Dear Mahjoub Sharief

salamu Allahi Aliakum

Of course you do not know me, but I know you.
I have actually seen you when I worked at a law firm in Khartoum. You came by that office.
That was 24 years ago, you were full of life and optimism, as I am sure you do now.
When Mudhaffar Annawab visited Khartoum, We all talked about the amount of anger in his words and poems
Your name immediately entered the conversation as an opposite to Annawab.
We agreed on your kindness and peaceful optimistic words and poems. How you enter the hearts without calling your enemy names.
You brought the house down with applause for your talent that soothed the anger and turned it into action.

I am writing to you today, over this pubic venue, to say Salamtak alf salama
Keep up the optimism
Sooth your soul with all the kindness in your heart
and like the Candy Man "make the world tastes good"
You will overcome and you will bring back the HOPE that lurkes in the troubled souls
as you did over and over again.
Thank you
stay well and be good
Asma

Hi Asma
On behalf of Mahjoub who is (my straight, in case you did not know!) I thank you from the
depth of my heart for your kind words. Did you get this (my straight?)
I had a lengthy phone conversation with him early this morning- Sudan time.
He is good! A technical problem with the Oxygen cylinder was solved and he now can use
pure Oxygen. The new medication which is in fact new to the whole world is working fine.
It will not reverse the condition but will stall it which good enough!
Mahjoub is extraordinary in waiving off his own problems by listening to other people's
problems. And of course, like me, he is invincible to sufferings!
Once again, many thanks to you.

Salam Mustafa:
The end of the semester is hardly a happy time for me; thanks for bringing me to tears laughing.
No I did not know that he was your "straight" So you two conspired to rob the Gizouli family of its daughters.
Please convey my salam to him next time you talk, and I will pay him a visit when I go to Khartoum, "In sha' Allah and the Nile does not rise."
the last part is from the mother of a friend who would say "God willing and the creek don't rise"
Stay well

Now Mustafa and Asma...
You really have beaten me with Mahjoub being Mustafa's 'Straight'!
I never thought this is what is meant...holding high views of both of you!
Before announcing my hands washed from translation... I thought I would test
my half Brit son...so I read him Mustafa's sentence, he looked at me and said : he
couldn't mean 3adeeli?!!!
OK..I am a bit thick in mind, but still, considering retirement as a translator.
Find me another job.



Our sincere wishes to your Straight Mustafa, our great Mahjoub.
And thanks Asma for expressing our feelings towards the legend of his time.

Asha:
This would have been a great one for our old translation post.
Your half Brit is good!
have you heard of the man who protested the loss of his flight reservation?
he looked at the agent and said "is this talk this" يللا ترجم يا فوراوي
i think we had the story about Ustadh Forawi in our old post.