الأرملة الزرقاء | The Blue Widow of Tangier
"A painter in Tangier becomes obsessed with capturing the beauty of a mysterious widow in blue."
الأرملة الزرقاء
The Blue Widow of Tangier
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
رَأَيْتُهَا لِأَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ عِنْدَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ.
I saw her for the first time at sunset.
كَانَتْ تَقِفُ عِنْدَ البَحْرِ، مُلْتَفَّةً بِقُمَاشٍ أَزْرَقَ.
She was standing by the sea, wrapped in blue fabric.
جَسَدُهَا المُمْتَلِئُ يَتَحَدَّى الرِّيحَ.
Her full body defied the wind.
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
أَنَا رَسَّامٌ فِي طَنْجَةَ أَبْحَثُ عَنِ الجَمَالِ.
I am a painter in Tangier searching for beauty.
وَجَدْتُهُ فِيهَا: أَرْمَلَةٌ فِي الخَمْسِينَ.
I found it in her: a widow in her fifties.
بِشَعْرٍ فِضِّيٍّ وَعُيُونٍ كَالبَحْرِ.
With silver hair and eyes like the sea.
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
"هَلْ تَسْمَحِينَ لِي بِرَسْمِكِ؟" سَأَلْتُهَا.
"Would you allow me to paint you?" I asked her.
"لِمَاذَا أَنَا؟ أَنَا عَجُوزٌ..."
"Why me? I am old..."
"أَنْتِ تَحْفَةٌ فَنِّيَّةٌ."
"You are a masterpiece."
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
جَاءَتْ إِلَى مَرْسَمِي المُطِلِّ عَلَى البَحْرِ.
She came to my studio overlooking the sea.
"كَيْفَ تُرِيدُنِي أَنْ أَجْلِسَ؟"
"How do you want me to sit?"
"كَمَا أَنْتِ... طَبِيعِيَّةٌ."
"As you are... natural."
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
مَعَ كُلِّ ضَرْبَةِ فُرْشَاةٍ، كُنْتُ أَكْتَشِفُهَا.
With each brush stroke, I was discovering her.
مُنْحَنَيَاتُ جَسَدِهَا كَتِلَالِ طَنْجَةَ.
Her body's curves like the hills of Tangier.
"لِمَاذَا تَنْظُرُ إِلَيَّ هَكَذَا؟" سَأَلَتْ.
"Why do you look at me like that?" she asked.
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
"لِأَنَّكِ أَجْمَلُ مِنْ أَيِّ لَوْحَةٍ رَسَمْتُهَا."
"Because you are more beautiful than any painting I've made."
وَضَعْتُ الفُرْشَاةَ وَاقْتَرَبْتُ مِنْهَا.
I put down the brush and approached her.
"زَوْجِي مَاتَ مُنْذُ عَشْرِ سَنَوَاتٍ... لَمْ يَلْمُسْنِي أَحَدٌ."
"My husband died ten years ago... no one has touched me."
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
لَمَسْتُ وَجْهَهَا كَمَا أَلْمُسُ لَوْحَةً ثَمِينَةً.
I touched her face as I would touch a precious painting.
"أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَرْسُمَكِ بِكُلِّ جَسَدِي."
"I want to paint you with all my body."
"أَنَا لَوْحَتُكَ..." هَمَسَتْ.
"I am your canvas..." she whispered.
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ، رَسَمْتُ بِدُونِ فُرْشَاةٍ.
That night, I painted without a brush.
جَسَدُهَا كَانَ أَلْوَانِي، وَأَنْفَاسُهَا مُوسِيقَايَ.
Her body was my colors, and her breath was my music.
أَبْدَعْنَا تُحْفَةً لَنْ يَرَاهَا أَحَدٌ.
We created a masterpiece no one will see.
الخاتمة | Conclusion
الآنَ لَوْحَاتِي كُلُّهَا فِيهَا لَوْنٌ أَزْرَقُ.
Now all my paintings have blue in them.
لَوْنُ الأَرْمَلَةِ الَّتِي عَلَّمَتْنِي الفَنَّ الحَقِيقِيَّ.
The color of the widow who taught me true art.
الفَنُّ الَّذِي يُرْسَمُ بِالقَلْبِ لَا بِاليَدِ.
Art painted with the heart, not the hand.
من حكايات طنجة From the Tales of Tangier