However Beaten Down

Begin forwarded message: From: "Daniel Drennan" Date: November 4, 2010 9:19:12 AM EDT To: "Maysara A. Abdulhaq" Cc: "Dan Walsh" Subject: Re: Fwd: Regarding slide "However Beaten Down She Stands Back Up" I agree that it's not talking about the she in the poster; the other thing to understand is that we did not translate the amthaal on purpose. They are posing a problem now in translation when we were refusing to make these readable in the original posters. Meaning, we chose to *not* translate them in the poster (this goes against much in the way of Lebanese signage/design) for very particular reasons. So we settled on "she", knowing that the message in English is different, but understanding that it isn't meant to be understood in English. The original reading is what is important. So feel free to translate as you see fit, keeping this in mind. I appreciate your input. salamat Daniel | Hello, Fursa sa'edeh, | | I'm arguing that the arabic text is actually not obvious, and im arguing | that no matter what the literal translation is or the "hidden" meaning is, | its just not talking about a "she", its not talking about the women in the | poster. i'll be even a little bit rude and say the saying is badly chosen, | but this is irrelevant tab'an :). | | Of course we cannot know for sure unless we ask the creator of the poster, | but what im saying is, that i do not think (at all) that its talking about | "her", even as a metaphor. | | Cheers, W Assalam, | | Maysara | | On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 4:29 AM, Daniel Drennan | wrote: | |> ya jami3an: |> |> Thank you for the chance to elaborate more but thank you for including |> our |> work in your selection most of all! |> |> tsharafna. |> |> My past experience with translation (English/French) will inform what I |> say |> here, as I recall clearly there being a difference between a quite |> literal/faithful translation to the language and different from this a |> translation that is aimed toward the reader's understanding. Because we |> are |> dealing here with proverbial sayings, it would seem to make more sense |> to go |> with something that "reads" more correctly as a saying in the English. |> This |> is how we have addressed our own translations, knowing that we are |> "bending |> the rules" a bit in terms of the literal aspect of it, in order to get |> across that we are dealing with a saying, a proverb. Many of them were |> much |> more problematic than this one, for example, "Your brother, your wing" |> (our |> translation) which doesn't include at all the 2nd person possessive in |> the |> Arabic, but which cannot be literally translated as "A brother a wing" |> and |> stand on its own. |> |> I think this is a similar case, where the Arabic is obvious in its |> meaning, |> but the literal Arabic translation needs to be played with a little bit |> in |> order to a) make it fit the context and b) read more akin to how an |> English |> language proverb might work. |> |> I don't have a problem "bending" a bit to make this work; if this is |> still |> problematic for you, then perhaps including a general note in the |> presentation that translations are not always 100% literal, or else a |> footnote that describes the literal translation as opposed to the |> figurative |> translation? |> |> I hope this helps! Let me know if there's anything else! |> |> ya3tiikun elf 3afie |> |> best, |> |> Daniel |> |> |> |> |> |> On 11/3/10 at 2:53 AM, liberation@igc.org (Dan Walsh) wrote: |> |> | ya Daniel, |> | |> | I am in the final stages of my new "100 Best Posters of the PPPA" |> slide |> show and my comrade Maysara |> | who is handling the technical end wrote this email. |> | |> | I don't know enough Arabic to get involved fruitfully and besides |> since |> you are the source I invite |> | you to address this. |> | |> | Time is short. |> | |> | I know you are busy but I hope you can tell me what to do (which may |> include to do nothing) so we |> | launch a show that is "picture perfect". |> | |> | tadamon, |> | |> | Dan |> | |> | Begin forwarded message: |> | |> | > From: "Maysara A. Abdulhaq" |> | > Date: November 3, 2010 8:48:02 PM EDT |> | > To: Dan Walsh |> | > Subject: Regarding slide "However Beaten Down She Stands Back Up" |> | > |> | > Hello Dan, |> | > |> | > slide titled "However Beaten Down She Stands Back Up", |> | http://products2.mobis.ps/slide/top100/84.html |> | > |> | > the arabic text : |> | > |> | > كيف ما ضربته بيجي واقف |> | > |> | > does not indicate a 'she' , its either he or it . |> | > |> | > let me elaborate on the saying, if you randomly beat or stroke or |> even |> throw something , but it |> | always settles in the "correct" position ( or even better, upright) , |> the |> saying applies. |> | > |> | > it applies to people, who are solid, or take a firm/non changing |> stand, |> regardless what they go |> | through. or denoting consistency! |> | > |> | > im not sure how it can be better translated, but a little bit more |> correct translation would be: |> | > |> | > However beaten down, always back on feet or However beaten down, |> always |> standing upright or |> | However beaten, always comes back upright ... something along these |> lines |> ... no ? |> | > |> | > Cheers, |> | > |> | > Maysara |> | |> | |> | --------------------------------------------------- BEIRUT DIARY ONLINE: http://www.inquisitor.com/ JAMAA AL-YAD: http://www.jamaalyad.org/

