Derb Ech Chergui درب الشرقي

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mayapan

Member
English - Australia
On page 72 of the novel, The Sheltering Sky, the above Arabic is spoken by Port, as he and others are coming to a town by car. As the car enters the town, a woman in the car gives instructions and makes other comments as the car pulls to stop. After listening to her, Port suddenly says: "Derb Ech Chergui." With some astonishment, the woman looks at Port, who says, reassuringly: "I was just reading a sign."

Any help with those words in Arabic would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
    • Yes, it means "the Eastern way" (درب/دروب is used for narrow ways). According to the context, it is the name of the street.
     
    I've heard about these places yet I always thought there were as the word درب implies: merely narrow streets haha. So they're districts and the word bears this meaning in Morocco too... Interesting, I didn't know, thank you :). In فأس the word درب usually refers to narrow streets of the old city
     
    mayapan said:
    On page 72 of the novel, The Sheltering Sky, the above Arabic is spoken by Port, as he and others are coming to a town by car. As the car enters the town, a woman in the car gives instructions and makes other comments as the car pulls to stop. After listening to her, Port suddenly says: "Derb Ech Chergui." With some astonishment, the woman looks at Port, who says, reassuringly: "I was just reading a sign."

    Any help with those words in Arabic would be appreciated. Thanks.
    Click to expand...
    I believe that derb means street. I think ech means of the. I think that chergui is a hot wind from the south. I read a biography of Bowles that says that he was fascinated by names as a young lad. I believe that names are used as clues in the book --- Port Moresby, 'Smail, La Rue de la Mer Rouge among them.
     
    I think chergui as wind makes sense. The wind is very interesting to follow in the story. After Port and Kit bicycle in the desert, Port returns alone and the wind chills him. As Port is dying, the wind and the light appear to be in mortal combat. I think it may be intended to recall the fight between Zeus and his rival,Typhon.
     
    This is fiction. The author can name people or things as he pleases, or forego naming them at all. He names another street La Rue de la Mer Rouge. Does that indicate the Red Sea? He uses names as clues to lead us to the story. Lt. d'Armagnac asks Port, "Shall we make a detective story of it?" The detectives are the readers. A Moroccan told me that chergui was a hot wind from the south. As Port is chilled in the desert, the chill comes from the wind below.
     
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