الحكواتي | The Storyteller of Marrakech
"An ancient storyteller in Jemaa el-Fna discovers passion with a woman who stays to hear all his tales."
الحكواتي
The Storyteller of Marrakech
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
أَحْكِي القَصَصَ فِي سَاحَةِ جَامِعِ الفَنَّا مُنْذُ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً.
I have told stories in Jemaa el-Fna square for forty years.
يَأْتِي النَّاسُ وَيَذْهَبُونَ.
People come and go.
لَكِنَّهَا بَقِيَتْ حَتَّى النِّهَايَةِ.
But she stayed until the end.
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
امْرَأَةٌ فِي الخَامِسَةِ وَالأَرْبَعِينَ، بِعُيُونٍ تُصْغِي.
A woman in her forty-five, with listening eyes.
"قِصَصُكَ سَاحِرَةٌ،" قَالَتْ.
"Your stories are enchanting," she said.
"وَأَنْتِ مُسْتَمِعَةٌ سَاحِرَةٌ."
"And you are an enchanting listener."
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
جَاءَتْ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ لِسَمَاعِ قِصَّةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ.
She came every night to hear a new story.
"هَلْ عِنْدَكَ قِصَّةُ حُبٍّ؟" سَأَلَتْنِي.
"Do you have a love story?" she asked me.
"كُلُّ قَصَصِي عَنِ الحُبِّ."
"All my stories are about love."
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
"لَكِنَّنِي أُرِيدُ قِصَّةً حَقِيقِيَّةً."
"But I want a real story."
"القِصَصُ الحَقِيقِيَّةُ لَا تُحْكَى... تُعَاشُ."
"Real stories are not told... they are lived."
نَظَرَتْ إِلَيَّ بِفَهْمٍ.
She looked at me with understanding.
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
بَعْدَ إِغْلَاقِ السَّاحَةِ، مَشَيْنَا فِي الأَزِقَّةِ.
After the square closed, we walked in the alleys.
"لِمَاذَا تَعِيشِينَ وَحْدَكِ؟" سَأَلْتُهَا.
"Why do you live alone?" I asked her.
"لِأَنَّنِي لَمْ أَجِدْ رَجُلًا يَعْرِفُ الكَلَامَ."
"Because I haven't found a man who knows words."
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
"أَنَا أَعْرِفُ الكَلِمَاتِ كُلَّهَا."
"I know all the words."
"فَأَسْمِعْنِي الكَلِمَةَ الَّتِي أَبْحَثُ عَنْهَا."
"Then let me hear the word I'm looking for."
"حَبِيبَتِي..." هَمَسْتُ.
"My beloved..." I whispered.
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
فِي بَيْتِي القَدِيمِ فِي المَدِينَةِ.
In my old house in the medina.
حَكَيْتُ لَهَا قِصَّتِي الخَاصَّةَ.
I told her my personal story.
قِصَّةً لَا تُحْكَى بِالكَلِمَاتِ فَقَطْ.
A story not told only with words.
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
صَارَتْ زَوْجَتِي وَمُسْتَمِعَتِي.
She became my wife and my listener.
كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ أَحْكِي لَهَا قِصَّةً.
Every night I tell her a story.
وَكُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ نَعِيشُ قِصَّةً جَدِيدَةً.
And every night we live a new story.
الخاتمة | Conclusion
الحِكَايَاتُ لَا تَنْتَهِي.
Stories never end.
طَالَمَا هُنَاكَ مَنْ يَحْكِي وَمَنْ يَسْمَعُ.
As long as there is someone to tell and someone to listen.
وَنَحْنُ نَحْكِي قِصَّتَنَا كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ.
And we tell our story every night.
من حكايات مراكش From the Tales of Marrakech