The Sailor of Siraf | بَحّارُ سيراف
"A weathered sailor returning to the Persian port of Siraf discovers that the voluptuous tavern keeper has been waiting for him across the years and the seas."
بَحّارُ سيراف
The Sailor of Siraf
الفصل الأول: العَوْدَة
Chapter One: The Return
بَعْدَ عَشْرِ سَنَواتٍ مِنَ الإبْحارِ في بِحارِ الهِنْدِ وَالصّينِ، عادَ البَحّارُ مَسْعودُ بنُ سالِمٍ إلى مَدينَةِ سيرافَ عَلى الخَليجِ الفارِسِيِّ.
After ten years of sailing the seas of India and China, the sailor Masoud ibn Salim returned to the city of Siraf on the Persian Gulf.
كانَ في الخامِسَةِ وَالأَرْبَعينَ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ، رَجُلاً قَوِيّاً ذا بَشَرَةٍ حَنْطِيَّةٍ حَرَقَتْها الشَّمْسُ، وَذِراعَيْنِ مُوَشَّمَتَيْنِ، وَعَيْنَيْنِ تَحْكيانِ قِصَصَ البِحارِ.
He was forty-five years of age, a strong man with wheat-colored skin burned by the sun, tattooed arms, and eyes that told tales of the seas.
أَوَّلُ مَكانٍ ذَهَبَ إلَيْهِ كانَ حانَةَ "اللُّؤْلُؤَةِ".
The first place he went to was the tavern called "The Pearl."
الفصل الثاني: صاحِبَةُ الحانَة
Chapter Two: The Tavern Keeper
حينَ دَخَلَ الحانَةَ، رَأى وَجْهاً لَمْ يَنْسَهُ.
When he entered the tavern, he saw a face he had never forgotten.
"مَسْعودُ؟" قالَتِ المَرْأَةُ خَلْفَ المَنْضَدَةِ. "هَلْ هذا أَنْتَ حَقّاً؟"
"Masoud?" said the woman behind the counter. "Is that really you?"
"نَعَمْ، يا زُبَيْدَةُ. أَنا عُدْتُ."
"Yes, Zubaida. I have returned."
كانَتْ زُبَيْدَةُ في الأَرْبَعينَ مِنْ عُمْرِها الآنَ، لكِنَّها ما زالَتْ جَميلَةً. بَشَرَتُها سَمْراءُ دافِئَةٌ، وَعَيْناها سَوْداوانِ ساحِرَتانِ. وَجَسَدُها... جَسَدُها أَصْبَحَ أَكْثَرَ امْتِلاءً مَعَ السِّنينَ، مُنْحَنَياتُها أَكْثَرَ سَخاءً.
Zubaida was now in her forties, but she was still beautiful. Her skin was warm brown, and her eyes were black and enchanting. And her body... her body had become fuller with the years, her curves more generous.
"عَشْرُ سَنَواتٍ،" قالَتْ. "ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّكَ مُتَّ."
"Ten years," she said. "I thought you were dead."
"كُنْتُ حَيّاً. فَقَطْ بَعيداً."
"I was alive. Just far away."
الفصل الثالث: الذِّكْرَيات
Chapter Three: The Memories
جَلَسا مَعاً بَعْدَ إغْلاقِ الحانَةِ. تَحَدَّثا عَنِ الماضي.
They sat together after the tavern closed. They talked about the past.
"هَلْ تَذْكُرُ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ؟" سَأَلَتْ. "قَبْلَ أَنْ تُسافِرَ؟"
"Do you remember that night?" she asked. "Before you traveled?"
"أَذْكُرُ كُلَّ لَحْظَةٍ. كانَتْ أَجْمَلَ لَيْلَةٍ في حَياتي."
"I remember every moment. It was the most beautiful night of my life."
"وَأَنا ما زِلْتُ أَنْتَظِرُ."
"And I have been waiting."
"ماذا تَعْنينَ؟"
"What do you mean?"
