The Night Watchman of Cordoba | حارِسُ اللَّيْلِ في قُرْطُبَة
"In the streets of golden Cordoba, a night watchman discovers that his rounds bring him more than safety when he encounters a wealthy widow whose loneliness matches the darkness he guards."
حارِسُ اللَّيْلِ في قُرْطُبَة
The Night Watchman of Cordoba
الفصل الأول: مَدينَةُ النّور
Chapter One: The City of Light
في قُرْطُبَةَ، حَيْثُ يَتَألَّقُ المَسْجِدُ الجامِعُ وَتَزْدَهِرُ العُلومُ وَالفُنونُ، عَمِلَ عَلِيُّ بنُ خَلَفٍ حارِساً لِلَّيْلِ. رَجُلٌ في الخامِسَةِ وَالثَّلاثينَ، يَجوبُ الأَزِقَّةَ مِنَ الغُروبِ حَتّى الفَجْرِ.
In Cordoba, where the Great Mosque shone and sciences and arts flourished, Ali ibn Khalaf worked as a night watchman. A man of thirty-five who patrolled the alleys from dusk until dawn.
كانَ طَويلاً قَوِيّاً بِصَوْتٍ عَميقٍ يُنادي: "الأَمانُ! الأَمانُ!" في كُلِّ زُقاقٍ.
He was tall and strong with a deep voice that called out: "All is safe! All is safe!" in every alley.
لكِنَّ عَلِيّاً كانَ وَحيداً. لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ لِأَنَّ عَمَلَهُ اللَّيْلِيَّ لا يَتْرُكُ لَهُ وَقْتاً لِلْحُبِّ.
But Ali was lonely. He had not married because his night work left him no time for love.
"اللَّيْلُ صَديقي الوَحيدُ،" كانَ يَقولُ.
"The night is my only friend," he would say.
الفصل الثاني: الأَرْمَلَةُ وَالنّافِذَة
Chapter Two: The Widow and the Window
في أَحَدِ الأَزِقَّةِ الغَنِيَّةِ، لاحَظَ عَلِيٌّ نافِذَةً تُضيءُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ. امْرَأَةٌ تَجْلِسُ خَلْفَها، تَنْظُرُ إلى الشّارِعِ.
In one of the wealthy alleys, Ali noticed a window that lit up every night. A woman sat behind it, looking at the street.
اسْمُها مُنى بِنْتُ الوَزيرِ. أَرْمَلَةٌ في السّابِعَةِ وَالثَّلاثينَ، فَقَدَتْ زَوْجَها قَبْلَ ثَلاثِ سَنَواتٍ وَلَمْ تَخْرُجْ مِنْ بَيْتِها مُنْذُ ذلِكَ الحينِ.
Her name was Muna bint al-Wazir. A widow of thirty-seven who had lost her husband three years ago and had not left her house since then.
جَسَدُها مُمْتَلِئٌ كَقِبابِ المَسْجِدِ الجامِعِ، بَشَرَتُها بَيْضاءُ كَرُخامِ القَصْرِ، وَعَيْناها سَوْداوانِ حَزينَتانِ.
Her body was full like the domes of the Great Mosque, her skin white as palace marble, and her eyes black and sad.
ذاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، نَظَرَتْ إلى أَسْفَلَ وَرَأَتْهُ يَنْظُرُ إلَيْها.
One night, she looked down and saw him looking at her.
الفصل الثالث: الدَّعْوَةُ اللَّيْلِيَّة
Chapter Three: The Night Invitation
"أَيُّها الحارِسُ!" نادَتْهُ مِنَ النّافِذَةِ.
"O watchman!" she called him from the window.
صَعِدَ عَيْنَيْهِ. "نَعَمْ يا سَيِّدَتي؟"
He raised his eyes. "Yes, my lady?"
"هَلْ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ بِخَيْرٍ؟"
"Is everything well?"
"الشّارِعُ بِخَيْرٍ. لكِنَّ قَلْبي لَيْسَ بِخَيْرٍ."
"The street is well. But my heart is not well."
"ماذا تَعْنينَ؟"
"What do you mean?"
"اُصْعَدْ وَسَأُخْبِرُكَ."
"Come up and I will tell you."
تَرَدَّدَ. لكِنَّ شَيْئاً في صَوْتِها جَذَبَهُ.
He hesitated. But something in her voice drew him.
فَتَحَتِ البابَ وَأَدْخَلَتْهُ.
She opened the door and let him in.
الفصل الرابع: في صالَةِ الحَريرِ
Chapter Four: In the Silk Hall
جَلَسا في صالَةٍ فاخِرَةٍ. الحَريرُ وَالذَّهَبُ في كُلِّ مَكانٍ.
They sat in a luxurious hall. Silk and gold everywhere.
"لِماذا أَنْتَ وَحيدَةٌ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ؟" سَأَلَها.
"Why are you alone every night?" he asked her.
"لِأَنَّ زَوْجي ماتَ وَتَرَكَني في هذا القَصْرِ الفارِغِ."
"Because my husband died and left me in this empty palace."
"أَلا يَزورُكِ أَحَدٌ؟"
"Does no one visit you?"
"النّاسُ يَزورونَ الغَنِيَّةَ لِمالِها، لا لِقَلْبِها."
"People visit the wealthy woman for her money, not for her heart."
"وَأَنا؟ لا أُريدُ مالَكِ."
"And I? I do not want your money."
"إذَنْ ماذا تُريدُ؟"
"Then what do you want?"
"أُريدُ أَنْ أَعْرِفَ لِماذا تَبْكينَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ."
"I want to know why you cry every night."
الفصل الخامس: دُموعُ اللَّيْل
Chapter Five: Tears of the Night
بَكَتْ. "لِأَنَّني وَحيدَةٌ. جَسَدي يَحْتَرِقُ وَلا أَحَدَ يُطْفِئُهُ."
