The Henna Artist of Marrakech | نَقّاشَةُ الحِنّاءِ في مَرّاكُش
"In the colorful souks of Marrakech, a renowned henna artist paints more than patterns when a wealthy merchant's son asks for designs that speak of forbidden desire."
نَقّاشَةُ الحِنّاءِ في مَرّاكُش
The Henna Artist of Marrakech
الفصل الأول: سوقُ الحِنّاء
Chapter One: The Henna Souk
في مَرّاكُشَ المُرابِطِيَّةِ، حَيْثُ تَخْتَلِطُ ثَقافاتُ العَرَبِ وَالأَمازيغِ وَالأَنْدَلُسِيّينَ، كانَتْ فاطِمَةُ الزَّهْراءُ أَشْهَرَ نَقّاشَةِ حِنّاءٍ في المَدينَةِ.
In Almoravid Marrakech, where the cultures of Arabs, Berbers, and Andalusians mixed, Fatima al-Zahra was the most famous henna artist in the city.
كانَتْ في الخامِسَةِ وَالثَّلاثينَ، امْرَأَةً أَمازيغِيَّةً جَميلَةً، بِبَشَرَةٍ زَيْتونِيَّةٍ وَعَيْنَيْنِ عَسَلِيَّتَيْنِ. جَسَدُها مُمْتَلِئٌ بِالطَّريقَةِ المَغْرِبِيَّةِ، صَدْرٌ ضَخْمٌ وَأَرْدافٌ عَريضَةٌ.
She was thirty-five, a beautiful Berber woman with olive skin and honey eyes. Her body full in the Moroccan way, an enormous chest and wide buttocks.
تَزَوَّجَتْ صَغيرَةً وَتَرَمَّلَتْ شابَّةً، فَأَصْبَحَتِ الحِنّاءُ حَياتَها.
She married young and was widowed young, so henna became her life.
الفصل الثاني: الزَّبونُ الغَريب
Chapter Two: The Strange Customer
ذاتَ يَوْمٍ، جاءَ شابٌّ إلى دُكّانِها. كانَ يوسُفُ بنُ التّاجِرِ، في الثّامِنَةِ وَالعِشْرينَ، وَسيماً بِشَعْرٍ أَسْوَدَ مُجَعَّدٍ وَعَيْنَيْنِ سَوْداوَيْنِ عَميقَتَيْنِ.
One day, a young man came to her shop. He was Yusuf ibn al-Tajir, twenty-eight, handsome with curly black hair and deep black eyes.
"أُريدُ حِنّاءً،" قالَ.
"I want henna," he said.
"الرِّجالُ نادِراً ما يَطْلُبونَ الحِنّاءَ."
"Men rarely request henna."
"أُريدُها في مَكانٍ... خاصٍّ."
"I want it in a... special place."
"أَيْنَ؟"
"Where?"
"عَلى صَدْري. تَصْميمٌ يُعَبِّرُ عَنِ الحُبِّ المَمْنوعِ."
"On my chest. A design expressing forbidden love."
الفصل الثالث: النَّقْشُ الأَوَّل
Chapter Three: The First Design
دَخَلا إلى الغُرْفَةِ الخَلْفِيَّةِ لِلْخُصوصِيَّةِ. خَلَعَ يوسُفُ قَميصَهُ، فَظَهَرَ صَدْرٌ عَريضٌ مَفْتولُ العَضَلاتِ.
They entered the back room for privacy. Yusuf removed his shirt, revealing a broad, muscular chest.
بَدَأَتْ فاطِمَةُ تَرْسُمُ بِالحِنّاءِ. أَصابِعُها الماهِرَةُ تَتَحَرَّكُ عَلى جِلْدِهِ، تَرْسُمُ زَهْرَةً تَحْتَها قَلْبٌ مَكْسورٌ.
Fatima began to draw with henna. Her skilled fingers moved on his skin, drawing a flower beneath it a broken heart.
"لِمَنْ هذا الحُبُّ المَمْنوعُ؟" سَأَلَتْ.