"لَمْ أَتَزَوَّجْ. كُنْتُ أَنْتَظِرُكَ."
"I did not marry. I was waiting for you."
نَظَرَ إلَيْها بِدَهْشَةٍ. "عَشْرَ سَنَواتٍ؟"
He looked at her with astonishment. "Ten years?"
"عَشْرَ سَنَواتٍ."
"Ten years."
الفصل الرابع: الغُرْفَةُ فَوْقَ الحانَة
Chapter Four: The Room Above the Tavern
أَخَذَتْ يَدَهُ وَقادَتْهُ إلى غُرْفَتِها فَوْقَ الحانَةِ. الغُرْفَةُ نَفْسُها التي قَضَيا فيها تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ قَبْلَ عَشْرِ سَنَواتٍ.
She took his hand and led him to her room above the tavern. The same room where they had spent that night ten years ago.
"أَنا تَغَيَّرْتُ،" قالَتْ. "جَسَدي أَصْبَحَ أَكْبَرَ."
"I have changed," she said. "My body has become larger."
"أُريدُ أَنْ أَرى."
"I want to see."
خَلَعَتْ ثِيابَها بِبُطْءٍ. ظَهَرَ جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ الناضِجُ.
She removed her clothes slowly. Her mature, full body appeared.
كانَتْ أَكْثَرَ امْتِلاءً مِمّا يَذْكُرُ. ثَدْياها كَبيرانِ ثَقيلانِ يَتَدَلَّيانِ قَليلاً بِحَلَماتٍ داكِنَةٍ. بَطْنُها مُسْتَديرَةٌ ناعِمَةٌ. وِرْكاها عَريضَتانِ. فَخِذاها سَمينَتانِ.
She was fuller than he remembered. Her breasts were large and heavy, hanging slightly, with dark nipples. Her belly was round and soft. Her hips were wide. Her thighs were plump.
"أَجْمَلُ مِمّا أَذْكُرُ،" هَمَسَ.
"More beautiful than I remember," he whispered.
الفصل الخامس: اللَّمْسَةُ المُنْتَظَرَة
Chapter Five: The Awaited Touch
سَقَطَ عَلَيْها. قَبَّلَها بِعَطَشِ عَشْرِ سَنَواتٍ. شَفَتاها طَعْمُهُما كَالنَّبيذِ وَالمِلْحِ.
He fell upon her. He kissed her with the thirst of ten years. Her lips tasted like wine and salt.
أَمْسَكَ ثَدْيَيْها الكَبيرَيْنِ. "اِفْتَقَدْتُ هذا. في كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ في البَحْرِ، كُنْتُ أَحْلُمُ بِهِما."
He held her large breasts. "I missed this. Every night at sea, I dreamed of them."
"وَأَنا كُنْتُ أَحْلُمُ بِيَدَيْكَ."
"And I dreamed of your hands."
قَبَّلَ صَدْرَها، ثُمَّ بَطْنَها المُسْتَديرَةَ، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ أَكْثَرَ.
He kissed her chest, then her round belly, then descended more.
"ماذا تَفْعَلُ؟" سَأَلَتْ.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"تَعَلَّمْتُ أَشْياءَ في رِحْلاتي. دَعيني أُريكِ."
"I learned things in my travels. Let me show you."
الفصل السادس: الفُنونُ الشَّرْقِيَّة
Chapter Six: Eastern Arts
أَدْخَلَ لِسانَهُ بَيْنَ فَخِذَيْها وَلَعِقَها بِمَهارَةٍ تَعَلَّمَها في بِلادِ الهِنْدِ. صَرَخَتْ مِنَ المُفاجَأَةِ وَاللَّذَّةِ.
He inserted his tongue between her thighs and licked her with a skill he had learned in the lands of India. She cried out from surprise and pleasure.
"يا اللهِ! ما هذا؟"
"My God! What is this?"
"هذا فَنٌّ هِنْدِيٌّ قَديمٌ."
"This is an ancient Indian art."
