't care about us" "Go and collect Abu-Swelam's cotton" "Before the police soldiers came" "Come on guys" "Come on" "We too have to help" ""Nothing is better"" ""Than the Nile cotton"" ""When collected by the Nile girls"" ""It is blessed by god"" "Take care" "I think Abu-Swelam may need those" "They can be exchanged with some corn flour" "Take this" "The price of the cotton" "Please take it" "And take your time weighing the cotton crop" "God help you" "I am sorry for you" "Really sorry" "Faster guys, tea is coming" "Everyone will have tea" "Drink Abdel-Hadi" "Take care or you would burn me with the hot tea" "What a girl" "This will be an everlasting relation" "Right Wasifa?" "Hey you" "I swear that will be the first to dance in your wedding" "And the last who stop" "Shame on sheikh Youssef" "God damn him" "He didn't give me machine made cigarettes" "Tell me Abdel-Hadi" "How could the respectable sheikh Hassouna do such a shameful thing?" "He escaped" "You can't understand him Elwani" "You don't have land" "Why don't you sell your land and buy sheep, I would take care of them for you" "And we became partners" "And no need to worry about the land" "I am naked without my land" "We all been born naked" "No one born with his clothes on" "Beware Abdel-Hadi" "Run people" "Run Mohamed effendi" "Run folks" "Beware Abdel-Hadi" "Abdel-Hadi" "You bastards" ""If the land is thirsty we would irrigate it with our blood"" "Tie this man" "By his feet" "The End"