"For whom is this forbidden love?" she asked.
"لِامْرَأَةٍ أَكْبَرَ مِنّي. لا تَعْرِفُ أَنَّني أُحِبُّها."
"For a woman older than me. She doesn't know I love her."
"وَمَنْ هِيَ؟"
"And who is she?"
نَظَرَ إلَيْها مُباشَرَةً. "أَنْتِ."
He looked at her directly. "You."
الفصل الرابع: الاعْتِراف
Chapter Four: The Confession
تَوَقَّفَتْ أَصابِعُها. "ماذا قُلْتَ؟"
Her fingers stopped. "What did you say?"
"أُحِبُّكِ مُنْذُ أَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ رَأَيْتُكِ. كُنْتِ تَنْقُشينَ الحِنّاءَ لِأُخْتي في عُرْسِها."
"I have loved you since the first time I saw you. You were painting henna for my sister at her wedding."
"لكِنَّكَ شابٌّ، وَأَنا..."
"But you are young, and I..."
"أَنْتِ أَجْمَلُ امْرَأَةٍ رَأَيْتُها. جَسَدُكِ، عَيْناكِ، يَداكِ الماهِرَتانِ..."
"You are the most beautiful woman I have seen. Your body, your eyes, your skilled hands..."
أَمْسَكَ بِيَدِها وَوَضَعَها عَلى قَلْبِهِ. "هَلْ تَشْعُرينَ بِخَفَقانِهِ؟ هذا بِسَبَبِكِ."
He took her hand and placed it on his heart. "Do you feel its beating? This is because of you."
الفصل الخامس: الحِنّاءُ المُشْتَرَكَة
Chapter Five: Shared Henna
"هذا جُنونٌ،" قالَتْ، لكِنَّها لَمْ تَسْحَبْ يَدَها.
"This is madness," she said, but she did not withdraw her hand.
"أَجْمَلُ الأَشْياءِ تَبْدَأُ بِالجُنونِ."
"The most beautiful things begin with madness."
قَبَّلَها. شَفَتاهُ الشّابَّتانِ عَلى شَفَتَيْها. طَعْمُ الحِنّاءِ يَخْتَلِطُ بِطَعْمِهِما.
He kissed her. His young lips on hers. The taste of henna mixing with their taste.
"دَعْني أَنْقُشُكِ أَنْتِ الآنَ،" قالَ.
"Let me paint you now," he said.
أَخَذَ فُرْشاةَ الحِنّاءِ مِنْ يَدِها. "أَيْنَ أَبْدَأُ؟"
He took the henna brush from her hand. "Where do I start?"
"أَيْنَما شِئْتَ."
"Wherever you wish."
الفصل السادس: لَوْحَةٌ حَيَّة
Chapter Six: A Living Canvas
أَزالَتْ ثِيابَها فَظَهَرَ جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ. جِلْدُها الزَّيْتونِيُّ الناعِمُ يَتَوَهَّجُ في ضَوْءِ المِصْباحِ. نَهْداها ضَخْمانِ ثَقيلانِ، حَلَماتُهُما بُنِّيَّتانِ داكِنَتانِ. بَطْنُها مُسْتَديرَةٌ ناعِمَةٌ، وَوِرْكاها وَأَرْدافُها ضَخْمَةٌ مُغْرِيَةٌ.
She removed her clothes and her full body appeared. Her soft olive skin glowed in the lamplight. Her breasts enormous and heavy, their nipples dark brown. Her belly round and soft, her hips and buttocks massive and enticing.
بَدَأَ يَرْسُمُ الحِنّاءَ عَلى بَطْنِها. زَهْرَةٌ كَبيرَةٌ تَتَفَتَّحُ حَوْلَ سُرَّتِها.
He began to draw henna on her belly. A large flower blooming around her navel.
"جَسَدُكِ لَوْحَةٌ،" هَمَسَ وَهُوَ يَرْسُمُ. "وَأَنا أُريدُ أَنْ أَمْلَأَها بِالفَنِّ."