She wept. "Because I am lonely. My body burns and no one extinguishes it."
أَمْسَكَ يَدَها. "دَعيني أَكونُ حارِسَكِ."
He took her hand. "Let me be your guardian."
"أَنْتَ تَحْرُسُ الشَّوارِعَ، لا القُصورَ."
"You guard streets, not palaces."
"سَأَحْرُسُ قَلْبَكِ. هذا أَهَمُّ مِنْ أَيِّ شارِعٍ."
"I will guard your heart. That is more important than any street."
قَبَّلَها. شَفَتاهُ دافِئَتانِ كَنُجومِ الأَنْدَلُسِ.
He kissed her. His lips were warm as the stars of Andalusia.
"خُذْني إلى غُرْفَتي،" هَمَسَتْ.
"Take me to my room," she whispered.
الفصل السادس: حِراسَةُ الجَسَد
Chapter Six: Guarding the Body
حَمَلَها إلى غُرْفَةِ النَّوْمِ. أَنْزَلَ ثِيابَها بِبُطْءٍ.
He carried her to the bedroom. He lowered her clothes slowly.
ظَهَرَ جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ. نَهْداها كَبيرانِ ثَقيلانِ كَنَواقيسِ الكَنائِسِ، بَطْنُها مُسْتَديرَةٌ ناعِمَةٌ كَالقُبَبِ، وَوِرْكاها عَريضَتانِ.
Her full body appeared. Her breasts were large and heavy like church bells, her belly round and soft as domes, and her hips wide.
"جَسَدُكِ كَنْزٌ يَحْتاجُ حارِساً."
"Your body is a treasure that needs a guard."
"كُنْ حارِسَهُ هذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ."
"Be its guard tonight."
قَبَّلَ نَهْدَيْها. لِسانُهُ يَتَذَوَّقُ ما حُرِمَ مِنْهُ سَنَواتٍ.
He kissed her breasts. His tongue tasted what he had been deprived of for years.
"آهٍ!" أَنَّتْ. "ثَلاثُ سَنَواتٍ مِنَ الوَحْدَةِ!"
"Ah!" she moaned. "Three years of loneliness!"
الفصل السابع: الحِراسَةُ الكامِلَة
Chapter Seven: Complete Guarding
نَزَلَ بَيْنَ فَخِذَيْها. لَحَسَ زَهْرَتَها بِمَهارَةٍ.
He descended between her thighs. He licked her flower skillfully.
"يا إلهي!" صَرَخَتْ. "ما هذا؟!"
"My God!" she cried. "What is this?!"
"هذا الحارِسُ يَفْحَصُ كُنوزَهُ."
"This is the guard inspecting his treasures."
اسْتَمَرَّ حَتّى وَصَلَتْ إلى ذُرْوَتِها، جَسَدُها يَرْتَجِفُ عَلى الفِراشِ الحَريرِيِّ.
He continued until she reached her peak, her body trembling on the silk bed.
"اُدْخُلْني!" تَوَسَّلَتْ. "اِحْمِني مِنَ الوَحْدَةِ!"
"Enter me!" she pleaded. "Protect me from loneliness!"
خَلَعَ ثِيابَهُ. جَسَدُهُ قَوِيٌّ مِنْ سَنَواتِ الحِراسَةِ.
He removed his clothes. His body was strong from years of guarding.
الفصل الثامن: أَمانُ اللَّيْل
Chapter Eight: The Night's Safety
دَخَلَها بِقُوَّةٍ. صَرَخَتْ مِنَ اللَّذَّةِ.
He entered her forcefully. She cried out from pleasure.
"الأَمانُ! الأَمانُ!" صَرَخَ وَهُوَ يَتَحَرَّكُ داخِلَها.
"All is safe! All is safe!" he cried as he moved inside her.
ضَحِكَتْ وَأَنَّتْ في آنٍ واحِدٍ. "نَعَمْ! الأَمانُ!"
She laughed and moaned at once. "Yes! Safety!"
بَدَأَ يَتَحَرَّكُ بِسُرْعَةٍ. نَهْداها الكَبيرانِ يَتَأَرْجَحانِ.
He began to move quickly. Her large breasts swayed.
"أَسْرَعُ! أَقْوى!"
"Faster! Harder!"
"أَنا قَريبَةٌ!"
"I am close!"
"مَعاً نَصِلُ إلى الأَمانِ!"
"Together we reach safety!"
وَصَلا إلى ذُرْوَتِهِما. صَرَخا صَرْخَةً واحِدَةً.
They reached their peak. They cried out in one voice.
أَفْرَغَ نَفْسَهُ داخِلَها، حَرارَتُهُ تَمْلَأُ رَحِمَها.
He emptied himself inside her, his heat filling her womb.
الخاتِمَة
Epilogue
صارَ عَلِيٌّ يَزورُ مُنى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ بَعْدَ جَوْلَتِهِ. تَزَوَّجا بَعْدَ شَهْرٍ.
Ali began visiting Muna every night after his rounds. They married after a month.
تَرَكَ عَمَلَهُ كَحارِسٍ وَصارَ سَيِّدَ القَصْرِ. لكِنَّهُ ظَلَّ يَنادي كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ مِنَ النّافِذَةِ: "الأَمانُ! الأَمانُ!"
He left his work as a watchman and became the master of the palace. But he continued to call out every night from the window: "All is safe! All is safe!"
وَمُنى كانَتْ تَضْحَكُ وَتَقولُ: "نَعَمْ يا حَبيبي، أَنا في أَمانٍ مَعَكَ."
And Muna would laugh and say: "Yes, my love, I am safe with you."
انْتَهَتِ القِصَّة | The End