أرملة المدابغ | The Tannery Widow of Fez
"A master tanner discovers unexpected passion with a voluptuous widow who comes to buy leather in the ancient tanneries of Fez."
أرملة المدابغ
The Tannery Widow of Fez
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
جَاءَتْ إِلَى مَدَابِغِ فَاسَ تَبْحَثُ عَنْ جِلْدٍ لِخِيَاطَةِ حَقِيبَةٍ.
She came to the Fez tanneries looking for leather to sew a bag.
كَانَتْ فِي الأَرْبَعِينَ، مُمْتَلِئَةَ الجَسَدِ، سَمْرَاءَ كَالجِلْدِ المَدْبُوغِ.
She was in her forties, full-bodied, brown like tanned leather.
"السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ،" قَالَتْ بِصَوْتٍ كَالحَرِيرِ.
"Peace be upon you," she said in a voice like silk.
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
أَنَا حَمْزَةُ، مُعَلِّمُ الدِّبَاغَةِ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً.
I am Hamza, master tanner for thirty years.
لَمْ أَرَ امْرَأَةً تُثِيرُنِي هَكَذَا مُنْذُ رَحِيلِ زَوْجَتِي.
I hadn't seen a woman who stirred me like this since my wife passed.
"تَفَضَّلِي إِلَى الدَّاخِلِ، يَا لَالَّة."
"Come inside, Lalla."
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
أَرَيْتُهَا أَجْوَدَ الجُلُودِ: الأَحْمَرَ كَالنَّبِيذِ، وَالأَصْفَرَ كَالشَّمْسِ.
I showed her the finest leathers: red like wine, and yellow like sun.
لَمَسَتِ الجِلْدَ بِأَصَابِعِهَا النَّاعِمَةِ.
She touched the leather with her soft fingers.
"كَيْفَ تَصْنَعُونَ هَذَا النُّعُومَةَ؟"
"How do you make this softness?"
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
"بِالصَّبْرِ وَاللَّمْسَةِ الحَنُونَةِ،" قُلْتُ.
"With patience and a gentle touch," I said.
"الجِلْدُ كَالمَرْأَةِ... يَحْتَاجُ رِعَايَةً."
"Leather is like a woman... it needs care."
اِحْمَرَّتْ وَجْنَتَاهَا كَالجِلْدِ الأَحْمَرِ.
Her cheeks reddened like the red leather.
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
"أَنَا أَرْمَلَةٌ مُنْذُ سَنَتَيْنِ،" قَالَتْ فَجْأَةً.
"I've been a widow for two years," she said suddenly.
"وَأَنَا أَرْمَلُ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثٍ."
"And I've been a widower for three."
نَظَرَتْ إِلَيَّ بِعُيُونٍ تَسْأَلُ.
She looked at me with questioning eyes.
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
أَخَذْتُهَا إِلَى غُرْفَةِ التَّجْفِيفِ حَيْثُ لَا أَحَدَ.
I took her to the drying room where there was no one.
"الجُلُودُ هُنَا تَحْتَاجُ الحَرَارَةَ لِتَنْضَجَ."
"The leather here needs heat to mature."
"وَأَنَا أَيْضًا..." هَمَسَتْ.
"And so do I..." she whispered.
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
عَلَى فِرَاشٍ مِنَ الجُلُودِ النَّاعِمَةِ، وَجَدْنَا بَعْضَنَا.
On a bed of soft leather, we found each other.
جَسَدُهَا المُمْتَلِئُ كَانَ أَنْعَمَ مِنْ أَجْوَدِ جُلُودِي.
Her full body was softer than my finest leather.
"لَمْ أَشْعُرْ بِهَذَا مُنْذُ سَنَوَاتٍ..." قَالَتْ.
"I haven't felt this in years..." she said.
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
صَارَتْ تَزُورُنِي كُلَّ يَوْمِ خَمِيسٍ.
She started visiting me every Thursday.
نَتَقَابَلُ بَيْنَ أَحْوَاضِ الصِّبَاغَةِ وَرَائِحَةِ الجِلْدِ.
We meet between the dyeing vats and the smell of leather.
حُبُّنَا كَالجِلْدِ: يَزْدَادُ نُعُومَةً مَعَ الوَقْتِ.
Our love is like leather: it gets softer with time.
الخاتمة | Conclusion
عَلَّمَتْنِي أَنَّ القَلْبَ لَا يَعْرِفُ السِّنَّ.
She taught me that the heart knows no age.
وَأَنَّ المَرْأَةَ المُمْتَلِئَةَ كَالجِلْدِ الفَاخِرِ.
And that a full woman is like luxurious leather.
كُلَّمَا لَمَسْتَهَا، اكْتَشَفْتَ جَمَالاً جَدِيدًا.
The more you touch her, the more beauty you discover.
من حكايات فاس From the Tales of Fez