The Oasis Guardian | حارِسَةُ الواحَةِ
"A mysterious woman protects a sacred oasis from those who would exploit it"
حارِسَةُ الواحَةِ
The Oasis Guardian
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الواحَةُ المُقَدَّسَةُ
Chapter One: The Sacred Oasis
فِي قَلْبِ صَحْراءِ الشَّرْقِيَّةِ، كانَتْ واحَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ لا يَعْرِفُها إِلَّا القَلِيلُونَ. ماؤُها كانَ أَعْذَبَ مِنَ العَسَلِ، وَنَخِيلُها تُعْطِي تَمْرًا ذَهَبِيًّا.
In the heart of the Sharqiya desert, there was a small oasis known only to a few. Its water was sweeter than honey, and its palms gave golden dates.
قالَ البَدْوُ: «هَذِهِ واحَةُ الجِنِّيَّةِ. تَحْرُسُها امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الجِنِّ، بَيْضاءُ كَالضَّوْءِ.»
The Bedouin said: "This is the oasis of the jinni. A woman from the jinn guards it, white as light."
لَكِنَّ أَحَدًا لَمْ يَرَها... حَتَّى جاءَ عَبْدُاللهِ.
But no one had seen her... until Abdullah came.
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: اللِّقاءُ الغَرِيبُ
Chapter Two: The Strange Encounter
كانَ عَبْدُاللهِ تائِهًا فِي الصَّحْراءِ، عَلى وَشْكِ المَوْتِ. وَصَلَ الواحَةَ فَشَرِبَ حَتَّى ارْتَوَى.
Abdullah was lost in the desert, on the verge of death. He reached the oasis and drank until satisfied.
فَجْأَةً، ظَهَرَتْ أَمامَهُ امْرَأَةٌ. لَمْ تَكُنْ بَيْضاءَ كَما قالُوا، بَلْ سَمْراءَ كَالأَرْضِ، عَيْناها خَضْراوانِ كَالنَّخِيلِ.
Suddenly, a woman appeared before him. She was not white as they said, but brown as the earth, her eyes green as the palms.
قالَتْ: «أَنا مَرْيَمُ، حارِسَةُ هَذا المَكانِ. مَنْ أَنْتَ؟»
She said: "I am Maryam, guardian of this place. Who are you?"
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: السِّرُّ المَكْشُوفُ
Chapter Three: The Secret Revealed
عَرَفَ عَبْدُاللهِ الحَقِيقَةَ: مَرْيَمُ لَيْسَتْ جِنِّيَّةً. كانَتْ إِنْسانَةً اخْتارَتِ العُزْلَةَ لِتَحْمِيَ الواحَةَ.
Abdullah learned the truth: Maryam was not a jinni. She was a human who chose solitude to protect the oasis.
قالَتْ: «قَبْلَ سَنَواتٍ، جاءَ تُجَّارٌ جَشِعُونَ. أَرادُوا اسْتِنْزافَ الماءِ وَبَيْعَهُ. فَأَخْتَرَعْتُ أُسْطُورَةَ الجِنِّيَّةِ لِأُخِيفَهُمْ.»
She said: "Years ago, greedy merchants came. They wanted to drain the water and sell it. So I invented the legend of the jinni to frighten them."
قالَ عَبْدُاللهِ: «لِماذا تَفْعَلِينَ هَذا وَحْدَكِ؟»
Abdullah said: "Why do you do this alone?"
قالَتْ: «لِأَنَّ هَذِهِ الواحَةَ تُحْيِي المُسافِرِينَ. إِذا جَفَّتْ، ماتَ مَنْ يَمُرُّ بِهَذِهِ الصَّحْراءِ.»
She said: "Because this oasis gives life to travelers. If it dries, those who pass through this desert will die."
الفصلُ الرَّابِعُ: الحارِسانِ
Chapter Four: The Two Guardians
أُعْجِبَ عَبْدُاللهِ بِشَجاعَتِها وَقالَ: «دَعِينِي أُساعِدُكِ. سَأَكُونُ الحارِسَ الثَّانِيَ.»
Abdullah admired her courage and said: "Let me help you. I shall be the second guardian."
قَبِلَتْ مَرْيَمُ، وَعاشا مَعًا يَحْمِيانِ الواحَةَ. وَنَشَرا أُسْطُورَةً جَدِيدَةً: أَنَّ الجِنِّيَّةَ تَزَوَّجَتْ مِنْ إِنْسِيٍّ، وَأَصْبَحا حارِسَيْنِ.
Maryam accepted, and they lived together protecting the oasis. They spread a new legend: that the jinni had married a human, and they became two guardians.
وَإِلى اليَوْمِ، يَقُولُ البَدْوُ إِنَّ مَنْ يَحْتَرِمُ الواحَةَ يَجِدُ فِيها الماءَ وَالأَمانَ، وَمَنْ يُرِيدُ الأَذَى يَجِدُها فارِغَةً.
And to this day, the Bedouin say that whoever respects the oasis finds water and safety, and whoever intends harm finds it empty.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End