The Shipwright's Daughter of Suez | ابْنَةُ بَنَّاءِ السُّفُنِ في السُّوَيْس
"Where two seas meet, a woman who builds ships stronger than any man finds her match in a Portuguese captain whose vessel she must repair."
ابْنَةُ بَنَّاءِ السُّفُنِ في السُّوَيْس
The Shipwright's Daughter of Suez
الفَصْلُ الأَوَّل: يَدَانِ مِنْ خَشَب
Chapter One: Hands of Wood
كَانَتْ مَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ الأُسْطَى حَسَنٍ أَوَّلَ امْرَأَةٍ تَبْنِي السُّفُنَ فِي السُّوَيْس. أَبُوهَا عَلَّمَهَا الصَّنْعَةَ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرْزَقْ بِوَلَد، فَصَارَتْ أَمْهَرَ مِنْهُ. يَدَاهَا خَشِنَتَانِ مِنَ الخَشَبِ وَالمَسَامِير، لَكِنَّ جَسَدَهَا نَاعِمٌ تَحْتَ ثِيَابِ العَمَل.
Maryam bint Master Hasan was the first woman to build ships in Suez. Her father taught her the craft because he had no son, and she became more skilled than he. Her hands were rough from wood and nails, but her body was soft beneath her work clothes.
كَانَتْ فِي الثَّلَاثِينَ، عَزْبَاءَ لِأَنَّ الرِّجَالَ يَخَافُونَ امْرَأَةً أَقْوَى مِنْهُم. جَسَدُهَا قَوِيٌّ وَمُمْتَلِئٌ مِنَ العَمَلِ، ذِرَاعَاهَا صُلْبَتَانِ كَالصَّارِي، وَفَخِذَاهَا ثَقِيلَتَانِ كَمُقَدِّمَةِ السَّفِينَة. بَشَرَتُهَا سَمْرَاءُ مِنَ الشَّمْس، وَشَعْرُهَا أَسْوَدُ كَالقَطِرَانِ.
She was thirty, unmarried because men feared a woman stronger than them. Her body was strong and full from work, her arms solid as masts, her thighs heavy as a ship's prow. Her skin was brown from the sun, her hair black as tar.
الفَصْلُ الثَّاني: القُبْطَانُ المَكْسُور
Chapter Two: The Broken Captain
جَاءَ إِلَى وَرْشَتِهَا قُبْطَانٌ بُرْتُغَالِيٌّ يُدْعَى فِرْنَانْدُو، سَفِينَتُهُ مُحَطَّمَةٌ مِنْ عَاصِفَةٍ. كَانَ فِي الأَرْبَعِينَ، وَسِيمًا رَغْمَ شَعْرِهِ الأَشْيَب. جُرْحٌ قَدِيمٌ عَلَى خَدِّهِ يَزِيدُهُ غُمُوضًا.
A Portuguese captain came to her workshop called Fernando, his ship wrecked by a storm. He was forty, handsome despite his grey hair. An old wound on his cheek added to his mystery.
"لَا أُصْلِحُ سُفُنَ الكُفَّار،" قَالَتْ مَرْيَم.
"I do not repair infidels' ships," said Maryam.
"وَأَنَا لَمْ أَتَوَقَّعْ أَنْ تَكُونَ بَنَّاءَةُ السُّفُنِ امْرَأَة،" قَالَ. "لَكِنَّنِي أَرَى الآنَ لِمَاذَا سُفُنُ السُّوَيْسِ أَفْضَل."
"And I did not expect the shipwright to be a woman," he said. "But I now see why Suez ships are superior."
"لِمَاذَا؟"
"Why?"
"لِأَنَّ المَرْأَةَ تَفْهَمُ الانْحِنَاءَاتِ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الرَّجُل."
"Because a woman understands curves better than a man."
ابْتَسَمَتْ رَغْمًا عَنْهَا. "سَأُصْلِحُ سَفِينَتَك. لَكِنَّ الثَّمَنَ غَالٍ."
She smiled despite herself. "I will repair your ship. But the price is dear."
الفَصْلُ الثَّالِث: الإِصْلَاح
Chapter Three: The Repair
عَمِلَا مَعًا أُسْبُوعَيْن. كَانَ فِرْنَانْدُو يُسَاعِدُهَا، يَتَعَلَّمُ مِنْهَا فَنَّ بِنَاءِ السُّفُنِ العَرَبِيَّة. وَكَانَتْ تُلَاحِظُ كَيْفَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا: لَيْسَ بِاسْتِغْرَابٍ، بَلْ بِإِعْجَاب.
They worked together for two weeks. Fernando helped her, learning from her the art of building Arab ships. She noticed how he looked at her: not with surprise, but with admiration.
"لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجِي؟" سَأَلَهَا ذَاتَ يَوْم.
"Why have you not married?" he asked her one day.
"لِأَنَّ لَا أَحَدَ يَقْبَلُ امْرَأَةً تَبْنِي السُّفُن."
"Because none accepts a woman who builds ships."
"فِي بِلَادِي، تُسَمَّى هَذِهِ المَرْأَةُ مُعْجِزَة."
"In my country, such a woman is called a miracle."
"وَفِي بِلَادِي، تُسَمَّى مُشْكِلَة."
"And in my country, she is called a problem."
الفَصْلُ الرَّابِع: سَفِينَةُ الجَسَد
Chapter Four: The Ship of the Body
فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الأَخِيرَةِ قَبْلَ انْتِهَاءِ الإِصْلَاحِ، جَاءَ فِرْنَانْدُو إِلَى الوَرْشَةِ. وَجَدَ مَرْيَمَ تَعْمَلُ وَحْدَهَا، عَرَقُهَا يَلْمَعُ فِي ضَوْءِ المَصَابِيح.
On the last night before the repair's completion, Fernando came to the workshop. He found Maryam working alone, her sweat gleaming in the lamplight.
"سَفِينَتُكَ جَاهِزَة،" قَالَتْ دُونَ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إِلَيْه.
"Your ship is ready," she said without looking at him.
"لَكِنَّنِي لَسْتُ جَاهِزًا لِلرَّحِيل."
"But I am not ready to leave."
اسْتَدَارَتْ. كَانَ وَاقِفًا قَرِيبًا جِدًّا. "لِمَاذَا؟"
She turned. He stood very close. "Why?"
"لِأَنَّنِي وَجَدْتُ سَفِينَةً أُخْرَى أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُبْحِرَ فِيهَا."
"Because I found another ship I want to sail in."
أَمْسَكَ خَصْرَهَا المُمْتَلِئَ بِيَدَيْه. "جَسَدُكِ سَفِينَةٌ أَجْمَلُ مِنْ أَيِّ سَفِينَةٍ بَنَيْتِهَا."
He held her full waist with his hands. "Your body is a ship more beautiful than any you have built."
ضَاجَعَهَا عَلَى أَكْوَامِ الخَشَب، وَرَائِحَةُ القَطِرَانِ تَمْتَزِجُ بِرَائِحَةِ عَرَقِهِمَا. كَانَتْ قَوِيَّةً فِي الحُبِّ كَمَا فِي العَمَل، تُمْسِكُهُ بِذِرَاعَيْهَا الصُّلْبَتَيْنِ وَتَهُزُّهُ كَمَا تَهُزُّ الأَمْوَاجُ السَّفِينَة.
He took her on the piles of wood, the smell of tar mixing with their sweat. She was strong in love as in work, holding him with her solid arms and rocking him as waves rock a ship.
الفَصْلُ الخَامِس: مِينَاءُ الحُبّ
Chapter Five: The Port of Love
أَسْلَمَ فِرْنَانْدُو وَتَزَوَّجَ مَرْيَم. وَبَنَيَا مَعًا أُسْطُولًا صَغِيرًا يُبْحِرُ بَيْنَ السُّوَيْسِ وَعَدَن.
Fernando converted and married Maryam. Together they built a small fleet sailing between Suez and Aden.
"كُنْتَ تَبْحَثُ عَنْ طَرِيقٍ جَدِيدٍ إِلَى الهِنْد،" قَالَتْ لَهُ. "فَوَجَدْتَ طَرِيقًا إِلَى قَلْبِي."
"You were seeking a new route to India," she said to him. "And you found a route to my heart."
"وَأَنْتِ كُنْتِ تَبْنِينَ سُفُنًا،" أَجَاب. "فَبَنَيْتِ لِي بَيْتًا."
"And you were building ships," he answered. "So you built me a home."
الخَاتِمَة
Epilogue
صَارَتْ مَرْيَمُ أَشْهَرَ بَنَّاءَةِ سُفُنٍ فِي البَحْرِ الأَحْمَر، وَفِرْنَانْدُو مُسَاعِدَهَا وَشَرِيكَهَا وَزَوْجَهَا. وَيُقَالُ إِنَّ سُفُنَهُمَا كَانَتْ أَسْرَعَ السُّفُنِ، لِأَنَّهَا بُنِيَتْ بِأَرْبَعِ أَيْدٍ تُحِبُّ بَعْضَهَا.
Maryam became the most famous shipwright in the Red Sea, with Fernando as her assistant, partner, and husband. It is said their ships were the fastest, for they were built by four hands that loved each other.