مُتَدَرِّبُ المُجَلِّدِ في الإسْكَنْدَرِيَّة

The Bookbinder's Apprentice of Alexandria

الفصل الأول: مَدينَةُ الكُتُب

Chapter One: The City of Books

في الإسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ، حَيْثُ لا تَزالُ ذِكْرى المَكْتَبَةِ العَظيمَةِ تَعيشُ في قُلوبِ العُلَماءِ، كانَتْ وَرْشَةُ المُجَلِّدِ الأَشْهَرِ، إسْماعيلَ بنِ سُلَيْمانَ.

In Alexandria, where the memory of the great library still lived in the hearts of scholars, stood the workshop of the most famous bookbinder, Ismail ibn Sulayman.

ابْنَتُهُ، مَرْيَمُ، كانَتْ في السَّابِعَةِ وَالعِشْرينَ، عَذْراءَ لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجْ لِأَنَّها فَضَّلَتِ الكُتُبَ عَلى الرِّجالِ. جَسَدُها مُمْتَلِئٌ كَمُجَلَّداتِ المَكْتَبَةِ القَديمَةِ، شَعْرُها بُنِّيٌّ كَجِلْدِ الكُتُبِ، وَعَيْناها زَرْقاوانِ كَالبَحْرِ المُتَوَسِّطِ.

His daughter, Maryam, was twenty-seven, a virgin who had not married because she preferred books to men. Her body was full like the volumes of the ancient library, her hair brown like book leather, and her eyes blue as the Mediterranean.

"يا بُنَيَّتي،" كانَ يَقولُ أَبوها، "مَتى تَقْبَلينَ خاطِباً؟"

"My daughter," her father would say, "when will you accept a suitor?"

"حينَ أَجِدُ رَجُلاً يُحِبُّ الكُتُبَ كَما أُحِبُّها."

"When I find a man who loves books as I love them."

"الكُتُبُ لا تُدْفِئُ الفِراشَ."

"Books do not warm the bed."

الفصل الثاني: الغَريبُ مِنَ المَغْرِب

Chapter Two: The Stranger from the Maghreb

وَصَلَ عُمَرُ بنُ يوسُفَ مِنْ فاسَ، شابٌّ في الرّابِعَةِ وَالعِشْرينَ، يَحْمِلُ رِسالَةً مِنْ أُسْتاذِهِ.

Umar ibn Yusuf arrived from Fes, a young man of twenty-four, carrying a letter from his master.

"أُرْسِلْتُ لِأَتَعَلَّمَ فَنَّ التَّجْليدِ الإسْكَنْدَرانِيَّ."

"I was sent to learn the art of Alexandrian binding."

قَرَأَ إسْماعيلُ الرِّسالَةَ. "أَهْلاً بِكَ. سَتَتَعَلَّمُ مِنِّي وَمِنِ ابْنَتي."

Ismail read the letter. "Welcome. You will learn from me and from my daughter."

نَظَرَ عُمَرُ إلى مَرْيَمَ. رَأى امْرَأَةً جَميلَةً بِعَيْنَيْنِ ذَكِيَّتَيْنِ. قَلْبُهُ خَفَقَ.

Umar looked at Maryam. He saw a beautiful woman with intelligent eyes. His heart fluttered.

"أَنا سَعيدٌ بِالتَّعَلُّمِ مِنْكُما."

"I am happy to learn from you both."

الفصل الثالث: دُروسُ الجِلْد

Chapter Three: Lessons in Leather

بَدَأَتْ مَرْيَمُ تُعَلِّمُهُ فَنَّ التَّجْليدِ. كَيْفَ يَقْطَعُ الجِلْدَ، كَيْفَ يَطْويهِ، كَيْفَ يَخيطُهُ.

Maryam began teaching him the art of binding. How to cut leather, how to fold it, how to stitch it.

"يَداكَ خَشِنَتانِ،" قالَتْ لَهُ يَوْماً.

"Your hands are rough," she told him one day.

"مِنَ العَمَلِ."

