# Arabic Translation Help. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319 "2008-11-05T18:32:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/1 "2008-11-05T18:32:38Z")
I was unpacking some of my OIF souvenirs and I noticed that one of the bayonets has Arabic writing on it. I hadn’t noticed it before. Could someone here please translate it for me? I’m curious if its something innocuous like the previous owner’s name or something. Or if it’s “Death to the infedels” or something more interesting. So, what does [THIS](http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd259/bear_nenno/Untitled-1.jpg) say? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/2 "2008-11-05T18:58:35Z")
Sorry **Bear** , but those look to me like some pretty poor photos. I can more or less make out the shape of the characters but I can’t tell what the dots are. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/3 "2008-11-05T20:49:39Z")
Best I can do under the circumstances. Any guesses? [![](https://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd259/bear_nenno/Untitled-2.jpg) ](https://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd259/bear_nenno/Untitled-2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/4 "2008-11-05T21:12:38Z")
Something about, “…in thy mercy.” Ok, I got nothing but I couldn’t resist. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/5 "2008-11-05T21:22:46Z")
Let me send it to Saudi. Maybe someone will reply. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/6 "2008-11-05T21:48:41Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > I was unpacking some of my OIF souvenirs and I noticed that one of the bayonets has Arabic writing on it. It has the look of Arabic, but I’m not sure it is. I do not read Arabic but I am familiar with the alpahbet and I don’t recognize most of this as Arabic letters, except for possibly the right side of the lower photo, which vaguely reminds of “Allah” but I don’t think that’s what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/7 "2008-11-05T23:20:38Z")
That is definitely Arabic writing. (I don’t speak Arabic, but I am studying Persian.) The upper right photo looks like it says “ma fatan” to me, except I don’t know why the last two letters wouldn’t be connected, which makes me wonder if I am reading it correctly. Could be “fakan”? The bottom photo is illegible, AFAICT. Could be “mafash ma”? Without the context of actually knowing what any of it means, I can’t figure it out. None of it resembles “Allah” at all. Yes, I know I am super helpful. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/8 "2008-11-06T01:20:22Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > None of it resembles “Allah” at all. Just for others, [here is an example of “Allah”](http://indianmuslims.in/allah-ishwar-tere-naam/) prominently on this page. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/9 "2008-11-06T01:33:58Z")
My wife couldn’t read it, she’s Egyptian. I’ve sent it off to her Uncle in Cairo to see what he can make of it. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/10 "2008-11-06T11:39:18Z")
Looks a bit like “barkat”. Means “blessings”. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/11 "2008-11-06T11:51:40Z")
“Insha’Allah and the creeks don’t rise.” ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/12 "2008-11-06T14:29:02Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Just for others, [here is an example of “Allah”](http://indianmuslims.in/allah-ishwar-tere-naam/) prominently on this page. And? Sorry, mate, none of that resembles Allah at all, if you actually know the alphabet. As for the images, almost impossible to read. The first part (from the right) seems to be Ha (7a) Kaf Ta (or ta marbuta, a bit unclear). Haket? Middle is illegible. End is Mim Kaf … then maybe should have been ta marbuta? It looks like the writer made a mistake. Could be intended to be Mecca. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/13 "2008-11-06T14:30:59Z")
Most likely something innocuous. By the way Mecca is not spelt any thing closely like that. Also read from right to left. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/14 "2008-11-06T14:37:23Z")
I am currently looking with a completely crap monitor, so all the photos look black to me. **Bear\_Nenno** , is the writing engraved or painted? If it’s engraved, perhaps a pencil rubbing would be easier to distinguish the lettering on. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/15 "2008-11-06T15:48:30Z")
> [@wmfellows](#): > > Sorry, mate, none of that resembles Allah at all, if you actually know the alphabet. And if the images are possible to read. > [@](#): > > As for the images, almost impossible to read. Oh. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arabic-translation-help/471319/16 "2008-11-06T18:12:15Z")
The writing appear to be made with a ballpoint pen. Definitely just a simple ink pen. The material it is written on is a soft rubber. This, plus time and elements, easily explains the difficulty in distinguishing the words. Here is a full picture of the knife and writing for scale. [![](https://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd259/bear_nenno/IMG_0002.jpg) ](https://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd259/bear_nenno/IMG_0002.jpg) Much thanks to everyone for helping!