عَذْراءُ ماءِ الوَرْدِ

The Rose Water Maiden

الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: وادِي الوُرُودِ

Chapter One: The Valley of Roses

فِي أَعالِي الجَبَلِ الأَخْضَرِ، حَيْثُ تَنْمُو الوُرُودُ الدِّمَشْقِيَّةُ فِي بَساتِينَ مُعَلَّقَةٍ، عاشَتْ فَتاةٌ تُدْعَى زَهْراءَ. كانَتْ وَحِيدَةَ أَبِيها بَعْدَ أَنْ ماتَتْ أُمُّها.

High in the Green Mountain, where Damascene roses grow in hanging orchards, there lived a girl called Zahraa. She was her father's only child after her mother died.

وَرِثَتْ عَنْ أُمِّها مَوْهِبَةً غَرِيبَةً: كانَتْ تَفْهَمُ الوُرُودَ كَأَنَّها تَتَحَدَّثُ إِلَيْها.

She inherited from her mother a strange gift: she understood roses as if they spoke to her.

قالَ لَها أَبُوها: «أُمُّكِ كانَتْ تَصْنَعُ أَعْجَبَ ماءِ وَرْدٍ فِي العالَمِ. لَعَلَّكِ تَرِثِينَ سِرَّها.»

Her father said to her: "Your mother used to make the most wondrous rose water in the world. Perhaps you will inherit her secret."

الفصلُ الثَّانِي: العَطْرُ المُعْجِزُ

Chapter Two: The Miraculous Perfume

جَرَّبَتْ زَهْراءُ مَرَّاتٍ كَثِيرَةً، لَكِنَّ ماءَها كانَ عادِيًّا. حَتَّى جاءَتْ لَيْلَةُ القَمَرِ المُكْتَمِلِ.

Zahraa tried many times, but her water was ordinary. Until the night of the full moon came.

فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ، رَأَتْ فِي مَنامِها أُمَّها تَقُولُ: «يا ابْنَتِي، السِّرُّ لَيْسَ فِي الوَرْدِ. السِّرُّ فِي النِّيَّةِ. فَكِّرِي فِيمَنْ تُرِيدِينَ شِفاءَهُ، وَالوَرْدُ يَسْتَجِيبُ.»

That night, she saw her mother in a dream saying: "O my daughter, the secret is not in the rose. The secret is in the intention. Think of whom you want to heal, and the rose will respond."

اِسْتَيْقَظَتْ وَجَرَّبَتْ. فَكَّرَتْ فِي أَبِيها المَرِيضِ بَيْنَما تَقْطِفُ الوُرُودَ. وَحِينَ قَطَّرَتِ الماءَ، كانَ عَطِرًا كَأَنَّهُ مِنَ الجَنَّةِ!

She awoke and tried. She thought of her sick father while picking the roses. When she distilled the water, it was fragrant as if from paradise!

الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: شِفاءُ الأَمِيرِ

Chapter Three: Healing the Prince

ذاعَ صِيتُ زَهْراءَ، وَوَصَلَ إِلى قَصْرِ السُّلْطانِ. كانَ ابْنُ السُّلْطانِ مَرِيضًا بِمَرَضٍ غَرِيبٍ لَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ الأَطِبَّاءُ.

Zahraa's fame spread and reached the Sultan's palace. The Sultan's son was ill with a strange disease unknown to physicians.

طَلَبُوها لِلْقَصْرِ. جَلَسَتْ بِجانِبِ الأَمِيرِ، وَرَشَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ماءَ الوَرْدِ بَيْنَما تُصَلِّي لِشِفائِهِ.

They summoned her to the palace. She sat beside the prince and sprinkled rose water on him while praying for his healing.

خِلالَ أَيَّامٍ، شُفِيَ الأَمِيرُ تَمامًا. وَحِينَ فَتَحَ عَيْنَيْهِ، كانَ أَوَّلَ ما رَآهُ وَجْهَ زَهْراءَ.

Within days, the prince was completely healed. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Zahraa's face.

الفصلُ الرَّابِعُ: ماءُ الوَرْدِ وَماءُ العَيْنِ

Chapter Four: Rose Water and Eye Water

وَقَعَ الأَمِيرُ فِي حُبِّها، وَطَلَبَها لِلزَّواجِ. لَكِنَّها تَرَدَّدَتْ.

The prince fell in love with her and asked for her hand. But she hesitated.

قالَتْ: «أَنا فَتاةٌ بَسِيطَةٌ مِنَ الجَبَلِ. كَيْفَ أَعِيشُ فِي قَصْرٍ؟»

She said: "I am a simple girl from the mountain. How can I live in a palace?"

قالَ الأَمِيرُ: «لَسْتِ بَسِيطَةً. أَنْتِ تَحْمِلِينَ سِرَّ الشِّفاءِ. وَأَنا لا أُرِيدُ أَمِيرَةً، أُرِيدُ زَهْراءَ.»

The prince said: "You are not simple. You carry the secret of healing. And I do not want a princess; I want Zahraa."

تَزَوَّجا، وَبَنَتْ زَهْراءُ بُسْتانًا لِلْوُرُودِ فِي القَصْرِ. وَصارَ ماءُ وَرْدِها يُشْفِي المَرْضَى فِي كُلِّ عُمانَ.

They married, and Zahraa built a rose garden in the palace. Her rose water came to heal the sick throughout all of Oman.

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End