The Falconer's Honor | شَرَفُ الصَّقَّارِ
"A master falconer must choose between his prized falcon and saving his enemy's life"
شَرَفُ الصَّقَّارِ
The Falconer's Honor
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الصَّقْرُ الأَبْيَضُ
Chapter One: The White Falcon
كانَ سالِمُ بنُ خَلْفانَ أَشْهَرَ صَقَّارٍ فِي عُمانَ كُلِّها. صَقْرُهُ الأَبْيَضُ «شَمْسٌ» كانَ أُسْطُورَةً، لَمْ يُفْلِتْ مِنْهُ طَيْرٌ قَطُّ.
Salim bin Khalfan was the most famous falconer in all of Oman. His white falcon "Shams" was a legend; no bird had ever escaped it.
كانَ سالِمٌ يُحِبُّ شَمْسًا كَابْنِهِ. دَرَّبَهُ مُنْذُ كانَ فَرْخًا صَغِيرًا، وَنامَ بِجانِبِهِ، وَأَطْعَمَهُ مِنْ يَدِهِ.
Salim loved Shams like his son. He had trained him since he was a small chick, slept beside him, and fed him from his hand.
قالَ لَهُ ابْنُهُ ذاتَ يَوْمٍ: «يا أَبِي، هَلْ تُحِبُّ الصَّقْرَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَّا؟»
His son said to him one day: "O Father, do you love the falcon more than us?"
ضَحِكَ سالِمٌ وَقالَ: «الحُبُّ لا يُقاسُ يا بُنَيَّ. لَكِنَّ الشَّرَفَ يُقاسُ بِالأَفْعالِ.»
Salim laughed and said: "Love is not measured, O my son. But honor is measured by deeds."
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: العَدُوُّ فِي الصَّحْراءِ
Chapter Two: The Enemy in the Desert
خَرَجَ سالِمٌ لِلصَّيْدِ فِي الصَّحْراءِ. وَفِي طَرِيقِ العَوْدَةِ، وَجَدَ رَجُلاً مُلْقًى عَلَى الرَّمْلِ، يَكادُ يَمُوتُ مِنَ العَطَشِ.
Salim went out hunting in the desert. On the way back, he found a man lying on the sand, nearly dying of thirst.
اقْتَرَبَ مِنْهُ فَتَعَرَّفَ عَلَيْهِ: كانَ راشِدًا العَدَوِيَّ، عَدُوَّ عائِلَتِهِ مُنْذُ أَجْيالٍ! هَذا الرَّجُلُ قَتَلَ عَمَّ سالِمٍ قَبْلَ سَنَواتٍ.
He approached him and recognized him: it was Rashid al-Adawi, his family's enemy for generations! This man had killed Salim's uncle years ago.
تَوَقَّفَ سالِمٌ وَالغَضَبُ يَغْلِي فِي صَدْرِهِ. ها هُوَ عَدُوُّهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، ضَعِيفٌ وَمُحْتَضَرٌ. يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَتْرُكَهُ لِلْمَوْتِ.
Salim stopped, anger boiling in his chest. Here was his enemy before him, weak and dying. He could leave him to die.
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: اخْتِيارُ الشَّرَفِ
Chapter Three: The Choice of Honor
لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَ سالِمٍ ماءٌ كافٍ. كانَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ شَمْسًا لِيَطْلُبَ النَّجْدَةَ مِنَ القَبِيلَةِ، لَكِنَّ الرِّحْلَةَ طَوِيلَةٌ، وَقَدْ يَمُوتُ الصَّقْرُ مِنَ الإِرْهاقِ.
Salim did not have enough water. He had to send Shams to seek help from the tribe, but the journey was long, and the falcon might die from exhaustion.
نَظَرَ إِلى صَقْرِهِ الحَبِيبِ، ثُمَّ إِلى عَدُوِّهِ المُحْتَضَرِ. وَقالَ: «الشَّرَفُ لا يَعْرِفُ العَداوَةَ.»
He looked at his beloved falcon, then at his dying enemy. And he said: "Honor knows no enmity."
أَطْلَقَ شَمْسًا فِي السَّماءِ حامِلاً رِسالَةَ اسْتِغاثَةٍ. وَأَعْطَى آخِرَ ماءٍ عِنْدَهُ لِراشِدٍ.
He released Shams into the sky carrying a message for help. And he gave the last of his water to Rashid.
وَصَلَتِ النَّجْدَةُ، وَنَجا راشِدٌ، لَكِنَّ شَمْسًا لَمْ يَعُدْ. بَحَثُوا عَنْهُ فَوَجَدُوهُ مَيِّتًا عِنْدَ حُدُودِ القَبِيلَةِ، قَدْ أَوْصَلَ الرِّسالَةَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ الرُّوحَ.
Help arrived, and Rashid survived, but Shams did not return. They searched for him and found him dead at the tribe's borders, having delivered the message before surrendering his spirit.
بَكَى سالِمٌ عَلى صَقْرِهِ، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْدَمْ. وَراشِدٌ أَعْلَنَ نِهايَةَ العَداوَةِ وَصارَ صَدِيقَ سالِمٍ حَتَّى المَوْتِ.
Salim wept for his falcon, but he did not regret. And Rashid declared the end of enmity and became Salim's friend until death.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End