The Indigo Dyer | صَبَّاغُ النِّيلَةِ
"A master dyer discovers that his colors hold the power to influence emotions"
صَبَّاغُ النِّيلَةِ
The Indigo Dyer
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: ألْوانُ الرُّوحِ
Chapter One: Colors of the Soul
فِي صَلالَةَ القَدِيمَةِ، عاشَ صَبَّاغٌ يُدْعَى إِبْراهِيمَ. صَبَغَ الأَقْمِشَةَ بِأَلْوانٍ مِنَ النَّباتاتِ: أَزْرَقَ النِّيلَةِ، وَأَحْمَرَ الفُوَّةِ، وَأَصْفَرَ الزَّعْفَرانِ.
In ancient Salalah, there lived a dyer named Ibrahim. He dyed fabrics with colors from plants: indigo blue, madder red, and saffron yellow.
لَكِنَّهُ لاحَظَ شَيْئًا غَرِيبًا: مَنْ يَلْبَسُ أَقْمِشَتَهُ الزَّرْقاءَ يَشْعُرُ بِالهُدُوءِ! وَمَنْ يَلْبَسُ الأَحْمَرَ يَمْتَلِئُ حَماسًا!
But he noticed something strange: whoever wore his blue fabrics felt calm! And whoever wore red was filled with enthusiasm!
قالَ لِنَفْسِهِ: «هَلْ لِلْأَلْوانِ قُوَّةٌ عَلى النُّفُوسِ؟»
He said to himself: "Do colors have power over souls?"
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: التَّجْرِبَةُ الخَطِرَةُ
Chapter Two: The Dangerous Experiment
قَرَّرَ إِبْراهِيمُ أَنْ يُجَرِّبَ. صَبَغَ قُماشًا بِلَوْنٍ جَدِيدٍ: مَزِيجٌ مِنَ الأَزْرَقِ وَالبَنَفْسَجِيِّ، أَسْماهُ «لَوْنَ الأَحْلامِ».
Ibrahim decided to experiment. He dyed a fabric with a new color: a mix of blue and violet, which he called "the color of dreams."
أَهْداهُ لِصَدِيقٍ، فَبَدَأَ الصَّدِيقُ يَرَى أَحْلامًا غَرِيبَةً! أَحْلامٌ تَتَحَقَّقُ أَحْيانًا!
He gave it to a friend, and the friend began seeing strange dreams! Dreams that sometimes came true!
خافَ إِبْراهِيمُ وَأَحْرَقَ القُماشَ. قالَ: «هَذِهِ قُوَّةٌ لا يَنْبَغِي لِلإِنْسانِ امْتِلاكُها!»
Ibrahim was frightened and burned the fabric. He said: "This is a power man should not possess!"
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: الصَّبَّاغُ الحَكِيمُ
Chapter Three: The Wise Dyer
مِنْ ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ، اسْتَخْدَمَ إِبْراهِيمُ قُوَّتَهُ بِحِكْمَةٍ. صَبَغَ أَقْمِشَةً زَرْقاءَ لِلْمَرْضَى لِتُهَدِّئَهُمْ. وَأَقْمِشَةً صَفْراءَ لِلْحَزانَى لِتُسْعِدَهُمْ.
From that day, Ibrahim used his power wisely. He dyed blue fabrics for the sick to calm them. And yellow fabrics for the sad to cheer them.
قالَ النَّاسُ: «أَقْمِشَةُ إِبْراهِيمَ تَشْفِي الرُّوحَ!»
People said: "Ibrahim's fabrics heal the soul!"
وَحِينَ سَأَلُوهُ عَنِ السِّرِّ، قالَ: «السِّرُّ لَيْسَ فِي اللَّوْنِ. السِّرُّ فِي أَنَّنِي أَصْبُغُ وَأَنا أَدْعُو لِصاحِبِ القُماشِ.»
When they asked him about the secret, he said: "The secret is not in the color. The secret is that I dye while praying for the fabric's owner."
الفصلُ الرَّابِعُ: إِرْثُ الأَلْوانِ
Chapter Four: The Legacy of Colors
عَلَّمَ إِبْراهِيمُ ابْنَتَهُ الصَّنْعَةَ. قالَ لَها: «الأَلْوانُ لُغَةٌ صامِتَةٌ. تَتَحَدَّثُ إِلى القَلْبِ مُباشَرَةً. فَاسْتَخْدِمِيها لِلْخَيْرِ.»
Ibrahim taught his daughter the craft. He said to her: "Colors are a silent language. They speak directly to the heart. Use them for good."
وَصارَتِ ابْنَتُهُ أُسْتاذَةَ الصِّباغَةِ، وَنَقَلَتِ السِّرَّ لِأَجْيالٍ بَعْدَها.
His daughter became a master dyer and passed the secret to generations after her.
وَإِلى اليَوْمِ، يَقُولُ صَبَّاغُو عُمانَ: «اللَّوْنُ لَيْسَ لِلْعَيْنِ فَقَطْ. اللَّوْنُ لِلرُّوحِ.»
And to this day, Omani dyers say: "Color is not just for the eye. Color is for the soul."
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End