بُرْجُ بَهْلا

The Tower of Bahla

فِي سُورِ بَهْلا العَظِيمِ، كانَ هُناكَ بُرْجٌ يُسَمَّى «بُرْجَ الصَّمُودِ». وَفِي هَذا البُرْجِ عاشَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مُحارِبَةٌ تُدْعَى شَمْساءَ.

In the great wall of Bahla, there was a tower called "Tower of Steadfastness." In this tower lived a warrior woman called Shamsaa.

كانَتْ شَمْساءُ قَدْ فَقَدَتْ زَوْجَها وَأَبْناءَها فِي الحُرُوبِ. وَمُنْذُ ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ، أَقْسَمَتْ أَنْ تَحْمِيَ البُرْجَ بِحَياتِها.

Shamsaa had lost her husband and sons in the wars. Since that day, she swore to protect the tower with her life.

قالَ لَها النَّاسُ: «أَنْتِ امْرَأَةٌ عَجُوزٌ. ماذا تَسْتَطِيعِينَ؟»

People said to her: "You are an old woman. What can you do?"

قالَتْ: «العُمْرُ فِي القَلْبِ، لا فِي الجَسَدِ.»

She said: "Age is in the heart, not in the body."

ذاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، تَسَلَّلَ أَعْداءٌ نَحْوَ السُّورِ. كانُوا يُرِيدُونَ فَتْحَ ثَغْرَةٍ لِيَدْخُلَ الجَيْشُ الغازِي.

One night, enemies crept toward the wall. They wanted to open a breach for the invading army to enter.

سَمِعَتْهُمْ شَمْساءُ وَهُمْ يَتَسَلَّقُونَ. كانَتْ وَحِيدَةً فِي البُرْجِ، وَالحُرَّاسُ بَعِيدُونَ.

Shamsaa heard them climbing. She was alone in the tower, and the guards were far away.

لَمْ تَخَفْ. أَخَذَتْ قَوْسَها وَسِهامَها، وَبَدَأَتِ المَعْرَكَةَ وَحْدَها!

She was not afraid. She took her bow and arrows and began the battle alone!

قاتَلَتْ شَمْساءُ طُولَ اللَّيْلِ. أَطْلَقَتْ سِهامَها بِدِقَّةٍ مُذْهِلَةٍ، وَرَمَتْ حِجارَةً ثَقِيلَةً عَلى المُتَسَلِّقِينَ.

Shamsaa fought all night. She shot her arrows with amazing precision and threw heavy stones at the climbers.

كانُوا عِشْرِينَ، وَهِيَ واحِدَةٌ. لَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا أَنَّها امْرَأَةٌ عَجُوزٌ!

They were twenty, and she was one. But they did not know she was an old woman!

صاحَتْ بِصَوْتٍ قَوِيٍّ مُتَنَكِّرٍ: «أَنا حارِسُ بَهْلا! لَنْ تَمُرُّوا!»

She cried in a strong disguised voice: "I am Bahla's guardian! You shall not pass!"

ظَنُّوها مُحارِبِينَ كَثِيرِينَ، فَخافُوا وَتَراجَعُوا.

They thought she was many warriors, so they feared and retreated.

فِي الصَّباحِ، وَصَلَ الحُرَّاسُ فَوَجَدُوا شَمْساءَ جالِسَةً مُرْهَقَةً، وَالأَعْداءُ قَدْ فَرُّوا.

In the morning, the guards arrived and found Shamsaa sitting exhausted, and the enemies had fled.

حِينَ عَلِمَ الإِمامُ بِالقِصَّةِ، جاءَ بِنَفْسِهِ لِتَكْرِيمِها. قالَ: «هَذِهِ المَرْأَةُ تُساوِي جَيْشًا!»

When the Imam learned of the story, he came himself to honor her. He said: "This woman is worth an army!"

أَعْطاها لَقَبَ «أُمُّ البُرْجِ»، وَصارَ البُرْجُ يُسَمَّى «بُرْجَ شَمْساءَ».

He gave her the title "Mother of the Tower," and the tower came to be called "Shamsaa's Tower."

وَبَقِيَتْ قِصَّتُها تُلْهِمُ النِّساءَ وَالرِّجالَ عَلى السَّواءِ: أَنَّ الشَّجاعَةَ لَيْسَ لَها جِنْسٌ وَلا عُمْرٌ.

And her story remained inspiring women and men alike: that courage has no gender and no age.

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End