The Spice Trader's Wife | زَوْجَةُ تاجِرِ التَّوابِلِ
"A woman takes over her husband's trade empire after his disappearance and discovers his dark secrets"
زَوْجَةُ تاجِرِ التَّوابِلِ
The Spice Trader's Wife
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الاِخْتِفاءُ المُفاجِئُ
Chapter One: The Sudden Disappearance
كانَ عَبْدُاللهِ بنُ سَعِيدٍ أَغْنَى تاجِرِ تَوابِلَ فِي مَسْقَطَ. سُفُنُهُ تَحْمِلُ القِرْفَةَ وَالزَّنْجَبِيلَ وَالهالَ مِنَ الهِنْدِ إِلى الشَّامِ.
Abdullah bin Sa'id was the richest spice trader in Muscat. His ships carried cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom from India to Syria.
ذاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، اخْتَفَى دُونَ أَثَرٍ. تَرَكَ وَراءَهُ زَوْجَتَهُ سَلْمَى وَدُيُونًا ضَخْمَةً وَأَعْداءً كَثِيرِينَ.
One night, he vanished without a trace. He left behind his wife Salma, enormous debts, and many enemies.
جاءَ الدَّائِنُونَ يَطْلُبُونَ أَمْوالَهُمْ. قالُوا: «اِدْفَعِي أَوْ نَأْخُذُ البَيْتَ!»
The creditors came demanding their money. They said: "Pay or we take the house!"
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: المَرْأَةُ الحَدِيدِيَّةُ
Chapter Two: The Iron Woman
رَفَضَتْ سَلْمَى الاِسْتِسْلامَ. قَرَّرَتْ أَنْ تُدِيرَ التِّجارَةَ بِنَفْسِها، رَغْمَ أَنَّ هَذا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَأْلُوفًا لِلنِّساءِ.
Salma refused to surrender. She decided to manage the trade herself, even though this was not customary for women.
تَعَلَّمَتِ الحِساباتِ وَدَرَسَتِ الأَسْواقَ. اكْتَشَفَتْ أَنَّ زَوْجَها كانَ يُهَرِّبُ أَشْياءَ أُخْرَى مَعَ التَّوابِلِ!
She learned accounting and studied the markets. She discovered that her husband had been smuggling other things along with the spices!
كانَ يَبِيعُ مَعْلُوماتٍ سِرِّيَّةً لِأَعْداءِ السُّلْطانِ!
He had been selling secret information to the Sultan's enemies!
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: كَشْفُ الخِيانَةِ
Chapter Three: Exposing the Betrayal
ذَهَبَتْ سَلْمَى إِلى القَصْرِ وَكَشَفَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ. أَظْهَرَتْ لِلسُّلْطانِ الرَّسائِلَ السِّرِّيَّةَ الَّتِي وَجَدَتْها فِي مَخْبَأٍ خَفِيٍّ.
Salma went to the palace and revealed everything. She showed the Sultan the secret letters she had found in a hidden cache.
كُشِفَتْ مُؤامَرَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ، وَاعتُقِلَ الجَواسِيسُ.
A great conspiracy was exposed, and the spies were arrested.
قالَ السُّلْطانُ: «لَقَدْ أَنْقَذْتِ المَمْلَكَةَ! كَيْفَ أُكافِئُكِ؟»
The Sultan said: "You have saved the kingdom! How shall I reward you?"
الفصلُ الرَّابِعُ: الإِمْبَراطُورِيَّةُ الجَدِيدَةُ
Chapter Four: The New Empire
قالَتْ سَلْمَى: «لا أُرِيدُ ذَهَبًا. أُرِيدُ الإِذْنَ بِالتِّجارَةِ بِاسْمِي، وَأَنْ أُثْبِتَ أَنَّ المَرْأَةَ قادِرَةٌ.»
Salma said: "I do not want gold. I want permission to trade in my own name, and to prove that a woman is capable."
وافَقَ السُّلْطانُ، وَأَعْطاها حِمايَةً مَلَكِيَّةً.
The Sultan agreed and gave her royal protection.
بَنَتْ سَلْمَى إِمْبَراطُورِيَّةً تِجارِيَّةً أَعْظَمَ مِمَّا بَناهُ زَوْجُها. وَصارَتْ رَمْزًا لِلنِّساءِ الطَّمُوحاتِ فِي عُمانَ.
Salma built a trading empire greater than what her husband had built. She became a symbol for ambitious women in Oman.
أَمَّا زَوْجُها؟ وَجَدُوهُ مَيِّتًا فِي بِلادٍ بَعِيدَةٍ، قَتَلَهُ الَّذِينَ خانَهُمْ.
As for her husband? They found him dead in a distant land, killed by those he had betrayed.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End