The Bookbinder of Fez | مُجَلِّدُ فاس
"In the ancient medina of Fez, a master bookbinder discovers that the widow who commissions a special Quran binding ignites desires he thought were long forgotten."
مُجَلِّدُ فاس
The Bookbinder of Fez
الفصل الأول: المَدينَةُ القَديمَة
Chapter One: The Ancient Medina
في أَزِقَّةِ فاسَ الضَّيِّقَةِ، حَيْثُ تَفوحُ رائِحَةُ الجِلْدِ وَالحِبْرِ، كانَ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ سُلَيْمانَ يَعْمَلُ في دُكّانِهِ الصَّغيرِ. كانَ أَشْهَرَ مُجَلِّدِ كُتُبٍ في المَغْرِبِ كُلِّهِ.
In the narrow alleys of Fez, where the scent of leather and ink wafted, Muhammad ibn Sulayman worked in his small shop. He was the most famous bookbinder in all of Morocco.
كانَ في الخامِسَةِ وَالأَرْبَعينَ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ، رَجُلاً قَصيرَ القامَةِ ذا يَدَيْنِ قَوِيَّتَيْنِ ماهِرَتَيْنِ. عَيْناهُ بُنِّيَّتانِ هادِئَتانِ. لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ قَطُّ، إذْ كَرَّسَ حَياتَهُ لِفَنِّهِ.
He was forty-five years of age, a short man with strong, skilled hands. His eyes were calm and brown. He had never married, having dedicated his life to his craft.
ذاتَ يَوْمٍ، دَخَلَتْ دُكّانَهُ امْرَأَةٌ غَيَّرَتْ حَياتَهُ.
One day, a woman entered his shop who changed his life.
الفصل الثاني: الأَرْمَلَةُ المَغْرِبِيَّة
Chapter Two: The Moroccan Widow
"أُريدُ أَنْ تُجَلِّدَ لي مُصْحَفاً،" قالَتِ المَرْأَةُ. "لِذِكْرى زَوْجي المُتَوَفّى."
"I want you to bind a Quran for me," the woman said. "In memory of my deceased husband."
رَفَعَ مُحَمَّدٌ رَأْسَهُ وَنَظَرَ إلَيْها. كانَتِ امْرَأَةً في الثَّلاثينَ مِنْ عُمْرِها، ذاتَ بَشَرَةٍ سَمْراءَ داكِنَةٍ وَعَيْنَيْنِ سَوْداوَيْنِ جَميلَتَيْنِ. جَسَدُها مُمْتَلِئٌ تَحْتَ جَلّابِيَّتِها المَغْرِبِيَّةِ.
Muhammad raised his head and looked at her. She was a woman in her thirties, with dark brown skin and beautiful black eyes. Her body was full under her Moroccan jellaba.
"أَنا خَديجَةُ بِنْتُ عُمَرَ،" قالَتْ.
"I am Khadija bint Umar," she said.
"تَشَرَّفْتُ، يا سَيِّدَتي. سَأَصْنَعُ لَكِ أَجْمَلَ غِلافٍ."
"I am honored, my lady. I will make you the most beautiful cover."
الفصل الثالث: الزِّياراتُ المُتَكَرِّرَة
Chapter Three: The Repeated Visits
عادَتْ خَديجَةُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لِتَرى تَقَدُّمَ العَمَلِ. وَفي كُلِّ زِيارَةٍ، كانَتِ المُحادَثاتُ تَطولُ.
Khadija returned every day to see the progress of the work. And with each visit, the conversations grew longer.
"زَوْجي كانَ رَجُلاً طَيِّباً،" قالَتْ ذاتَ يَوْمٍ. "لكِنَّهُ كانَ مَريضاً مُعْظَمَ سَنَواتِ زَواجِنا. لَمْ نَعِشْ كَزَوْجٍ وَزَوْجَةٍ حَقيقِيَّيْنِ."
"My husband was a good man," she said one day. "But he was sick most of the years of our marriage. We did not live as a real husband and wife."
فَهِمَ مُحَمَّدٌ ما تَعْنيهِ. "هذا مُحْزِنٌ."
Muhammad understood what she meant. "That is sad."
"وَأَنْتَ؟ لِماذا لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجْ؟"
"And you? Why have you not married?"
"لَمْ أَجِدِ المَرْأَةَ المُناسِبَةَ. وَكُنْتُ مَشْغولاً بِعَمَلي."
