العَرْشُ الذَّهَبِيُّ

The Golden Throne

كانَ الأَمِيرُ سُلْطانُ مَغْرُورًا بِعَرْشِهِ الذَّهَبِيِّ. كانَ يَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهِ وَيَنْظُرُ إِلى النَّاسِ بِاحْتِقارٍ.

Prince Sultan was arrogant about his golden throne. He would sit on it and look at people with contempt.

قالَ لَهُ وَالِدُهُ السُّلْطانُ: «العَرْشُ الحَقِيقِيُّ لَيْسَ هَذا الكُرْسِيَّ يا بُنَيَّ.»

His father the Sultan said to him: "The true throne is not this chair, my son."

ضَحِكَ الأَمِيرُ: «بَلْ هُوَ! مَنْ يَمْلِكُ العَرْشَ يَمْلِكُ الكُلَّ!»

The prince laughed: "Yes it is! Whoever owns the throne owns everything!"

أَمَرَ السُّلْطانُ بِأَخْذِ الأَمِيرِ إِلى قَرْيَةٍ نائِيَةٍ، بِدُونِ ذَهَبٍ أَوْ حُرَّاسٍ. قالَ: «عِشْ شَهْرًا مَعَ الفَلَّاحِينَ وَتَعَلَّمْ!»

The Sultan ordered the prince taken to a remote village, without gold or guards. He said: "Live a month with farmers and learn!"

عاشَ الأَمِيرُ حَياةً قاسِيَةً. جاعَ وَتَعِبَ. لَكِنَّ الفَلَّاحِينَ شارَكُوهُ طَعامَهُمْ رَغْمَ فَقْرِهِمْ.

The prince lived a harsh life. He went hungry and grew tired. But the farmers shared their food despite their poverty.

سَأَلَهُمْ: «لِماذا تُعْطُونَنِي وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَمْلِكُونَ الكَثِيرَ؟»

He asked them: "Why do you give me when you don't have much?"

قالُوا: «لِأَنَّكَ أَخُونا يا غَرِيبُ.»

They said: "Because you are our brother, stranger."

عادَ الأَمِيرُ مُتَغَيِّرًا. حِينَ أَصْبَحَ سُلْطانًا، أَذابَ العَرْشَ الذَّهَبِيَّ وَصَنَعَ مِنْهُ عُمْلاتٍ وَزَّعَها عَلى الفُقَراءِ.

The prince returned changed. When he became Sultan, he melted the golden throne and made coins from it that he distributed to the poor.

جَلَسَ عَلى كُرْسِيٍّ خَشَبِيٍّ بَسِيطٍ وَقالَ: «عَرْشِي الحَقِيقِيُّ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ، لا فِي الذَّهَبِ.»

He sat on a simple wooden chair and said: "My true throne is in your hearts, not in gold."

أَحَبَّهُ النَّاسُ حُبًّا لَمْ يَنَلْهُ أَيُّ سُلْطانٍ قَبْلَهُ، وَعاشَتْ ذِكْراهُ خالِدَةً.

People loved him with a love no sultan before him received, and his memory lived immortal.

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End