The Blind Navigator | المَلَّاحُ الأَعْمَى
"A sailor who lost his sight discovers he can navigate by listening to the sea"
المَلَّاحُ الأَعْمَى
The Blind Navigator
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الكارِثَةُ
Chapter One: The Catastrophe
كانَ عَبْدُالكَرِيمِ أَمْهَرَ مَلَّاحٍ فِي مَسْقَطَ. عَيْناهُ كانَتَا تَرَيانِ النُّجُومَ فِي اللَّيْلِ الحالِكِ، وَتَقْرَآنِ الرِّياحَ كَالكِتابِ المَفْتُوحِ.
Abdulkarim was the most skilled navigator in Muscat. His eyes could see stars on the darkest nights and read the winds like an open book.
ذاتَ رِحْلَةٍ، انْفَجَرَتْ قُنْبُلَةُ قَراصِنَةَ قُرْبَ وَجْهِهِ. نَجا بِحَياتِهِ، لَكِنَّهُ فَقَدَ بَصَرَهُ إِلى الأَبَدِ.
On one voyage, a pirates' bomb exploded near his face. He survived, but lost his sight forever.
عادَ إِلى بَيْتِهِ مُحَطَّمًا. قالَ: «ماذا يَفْعَلُ مَلَّاحٌ أَعْمَى؟ حَياتِي انْتَهَتْ!»
He returned home shattered. He said: "What does a blind navigator do? My life is over!"
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: الاِكْتِشافُ العَجِيبُ
Chapter Two: The Amazing Discovery
أَمْضَى أَشْهُرًا فِي الظَّلامِ وَاليَأْسِ. لَكِنَّهُ بَدَأَ يُلاحِظُ شَيْئًا غَرِيبًا: حَواسُّهُ الأُخْرَى صارَتْ أَقْوَى!
He spent months in darkness and despair. But he began to notice something strange: his other senses had become stronger!
كانَ يَسْمَعُ هَدِيرَ البَحْرِ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ، وَيُمَيِّزُ بَيْنَ أَنْواعِ الأَمْواجِ. كانَ يَشُمُّ الرِّياحَ وَيَعْرِفُ مِنْ أَيْنَ تَأْتِي.
He could hear the roar of the sea from afar and distinguish between types of waves. He could smell the winds and know where they came from.
جَرَّبَ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ عَلى الشَّاطِئِ وَيُحَدِّدَ اتِّجاهَ السُّفُنِ مِنْ أَصْواتِها فَقَطْ. وَنَجَحَ!
He tried sitting on the shore and determining the direction of ships from their sounds alone. And he succeeded!
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: العَوْدَةُ إِلى البَحْرِ
Chapter Three: Return to the Sea
أَقْنَعَ رُبَّانًا شُجاعًا أَنْ يُجَرِّبَهُ. رَكِبَ السَّفِينَةَ وَجَلَسَ فِي المُقَدِّمَةِ، يَسْمَعُ وَيَشُمُّ وَيُوَجِّهُ.
He convinced a brave captain to try him. He boarded the ship and sat at the bow, listening, smelling, and directing.
كانَتِ الرِّحْلَةُ الأُولى صَعْبَةً، لَكِنَّهُ نَجَحَ. ثُمَّ صارَ أَفْضَلَ! لِأَنَّ البَصَرَ أَحْيانًا يَخْدَعُ، لَكِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالشَّمَّ لا يَكْذِبانِ.
The first voyage was difficult, but he succeeded. Then he became better! Because sight sometimes deceives, but hearing and smell do not lie.
الفصلُ الرَّابِعُ: الأُسْطُورَةُ الحَيَّةُ
Chapter Four: The Living Legend
ذاعَ صِيتُ عَبْدِالكَرِيمِ، وَصارَ الرُّبَّانُونَ يَتَنافَسُونَ لِيَكُونَ مَعَهُمْ. كانُوا يَقُولُونَ: «المَلَّاحُ الأَعْمَى يَرَى ما لا نَراهُ.»
Abdulkarim's fame spread, and captains competed to have him with them. They would say: "The blind navigator sees what we do not see."
قالَ عَبْدُالكَرِيمُ لِلشُّبَّانِ: «الإِعاقَةُ لَيْسَتْ فِي الجَسَدِ. الإِعاقَةُ فِي العَقْلِ الَّذِي يَسْتَسْلِمُ.»
Abdulkarim said to the youth: "Disability is not in the body. Disability is in the mind that surrenders."
وَأَبْحَرَ حَتَّى آخِرِ يَوْمٍ فِي حَياتِهِ، يُرْشِدُ السُّفُنَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ وَقَلْبِهِ.
And he sailed until the last day of his life, guiding ships with his ears and heart.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End