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A review by kazuchuu
The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman: The Arabic Epic of Dhat Al-Himma by Melanie Magidow
3.5
“She rose with so much rage in her heart that even mountains would crumble from its force.”
I was really excited to discover this translation. Old Arabic texts are tricky for me to read, so coming across an accessible version of one had me picking this book up in an instant. Although, I was a little disappointed to learn that only a selection of the original sira was translated, I can understand why, considering its massive length. I wish we’d gotten some sort of clarification as to why these particular parts were chosen for translation, though? What met the criteria to be translated, and what didn’t? This is not clear.
Overall, I still enjoyed reading this. Princess Fatima is an incredibly strong leader and fighter, unwavering in front of all the hardships she faces. Even in fear, she stands tall and sure of herself. She is betrayed and doubted even by those closest to her, but not once does she yield. I wish she were a hero more people knew about.
However, I have some reservations about this translation. For one, I don’t agree with how Magidow compares Fatima to Marvel comic characters, which is definitely a strange thing to read in a sira translation, but maybe that’s just my own opinion. There is also the matter of translating amira / أميرة as “commander”—more accurately, it means “princess”, similar to the masculine version, amir / أمير , which means “prince”. Not to mention, there seems to be some inconsistency with the tone of the translation, sometimes switching from a formal one to an informal one for no apparent reason. It took me out of the moment instantly.
Moreover, I really wish the Arabic writing of names was kept somewhere in the text. It was difficult to tell how I’m supposed to pronounce names like Sahsah and Bani Tayy, like, why am I being forced to read Arabic names and words in English letters? I can read Arabic, give me the Arabic versions too! Make my life easier!
But perhaps my most pressing issue is with the footnotes—there was definitely room to make them more expansive in order to explain the historical and cultural context of the time. There are some religious stories recounted that I wish had been further explained. And some instances I felt needed an explanation, or some expansion, but unfortunately, there isn’t one.
Also, why water down descriptions of violence in a sira that’s all about clan conflicts and wars and kingdom expansions? Seems a little strange to me.
Circling back to my main point, all in all, I really did enjoy reading this story, but the problem (besides what I’ve already said) is that I don’t have another translation to compare it to, so I’m really making do with what I have. I hope, in the future, there can be more adaptations/translations of this story, and who knows—maybe a translation of the full sira?
3.5/5
I was really excited to discover this translation. Old Arabic texts are tricky for me to read, so coming across an accessible version of one had me picking this book up in an instant. Although, I was a little disappointed to learn that only a selection of the original sira was translated, I can understand why, considering its massive length. I wish we’d gotten some sort of clarification as to why these particular parts were chosen for translation, though? What met the criteria to be translated, and what didn’t? This is not clear.
Overall, I still enjoyed reading this. Princess Fatima is an incredibly strong leader and fighter, unwavering in front of all the hardships she faces. Even in fear, she stands tall and sure of herself. She is betrayed and doubted even by those closest to her, but not once does she yield. I wish she were a hero more people knew about.
However, I have some reservations about this translation. For one, I don’t agree with how Magidow compares Fatima to Marvel comic characters, which is definitely a strange thing to read in a sira translation, but maybe that’s just my own opinion. There is also the matter of translating amira / أميرة as “commander”—more accurately, it means “princess”, similar to the masculine version, amir / أمير , which means “prince”. Not to mention, there seems to be some inconsistency with the tone of the translation, sometimes switching from a formal one to an informal one for no apparent reason. It took me out of the moment instantly.
Moreover, I really wish the Arabic writing of names was kept somewhere in the text. It was difficult to tell how I’m supposed to pronounce names like Sahsah and Bani Tayy, like, why am I being forced to read Arabic names and words in English letters? I can read Arabic, give me the Arabic versions too! Make my life easier!
But perhaps my most pressing issue is with the footnotes—there was definitely room to make them more expansive in order to explain the historical and cultural context of the time. There are some religious stories recounted that I wish had been further explained. And some instances I felt needed an explanation, or some expansion, but unfortunately, there isn’t one.
Also, why water down descriptions of violence in a sira that’s all about clan conflicts and wars and kingdom expansions? Seems a little strange to me.
Circling back to my main point, all in all, I really did enjoy reading this story, but the problem (besides what I’ve already said) is that I don’t have another translation to compare it to, so I’m really making do with what I have. I hope, in the future, there can be more adaptations/translations of this story, and who knows—maybe a translation of the full sira?
3.5/5