The Al-Qata'i' Trilogy by Ibn Tulun

In the alleys, the scent of baking and sweets reminds us of the good things in life and the taste of love. No one here gets enough of bread with sugar, from hand to hand and mouth to mouth, the wheat melts deep within, then refreshes the vague memory. In this city, a tailor weaves a pure silk garment, and no one knows the fate of its owner. Perhaps it was a dress for a yearning and wishing bride, or for the governor of the land who walks with arrogant joy. Perhaps it was made of threads mixed with hardship and suffering, or patience and endurance. Here lies incomplete joy and a body always helpless, even if it takes pride in its sin. In this city, a blacksmith makes swords and thinks of those who will die by them. He wishes they would eliminate every oppressor and every greedy person, yet he knows they will sever innocent heads and some heads of those lost in dark paths, and many heads of warriors fighting for a memory that always slips through our fingers. And this shop copies books about a past history and a coming one. It tries to gather memory secretly and remember the wisdom of the ancients, but it is defeated by fire and destruction. And when the trace of the city is erased and power triumphs over memory, writing becomes essential. In preserving the papers, there is some victory. Here, an old man died without wavering from the truth, and here a man fell victim to his dream, and here helplessness appeared to every strong person and weakness spread to every oppressor. Here, man discovered that he loses a part of himself every day that passes, and that the end is inevitable and will be accompanied by some despair and much longing.