The Date Palm Guardian | حارِسُ النَّخِيلِ
"An old farmer makes a mystical pact to protect his date palm grove from destruction"
حارِسُ النَّخِيلِ
The Date Palm Guardian
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: البُسْتانُ المُبارَكُ
Chapter One: The Blessed Grove
فِي واحَةٍ خَضْراءَ بَيْنَ الرِّمالِ، امْتَلَكَ رَجُلٌ عَجُوزٌ يُدْعَى سَعِيدًا بُسْتانًا مِنَ النَّخِيلِ. كانَ فِيهِ مِئَةُ نَخْلَةٍ، وَرِثَها عَنْ سَبْعَةِ أَجْدادٍ.
In a green oasis amid the sands, an old man named Sa'id owned a palm grove. It contained one hundred palm trees, inherited from seven generations of ancestors.
كانَ سَعِيدٌ يُعامِلُ النَّخِيلَ كَأَبْنائِهِ. يَتَحَدَّثُ إِلَيْها، وَيُغَنِّي لَها، وَيَسْقِيها بِيَدِهِ.
Sa'id treated the palms like his children. He would talk to them, sing to them, and water them by hand.
قالَ لَهُ النَّاسُ: «أَنْتَ مَجْنُونٌ! النَّخِيلُ لا تَسْمَعُ!»
People said to him: "You are mad! Palm trees cannot hear!"
قالَ: «النَّخِيلُ تَسْمَعُ وَتَفْهَمُ. إِنَّها أَخَواتُ الإِنْسانِ.»
He said: "Palm trees hear and understand. They are the sisters of man."
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: الخَطَرُ القادِمُ
Chapter Two: The Coming Danger
ذاتَ يَوْمٍ، جاءَ تاجِرٌ غَنِيٌّ وَعَرَضَ شِراءَ البُسْتانِ بِثَمَنٍ ضَخْمٍ. قالَ: «سَأَقْطَعُ النَّخِيلَ وَأَبْنِي قَصْرًا.»
One day, a rich merchant came and offered to buy the grove for a huge price. He said: "I shall cut down the palms and build a palace."
رَفَضَ سَعِيدٌ رَفْضًا قاطِعًا. غَضِبَ التَّاجِرُ وَأَقْسَمَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ البُسْتانَ بِالقُوَّةِ.
Sa'id refused absolutely. The merchant was furious and swore to take the grove by force.
فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ، جَلَسَ سَعِيدٌ بَيْنَ نَخِيلِهِ وَدَعا اللهَ: «يا رَبِّ، احْمِ هَذِهِ النَّخِيلَ الَّتِي أَطْعَمَتْ أَجْدادِي وَأَبْنائِي!»
That night, Sa'id sat among his palms and prayed to God: "O Lord, protect these palms that fed my ancestors and my children!"
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: المُعْجِزَةُ
Chapter Three: The Miracle
جاءَ التَّاجِرُ مَعَ رِجالِهِ لِقَطْعِ النَّخِيلِ. لَكِنْ حِينَ اقْتَرَبُوا، هَبَّتْ رِيحٌ عاتِيَةٌ مِنَ العَدَمِ. تَطايَرَتِ الرِّمالُ وَأَعْمَتْ أَعْيُنَهُمْ.
The merchant came with his men to cut the palms. But when they approached, a fierce wind arose from nowhere. Sand flew and blinded their eyes.
حاوَلُوا مِرارًا، وَفِي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ تَحْدُثُ كارِثَةٌ: يَسْقُطُ رَجُلٌ مَرِيضًا، أَوْ تَنْكَسِرُ الفُؤُوسُ، أَوْ تَهْرُبُ الجِمالُ.
They tried repeatedly, and each time a disaster occurred: a man would fall sick, or axes would break, or camels would flee.
أَخِيرًا، اعْتَرَفَ التَّاجِرُ بِالهَزِيمَةِ وَقالَ: «هَذا البُسْتانُ مَحْمِيٌّ بِقُوَّةٍ أَكْبَرَ مِنَّا!»
Finally, the merchant admitted defeat and said: "This grove is protected by a power greater than us!"
عاشَ سَعِيدٌ حَتَّى بَلَغَ المِئَةَ، وَماتَ بَيْنَ نَخِيلِهِ. وَيُقالُ إِنَّ رُوحَهُ ما زالَتْ تَحْرُسُ البُسْتانَ حَتَّى اليَوْمِ.
Sa'id lived until he reached one hundred, and died among his palms. It is said his spirit still guards the grove to this day.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End