The Desert Rose | وَرْدَةُ الصَّحْراءِ
"A Bedouin girl defies tradition to become a legendary healer in the Omani desert"
وَرْدَةُ الصَّحْراءِ
The Desert Rose
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: البِنْتُ المُتَمَرِّدَةُ
Chapter One: The Rebellious Girl
فِي قَلْبِ صَحْراءِ عُمانَ الواسِعَةِ، عاشَتْ قَبِيلَةٌ بَدَوِيَّةٌ تَتَنَقَّلُ مَعَ المَواسِمِ. وَفِي هَذِهِ القَبِيلَةِ وُلِدَتْ فاطِمَةُ، فَتاةٌ ذاتُ عَيْنَيْنِ كَالنُّجُومِ وَعَقْلٍ كَالشُّعاعِ.
In the heart of Oman's vast desert, there lived a Bedouin tribe that moved with the seasons. In this tribe was born Fatima, a girl with eyes like stars and a mind like a ray of light.
كانَتْ فاطِمَةُ تُحِبُّ النَّباتاتِ وَتَعْرِفُ أَسْرارَها. كانَتْ تَجْمَعُ الأَعْشابَ وَتَصْنَعُ مِنْها دَواءً. لَكِنَّ قَبِيلَتَها لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرْضَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ.
Fatima loved plants and knew their secrets. She would gather herbs and make medicine from them. But her tribe did not approve of this.
قالَ لَها أَبُوها: «هَذا عَمَلُ العَجائِزِ، لا الفَتَياتِ! اِهْتَمِّي بِالغَزْلِ وَاتْرُكِي هَذِهِ الخَزَعْبَلاتِ!»
Her father said to her: "This is the work of old women, not girls! Concern yourself with weaving and leave these foolish things!"
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: الوَباءُ القاتِلُ
Chapter Two: The Deadly Plague
ذاتَ صَيْفٍ، ضَرَبَ وَباءٌ رَهِيبٌ القَبِيلَةَ. سَقَطَ الرِّجالُ وَالنِّساءُ وَالأَطْفالُ مَرْضَى، وَالحُمَّى تَأْكُلُ أَجْسادَهُمْ.
One summer, a terrible plague struck the tribe. Men, women, and children fell sick, fever consuming their bodies.
لَمْ يَعْرِفْ أَحَدٌ الدَّواءَ. كانُوا يَنْتَظِرُونَ المَوْتَ. لَكِنَّ فاطِمَةَ تَذَكَّرَتْ نَبْتَةً رَأَتْها عِنْدَ البِئْرِ القَدِيمَةِ.
No one knew the cure. They were waiting for death. But Fatima remembered a plant she had seen by the ancient well.
رَكِبَتْ جَمَلَها فِي اللَّيْلِ وَذَهَبَتْ وَحْدَها عَبْرَ الصَّحْراءِ. كانَتِ الرِّحْلَةُ خَطِرَةً، وَالذِّئابُ تَعْوِي حَوْلَها، لَكِنَّها لَمْ تَخَفْ.
She rode her camel at night and went alone across the desert. The journey was dangerous, and wolves howled around her, but she was not afraid.
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: الشِّفاءُ المُعْجِزُ
Chapter Three: The Miraculous Healing
عادَتْ فاطِمَةُ بِالنَّبْتَةِ وَصَنَعَتْ مِنْها مَشْرُوبًا. سَقَتْهُ لِلْمَرْضَى، وَبَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، بَدَأَتِ الحُمَّى تَنْكَسِرُ.
Fatima returned with the plant and made a drink from it. She gave it to the sick, and after three days, the fever began to break.
شُفِيَ الجَمِيعُ، وَلَمْ يَمُتْ أَحَدٌ. نَظَرَ أَبُوها إِلَيْها وَقَدِ امْتَلَأَتْ عَيْناهُ بِالدُّمُوعِ: «سامِحِينِي يا ابْنَتِي. لَقَدْ كُنْتُ جاهِلاً.»
Everyone was healed, and no one died. Her father looked at her, his eyes filled with tears: "Forgive me, my daughter. I was ignorant."
وَصارَتْ فاطِمَةُ طَبِيبَةَ القَبِيلَةِ، تُعَلِّمُ الفَتَياتِ أَسْرارَ النَّباتاتِ وَالشِّفاءِ. وَسَمَّوْها «وَرْدَةَ الصَّحْراءِ» لِأَنَّها أَزْهَرَتْ حَيْثُ ظَنَّ الجَمِيعُ أَنْ لا حَياةَ.
And Fatima became the healer of the tribe, teaching girls the secrets of plants and healing. They called her "The Desert Rose" because she bloomed where everyone thought there was no life.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End