سُلْطانُ زَنْجِبارَ

The Sultan of Zanzibar

كانَ سَعِيدُ بنُ سُلْطانَ أَمِيرًا شابًّا مِنْ عُمانَ، طَرَدَهُ أَعْداؤُهُ مِنَ القَصْرِ. رَكِبَ سَفِينَةً وَأَبْحَرَ جَنُوبًا، نَحْوَ المَجْهُولِ.

Sa'id bin Sultan was a young prince from Oman, driven from the palace by his enemies. He boarded a ship and sailed south, toward the unknown.

بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ، ظَهَرَتْ جَزِيرَةٌ خَضْراءُ فِي الأُفُقِ: زَنْجِبارُ، جَزِيرَةُ التَّوابِلِ!

After days, a green island appeared on the horizon: Zanzibar, the island of spices!

قالَ: «هُنا سَأَبْدَأُ مِنْ جَدِيدٍ.»

He said: "Here I shall begin anew."

نَزَلَ سَعِيدٌ بِلا شَيْءٍ سِوَى ذَكائِهِ وَشَجاعَتِهِ. عَمِلَ فِي تِجارَةِ التَّوابِلِ، وَبِفَضْلِ حِكْمَتِهِ، نَمَتْ ثَرْوَتُهُ.

Sa'id arrived with nothing but his intelligence and courage. He worked in the spice trade, and through his wisdom, his wealth grew.

كَسَبَ قُلُوبَ النَّاسِ بِعَدْلِهِ وَكَرَمِهِ. جاءَهُ التُّجَّارُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكانٍ: الهِنْدُ وَفارِسُ وَأَفْرِيقِيا.

He won people's hearts with his justice and generosity. Merchants came to him from everywhere: India, Persia, and Africa.

بَعْدَ عِشْرِينَ عامًا، أَصْبَحَ سُلْطانَ زَنْجِبارَ، أَقْوَى رَجُلٍ فِي شَرْقِ أَفْرِيقِيا.

After twenty years, he became the Sultan of Zanzibar, the most powerful man in East Africa.

جاءَهُ يَوْمًا رُسُلٌ مِنْ عُمانَ. قالُوا: «يا سُلْطانُ، أَعْداؤُكَ ماتُوا. البِلادُ تَنْتَظِرُكَ.»

One day, messengers came from Oman. They said: "O Sultan, your enemies have died. The country awaits you."

عادَ سَعِيدٌ إِلى مَسْقَطَ سُلْطانًا عَظِيمًا، يَحْكُمُ إِمْبِراطُورِيَّةً تَمْتَدُّ مِنْ عُمانَ إِلى زَنْجِبارَ.

Sa'id returned to Muscat a great sultan, ruling an empire stretching from Oman to Zanzibar.

قالَ: «الَّذِي طَرَدُونِي مَنْفِيًّا عُدْتُ إِلَيْهِ مَلِكًا. هَذا قَدَرُ اللهِ لِمَنْ صَبَرَ وَعَمِلَ.»

He said: "Where they drove me out as an exile, I returned as a king. This is God's destiny for those who persevere and work."

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End