The Eternal Flame | الشُّعْلَةُ الخالِدَةُ
"A lighthouse keeper maintains an eternal flame that guides ships safely home for generations"
الشُّعْلَةُ الخالِدَةُ
The Eternal Flame
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: حارِسُ المَنارَةِ
Chapter One: The Lighthouse Keeper
عَلَى رَأْسِ الخَلِيجِ فِي مَسْقَطَ، وَقَفَتْ مَنارَةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ يَحْرُسُها رَجُلٌ يُدْعَى حَمَدَ بنَ سَعِيدٍ. وَرِثَ هَذِهِ المُهِمَّةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، وَأَبُوهُ عَنْ جَدِّهِ، مُنْذُ مِئاتِ السِّنِينَ.
At the head of the gulf in Muscat stood an ancient lighthouse guarded by a man called Hamad bin Sa'id. He inherited this duty from his father, and his father from his grandfather, for hundreds of years.
كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ، يُشْعِلُ حَمَدٌ الشُّعْلَةَ الَّتِي تَهْدِي السُّفُنَ الضَّائِعَةَ إِلى الأَمانِ.
Every night, Hamad would light the flame that guides lost ships to safety.
قالَ النَّاسُ: «عَمَلُكَ بَسِيطٌ!» قالَ: «بَسِيطٌ لَكِنَّهُ يُنْقِذُ أَرْواحًا.»
People said: "Your work is simple!" He said: "Simple but it saves lives."
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: لَيْلَةُ العاصِفَةِ الكُبْرَى
Chapter Two: The Night of the Great Storm
جاءَتْ عاصِفَةٌ لَمْ تَشْهَدْ مَسْقَطُ مِثْلَها. الأَمْواجُ كَالجِبالِ، وَالرِّياحُ تَصْرُخُ كَالوُحُوشِ. وَفِي البَحْرِ، عَشَراتُ السُّفُنِ تَبْحَثُ عَنِ الأَمانِ.
A storm came like Muscat had never seen. Waves like mountains, and winds screaming like beasts. At sea, dozens of ships searched for safety.
أَطْفَأَتِ الرِّياحُ الشُّعْلَةَ! حاوَلَ حَمَدٌ إِشْعالَها، لَكِنَّ الرِّياحَ تُطْفِئُها مَرَّةً بَعْدَ مَرَّةٍ.
The winds extinguished the flame! Hamad tried to light it, but winds kept putting it out.
فَكَّرَ: «إِذا لَمْ أَجِدْ حَلًّا، سَتَتَحَطَّمُ السُّفُنُ عَلى الصُّخُورِ!»
He thought: "If I don't find a solution, ships will crash on the rocks!"
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: النُّورُ الخالِدُ
Chapter Three: The Immortal Light
خَلَعَ حَمَدٌ ثِيابَهُ الخارِجِيَّةَ وَلَفَّها حَوْلَ الشُّعْلَةِ كَدِرْعٍ. وَقَفَ بِجَسَدِهِ يَحْمِي النَّارَ مِنَ الرِّيحِ طَوالَ اللَّيْلِ!
Hamad removed his outer clothes and wrapped them around the flame as a shield. He stood with his body protecting the fire from the wind all night!
رَأَتِ السُّفُنُ النُّورَ وَاتَّجَهَتْ نَحْوَ الأَمانِ. لَمْ تَتَحَطَّمْ سَفِينَةٌ واحِدَةٌ.
Ships saw the light and headed toward safety. Not a single ship crashed.
فِي الصَّباحِ، وَجَدُوا حَمَدًا مَرِيضًا مِنَ البَرْدِ، لَكِنَّهُ مُبْتَسِمٌ. قالَ: «الشُّعْلَةُ لَمْ تَنْطَفِئْ. وَأَنا سَأَمُوتُ يَوْمًا، لَكِنَّ الشُّعْلَةَ سَتَبْقَى خالِدَةً.»
In the morning, they found Hamad sick from cold but smiling. He said: "The flame did not go out. I will die someday, but the flame will remain eternal."
عاشَ حَمَدٌ وَعَلَّمَ ابْنَهُ، وَالشُّعْلَةُ لا تَزالُ مُضِيئَةً إِلى اليَوْمِ.
Hamad lived and taught his son, and the flame still shines to this day.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End