"From work."

"تَحْتاجانِ لِيونَةً لِتَتَعامَلَ مَعَ الجِلْدِ."

"They need softness to handle leather."

أَمْسَكَتْ يَدَهُ لِتُريَهُ الحَرَكَةَ الصَّحيحَةَ. تَلامَسَتْ أَصابِعُهُما.

She took his hand to show him the correct movement. Their fingers touched.

"هكَذا،" قالَتْ، صَوْتُها يَرْتَجِفُ قَليلاً.

"Like this," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

"أَفْهَمُ الآنَ."

"I understand now."

لكِنَّ ما فَهِمَهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَنِ الجِلْدِ.

But what he understood was not about leather.

الفصل الرابع: الكِتابُ المَمْنوع

Chapter Four: The Forbidden Book

ذاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، وَأَبوها نائِمٌ، جاءَها عُمَرُ في الوَرْشَةِ.

One night, while her father was asleep, Umar came to her in the workshop.

"لِماذا لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجي؟" سَأَلَها.

"Why have you not married?" he asked her.

"لَمْ أَجِدْ رَجُلاً يَفْهَمُني."

"I have not found a man who understands me."

"وَما الذي تُريدينَ أَنْ يَفْهَمَهُ؟"

"And what do you want him to understand?"

نَظَرَتْ إلى عَيْنَيْهِ. "أُريدُ رَجُلاً يَقْرَأُ جَسَدي كَما يَقْرَأُ كِتاباً."

She looked into his eyes. "I want a man who reads my body as he reads a book."

"وَإذا وَجَدْتِ ذلِكَ الرَّجُلَ؟"

"And if you found that man?"

"سَأَفْتَحُ لَهُ كُلَّ صَفَحاتي."

"I would open all my pages to him."

تَقَدَّمَ نَحْوَها. "أَنا قارِئٌ مُتَشَوِّقٌ."

He stepped toward her. "I am an eager reader."

الفصل الخامس: فَتْحُ الكِتاب

Chapter Five: Opening the Book

قَبَّلَها بِرِفْقٍ. شَفَتاها ناعِمَتانِ كَصَفَحاتِ الوَرَقِ القَديمِ.

He kissed her gently. Her lips were soft as the pages of old paper.

"عَلِّمْني كَيْفَ أَقْرَأُكِ،" هَمَسَ.

"Teach me how to read you," he whispered.

"اِبْدَأْ بِالغِلافِ."

"Start with the cover."

أَنْزَلَ ثَوْبَها عَنْ كَتِفَيْها. ظَهَرَ جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ.

He slid her gown from her shoulders. Her full body appeared.

"الغِلافُ جَميلٌ،" قالَ وَهُوَ يَتَأَمَّلُ نَهْدَيْها الكَبيرَيْنِ وَبَطْنَها المُسْتَديرَةَ.

"The cover is beautiful," he said as he contemplated her large breasts and round belly.

"اِفْتَحِ الصَّفَحَةَ الأولى."

"Open the first page."

قَبَّلَ عُنُقَها. لَحَسَ جِلْدَها.

He kissed her neck. He licked her skin.

"طَعْمُكِ كَرائِحَةِ الكُتُبِ القَديمَةِ. مُسْكِرٌ."

"Your taste is like the scent of old books. Intoxicating."

الفصل السادس: قِراءَةُ الفُصول

Chapter Six: Reading the Chapters

نَزَلَ إلى نَهْدَيْها. قَبَّلَهُما، لَحَسَهُما، مَصَّ حَلَمَتَيْهِما.

He descended to her breasts. He kissed them, licked them, sucked her nipples.

"الفَصْلُ الثّاني رائِعٌ!" أَنَّتْ.

"The second chapter is wonderful!" she moaned.

"اِنْتَظِري حَتّى تَقْرَئي الثّالِثَ."

"Wait until you read the third."

نَزَلَ إلى بَطْنِها. قَبَّلَها بِحَنانٍ.

He descended to her belly. He kissed it tenderly.

