The Sand Whisperer | هامِسُ الرِّمالِ
"A Bedouin guide with mysterious powers leads a lost caravan through the deadliest desert"
هامِسُ الرِّمالِ
The Sand Whisperer
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الدَّلِيلُ المَجْهُولُ
Chapter One: The Unknown Guide
تاهَتْ قافِلَةٌ تُجارِيَّةٌ فِي صَحْراءِ الرُّبْعِ الخالِي. كانَ مَعَهُمْ ذَهَبٌ وَحَرِيرٌ، لَكِنَّ الماءَ نَفِدَ وَالطَّرِيقَ ضاعَ.
A trading caravan was lost in the Empty Quarter desert. They had gold and silk, but the water was gone and the path was lost.
حِينَ فَقَدُوا الأَمَلَ، ظَهَرَ أَمامَهُمْ رَجُلٌ بَدَوِيٌّ يَرْتَدِي ثَوْبًا أَبْيَضَ. قالَ: «أَنا حَمْدانُ، دَلِيلُ هَذِهِ الصَّحْراءِ. اِتْبَعُونِي!»
When they lost hope, a Bedouin man appeared before them wearing a white robe. He said: "I am Hamdan, the guide of this desert. Follow me!"
قالَ رَئِيسُ القافِلَةِ مُرْتابًا: «مِنْ أَيْنَ جِئْتَ؟ لَمْ نَرَكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ!»
The caravan leader said suspiciously: "Where did you come from? We never saw you before!"
ابْتَسَمَ حَمْدانُ وَقالَ: «الصَّحْراءُ تُرْسِلُنِي لِمَنْ يَحْتاجُنِي.»
Hamdan smiled and said: "The desert sends me to those who need me."
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: الطَّرِيقُ السِّرِّيُّ
Chapter Two: The Secret Path
قادَهُمْ حَمْدانُ فِي طُرُقٍ لَمْ يَرَوْها مِنْ قَبْلُ. كانَ يَهْمِسُ لِلرِّمالِ، فَتَتَحَرَّكُ الكُثْبانُ كَأَنَّها تَفْتَحُ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا!
Hamdan led them through paths they had never seen. He would whisper to the sands, and the dunes would move as if opening a path for them!
قالَ أَحَدُ التُّجَّارِ خائِفًا: «هَذا سِحْرٌ! هَذا الرَّجُلُ مِنَ الجِنِّ!»
One of the merchants said fearfully: "This is magic! This man is from the jinn!"
لَكِنَّ حَمْدانَ سَمِعَهُ وَقالَ: «لَسْتُ جِنِّيًّا. أَنا ابْنُ هَذِهِ الصَّحْراءِ. وُلِدْتُ فِيها وَسَأَمُوتُ فِيها. أَعْرِفُ لُغَتَها كَما تَعْرِفُ أَنْتَ لُغَةَ الذَّهَبِ.»
But Hamdan heard him and said: "I am not a jinn. I am a son of this desert. I was born in it and will die in it. I know its language as you know the language of gold."
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: واحَةُ الخَلاصِ
Chapter Three: The Oasis of Salvation
بَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، وَصَلُوا إِلى واحَةٍ خَضْراءَ مَخْفِيَّةٍ بَيْنَ الجِبالِ. فِيها ماءٌ عَذْبٌ وَنَخِيلٌ وَظِلٌّ بارِدٌ.
After three days, they reached a green oasis hidden among mountains. In it was sweet water, palm trees, and cool shade.
شَرِبُوا حَتَّى ارْتَوَوْا، وَأَرادُوا أَنْ يُكافِئُوا حَمْدانَ بِالذَّهَبِ. لَكِنَّهُ رَفَضَ.
They drank until satisfied, and wanted to reward Hamdan with gold. But he refused.
قالَ: «لا أُرِيدُ ذَهَبَكُمْ. أُرِيدُ وَعْدًا: أَنْ تَحْتَرِمُوا الصَّحْراءَ، وَلا تُلَوِّثُوا آبارَها، وَلا تَقْطَعُوا أَشْجارَها.»
He said: "I do not want your gold. I want a promise: that you respect the desert, do not pollute its wells, and do not cut its trees."
وَعَدُوهُ، وَحِينَ اسْتَيْقَظُوا فِي الصَّباحِ، كانَ قَدِ اخْتَفَى كَما ظَهَرَ.
They promised him, and when they awoke in the morning, he had vanished as he had appeared.
وَإِلى اليَوْمِ، يَقُولُ البَدْوُ إِنَّ حَمْدانَ يَظْهَرُ لِمَنْ تاهَ فِي الصَّحْراءِ وَكانَ قَلْبُهُ نَقِيًّا.
And to this day, the Bedouin say Hamdan appears to those lost in the desert whose hearts are pure.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End