اسْتَمَرَّ يَلْعَقُها حَتّى وَصَلَتْ إلى الذُّروَةِ. صَرَخَتْ وَجَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ يَرْتَجِفُ بِعُنْفٍ.
He continued licking her until she reached the climax. She cried out and her full body trembled violently.
"عَشْرُ سَنَواتٍ اسْتَحَقَّتِ الانْتِظارَ،" لَهَثَتْ.
"Ten years were worth the wait," she panted.
الفصل السابع: الاتِّحادُ المُنْتَظَر
Chapter Seven: The Awaited Union
"الآنَ أُريدُكَ داخِلي،" قالَتْ. "كَما كانَ قَبْلَ عَشْرِ سَنَواتٍ."
"Now I want you inside me," she said. "As it was ten years ago."
دَخَلَها بِبُطْءٍ. كانَتْ دافِئَةً رَطْبَةً ضَيِّقَةً رَغْمَ سِنِّها.
He entered her slowly. She was warm, moist, and tight despite her age.
"شَعَرْتُ بِالوَحْدَةِ كُلَّ هذِهِ السَّنَواتِ،" هَمَسَتْ وَهُوَ يَتَحَرَّكُ داخِلَها.
"I felt lonely all these years," she whispered as he moved inside her.
"وَأَنا أَيْضاً. في كُلِّ مينَاءٍ كُنْتُ أَبْحَثُ عَنْكِ."
"And I too. In every port I was searching for you."
تَحَرَّكَ بِإيقاعٍ بَطيءٍ ثُمَّ أَسْرَعَ. جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ يَتَمَوَّجُ تَحْتَهُ كَالبَحْرِ. ثَدْياها الكَبيرانِ يَرْتَجِفانِ كَالأَمْواجِ.
He moved with a slow rhythm then faster. Her full body undulated beneath him like the sea. Her large breasts trembled like waves.
الفصل الثامن: الذُّروَة
Chapter Eight: The Climax
"أَنا قَريبَةٌ!" صَرَخَتْ.
"I am close!" she cried.
"وَأَنا أَيْضاً!"
"And I too!"
وَصَلا إلى الذُّروَةِ مَعاً بِصَرْخَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ. انْسَكَبَ داخِلَها وَهِيَ تَرْتَجِفُ تَحْتَهُ.
They reached the climax together with one cry. He spilled inside her while she trembled beneath him.
سَقَطَ بِجانِبِها، كِلاهُما يَلْهَثُ.
He fell beside her, both of them panting.
"لَنْ أُسافِرَ ثانِيَةً،" قالَ.
"I will not travel again," he said.
"وَعْدٌ؟"
"A promise?"
"وَعْدٌ."
"A promise."
الخاتِمَة
Epilogue
تَزَوَّجَ مَسْعودُ زُبَيْدَةَ وَأَصْبَحَ شَريكَها في الحانَةِ. باعَ كُلَّ ما جَمَعَهُ في رِحْلاتِهِ وَاسْتَثْمَرَهُ في تَوْسيعِ الحانَةِ.
Masoud married Zubaida and became her partner in the tavern. He sold everything he had collected in his travels and invested it in expanding the tavern.
كانَ البَحّارَةُ القادِمونَ مِنَ البَحْرِ يَجْلِسونَ في حانَتِهِما وَيَسْمَعونَ قِصَصَهُ عَنِ الهِنْدِ وَالصّينِ. وَكانَ هُوَ يَنْظُرُ إلى زَوْجَتِهِ وَيَبْتَسِمُ، لِأَنَّهُ عَرَفَ أَنَّ أَجْمَلَ كَنْزٍ وَجَدَهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ في البِحارِ البَعيدَةِ، بَلْ في سيرافَ، يَنْتَظِرُهُ طَوالَ الوَقْتِ.
Sailors coming from the sea would sit in their tavern and hear his stories about India and China. And he would look at his wife and smile, because he knew the most beautiful treasure he found was not in distant seas, but in Siraf, waiting for him all along.
انْتَهَتِ القِصَّة | The End