The Spice Merchant of Aden | تاجِرُ التَّوابِلِ في عَدَن
"In the bustling port of Aden, a wealthy spice merchant discovers passion with a voluptuous Ethiopian beauty he purchases to free, only to find freedom in her arms."
تاجِرُ التَّوابِلِ في عَدَن
The Spice Merchant of Aden
الفصل الأول: مينَاءُ عَدَن
Chapter One: The Port of Aden
في مينَاءِ عَدَنَ، حَيْثُ تَلْتَقي تِجارَةُ الشَّرْقِ وَالغَرْبِ، عاشَ التّاجِرُ عِمادُ بنُ طاهِرٍ. كانَ أَغْنى تُجّارِ التَّوابِلِ في المَدينَةِ، يَمْلِكُ سُفُناً تُبْحِرُ إلى الهِنْدِ وَإفْريقِيَّةَ.
In the port of Aden, where the trade of East and West met, lived the merchant Imad ibn Tahir. He was the richest spice merchant in the city, owning ships that sailed to India and Africa.
كانَ في الخامِسَةِ وَالثَّلاثينَ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ، رَجُلاً يَمَنِيّاً أَسْمَرَ البَشَرَةِ، ذا لِحْيَةٍ قَصيرَةٍ مُهَذَّبَةٍ. لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ بَعْدُ، إذْ كانَ مَشْغولاً بِتِجارَتِهِ.
He was thirty-five years of age, a dark-skinned Yemeni man, with a short, neat beard. He had not yet married, as he was occupied with his trade.
الفصل الثاني: سوقُ الرَّقيق
Chapter Two: The Slave Market
ذاتَ يَوْمٍ، وَجَدَ عِمادٌ نَفْسَهُ في سوقِ الرَّقيقِ. لَمْ يَكُنْ يَنْوي الشِّراءَ، لكِنَّ عَيْنَيْهِ وَقَعَتا عَلى امْرَأَةٍ جَعَلَتْهُ يَتَوَقَّفُ.
One day, Imad found himself in the slave market. He had not intended to buy, but his eyes fell upon a woman who made him stop.
كانَتِ امْرَأَةً إثْيوبِيَّةً في العِشرينَ مِنْ عُمْرِها. بَشَرَتُها سَوْداءُ كَالأَبَنوسِ، وَعَيْناها كَبيرَتانِ بَرّاقَتانِ. جَسَدُها مُمْتَلِئٌ فاتِنٌ، ثَدْياها كَبيرانِ مُسْتَديرانِ، وَوِرْكاها عَريضَتانِ.
She was an Ethiopian woman in her twenties. Her skin was black as ebony, and her eyes were large and bright. Her body was captivatingly full, her breasts large and round, and her hips wide.
"كَمْ ثَمَنُ هذِهِ؟" سَأَلَ البائِعَ.
"What is the price of this one?" he asked the seller.
الفصل الثالث: التَّحْرير
Chapter Three: The Liberation
اِشْتَراها وَأَخَذَها إلى بَيْتِهِ. اسْمُها كانَ أَسْماءَ.
He bought her and took her to his home. Her name was Asma.
"أَنْتِ حُرَّةٌ مِنَ الآنَ،" قالَ لَها في أَوَّلِ لَيْلَةٍ. "لَمْ أَشْتَرِكِ لِتَكوني أَمَتي."
"You are free from now," he said to her on the first night. "I did not buy you to be my slave."
نَظَرَتْ إلَيْهِ بِدَهْشَةٍ. "لِماذا اشْتَرَيْتَني إذاً؟"
She looked at him with astonishment. "Why did you buy me then?"
"لِأُنْقِذَكِ. رَأَيْتُ في عَيْنَيْكِ شَيْئاً جَعَلَني أُريدُ حِمايَتَكِ."
"To save you. I saw something in your eyes that made me want to protect you."
بَكَتْ. "أَنْتَ أَوَّلُ شَخْصٍ يُعامِلُني كَإنْسانٍ مُنْذُ سَنَواتٍ."
She cried. "You are the first person to treat me as a human for years."
الفصل الرابع: الأَسابيعُ الأولى
Chapter Four: The First Weeks
أَعْطاها غُرْفَةً خاصَّةً وَثِياباً جَديدَةً. عَلَّمَها القِراءَةَ وَالكِتابَةَ بِالعَرَبِيَّةِ. عامَلَها كَضَيْفَةٍ لا كَأَمَةٍ.
He gave her a private room and new clothes. He taught her reading and writing in Arabic. He treated her as a guest, not as a slave.
مَعَ مُرورِ الأَسابيعِ، بَدَأَتْ أَسْماءُ تَتَغَيَّرُ. أَصْبَحَتْ أَكْثَرَ انْفِتاحاً، أَكْثَرَ ثِقَةً. وَبَدَأَتْ تَنْظُرُ إلى عِمادٍ بِطَريقَةٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ.
As weeks passed, Asma began to change. She became more open, more confident. And she began to look at Imad in a different way.
"يا سَيِّدي،" قالَتْ ذاتَ لَيْلَةٍ. "لِماذا لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجْ؟"
"My lord," she said one night. "Why have you not married?"
"لَمْ أَجِدِ المَرْأَةَ المُناسِبَةَ."
"I have not found the right woman."
"وَما شَكْلُ المَرْأَةِ المُناسِبَةِ؟"
"And what does the right woman look like?"
نَظَرَ إلَيْها. "مِثْلَكِ."
He looked at her. "Like you."
