The Desert Guide's Passion of Marrakech | عِشْقُ دَلِيلِ الصَّحْرَاءِ في مَرَّاكُش
"A Tuareg guide leads a caravan across the Sahara, where the burning sands are nothing compared to the fire ignited by a merchant's voluptuous daughter."
عِشْقُ دَلِيلِ الصَّحْرَاءِ في مَرَّاكُش
The Desert Guide's Passion of Marrakech
الفَصْلُ الأَوَّل: رِجَالُ الرِّمَال
Chapter One: Men of the Sand
كَانَ عَزَّامُ بنُ تَارِقٍ مِنْ رِجَالِ الطَّوَارِق، الَّذِينَ يُلَقَّبُونَ بِالرِّجَالِ الزُّرْقِ لِلَوْنِ ثِيَابِهِم. وُلِدَ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ الكُبْرَى وَعَرَفَ دُرُوبَهَا كَمَا يَعْرِفُ خُطُوطَ كَفِّهِ. كَانَ أَشْهَرَ دَلِيلٍ يَقُودُ القَوَافِلَ مِنْ مَرَّاكُشَ إِلَى تِمْبُكْتُو.
Azzam ibn Tariq was one of the Tuareg, called the Blue Men for the color of their clothes. He was born in the great Sahara and knew its paths as he knew the lines of his palm. He was the most famous guide leading caravans from Marrakech to Timbuktu.
كَانَ فِي الخَامِسَةِ وَالثَّلَاثِينَ، جَسَدُهُ نَحِيلٌ وَصُلْبٌ كَسَيْفٍ طَوَارِقِيّ. بَشَرَتُهُ سَوْدَاءُ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ، وَعَيْنَاهُ صَفْرَاوَانِ كَرِمَالِ الصَّحْرَاء. كَانَ النِّسَاءُ يَخَفْنَهُ وَيَشْتَهِينَهُ فِي آنٍ وَاحِد.
He was thirty-five, his body lean and hard as a Tuareg sword. His skin was black from the sun, his eyes yellow as desert sand. Women feared him and desired him at once.
الفَصْلُ الثَّاني: ابْنَةُ التَّاجِر
Chapter Two: The Merchant's Daughter
جَاءَهُ تَاجِرٌ مَرَّاكُشِيٌّ يُدْعَى الحَاجَّ مَحْمُودٌ، يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَنْقُلَ بَضَائِعَهُ عَبْرَ الصَّحْرَاء. وَكَانَ مَعَهُ ابْنَتُهُ نَسْرِينُ، الَّتِي أَصَرَّتْ عَلَى مُرَافَقَتِه.
A Marrakech merchant came to him called Hajj Mahmud, wanting to transport his goods across the desert. With him was his daughter Nasrin, who insisted on accompanying him.
كَانَتْ نَسْرِينُ فِي الثَّلَاثِينَ، لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجْ لِأَنَّ لَا أَحَدَ أَعْجَبَهَا. جَسَدُهَا مُمْتَلِئٌ كَوَاحَةٍ فِي قَلْبِ الصَّحْرَاء: نَهْدَاهَا كَثِيبَانِ مِنْ رَمْلٍ نَاعِم، وَوَرِكَاهَا وَاسِعَتَانِ كَالأُفُق. شَعْرُهَا أَسْوَدُ كَلَيْلِ الصَّحْرَاءِ، وَعَيْنَاهَا تَتَحَدَّيَانِ الشَّمْس.
Nasrin was thirty, unmarried because none had pleased her. Her body was full as an oasis in the desert's heart: her breasts were dunes of soft sand, her hips wide as the horizon. Her hair was black as the desert night, her eyes defying the sun.
"لَا آخُذُ نِسَاءً فِي قَوَافِلِي،" قَالَ عَزَّام.
"I do not take women in my caravans," said Azzam.
"وَأَنَا لَا آخُذُ أَوَامِرَ مِنَ الرِّجَال،" أَجَابَتْ نَسْرِين.
"And I do not take orders from men," answered Nasrin.
الفَصْلُ الثَّالِث: حَرَارَةُ النَّهَار
Chapter Three: The Day's Heat
خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا فِي الصَّحْرَاء. كَانَتْ نَسْرِينُ تَرْكَبُ جَمَلَهَا بِمَهَارَةٍ أَدْهَشَتْ عَزَّام. لَمْ تَشْكُ مِنَ الحَرِّ وَلَا مِنَ العَطَشِ. وَكَانَتْ تَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ نَظَرَاتٍ تُشْعِلُ النَّارَ فِي دَمِهِ.
