{"product_id":"rhadopis-of-nubia-isbn-9781400076680","title":"Rhadopis of Nubia","description":"Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz mines the riches of his homeland’s ancient past in \u003ci\u003eR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003ehadopis of Nubia\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e, \u003c\/i\u003ean unforgettable love story set against the high politics of Egypt’s Sixth Dynasty.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile the ravishing courtesan Rhadopis is bathing, a falcon lifts one of her golden sandals and drops it into the lap of the Pharaoh Merenra II. Upon hearing Rhadopis described as “beauty itself,” the young pharaoh decides to return Rhadopis’s sandal himself. When the two meet, they are immediately seized by a passion far stronger than their ability to resist. Thus begins a love affair that makes them the envy of Egyptian society. But blinded by their love and the extravagant attentions they lavish on each other, they ignore the growing resentment of the world around them in this extraordinary tale of star-crossed love.“Mahfouz’s characters blaze with intensity, his Egypt pulsates with unresolved tensions.” –\u003ci\u003eThe Atlanta Constitution\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Through works rich in nuance–now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous–Mahfouz has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind.” –The Swedish Academy, The Nobel Prize in Literature\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mahfouz’s novels provide a voice for his culture.” –\u003ci\u003eThe Denver Post\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“He is not only a Hugo and a Dickens, but also a Galsworthy, a Mann, a Zola and a Jules Romains.” –Edward Said\u003ci\u003e, London Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003eNaguib Mahfouz was born in Cairo in 1911 and began writing when he was seventeen. His nearly forty novels and hundreds of short stories range from re-imaginings of ancient myths to subtle commentaries on contemporary Egyptian politics and culture. Of his many works, most famous is The Cairo Trilogy, consisting of \u003ci\u003ePalace Walk\u003c\/i\u003e (1956), \u003ci\u003ePalace of Desire\u003c\/i\u003e (1957), and \u003ci\u003eSugar Street\u003c\/i\u003e (1957), which focuses on a Cairo family through three generations, from 1917 until 1952. In 1988, he was the first writer in Arabic to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He died in August 2006. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnthony Calderbank is the translator of \u003ci\u003eZaat \u003c\/i\u003eby Sonallah Ibrahim and two novels by Miral al-Tahawy,\u003ci\u003e The Tent \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eBlue Aubergine.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Festival of the Nile\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The first light of dawn peered over the eastern horizon that morning in the  month of Bashans, more than four thousand years ago. The high priest of the  temple of the god Sothis gazed at the vast expanse of sky with tired eyes,  for he had not slept the whole night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Finding the object of his surveillance, his eyes lit upon Sirius, the  auspicious star, its light twinkling in the heart of the firmament. His face  glowed with jubilation and his heart quivered with joy. He prostrated  himself on the hallowed floor of the temple and gave thanks, crying out at  the top of his voice that the image of the god Sothis had appeared in the  heavens, announcing to the inhabitants of the valley the glad tidings of the  sacred River Nile's inundation. It was a message from His merciful and  compassionate hands. The beautiful voice of the high priest woke the  sleeping populace and they rose joyfully from their beds. They turned their  faces to the sky until their eyes fixed upon the sacred star, and they  repeated the incantation of the priest, their hearts awash with gratitude  and delight. They left their houses and hurried to the bank of the Nile to  witness the first ripples, bearers of bounty and good fortune. The voice of  the priest of Sothis resounded through Egypt's still air, announcing the  good news to the South: \"Come celebrate the holy festival of the Nile!\" And  they tied up their belongings and set off, great and humble alike, from  Thebes and Memphis, Harmunet and Sout and Khamunu, all heading for the  capital Abu, in chariots speeding down the valley and boats plowing the  billows.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Abu was the capital of Egypt. Its lofty structures were set upon huge slabs  of granite, and the sand dunes in between them, long since tamed by the  wondrous silt of the Nile, were awash with greenness and fertility. Acacia  and doum trees grew there, as well as date palms and mulberries, and the  fields were planted with herbs and vegetables and clover. There were vines  in abundance and pastures and gardens watered by bubbling streams where  flocks grazed. Pigeons and doves circled in the sky. The scent of flowers  drifted on the fresh breeze and the chirping of nightingales mingled  harmoniously with the songs of myriad birds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    In only a few days, Abu and its two islands, Biga and Bilaq, were packed  with visitors. Houses filled up with guests and tents crowded the public  squares. Throngs of people moved through the streets and gathered around the  conjurers, singers, and dancers. A multitude of traders hawked their wares  in the markets and the fronts of houses were decorated with banners and  olive branches. The people's eyes were dazzled by the groups of royal guards  from the island of Bilaq with their ornate uniforms and long swords. Bands  of pious believers hastened to the temples of Sothis and the Nile, making  vows and giving offerings. The songs of the minstrels mixed with the drunken  cries of the revelers as a mood of unbridled joy and raucous entertainment  pervaded the normally composed atmosphere of Abu.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Finally the day of the festival arrived. Everyone made their way to one  place, the long road stretching between Pharaoh's palace and the hill upon  which stood the temple of the Nile. The air was hot from the excitement in  their breath and the earth strained under their weight. Many despaired of  ever finding a place on land and went down to the boats and set sail to the  temple hill, singing Nile songs to the accompaniment of flutes and lyres,  and dancing to the beat of drums.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Soldiers lined the edges of the great road lances at the ready. At equal  distances apart, life-size statues of the kings of the Sixth Dynasty had  been erected, Pharaoh's father and forefathers. Those nearest to the front  could see the pharaohs: Userkara, Teti I, Pepi I, Mohtemsawef I, and Pepi  II.