البيت الإسباني | The Spanish House of Sidi Ifni
"A guesthouse owner discovers passion with a historian studying Spanish colonial architecture in Sidi Ifni."
البيت الإسباني
The Spanish House of Sidi Ifni
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
وَرِثْتُ بَيْتًا إِسْبَانِيًّا قَدِيمًا فِي سِيدِي إِفْنِي.
I inherited an old Spanish house in Sidi Ifni.
حَوَّلْتُهُ إِلَى دَارِ ضِيَافَةٍ.
I turned it into a guesthouse.
جَاءَ مُؤَرِّخٌ يَدْرُسُ العِمَارَةَ الاِسْتِعْمَارِيَّةَ.
A historian came studying colonial architecture.
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
كَانَ فِي الخَمْسِينَ، مُثَقَّفًا، هَادِئًا.
He was in his fifties, educated, calm.
"هَذَا البَيْتُ تُحْفَةٌ مِعْمَارِيَّةٌ."
"This house is an architectural masterpiece."
"لَا أَعْرِفُ قِيمَتَهُ... وَرِثْتُهُ فَقَطْ."
"I don't know its value... I just inherited it."
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
أَرَانِي تَفَاصِيلَ لَمْ أَلْحَظْهَا.
He showed me details I hadn't noticed.
"هَذَا النَّقْشُ مِنَ الثَّلَاثِينِيَّاتِ."
"This carving is from the thirties."
"كَيْفَ تَعْرِفُ كُلَّ هَذَا؟"
"How do you know all this?"
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
"التَّارِيخُ شَغَفِي."
"History is my passion."
"وَأَنَا؟ مَا شَغَفُكَ فِيَّ؟" مَزَحْتُ.
"And me? What's your passion in me?" I joked.
نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ بِجِدِّيَّةٍ. "أَنْتِ تُحْفَةٌ أَيْضًا."
He looked at me seriously. "You are also a masterpiece."
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
"أَنَا أَرْمَلَةٌ فِي الخَامِسَةِ وَالأَرْبَعِينَ."
"I'm a widow in my forty-five."
"التُّحَفُ لَا تَقِلُّ قِيمَتُهَا مَعَ الوَقْتِ."
"Masterpieces don't lose value with time."
"بَلْ تَزْدَادُ."
"They increase."
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
قَضَى أُسْبُوعًا يَدْرُسُ البَيْتَ.
He spent a week studying the house.
وَيَدْرُسُنِي أَنَا أَيْضًا.
And studying me too.
"كُلُّ زَاوِيَةٍ فِيكِ تُخَبِّئُ جَمَالًا."
"Every corner in you hides beauty."
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ، فِي الغُرْفَةِ ذَاتِ السَّقْفِ العَالِي.
That night, in the high-ceilinged room.
بَيْنَ جُدْرَانٍ شَهِدَتْ عُقُودًا.
Among walls that witnessed decades.
"سَأَكْتُبُ عَنْ هَذَا البَيْتِ."
"I will write about this house."
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
نَشَرَ كِتَابًا عَنِ العِمَارَةِ الإِسْبَانِيَّةِ.
He published a book about Spanish architecture.
وَذَكَرَ بَيْتِي فِي فَصْلٍ كَامِلٍ.
And mentioned my house in a full chapter.
"لِصَاحِبَةِ البَيْتِ الَّتِي جَعَلَتْهُ حَيًّا."
"To the house owner who made it alive."
الخاتمة | Conclusion
البُيُوتُ القَدِيمَةُ تَحْفَظُ الذِّكْرَيَاتِ.
Old houses preserve memories.
وَبَيْتِي يَحْفَظُ ذِكْرَى حُبِّنَا.
And my house preserves the memory of our love.
حُبٌّ وُلِدَ بَيْنَ جُدْرَانٍ إِسْبَانِيَّةٍ.
A love born between Spanish walls.
من حكايات سيدي إفني From the Tales of Sidi Ifni