Sifaks iḥemmel Katya yerna seg wul-is. D ilemẓiyen i myeḥmalen s tidet mačči d aqesser! Acḥal d abrid i as-t-id-ibeggen Sifaks. Seg wasmi ay tt-yemlal yiwet n tikelt deg Tgejda asmi ruḥen ukud d yimdukal n uɣerbaz-nsen, ur mfaraqen. Segmi mlalent wallen d wallen, tekcem ɣer wul-is am lebraq, akken i as-yeqqar. Skud izerri wakud, tayri-nsen tettzad, tettnerni gar yiḍ d wass, ulawen-nsen ğğuğugen, fessun am ujeğğig deg tefsut… Ah i telha tayri! Ddunit akk teqqel d tafsut, tessa anagar d ijeğğigen… Wi ara yafen akk ussan am wid i ttidiren mi ara mlilen… Degmi, assen d ass yifen akk ussan imi d win n lferḥ d ucmumeḥ. Teddun afus deg ufus, ulawen neflen seg tayri asmi mmden akka d inubiyen. Asmi qqaren deg tesnawit, mlalen diɣen deg Uswel. Teddun abrid abrid, snesren-d iman-nsen ɣef yimdukal-nsen, ffɣen akkin anda i beεdent wallen. Sifaks iḥulfa i yimeslayen ẓiden teffɣen-d iman-nsen seg yimi-s amzun yeččur d tamment:
– Acḥal i kem-ḥemmleɣ a Katya tucbiḥt ! Tezgiḍ tzedɣeḍ ul-iw. Mi telliḍ zhiɣ,; mi ulac-ikem nnuɣnaɣ,; yerna ulac win ara yi-isebbren; terwi, imḥaddan ulac!
– Amek akka a Sifaks-iw? I as-terra Katya, ul-is yenfel seg lferḥ. Aha kan ini-d ḥemmleɣ ad k-sleɣ tettmeslayeḍ,; irewwel fell-i lweḥc d lxiq!
– Iyyah? Akka ɣer da akk i tessawḍeḍ ?
– Awwah, mazal ur twalaḍ kra! Ayen yeffren, yugar idurar n Ğerğer!
– Oh? Twalaḍ tura? Tirga-w teffɣent! Jmaεliman ara kem-ḥemmleɣ ugar n kra yellan deg ddunit acku tuɣaleḍ d tacriḥt deg-i; yerna d taqcict d wawal ama deg ssifa neɣ deg ttrebga neɣ deg wayen-nniḍen. Mačči ala nekk ay t-id-yennan. Tekkseḍ i teɣzalt sser…
Yeḍsa-t-id s wul-is, Katya diɣen, mlalent wallen-nsen, yiwet n tmuɣli yuččuren d tayri, tezmer ad tecεel tmes deg waluḍ am ulac ! Am trisiti mi ara tnal aman! A lferḥ anda ara tuɣaleḍ! Tezmeḍ-as afus-is, serrḥen d taḍsa.
– Iyyah? Ihi i nekk d acu ara d-iniɣ? Ayen akka d-teqqareḍ,; dayen uɣur ttxemmimeɣ ula d nekk!
Djamal Arezki
Tettkemmil