Tawfīq. Show Me God
This translated collection “Show Me God”, originally written by playwright Tawfiq al-Hakim, includes twenty short stories that combine a curious, elegant, and mysterious exposition of the human psyche and its philosophical, symbolic, and intriguing issues and inclinations. The stories are examples of Al-Hakim’s ability to unleash his imagination to bring the reader to awareness and certainty. Abdul Rahman Chamseddine has employed his linguistic abilities to convey the atmosphere of these stories as well as the mysteries, charm, and symbolism they contain to English-speaking readers through a smooth and accurate translation. Words were careful chosen to reflect the depth of the meanings Al-Hakim wished to convey to the reader’s mind and imagination, allowing English readers to enjoy these short stories as much as Arabic readers have done since the publication of the series of stories in 1953. Chamseddine, keen to preserve the style of Al-Hakim as a cynical, yet profound storyteller, utilized symbols to bring the reader to a conclusion touching the truth characterized within the story. Al-Hakim has been called the father of the theater in Egypt and the Arab world and one of the founders of the art of the play, novel, and story in modern Arabic literature. (194 WORDS)