"Your body is a canvas," he whispered as he drew. "And I want to fill it with art."
الفصل السابع: فَنٌّ بِلا فُرْشاة
Chapter Seven: Art Without a Brush
وَضَعَ الفُرْشاةَ جانِباً وَبَدَأَ يَرْسُمُ بِلِسانِهِ. لِسانُهُ يَتَتَبَّعُ خُطوطَ الحِنّاءِ التي رَسَمَها، نازِلاً مِنْ بَطْنِها نَحْوَ زَهْرَتِها.
He put the brush aside and began to draw with his tongue. His tongue traced the lines of henna he had drawn, descending from her belly toward her flower.
"يوسُفُ!" صَرَخَتْ. "ماذا تَفْعَلُ؟"
"Yusuf!" she cried. "What are you doing?"
"أَكْمَلُ لَوْحَتي."
"I am completing my painting."
لَعِقَها بِشَغَفٍ، لِسانُهُ يَسْتَكْشِفُ كُلَّ طَيَّةٍ. شَعَرَتْ بِلَذَّةٍ لَمْ تَعْرِفْها مُنْذُ مَوْتِ زَوْجِها.
He licked her with passion, his tongue exploring every fold. She felt pleasure she had not known since her husband's death.
وَصَلَتْ إلى ذُرْوَتِها صارِخَةً اسْمَهُ.
She reached her peak crying his name.
الفصل الثامن: التُّحْفَةُ الأَخيرَة
Chapter Eight: The Final Masterpiece
قامَ وَخَلَعَ باقِيَ ثِيابِهِ. ذَكَرُهُ الشّابُّ مُنْتَصِبٌ بِقُوَّةٍ.
He rose and removed the rest of his clothes. His young member erect with force.
"الآنَ سَأُكْمِلُ لَوْحَتي مِنَ الدّاخِلِ،" قالَ وَهُوَ يَدْخُلُها.
"Now I will complete my painting from inside," he said as he entered her.
صَرَخَتْ مِنَ اللَّذَّةِ. كانَ يَتَحَرَّكُ بِحَماسِ الشَّبابِ وَطاقَتِهِمْ. نَهْداها الضَّخْمانِ يَهْتَزّانِ بِعُنْفٍ.
She cried out from pleasure. He moved with youth's enthusiasm and energy. Her enormous breasts swayed violently.
"أَسْرَعُ!" طَلَبَتْ. "لا تَتَوَقَّفْ!"
"Faster!" she demanded. "Don't stop!"
زادَ سُرْعَتَهُ حَتّى وَصَلا مَعاً إلى الذُّرْوَةِ. صَرَخا مَعاً، الحِنّاءُ عَلى جَسَدَيْهِما يَخْتَلِطُ مَعَ العَرَقِ.
He increased his speed until they reached the peak together. They cried out together, the henna on their bodies mixing with sweat.
الخاتِمَة
Epilogue
أَصْبَحَ يوسُفُ زَبوناً دائِماً في دُكّانِ فاطِمَةَ. كُلَّ أُسْبوعٍ يَأْتي "لِيُجَدِّدَ نَقْشَ الحِنّاءِ".
Yusuf became a regular customer at Fatima's shop. Every week he came "to renew his henna design."
وَبَعْدَ سَنَةٍ، تَزَوَّجَها رَغْمَ اعْتِراضِ عائِلَتِهِ. وَأَصْبَحا مَعاً أَشْهَرَ ثُنائِيٍّ في مَرّاكُشَ: هِيَ تَنْقُشُ النِّساءَ، وَهُوَ يُديرُ الأَعْمالَ.
After a year, he married her despite his family's objection. And together they became the most famous couple in Marrakech: she painted women, and he managed the business.
وَيُقالُ إنَّ أَجْمَلَ نُقوشِها كانَتْ عَلى جَسَدِهِ، نُقوشٌ لَمْ يَرَها أَحَدٌ غَيْرُها.
And it is said her most beautiful designs were on his body, designs no one saw but her.
انْتَهَتِ القِصَّة | The End