الفصل الخامس: الاعْتِراف
Chapter Five: The Confession
"أَنا أَمَةٌ سابِقَةٌ،" قالَتْ أَسْماءُ. "لَسْتُ مُناسِبَةً لِرَجُلٍ مِثْلِكَ."
"I am a former slave," Asma said. "I am not suitable for a man like you."
"أَنْتِ امْرَأَةٌ حُرَّةٌ الآنَ. وَأَنا أُحِبُّكِ."
"You are a free woman now. And I love you."
"تُحِبُّني؟"
"You love me?"
"نَعَمْ. مُنْذُ اللَّحْظَةِ التي رَأَيْتُكِ فيها."
"Yes. Since the moment I saw you."
مَشَتْ نَحْوَهُ وَوَضَعَتْ يَدَها عَلى صَدْرِهِ. "وَأَنا أُحِبُّكَ. أَنْتَ أَنْقَذْتَ حَياتي."
She walked toward him and placed her hand on his chest. "And I love you. You saved my life."
الفصل السادس: الكَشْف
Chapter Six: The Revelation
قَبَّلَها بِرِفْقٍ أَوَّلاً، ثُمَّ بِشَغَفٍ أَكْبَرَ.
He kissed her gently at first, then with greater passion.
خَلَعَتْ ثِيابَها وَكَشَفَتْ جَسَدَها الإثْيوبِيَّ المُمْتَلِئَ. كانَتْ سَوْداءَ كَاللَّيْلِ، جَميلَةً كَالنُّجومِ. ثَدْياها كَبيرانِ ثَقيلانِ بِحَلَماتٍ أَغْمَقَ مِنْ بَشَرَتِها. بَطْنُها مُسْتَديرَةٌ ناعِمَةٌ. وِرْكاها عَريضَتانِ وَأَرْدافُها ضَخْمَةٌ.
She removed her clothes and revealed her full Ethiopian body. She was black as night, beautiful as the stars. Her breasts were large and heavy with nipples darker than her skin. Her belly was round and soft. Her hips were wide and her buttocks were large.
"أَنْتِ أَجْمَلُ مِنْ كُلِّ التَّوابِلِ التي تَجَرْتُ فيها،" هَمَسَ.
"You are more beautiful than all the spices I have traded," he whispered.
الفصل السابع: الاتِّحاد
Chapter Seven: The Union
أَلْقاها عَلى سَريرِهِ وَاسْتَلْقى فَوْقَها. قَبَّلَ صَدْرَها الكَبيرَ وَرَضَعَ ثَدْيَيْها.
He laid her on his bed and lay upon her. He kissed her large chest and suckled her breasts.
"يا سَيِّدي!" أَنَّتْ.
"My lord!" she moaned.
"لَسْتُ سَيِّدَكِ. أَنا حَبيبُكِ."
"I am not your lord. I am your beloved."
دَخَلَها بِبُطْءٍ وَرِفْقٍ. كانَتْ دافِئَةً كَشَمْسِ إثْيوبْيا.
He entered her slowly and gently. She was warm as the Ethiopian sun.
تَحَرَّكَ داخِلَها بِإيقاعٍ بَطيءٍ. جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ الأَسْوَدُ يَتَمَوَّجُ تَحْتَهُ. ثَدْياها الكَبيرانِ يَرْتَجِفانِ.
He moved inside her with a slow rhythm. Her full black body undulated beneath him. Her large breasts trembled.
الفصل الثامن: الذُّروَة
Chapter Eight: The Climax
زادَ سُرْعَتَهُ وَقُوَّتَهُ. كانَتْ تَصْرُخُ بِلُغَتِها الإثْيوبِيَّةِ القَديمَةِ.
He increased his speed and strength. She was crying out in her ancient Ethiopian language.
وَصَلا إلى الذُّروَةِ مَعاً. صَرَخا وَانْدَمَجَتْ أَجْسادُهُما. انْسَكَبَ داخِلَها وَهِيَ تَرْتَجِفُ.
They reached the climax together. They cried out and their bodies merged. He spilled inside her while she trembled.
"أُحِبُّكَ،" قالَتْ بِالعَرَبِيَّةِ.
"I love you," she said in Arabic.
"وَأَنا أُحِبُّكِ."
"And I love you."
الخاتِمَة
Epilogue
تَزَوَّجَها عِمادٌ رَغْمَ اعْتِراضِ عائِلَتِهِ. أَعْطاها مَكانَةً رَفيعَةً في بَيْتِهِ وَتِجارَتِهِ.
Imad married her despite his family's objection. He gave her a high position in his home and trade.
أَنْجَبَتْ لَهُ أَوْلاداً حَمَلوا جَمالَ الأَبَوَيْنِ: سُمْرَةَ اليَمَنِ وَسَوادَ إثْيوبْيا. وَأَصْبَحَتْ عائِلَتُهُمْ مِنْ أَغْنى العائِلاتِ وَأَكْثَرِها احْتِراماً في عَدَنَ.
She bore him children who carried the beauty of both parents: the brownness of Yemen and the blackness of Ethiopia. And their family became one of the richest and most respected families in Aden.
وَيُقالُ إنَّ عِماداً كانَ يَقولُ دائِماً إنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَفْقَةٍ عَقَدَها في حَياتِهِ لَمْ تَكُنْ في التَّوابِلِ، بَلْ في سوقِ الرَّقيقِ، حينَ اشْتَرى حُرِّيَّتَهُ هُوَ بِتَحْريرِها.
It is said that Imad would always say that the best deal he made in his life was not in spices, but in the slave market, when he bought his own freedom by freeing her.
انْتَهَتِ القِصَّة | The End