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عطبة

English translation: smoky odour/burning heart/broken heart

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Arabic term or phrase:عطبة
English translation:smoky odour/burning heart/broken heart

21:21 Feb 16, 2021
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2021-02-20 11:54:15 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


Arabic to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Arabic term or phrase: عطبة
I'm working on a text which takes part mostly on a ship. In this scene the narrator is talking about anger that is building among the sailors.
I understand that the word means a rag, one which can catch fire easily - as I found this meaning in Al-maany. (https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-ar/عطبة/) But I just wanted to confirm that I've understood this correctly in the context, that something can smell of a rag on fire, or a rag that can catch fire easily? Meaning it's been doused in oil?

Here is the sentence:

والظلام كما كل الظلام٬ كما ظلام الجبل٬ ،لكنه الآن له رائحة العطبة٬ هناك غضب مزمجر في الردهات
Saliha18
Local time: 12:51
smoky odour/burning heart/broken heart
Explanation:
In Gulf Area they use رائحة العطاب for any smoke odour. So for example : اشتم رائحة عطاب I smell smoke (that type of a starting fire) but sure they dont mean the rag itself , they mean the smelling of the smoke of a starting fire , a fire at its start which has special smell . That smell they call it عطاب. And it is for them an alarming moment to find the source of that smoke.

https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-en/رائحة-الدخان/

And since this is a poem so عطبة means here the broken heart that got the fire of sadness (whatever the reason of that sadness)

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Note added at 39 mins (2021-02-16 22:01:28 GMT)
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عطّاب او عطّابة او عطبة are same just different accents
Selected response from:

Z-Translations Translator
Local time: 22:51
Grading comment
This is perfect! It is an Omani text, so this fits really well with the context. Thank you so much. This one isn't a poem, so it's not 'broken heart', but rather the smell of smoke. (as you said)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2smoky odour/burning heart/broken heart
Z-Translations Translator
5Yes, I think that's the meaning.
Youssef Chabat
4A celery smell
Angie Halloum


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Yes, I think that's the meaning.


Explanation:
.

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Note added at 3 mins (2021-02-16 21:25:24 GMT)
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That's surely the intended meaning.

Youssef Chabat
Morocco
Local time: 12:51
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 94
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
smoky odour/burning heart/broken heart


Explanation:
In Gulf Area they use رائحة العطاب for any smoke odour. So for example : اشتم رائحة عطاب I smell smoke (that type of a starting fire) but sure they dont mean the rag itself , they mean the smelling of the smoke of a starting fire , a fire at its start which has special smell . That smell they call it عطاب. And it is for them an alarming moment to find the source of that smoke.

https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-en/رائحة-الدخان/

And since this is a poem so عطبة means here the broken heart that got the fire of sadness (whatever the reason of that sadness)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 39 mins (2021-02-16 22:01:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

عطّاب او عطّابة او عطبة are same just different accents

Z-Translations Translator
Local time: 22:51
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 68
Grading comment
This is perfect! It is an Omani text, so this fits really well with the context. Thank you so much. This one isn't a poem, so it's not 'broken heart', but rather the smell of smoke. (as you said)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  TargamaT team: smoky odour
11 hrs
  -> Thanks a lot
agree  Milena Atanasova: smoky odour
3 days 14 hrs
  -> Thanks a lot
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
A celery smell


Explanation:
I have searched for the meaning of عطبة. It is the smell of burning plastic or polyester. When you search for this smell in particular, chemistry speacialists describe the process of burning polyster as having a celery smell كرائحة الكرفس. Smoky is quite good but very general and down to earth. This is poetry after all.Good luck.

Angie Halloum
United Arab Emirates
Local time: 15:51
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
PRO pts in category: 31
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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