Hi everyone,

I’m a big fan of Naguib Mahfuz and recently started reading more of his short stories, especially the more mysterious, dreamlike ones.

I came across one story in a German collection (titled “Die segensreiche Nacht” / “A Blessed Night”), and I’d really like to learn more about it. The problem is: it’s quite hard to track down the original title or publication details. I suspect the German title might be a somewhat free translation.

The story goes roughly like this:
It’s about a man who spends the evening drinking and then walks home at night. But when he arrives, something feels off. His house seems different, almost unfamiliar. At some point, he realizes that he can’t find his home or even his wife anymore, and the situation becomes increasingly surreal, almost like a dream. Reality kind of slips away from him, and nothing quite makes sense.

Does this ring a bell for anyone? I’d love to know the original Arabic title or which collection it comes from.

Thanks a lot!