Begin forwarded message: From: Daniel Drennan Date: November 3, 2010 10:29:55 PM EDT To: Dan Walsh Cc: Maysara Subject: Re: Fwd: Regarding slide "However Beaten Down She Stands Back Up" ya jami3an: Thank you for the chance to elaborate more but thank you for including our work in your selection most of all! tsharafna. My past experience with translation (English/French) will inform what I say here, as I recall clearly there being a difference between a quite literal/faithful translation to the language and different from this a translation that is aimed toward the reader's understanding. Because we are dealing here with proverbial sayings, it would seem to make more sense to go with something that "reads" more correctly as a saying in the English. This is how we have addressed our own translations, knowing that we are "bending the rules" a bit in terms of the literal aspect of it, in order to get across that we are dealing with a saying, a proverb. Many of them were much more problematic than this one, for example, "Your brother, your wing" (our translation) which doesn't include at all the 2nd person possessive in the Arabic, but which cannot be literally translated as "A brother a wing" and stand on its own. I think this is a similar case, where the Arabic is obvious in its meaning, but the literal Arabic translation needs to be played with a little bit in order to a) make it fit the context and b) read more akin to how an English language proverb might work. I don't have a problem "bending" a bit to make this work; if this is still problematic for you, then perhaps including a general note in the presentation that translations are not always 100% literal, or else a footnote that describes the literal translation as opposed to the figurative translation? I hope this helps! Let me know if there's anything else! ya3tiikun elf 3afie best, Daniel On 11/3/10 at 2:53 AM, liberation@igc.org (Dan Walsh) wrote: | ya Daniel, | | I am in the final stages of my new "100 Best Posters of the PPPA" slide show and my comrade Maysara | who is handling the technical end wrote this email. | | I don't know enough Arabic to get involved fruitfully and besides since you are the source I invite | you to address this. | | Time is short. | | I know you are busy but I hope you can tell me what to do (which may include to do nothing) so we | launch a show that is "picture perfect". | | tadamon, | | Dan | | Begin forwarded message: | | > From: "Maysara A. Abdulhaq" | > Date: November 3, 2010 8:48:02 PM EDT | > To: Dan Walsh | > Subject: Regarding slide "However Beaten Down She Stands Back Up" | > | > Hello Dan, | > | > slide titled "However Beaten Down She Stands Back Up", | http://products2.mobis.ps/slide/top100/84.html | > | > the arabic text : | > | > كيف ما ضربته بيجي واقف | > | > does not indicate a 'she' , its either he or it . | > | > let me elaborate on the saying, if you randomly beat or stroke or even throw something , but it | always settles in the "correct" position ( or even better, upright) , the saying applies. | > | > it applies to people, who are solid, or take a firm/non changing stand, regardless what they go | through. or denoting consistency! | > | > im not sure how it can be better translated, but a little bit more correct translation would be: | > | > However beaten down, always back on feet or However beaten down, always standing upright or | However beaten, always comes back upright ... something along these lines ... no ? | > | > Cheers, | > | > Maysara | |

TITLE OF THE POSTER “However beaten down, she stands back up.” NAME OF THE ARTIST/DESIGNER Jamaa al-Yad http://www.jamaalyad.org/ Illustrator: Fouad Mezher Designers: Yousef Abed Rabboh, Farah Sleiman Square Kufi calligraphy: Christian Moussa, Daniel Drennan NAME OF THE PUBLISHER (PLEASE PROVIDE THE PUBLISHER’S WEB SITE IF AVAILABLE) Al-Akhbar newspaper http://www.al-akhbar.com/ DATE OF PUBLICATION February 25, 2010 DIMENSIONS OF THE POSTER 29 x 45 cm WHERE WAS THE POSTER PRINTED? Beirut, Lebanon WHAT LANGUAGES ARE USED/VISIBLE IN THE POSTER? Arabic, English TRANSLATION OF ALL TEXT INTERPRETATION OF IMAGERY (PLEASE TELL US WHAT THE ICONS, IMAGES, COLORS, ETC. MEAN TO YOU) In this series of posters actual press images were reworked as either linoleum print or scratchboard illustrations. Each poster contains images of despair mixed with symbols of hope and resistance. Corporations profiting from the occupation of Palestine are listed based on their references in the image. A Lebanese proverb is coupled with the image to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Square kufi was chosen for its bold quality but also its link to the historical representation of the local language. English and Arabic are used expressly to speak to either the colonized or the colonizer. This is in contrast to much printed matter in Lebanon which is bilingual as a “service” to the colonizers and compradors, French and Anglo-Saxon. Listed company: BULLDOZERS/COLONIST TRANSPORT: Volvo; Göteborg, Sweden. The signs of resistance pictured include the olive tree itself as well as the setting sun, always destined to rise again. SUGGESTED LINKS (PLEASE PROVIDE ANY LINKS, WIKIPEDIA/OTHERS THAT YOU THINK ARE RELEVANT) WAS THIS POSTER PRINTED-ON-PAPER OR IS IT A “DIGITAL ONLY” POSTER? Printed on paper.