"Martyrs of Maaloula"

Post in Western Neo-Aramaic

Of the three villages in the Qalamoun region to the west of Damascus that have preserved the Western Neo-Aramaic language, Maaloula is the most well-known, being a primarily Christian village. It was overrun by insurgent groups in 2013 before subsequently being recaptured by the Syrian army and its allies. As part of my ongoing efforts to document the Western Neo-Aramaic language and also to preserve the historical record, I present here a post documenting the ‘martyrs’ of Maaloula during the war in Syria (consisting of both military personnel who fought on the government side and civilians) with an introductory text in three languages: Western Neo-Aramaic, Arabic and English.

For the Western Neo-Aramaic version, I feature the dialects of Jub‘addin and Bakh‘a (the two other villages whose inhabitants speak the language). One speaker from Jub‘addin was even kind enough to provide me a version of the introductory text written in Syriac script. If you are using a Mac computer with Google Chrome browser, the Syriac text may not show on this post, in which case, switch to Safari browser.

(Western Neo-Aramaic: Jub‘addin dialect)

ܡܥܠܘܠܐ ܒܠܳܬܐ ܐܰܝܒܐ ܒ ܛܘܪܐ ܕܶܩܠܡܘܢܐ ܘ ܡܪܳܗ ܩܪܝܘܝܶܢ ܘ ܐܶܒܐ ܚܒܳܢ ܩܠܝܣܳܬ݂ܐ ܥܫ̃ܝܟܰܢ . ܐܶܫܢ 2013 ܐܶܥܒܪ ܐܶܠܗ ܕܶ ܫ̃ܡܰܪܶܕܶܢ ܘܶ ܒ ܦܜܶܠ ܓܰܝܫܐ ܣܳܪܳܗ ܘ ܕܶ ܐܰܝܒܢ ܥܶܡܶܗ ܢܶܦܟܬ݂ ܡ ܫ̃ܳܚܫ̃ܶ ܙܰܘܥܐ . ܡܰܪܳܗ ܚܰܡܶܠ ܚܳܠܳܢ ܒ ܗܰܘܝܬ݂ܳܢ ܘ ܗܝܗ ܩܕܡܬ݂ 30 ܫܰܗܝܕ ܘ ܗܳܫ ܒܢܰܐ ܡܢܫܘܪܐ ܒܚ ܢܰܪܶܢܚܶܢ ܫܡܐܝ ܫ̃ܪܳܡܐ

معلولا بلُتا أيبا بْـ طورا تِـ كلمُنا وْ مرُهْ كُـريُـيِـنْ وْ إپَّـا حَـبُـن كْليسُـثـا عَـتْشـيكَنْ . إشِنْ 2013 إعبِر إعْلَـهْ تِـ تْشْـمَـرِّدِنْ وِ بْـ فَظِل جَيشا سوروه وْ تِـ أيْبِن عِـمِّـهْ نِفكَثْ مْـ تْشُـحْـتْشِ زَوْعا . مَروهْ حَمِلْ حُلُنْ بْـ هويثُن وْ هيه كَتْمَثْ 30 شهيد وْ هُشْ بَـنَّا منشورا بَـحْ نَرِنْحِنْ شْماي تْشَـرُّما لِلْ

(“Maaloula is a village in the Qalamun mountains and its inhabitants are Christians and in the village there are many old churches. In the year 2013, insurgents entered into the village, but thanks to the Syrian army and forces with it, the village was freed from fear. Its inhabitants are proud of their identity and the village has given more than 30 martyrs, and in this post we will note their names in honour of them”)

(Western Neo-Aramaic: Bakh‘a dialect)

معلولا كريثة ثوكنة بحرفوي لقلمون... بنوشا تي كعين بلبا أكثرتن مذينا مسيحو... أوبا حيلا كنسيوثا قديموين.... شكلو لكريثة إرهابوين إشنل ٢٠١٣م...بس بفظل لجيشا سورو و كوثا شعبويثة تي عِمِّي كحشل لإرهابوين ملبا... بنوشا تي بلبي لمعلولا حميي لحالين بهويثن وطنويثا.. وكريثا كتمث أكثر منثليث شهيد عسكروين ومتنوين.... وبنا منشورا زعورا بتح نخثبل لشموي لشهيدو مشو لكيمتن تي ربَّا.... وبتي ييب خثبثل لشموي لشهيدو أورب شغلثة بتاريخا.

(“Maaloula is a village located in the Qalamun mountains. Most of the inhabitants are Christians, and there are many old churches in it. Terrorists seized the village in 2013, but thanks to the Syrian army and popular auxiliary forces, the terrorists were driven out from it. The people in Maaloula are proud of their national identity, and the village has given more than 30 military and civilian martyrs. In this small post, we will write the names of the martyrs in order to honour them, and documenting the names of martyrs is the greatest work in documenting history”).

Arabic:

تقع قرية معلولا في جبال قلبمون ومعظم سكانها من المكون المسيحي وفيها الكثير من الكنائس القديمة. سيطر المسلحون على القرية في عام ٢٠١٣ لكن بفضل الجيش السوري والقوات الرديفة تم تحريرها. ان سكان قرية معلولا يفتخرون بهويتهم الوطنية وقدمت القرية أكثر من ٣٠ شهيداً من بين العسكريين والمدنيين، وفي هذا المشنور البسيط نقدم أسماء الشهداء تكريماً لهم، ويكون تسجيل اسماء الشهداء من أهم الأعمال في توثيق التاريخ

(“Maaloula is a village located in the Qalamun mountains. Most of the inhabitants are Christians, and there are many old churches in it. Insurgents seized the village in 2013, but thanks to the Syrian army and the auxiliary forces, the village was liberated. The inhabitants of Maaloula are proud of their national identity, and the village has given more than 30 military and civilian martyrs. In this small post, we will write the names of the martyrs in order to honour them, and documenting the names of martyrs is among the greatest works in documenting history”).

Names of the martyrs

Memorial to the martyrs of the town of Maaloula on the occasion of Martyrs Day: 6 April 2021

Fadi Nu‘ama al-Sha‘ar
Sarkis Fariz Quba
Biyar Bashar Barkil
Elias Samir al-Khouri
Ibrahim Elias Bakhil
Michel Yusuf Quba
Muhammad Shahin Qamar
Nasif Elias Francis
Muhammad As‘ad Qamar
Michael Matanyus Th‘alab
Sarkis Habib al-Zakhm
Antun Lawandius Th‘alab
Atif Raghib Qaluha
Ghassan Michael Shanis
Dawud Sarkis Milan
Shawi Michael Th‘alab
Jihad Matanyus Th‘alab
Basil Joseph Halal
Zaki Sarkis Tabib
Elias Francis Francis
Michael Tawfiq Milan
Sarkis Hanna Milan
Jan Naqula al-Safadi
Matanyus Milad Farah
Maher Matanyus Farah
Samira Bashur Quba
Lawandius Boulos Wahbi
Shawi Elias Shalhub
Awham Joseph al-Sha‘ar
Charbel Naji Wahbi
George Maher Kalash
Ilia Tony al-Halabi
Michel Elias Quba
Ramiz Antun Quba