Translating Nouzha Fassi Fihri's La Baroudeuse: A Case Study in ...

covering. Behind the imam, the believers finished the noon prayer. Then the ranks
dissolved as each one left to continue his momentarily suspended activities. A
few, however, stayed to pray in the sanctuary.
Moulay Ali spoke thus to his creator. "I praise You, my Lord, for having
kept me alive until today and for letting me know this joy. If I must die now, Your
will be done. I praise You, my Lord, for giving me a pure heart, passionate faith
and honest piety. I praise You, my Lord, for giving me sight, hearing, the sense of
smell, and a healthy body and soul. I praise You for the faith I have in You, for
the joy that fills me at the thought of appearing before You, some day soon. I
praise You for having brought me into the world a Muslim."
Then, after a pause, "Dear God, help us in this time of need. Offer your
support to the nation, give us victory over our oppressors, You the Merciful, You
the Ever Present, You the Just."
An infinite serenity blanketed the mausoleum. Those in prayer were
unaware that these places of peaceful meditation would become the center of a
bitter fight for identity.
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The family spent the following day in the orchard. In addition to the
family home and fields cultivated by sharecroppers, every well-to-do Fassi had an
irrigated garden where vegetables, fruits and flowers were grown. He generally
chose one close to home, which made it possible to go there frequently,
sometimes for a picnic, and often for a simple tea with family or friends.