Fifteen days in the desert. Nasrin rode her camel with skill that astonished Azzam. She did not complain of heat or thirst. And she looked at him with gazes that set fire to his blood.
"لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجِي؟" سَأَلَهَا ذَاتَ لَيْلَة.
"Why have you not married?" he asked her one night.
"لِأَنَّنِي أَبْحَثُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَقُودَنِي،" أَجَابَتْ. "وَكُلُّ الرِّجَالِ يُرِيدُونَ امْرَأَةً تَتْبَعُهُم."
"Because I seek a man who can lead me," she answered. "And all men want a woman who follows."
"وَأَنَا؟"
"And I?"
"أَنْتَ تَقُودُ الصَّحْرَاء. رُبَّمَا تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَقُودَنِي."
"You lead the desert. Perhaps you can lead me."
الفَصْلُ الرَّابِع: لَيْلَةُ القَمَر
Chapter Four: The Moonlit Night
فِي مُنْتَصَفِ الرِّحْلَةِ، نَزَلُوا عِنْدَ وَاحَةٍ صَغِيرَة. كَانَ القَمَرُ بَدْرًا يَغْمُرُ الرِّمَالَ بِفِضَّةٍ. خَرَجَ عَزَّامُ لِيَتَفَقَّدَ الجِمَال، فَوَجَدَ نَسْرِينَ تَسْبَحُ فِي بِرْكَةِ الوَاحَة.
Midway through the journey, they stopped at a small oasis. The moon was full, flooding the sands with silver. Azzam went out to check the camels and found Nasrin swimming in the oasis pool.
جَسَدُهَا المُمْتَلِئُ يَطْفُو فِي المَاءِ كَقَارِبٍ مِنْ لَحْم. رَفَعَتْ رَأْسَهَا وَرَأَتْهُ. "أَتَنْظُرُ أَمْ تَدْخُل؟" سَأَلَتْ.
Her full body floated in the water like a boat of flesh. She raised her head and saw him. "Will you watch or enter?" she asked.
خَلَعَ ثِيَابَهُ وَدَخَلَ المَاء. كَانَ بَارِدًا بَعْدَ حَرِّ النَّهَار. سَبَحَ إِلَيْهَا وَأَمْسَكَهَا. "أَنَا سَأَقُودُكِ الآنَ،" قَالَ.
He removed his clothes and entered the water. It was cool after the day's heat. He swam to her and held her. "I will lead you now," he said.
"قُدْ،" أَجَابَتْ.
"Lead," she answered.
الفَصْلُ الخَامِس: وَاحَةُ اللَّذَّة
Chapter Five: The Oasis of Pleasure
ضَاجَعَهَا فِي المَاء، ثُمَّ عَلَى الرَّمْل، ثُمَّ تَحْتَ النَّخِيل. كَانَ جَسَدُهَا وَاحَةً حَقِيقِيَّةً بَعْدَ جَفَافِ سَنَوَاتِه. غَاصَ فِي لَحْمِهَا المُكْتَنِزِ كَمَا يَغُوصُ المُسَافِرُ فِي ظِلِّ النَّخْل. وَصَرَخَتْ صَرَخَاتٍ أَيْقَظَتِ الطُّيُورَ النَّائِمَة.
He took her in the water, then on the sand, then beneath the palms. Her body was a true oasis after his years of drought. He dove into her full flesh as a traveler dives into palm shade. She screamed with cries that woke the sleeping birds.
"أَنْتِ أَجْمَلُ مَا فِي الصَّحْرَاء،" قَالَ.
"You are the most beautiful thing in the desert," he said.
"وَأَنْتَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ وَجَدَنِي."
"And you are the first to find me."
تَزَوَّجَهَا فِي تِمْبُكْتُو، وَلَمْ يَعُدْ أَبُوهَا إِلَى مَرَّاكُشَ وَحْدَه.
He married her in Timbuktu, and her father did not return to Marrakech alone.
الخَاتِمَة
Epilogue
صَارَتْ نَسْرِينُ أَوَّلَ امْرَأَةٍ تَقُودُ قَوَافِلَ فِي الصَّحْرَاء، مَعَ زَوْجِهَا. وَيُقَالُ إِنَّ مَنْ يَسِيرُ فِي دُرُوبِهِمَا يَشُمُّ رَائِحَةَ الحُبِّ فِي الرِّيَاحِ.
Nasrin became the first woman to lead caravans in the desert, with her husband. It is said whoever walks their paths smells the scent of love in the winds.