"بَطْنُكِ كَصَفْحَةٍ بَيْضاءَ تَنْتَظِرُ الكِتابَةَ."

"Your belly is like a white page waiting to be written."

"اُكْتُبْ عَلَيْها بِشَفَتَيْكَ."

"Write on it with your lips."

نَزَلَ أَكْثَرَ. وَصَلَ بَيْنَ فَخِذَيْها.

He descended more. He reached between her thighs.

"هُنا الفَصْلُ الأَهَمُّ."

"Here is the most important chapter."

لَحَسَ زَهْرَتَها. صَرَخَتْ مِنَ اللَّذَّةِ.

He licked her flower. She cried out from pleasure.

"لَمْ يَقْرَأْني أَحَدٌ هكَذا!"

"No one has read me like this!"

الفصل السابع: الخِتام

Chapter Seven: The Conclusion

"اُدْخُلْني!" تَوَسَّلَتْ. "أَكْمِلِ الكِتابَ!"

"Enter me!" she pleaded. "Complete the book!"

خَلَعَ ثِيابَهُ. ذَكَرُهُ مُنْتَصِبٌ كَإِبْرَةِ الخِياطَةِ.

He removed his clothes. His member was erect like a sewing needle.

"سَيُؤْلِمُكِ في البِدايَةِ."

"It will hurt you at first."

"لا أُبالي. اِخْتَرِقْني."

"I do not care. Pierce me."

دَخَلَها بِرِفْقٍ. صَرَخَتْ صَرْخَةً خافِتَةً.

He entered her gently. She let out a soft cry.

"اسْتَمِرَّ!"

"Continue!"

بَدَأَ يَتَحَرَّكُ. جَسَداهُما يَتَّحِدانِ كَصَفَحاتِ كِتابٍ.

He began to move. Their bodies united like the pages of a book.

"أَسْرَعُ!" طَلَبَتْ.

"Faster!" she demanded.

زادَ سُرْعَتَهُ. نَهْداها الكَبيرانِ يَتَأَرْجَحانِ، وَبَطْنُها المُمْتَلِئَةُ تَتَمَوَّجُ.

He increased his speed. Her large breasts swayed, and her full belly undulated.

الفصل الثامن: التَّوْقيعُ الأَخير

Chapter Eight: The Final Signature

"أَنا قَريبَةٌ!" صَرَخَتْ.

"I am close!" she cried.

"مَعاً!"

"Together!"

وَصَلا إلى ذُرْوَتِهِما. صَرَخا صَرْخَةً واحِدَةً.

They reached their peak. They cried out in one voice.

أَفْرَغَ نَفْسَهُ داخِلَها، كَأَنَّهُ يَضَعُ التَّوْقيعَ الأَخيرَ عَلى الكِتابِ.

He emptied himself inside her, as if placing the final signature on the book.

اسْتَلْقَيا مُتَعانِقَيْنِ.

They lay embracing each other.

"هَلْ أَعْجَبَكِ الكِتابُ؟" سَأَلَها.

"Did you like the book?" he asked her.

"سَأَقْرَأُهُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ."

"I will read it every night."

الخاتِمَة

Epilogue

تَزَوَّجا بَعْدَ أُسْبوعٍ. إسْماعيلُ لَمْ يَعْرِفْ أَبَداً ما جَرى في الوَرْشَةِ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ، لكِنَّهُ فَرِحَ لِأَنَّ ابْنَتَهُ أَخيراً وَجَدَتْ رَجُلاً يُحِبُّ الكُتُبَ.

They married after a week. Ismail never knew what happened in the workshop that night, but he was happy because his daughter finally found a man who loved books.

وَيُقالُ إنَّهُما صَنَعا مَعاً أَجْمَلَ مُجَلَّدٍ في تاريخِ الإسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ، وَسَمَّياهُ "كِتابَ الحُبِّ".

And it is said that together they made the most beautiful binding in the history of Alexandria, and they named it "The Book of Love."

انْتَهَتِ القِصَّة | The End