نَسَّاجَةُ بَهْلا

The Weaver of Bahla

الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: المَرْأَةُ الغامِضَةُ

Chapter One: The Mysterious Woman

فِي مَدِينَةِ بَهْلا العَتِيقَةِ، الَّتِي يُقالُ إِنَّ فِيها سِحْرًا قَدِيمًا، عاشَتِ امْرَأَةٌ عَجُوزٌ تُدْعَى خَدِيجَةَ. كانَتْ نَسَّاجَةً تَصْنَعُ أَجْمَلَ الأَقْمِشَةِ فِي عُمانَ كُلِّها.

In the ancient city of Bahla, where it is said ancient magic dwells, there lived an old woman called Khadija. She was a weaver who made the most beautiful fabrics in all of Oman.

لَكِنَّ أَقْمِشَتَها لَمْ تَكُنْ عادِيَّةً. كانَ النَّاسُ يَهْمِسُونَ: «مَنْ يَلْبَسُ قُماشَها يَرَى مُسْتَقْبَلَهُ فِي الأَحْلامِ!»

But her fabrics were not ordinary. People would whisper: "Whoever wears her cloth sees their future in dreams!"

كانَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَخافُونَ مِنْها، وَبَعْضُهُمْ يَطْلُبُونَ مَنْسُوجاتِها بِأَيِّ ثَمَنٍ.

Some feared her, while others sought her textiles at any price.

الفصلُ الثَّانِي: الأَمِيرُ الطَّامِعُ

Chapter Two: The Greedy Prince

جاءَ إِلى بَهْلا أَمِيرٌ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ، سَمِعَ عَنْ خَدِيجَةَ فَطَلَبَ مِنْها قُماشًا يُخْبِرُهُ مَتَى سَيَمُوتُ.

A prince came to Bahla from afar, having heard of Khadija. He demanded from her a cloth that would tell him when he would die.

قالَتْ لَهُ خَدِيجَةُ: «يا أَمِيرُ، الجاهِلُ بِمَوْتِهِ أَسْعَدُ مِنَ العالِمِ بِهِ. أَنْصَحُكَ أَلَّا تَسْأَلَ.»

Khadija said to him: "O Prince, one ignorant of his death is happier than one who knows it. I advise you not to ask."

لَكِنَّهُ أَصَرَّ وَهَدَّدَها بِالقَتْلِ. فَنَسَجَتْ لَهُ قُماشًا أَحْمَرَ كَالدَّمِ.

But he insisted and threatened her with death. So she wove for him a cloth red as blood.

الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: الحَقِيقَةُ المُرَّةُ

Chapter Three: The Bitter Truth

لَبِسَ الأَمِيرُ القُماشَ وَنامَ. رَأَى فِي مَنامِهِ أَنَّ أَخاهُ سَيَقْتُلُهُ بَعْدَ سَنَةٍ.

The prince wore the cloth and slept. In his dream, he saw that his brother would kill him after a year.

اسْتَيْقَظَ مَذْعُورًا وَعادَ إِلى بِلادِهِ. قَتَلَ أَخاهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْتُلَهُ. لَكِنَّ الذَّنْبَ أَكَلَ قَلْبَهُ، فَجُنَّ وَماتَ بَعْدَ شُهُورٍ.

He awoke terrified and returned to his land. He killed his brother before his brother could kill him. But guilt ate his heart, and he went mad and died after months.

عادَ خَبَرُهُ إِلى خَدِيجَةَ. تَنَهَّدَتْ وَقالَتْ: «مَنْ يُحاوِلُ الهُرُوبَ مِنْ قَدَرِهِ، يَجْرِي نَحْوَهُ.»

His news reached Khadija. She sighed and said: "Whoever tries to escape their fate runs toward it."

وَلَمْ تَنْسُجْ بَعْدَها قُماشًا يَكْشِفُ المُسْتَقْبَلَ أَبَدًا.

And she never again wove a cloth that revealed the future.

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End