لؤلؤة الجبل الزرقاء | The Blue Pearl of Chefchaouen
"A traveling photographer discovers passion with a Berber woman in the blue-washed streets of Chefchaouen."
لؤلؤة الجبل الزرقاء
The Blue Pearl of Chefchaouen
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
وَصَلْتُ إِلَى شَفْشَاوَنَ بَاحِثًا عَنِ الأَزْرَقِ.
I arrived in Chefchaouen searching for blue.
اللَّوْنُ الَّذِي يَمْلَأُ كُلَّ زُقَاقٍ وَجِدَارٍ.
The color that fills every alley and wall.
لَكِنَّنِي وَجَدْتُ لَوْنًا آخَرَ فِي عَيْنَيْهَا.
But I found another color in her eyes.
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
كَانَتْ تَبِيعُ السَّجَّادَ الأَمَازِيغِيَّ فِي السُّوقِ.
She was selling Amazigh carpets in the market.
امْرَأَةٌ فِي الأَرْبَعِينَ، بِوَشْمٍ عَلَى ذَقَنِهَا.
A woman in her forties, with a tattoo on her chin.
"هَذِهِ السَّجَّادَاتُ تَحْكِي قَصَصًا،" قَالَتْ.
"These carpets tell stories," she said.
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
"وَأَنْتِ؟ مَا قِصَّتُكِ؟" سَأَلْتُهَا.
"And you? What is your story?" I asked her.
"أَرْمَلَةٌ مِنَ الجَبَلِ... زَوْجِي مَاتَ فِي الثَّلْجِ."
"A widow from the mountain... my husband died in the snow."
"الآنَ أَنَا وَحِيدَةٌ مَعَ سَجَّادَاتِي."
"Now I am alone with my carpets."
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
"هَلْ أَسْتَطِيعُ تَصْوِيرَكِ؟" سَأَلْتُهَا.
"Can I photograph you?" I asked her.
"لِمَاذَا تُرِيدُ صُورَةَ امْرَأَةٍ عَجُوزٍ؟"
"Why do you want a picture of an old woman?"
"لِأَنَّ وَجْهَكِ خَرِيطَةُ جَبَلٍ."
"Because your face is a mountain map."
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
دَعَتْنِي إِلَى بَيْتِهَا فِي أَعْلَى المَدِينَةِ.
She invited me to her house at the top of the medina.
"هُنَا أَنْسُجُ السَّجَّادَ لَيْلاً."
"Here I weave carpets at night."
"وَحْدَكِ فِي هَذَا الصَّمْتِ؟"
"Alone in this silence?"
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
"الصَّمْتُ صَدِيقِي... لَكِنَّهُ بَارِدٌ."
"Silence is my friend... but it is cold."
رَأَيْتُ الوَحْدَةَ فِي عَيْنَيْهَا.
I saw loneliness in her eyes.
"هَلْ تُرِيدِينَ دِفْئًا اللَّيْلَةَ؟"
"Do you want warmth tonight?"
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
عَلَى سَجَّادَتِهَا الأَمَازِيغِيَّةِ، وَجَدْنَا الدِّفْءَ.
On her Amazigh carpet, we found warmth.
كُلُّ خَيْطٍ فِي السَّجَّادَةِ شَاهِدٌ عَلَى لَيْلَتِنَا.
Every thread in the carpet was witness to our night.
"جَسَدُكِ كَجِبَالِ الرِّيفِ... قَوِيٌّ وَجَمِيلٌ."
"Your body is like the Rif mountains... strong and beautiful."
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
بَقِيتُ فِي شَفْشَاوَنَ شَهْرًا كَامِلاً.
I stayed in Chefchaouen for a whole month.
لَيْسَ لِتَصْوِيرِ الأَزْرَقِ.
Not to photograph blue.
بَلْ لِأَتَعَلَّمَ نَسْجَ الحُبِّ مَعَهَا.
But to learn to weave love with her.
الخاتمة | Conclusion
الآنَ عِنْدِي سَجَّادَةٌ فِي بَيْتِي.
Now I have a carpet in my home.
كُلَّمَا نَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهَا، أَتَذَكَّرُهَا.
Whenever I look at it, I remember her.
المَرْأَةَ الَّتِي نَسَجَتْ قَلْبِي مَعَ خُيُوطِهَا.
The woman who wove my heart with her threads.
من حكايات شفشاون From the Tales of Chefchaouen