مقهى الكتاب | The Writers' Cafe of Tangier
"A cafe owner discovers passion with a writer who comes seeking inspiration in the legendary cafes of Tangier."
مقهى الكتاب
The Writers' Cafe of Tangier
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
أَمْلِكُ مَقْهًى قَدِيمًا فِي طَنْجَةَ.
I own an old cafe in Tangier.
جَلَسَ فِيهِ كُتَّابٌ عَالَمِيُّونَ.
World-famous writers sat in it.
جَاءَ كَاتِبٌ يَبْحَثُ عَنِ الإِلْهَامِ.
A writer came seeking inspiration.
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
كَانَ فِي الخَمْسِينَ، بِلِحْيَةٍ رَمَادِيَّةٍ وَكِتَابٍ فِي يَدِهِ.
He was in his fifties, with a gray beard and a book in hand.
"قَالُوا إِنَّ هَذَا المَقْهَى سَاحِرٌ."
"They said this cafe is magical."
"السِّحْرُ فِي مَنْ يَجْلِسُ فِيهِ."
"The magic is in who sits in it."
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
صَارَ يَأْتِي كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
He started coming every day.
يَكْتُبُ لِسَاعَاتٍ وَيَشْرَبُ القَهْوَةَ.
Writing for hours and drinking coffee.
"لِمَاذَا تَأْتِي إِلَى هُنَا؟" سَأَلْتُهُ.
"Why do you come here?" I asked him.
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
"لِأَنَّكِ هُنَا."
"Because you are here."
"أَنَا؟ لَكِنَّنِي مُجَرَّدُ صَاحِبَةِ مَقْهَى."
"Me? But I'm just a cafe owner."
"أَنْتِ الشَّخْصِيَّةُ الرَّئِيسِيَّةُ فِي رِوَايَتِي."
"You are the main character in my novel."
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
"تَكْتُبُ عَنِّي؟"
"You write about me?"
"أَكْتُبُ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ جَمِيلَةٍ فِي مَقْهَى قَدِيمٍ."
"I write about a beautiful woman in an old cafe."
"أَنَا لَسْتُ جَمِيلَةً... أَنَا فِي الخَمْسِينَ."
"I'm not beautiful... I'm in my fifties."
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
"الجَمَالُ لَيْسَ فِي السِّنِّ."
"Beauty is not in age."
"الجَمَالُ فِي الرُّوحِ... وَرُوحُكِ سَاحِرَةٌ."
"Beauty is in the soul... and your soul is enchanting."
"هَلْ هَذَا مِنْ رِوَايَتِكَ؟"
"Is this from your novel?"
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
"لَا... هَذَا مِنْ قَلْبِي."
"No... this is from my heart."
تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ، بَعْدَ إِغْلَاقِ المَقْهَى.
That night, after closing the cafe.
"أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ فَصْلاً جَدِيدًا..."
"I want to write a new chapter..."
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
نَشَرَ رِوَايَتَهُ وَأَهْدَاهَا لِي.
He published his novel and dedicated it to me.
"لِصَاحِبَةِ المَقْهَى الَّتِي أَلْهَمَتْنِي الكِتَابَةَ وَالحُبَّ."
"To the cafe owner who inspired me to write and love."
الآنَ نَعِيشُ مَعًا فَوْقَ المَقْهَى.
Now we live together above the cafe.
الخاتمة | Conclusion
المَقْهَى مَكَانٌ لِلْقِصَصِ.
A cafe is a place for stories.
وَنَحْنُ كَتَبْنَا قِصَّتَنَا فِيهِ.
And we wrote our story in it.
فَصْلًا فَصْلًا، فِنْجَانًا فِنْجَانًا.
Chapter by chapter, cup by cup.
من حكايات طنجة From the Tales of Tangier