"I have not found the right woman. And I was busy with my work."
نَظَرَتْ إلى يَدَيْهِ وَهُوَ يَعْمَلُ. "يَداكَ ماهِرَتانِ جِدّاً."
She looked at his hands as he worked. "Your hands are very skilled."
الفصل الرابع: اللَّيْلَةُ الأَخيرَة
Chapter Four: The Final Night
في اللَّيْلَةِ التي أَكْمَلَ فيها العَمَلَ، جاءَتْ خَديجَةُ لِتَسْتَلِمَهُ.
On the night he completed the work, Khadija came to receive it.
"إنَّهُ رائِعٌ،" قالَتْ وَهِيَ تَتَأَمَّلُ الغِلافَ الجِلْدِيَّ المُزَخْرَفَ. "كَيْفَ أَسْتَطيعُ أَنْ أَشْكُرَكَ؟"
"It is magnificent," she said as she contemplated the decorated leather cover. "How can I thank you?"
"ثَمَنُهُ يَكْفي، يا سَيِّدَتي."
"Its price is enough, my lady."
"لا. أُريدُ أَنْ أَشْكُرَكَ بِطَريقَةٍ أُخْرى."
"No. I want to thank you in another way."
أَغْلَقَتْ بابَ الدُّكّانِ. خَلَعَتْ جَلّابِيَّتَها. تَحْتَها كانَتْ تَرْتَدي ثَوْباً رَقيقاً يُظْهِرُ جَسَدَها المُمْتَلِئَ.
She closed the shop door. She removed her jellaba. Underneath, she wore a thin dress that showed her full body.
"يا سَيِّدَتي..." بَدَأَ مُحَمَّدٌ.
"My lady..." Muhammad began.
"اِسْمي خَديجَةُ. وَأُريدُكَ."
"My name is Khadija. And I want you."
الفصل الخامس: الكَشْف
Chapter Five: The Revelation
أَزالَتِ الثَّوْبَ الرَّقيقَ. ظَهَرَ جَسَدُها المَغْرِبِيُّ المُمْتَلِئُ في ضَوْءِ المِصْباحِ الزَّيْتِيِّ.
She removed the thin dress. Her full Moroccan body appeared in the light of the oil lamp.
كانَتْ سَمْراءَ داكِنَةَ البَشَرَةِ، جَميلَةً بِطَريقَةٍ بَرِّيَّةٍ. ثَدْياها كَبيرانِ ثَقيلانِ بِحَلَماتٍ سَوْداءَ. بَطْنُها مُسْتَديرَةٌ ناعِمَةٌ. وِرْكاها عَريضَتانِ مَغْرِبِيَّتانِ. فَخِذاها سَمينَتانِ.
She was dark brown-skinned, beautiful in a wild way. Her breasts were large and heavy with black nipples. Her belly was round and soft. Her hips were wide in the Moroccan way. Her thighs were plump.
"لَمْ أَرَ امْرَأَةً عارِيَةً مِنْ قَبْلُ،" اعْتَرَفَ مُحَمَّدٌ بِصَوْتٍ مُرْتَجِفٍ.
"I have never seen a naked woman before," Muhammad confessed with a trembling voice.
"إذاً سَأُعَلِّمُكَ."
"Then I will teach you."
الفصل السادس: الدُّروسُ الأولى
Chapter Six: The First Lessons
أَمْسَكَتْ يَدَهُ القَوِيَّةَ وَوَضَعَتْها عَلى صَدْرِها.
She took his strong hand and placed it on her chest.
"اِلْمِسْني. كَما تَلْمِسُ الجِلْدَ الذي تُجَلِّدُ بِهِ الكُتُبَ."
"Touch me. As you touch the leather you bind books with."
لَمَسَ ثَدْيَها الكَبيرَ بِرِفْقٍ. كانَ ناعِماً ثَقيلاً في يَدِهِ.
He touched her large breast gently. It was soft and heavy in his hand.
"اِعْصِرْهُ قَليلاً."
"Squeeze it a little."
فَعَلَ. أَنَّتْ خَديجَةُ بِمُتْعَةٍ.
He did. Khadija moaned with pleasure.
"يَداكَ ماهِرَتانِ فِعْلاً،" قالَتْ. "الآنَ قَبِّلْني."
"Your hands are truly skilled," she said. "Now kiss me."