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The clamor of voices filled the air, each one impossible to distinguish,  like the waves on a raging ocean, leaving no trace except an awesome,  all-encompassing uproar. Now and then, however, an especially powerful voice  would stand out, crying: \"Glory be to Sothis who has brought us glad  tidings!\" or \"Glory be to the sacred Nile god who brings life and fertility  to our land!\" And here and there voices requested the wines of Maryut and  the meads of Abu, calling for merriment and forgetfulness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    One group of spectators stood together, chatting earnestly among themselves,  indications of affluence and nobility showing upon their faces. One of them  raised his eyebrows in wonder and contemplation, and said, \"How many  pharaohs have looked down upon this multitude and beheld this great day?  Then they all passed away as if they had never existed, and yet in their  day, how those pharaohs filled the eyes and hearts of their people.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Yes,\" said another. \"They have gone, just as we all will go, and there they  will rule a world more glorious than this one. Look at the position I hold.  How many will hold it in future generations, and relive the hopes and joys  that flutter in our breasts at this moment? I wonder if they will talk about  us as we are talking about them?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Surely there must be more to us than a simple mention by future  generations? If only there was no death.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Could this valley ever be wide enough to accommodate all those generations  that have passed away? Death is as natural as life. What is the value of  eternity as long as we eat our fill after going hungry, grow old after being  young, and know despair after joy?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"How do you think they live in the world of Osiris?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Wait, and you will know soon enough.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Another one said, \"This is the first time the gods have granted me the  pleasure of seeing Pharaoh.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"I have seen him before,\" his friend remarked, \"on the day of the great  coronation, some months ago in this very spot.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Look at the statues of his mighty ancestors.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"You'll see that he greatly resembles his grandfather Mohtemsawef I.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"How handsome he is!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Indeed, indeed. Pharaoh is a beautiful young man. There is none like him in  his imposing height and his unmistakable comeliness.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"I wonder what legacy he will bequeath?\" asked one of the group. \"Will it be  obelisks and temples, or memories of conquest in the north and south?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"If my intuition serves me right I suspect it will be the latter.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Why?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"He is a most courageous young man.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The other shook his head cautiously: \"It is said that his youth is  headstrong, and that His Majesty is possessed of violent whims, is fond of  romance, enjoys extravagance and luxury, and is as rash and impetuous as a  raging storm.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The one listening laughed quietly and whispered, \"And what is so surprising  about that? Are not most Egyptians fond of romance and enjoy extravagance  and luxury? Why should Pharaoh be any different?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Lower your voice, man. You know nothing about the matter. Did you not know  that he clashed with the men of the priesthood from the first day he  ascended to the throne? He wants money to spend on constructing palaces and  planting gardens while the priests are demanding the allotted share of the  gods and the temples in full. The young king's predecessors bestowed  influence and wealth upon the priesthood, but he eyes it all greedily.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"It is truly regrettable that the king should begin his reign in  confrontation.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Indeed. And do not forget that Khnumhotep, the prime minister and high  priest, is a man of iron will and most intractable. And then there is the  high priest of Memphis, that illustrious city whose shining star has begun  to wane under the rule of this glorious dynasty.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The man was alarmed at the news, which had not found his ears before, and he  said, \"Then let us pray that the gods will grant men wisdom, patience, and  forethought.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Amen, amen,\" said the others with heartfelt sincerity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    One of the spectators turned toward the Nile and prodded his companion in  the elbow, saying, \"Look at the river, my friend. Whose beautiful boat is  that coming from the island of Biga? It is like the sun rising over the  eastern horizon.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    His friend craned his neck to see the river and saw a wonderful barge, not  one of the large ones, but neither too small, green in color like a verdant  island floating on the water. From a distance, its cabin seemed high, though  it was not possible to make out who was inside. At the top of its mast was a  huge billowing sail and the oars on either side moved in solemn harmony,  pulled by hundreds of arms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The man wondered for a moment, then said, \"Perhaps it belongs to one of the  wealthy men of Biga.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A man standing nearby was listening to their conversation, and looking at  them, shook his head. \"I would wager that you two gentlemen are guests  here,\" he said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The two men laughed and one of them said, \"You would be right to do so, my  dear sir. We are from Thebes. Two of the many thousands who have answered  the call of the illustrious festival and hastened to the capital from all  nations. Could that majestic barge belong to one of your notable citizens?