قَبَّلَها. كانَتْ أَوَّلَ قُبْلَةٍ في حَياتِهِ. شَفَتاها طَعْمُهُما كَالتَّمْرِ وَالشّايِ المَغْرِبِيِّ.
He kissed her. It was the first kiss of his life. Her lips tasted like dates and Moroccan tea.
الفصل السابع: الاتِّحاد
Chapter Seven: The Union
أَلْقَتْهُ عَلى الوَسائِدِ وَخَلَعَتْ ثِيابَهُ بِنَفْسِها.
She laid him on the cushions and removed his clothes herself.
"أَنْتَ قَوِيٌّ رَغْمَ قِصَرِ قامَتِكَ،" قالَتْ وَهِيَ تَتَأَمَّلُ جَسَدَهُ.
"You are strong despite your short stature," she said as she contemplated his body.
صَعِدَتْ فَوْقَهُ. أَنْزَلَتْ جَسَدَها المُمْتَلِئَ عَلَيْهِ بِبُطْءٍ حَتّى دَخَلَ فيها.
She climbed on top of him. She lowered her full body onto him slowly until he entered her.
"يا اللهِ!" صَرَخَ مِنَ المُتْعَةِ.
"My God!" he cried from pleasure.
"هذِهِ هِيَ المُتْعَةُ الحَقيقِيَّةُ،" قالَتْ وَهِيَ تَبْدَأُ بِالتَّحَرُّكِ فَوْقَهُ.
"This is true pleasure," she said as she began to move on top of him.
كانَ جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ يَتَمَوَّجُ فَوْقَهُ. ثَدْياها الكَبيرانِ يَرْتَجِفانِ أَمامَ وَجْهِهِ. مَدَّ يَدَيْهِ وَأَمْسَكَهُما.
Her full body undulated on top of him. Her large breasts trembled before his face. He extended his hands and held them.
الفصل الثامن: الذُّروَة
Chapter Eight: The Climax
زادَتْ سُرْعَتَها. كانَتْ تَصْعَدُ وَتَنْزِلُ بِقُوَّةٍ. مُحَمَّدٌ يُمْسِكُ وِرْكَيْها العَريضَتَيْنِ وَيُساعِدُها.
She increased her speed. She was rising and falling forcefully. Muhammad held her wide hips and helped her.
"أَنا قَريبٌ!" صَرَخَ.
"I am close!" he cried.
"وَأَنا أَيْضاً!"
"And I too!"
وَصَلا إلى الذُّروَةِ مَعاً. صَرَخَتْ خَديجَةُ بِصَوْتٍ عالٍ وَجَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ يَرْتَجِفُ فَوْقَهُ. انْسَكَبَ داخِلَها وَهُوَ يَصْرُخُ اسْمَها.
They reached the climax together. Khadija cried out loudly as her full body trembled on top of him. He spilled inside her while crying out her name.
سَقَطَتْ بِجانِبِهِ، كِلاهُما يَلْهَثُ.
She fell beside him, both of them panting.
"كَيْفَ كانَتْ أَوَّلُ مَرَّةٍ لَكَ؟" سَأَلَتْ.
"How was your first time?" she asked.
"أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَيِّ كِتابٍ جَلَّدْتُهُ في حَياتي."
"Better than any book I have bound in my life."
الخاتِمَة
Epilogue
تَزَوَّجَ مُحَمَّدٌ خَديجَةَ بَعْدَ أُسْبوعٍ. اِنْتَقَلَتْ لِتَعيشَ مَعَهُ فَوْقَ الدُّكّانِ الصَّغيرِ في المَدينَةِ القَديمَةِ.
Muhammad married Khadija after a week. She moved to live with him above the small shop in the ancient medina.
كانَ يُجَلِّدُ الكُتُبَ نَهاراً، وَفي اللَّيْلِ كانَتْ هِيَ تُعَلِّمُهُ فُنوناً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ عَنْها في أَيِّ كِتابٍ.
He would bind books by day, and at night she would teach him arts he had not read about in any book.
وَيُقالُ إنَّ كُتُبَهُ أَصْبَحَتْ أَجْمَلَ بَعْدَ زَواجِهِ، لِأَنَّ يَدَيْهِ تَعَلَّمَتا مَعْنى اللَّمْسَةِ الحَقيقِيَّةِ.
It is said that his books became more beautiful after his marriage, because his hands learned the meaning of true touch.
انْتَهَتِ القِصَّة | The End