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The man smiled mysteriously and shook his finger at them in warning as he  said, \"Be in good spirits, my dear gentlemen. The boat does not belong to a  man but rather to a woman. Indeed, it is the ship of a beautiful courtesan  whom the people of Abu and its two islands Biga and Bilaq know well.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"And who, pray, is this beautiful woman?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Rhadopis, Rhadopis the enchantress and seductress, queen of all hearts and  passions.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The man pointed to the island of Biga and continued: \"She lives over there  in her enchanting white palace. That is where her lovers and admirers head  to compete for her affections and to stimulate the flow of her compassion.  You may be lucky enough to see her, may the gods protect your hearts from  harm.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The eyes of the two men, and many others in the crowd, turned once again  toward the boat, their faces filled with curiosity, as the barge slowly  neared the shore and the skiffs and fishing boats scrambled to make way for  it. As the barge inched forward, it gradually disappeared behind the hill on  which the temple of the Nile stood, the bow passing first out of sight, then  the cabin. When at last it came to rest at the wharf, all that could be seen  of it was the top of the mast and part of the billowing sail that surged in  the breeze like a banner of love that offers shade to hearts and souls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A brief moment passed and then four Nubians, coming from the shore, strode  into view and proceeded to open a way through the heaving throng of people.  Following close behind came four others carrying on their shoulders a  sumptuous palanquin, the like of which only princes and nobles possess. In  it was a young woman of ravishing beauty, reclining on pillows, her  tender-skinned arm leaning upon a cushion. In her right hand she held a fan  of ostrich feathers, and in her eyes, gazing proudly at the distant horizon,  a sleepy, dreamlike look shimmered, fit to pierce all creatures to the  quick.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The small procession edged slowly forward, eyes transfixed upon it from all  quarters, until at length it reached the front row of spectators. There the  woman leaned forward a little with a neck like a gazelle, and from her rosy  lips sprang such words the like of which the soul desires. The slaves drew  to a halt and stood motionless in their places like bronze statues. The  woman resumed her former posture and was lost once again in her dreams as  she waited for Pharaoh's procession which, without a doubt, she had come to  see.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Only her top half could be seen. Those fortunate enough to be near her  caught glimpses of her jet-black hair adorned with threads of shining silk  as it fell about the radiant orb of her face and cascaded onto her shoulders  in a halo of night, as though it were a divine crown. Her cheeks were like  fresh roses and her delicate mouth was parted slightly to reveal teeth like  jasmine petals in the sunlight set in a ring of cloves. Her dark, deep,  heavy-lidded eyes had a glint in them that knew love as the creation knows  its creator. Never before had a face been seen in which such beauty had  chosen to take up lasting abode.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The sight of her had everyone enthralled and stirred the waning hearts of  tired old men. Fiery looks rained down on her from all directions, so hot  they would have melted slate had they encountered it on their way. Sparks of  loathing flew from the women's eyes, and in whispers the discussion went  from mouth to mouth among those standing around her: \"What an enchanting and  seductive woman she is.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Rhadopis. They call her the mistress of the island.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Her beauty is overpowering. No heart can resist it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"It brings only despair to him who beholds it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"You are right. No sooner had I set eyes upon her than an untameable  stirring arose in my breast. I was weighed down by the burdens of an  oppressive tyranny, and feeling a devilish rebellion, my heart turned and  shunned what was before me, and I was overcome by disappointment and  unending shame.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"That is most regrettable. For I see her as a paragon of joy well worthy of  worship.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"She is a calamitous evil.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"We are too weak to handle such ravishing beauty.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Lord have mercy on her lovers!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Do you not know that her lovers are the cream of the men of the kingdom?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Truly?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"To love her is an obligation upon the notables of the upper classes, as  though it were a patriotic duty.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Her white palace was built by the brilliant architect Heni.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"And Ani, governor of the island of Biga, furnished it with works of art  from Memphis and Thebes.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"How wonderful!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"And Henfer, the master sculptor, carved its statues and adorned its walls.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Indeed he did, and General Tahu, commander of Pharaoh's guard, gave some of  his priceless pieces.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"If all of them are competing for her affections, then who is the lucky man  she will choose for herself?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Do you think you'll find a lucky man in this unfortunate city?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"I do not think that woman will ever fall in love.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"How do you know? Maybe she will fall in love with a slave or an animal.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Never. The strength of her beauty is colossal, and what need does strength  have of love?\"A Novel of Ancient Egypt","brand":"Anchor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300768731365,"sku":"NP9781400076680","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781400076680.jpg?v=1767735729","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/rhadopis-of-nubia-isbn-9781400076680","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}