The Weaver of Herat | نَسّاجُ هَراة
"In the carpet workshops of medieval Herat, a master weaver creates his finest work—both in silk and in the arms of a voluptuous widow who teaches him new patterns of pleasure."
نَسّاجُ هَراة
The Weaver of Herat
الفصل الأول: مَدينَةُ السَّجّاد
Chapter One: The City of Carpets
في مَدينَةِ هَراةَ، عاصِمَةِ خُراسانَ القَديمَةِ، عاشَ النَّسّاجُ رُسْتَمُ بنُ فَرْهادٍ. كانَ أَمْهَرَ صانِعِ سَجّادٍ في المَدينَةِ كُلِّها، تَأْتيهِ الطَّلَباتُ مِنَ المُلوكِ وَالأُمَراءِ.
In the city of Herat, capital of ancient Khurasan, lived the weaver Rustam ibn Farhad. He was the most skilled carpet maker in all the city, receiving orders from kings and princes.
كانَ في الأَرْبَعينَ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ، رَجُلاً فارِسِيّاً ذا بَشَرَةٍ حَنْطِيَّةٍ وَعَيْنَيْنِ خَضْراوَيْنِ. يَداهُ طَويلَتانِ رَشيقَتانِ مِنْ سَنَواتِ العَمَلِ عَلى النَّوْلِ.
He was forty years of age, a Persian man with wheat-colored skin and green eyes. His hands were long and graceful from years of work at the loom.
الفصل الثاني: الطَّلَبُ الخاصّ
Chapter Two: The Special Order
ذاتَ يَوْمٍ، جاءَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ تَطْلُبُ سَجّادَةً خاصَّةً.
One day, a woman came to him requesting a special carpet.
"أُريدُ سَجّادَةً لِغُرْفَةِ نَوْمي،" قالَتْ. "سَجّادَةً ناعِمَةً كَالحَريرِ."
"I want a carpet for my bedroom," she said. "A carpet soft as silk."
كانَتِ امْرَأَةً فارِسِيَّةً في الخامِسَةِ وَالثَّلاثينَ مِنْ عُمْرِها، ذاتَ جَمالٍ فارِسِيٍّ كامِلٍ. بَشَرَتُها بَيْضاءُ ناعِمَةٌ، وَعَيْناها سَوْداوانِ كَبيرَتانِ، وَشَعْرُها أَسْوَدُ طَويلٌ.
She was a Persian woman thirty-five years of age, with perfect Persian beauty. Her skin was white and soft, her eyes large and black, and her hair long and black.
جَسَدُها كانَ مُمْتَلِئاً فاتِناً. صَدْرُها كَبيرٌ تَحْتَ ثِيابِها المُطَرَّزَةِ، وَوِرْكاها عَريضَتانِ.
Her body was captivatingly full. Her chest was large under her embroidered clothes, and her hips were wide.
"أَنا فاطِمَةُ،" قالَتْ. "أَرْمَلَةُ الوَزيرِ."
"I am Fatima," she said. "The Vizier's widow."
الفصل الثالث: الزِّياراتُ المُتَكَرِّرَة
Chapter Three: The Repeated Visits
بَدَأَ رُسْتَمُ العَمَلَ عَلى السَّجّادَةِ. وَبَدَأَتْ فاطِمَةُ تَزورُهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لِتَرى التَّقَدُّمَ.
Rustam began work on the carpet. And Fatima began visiting him every day to see the progress.
"أُحِبُّ أَنْ أُشاهِدَكَ وَأَنْتَ تَعْمَلُ،" قالَتْ ذاتَ يَوْمٍ. "يَداكَ تَرْقُصانِ عَلى النَّوْلِ."
"I love to watch you while you work," she said one day. "Your hands dance on the loom."
"شُكْراً، يا سَيِّدَتي."
"Thank you, my lady."
"هَلْ تَسْتَطيعُ أَنْ تُعَلِّمَني؟"
"Can you teach me?"
"تَعْليمُ النَّسْجِ يَحْتاجُ سَنَواتٍ."
"Teaching weaving requires years."
"لَدَيَّ الوَقْتُ."
"I have the time."
الفصل الرابع: الدَّرْسُ الأَوَّل
Chapter Four: The First Lesson
جَلَسَتْ بِجانِبِهِ عَلى النَّوْلِ. أَمْسَكَ يَدَيْها لِيُريها كَيْفَ تَحْبِكُ الخُيوطَ.
She sat beside him at the loom. He held her hands to show her how to weave the threads.
"هكَذا،" قالَ وَهُوَ يُوَجِّهُ أَصابِعَها. "بِرِفْقٍ. كَأَنَّكِ تَلْمِسينَ شَيْئاً ثَميناً."
"Like this," he said while guiding her fingers. "Gently. As if you were touching something precious."
شَعَرَتْ بِحَرارَةِ جَسَدِهِ خَلْفَها. وَشَعَرَ هُوَ بِنَعومَةِ يَدَيْها وَرائِحَةِ عِطْرِها.
She felt the warmth of his body behind her. And he felt the softness of her hands and the scent of her perfume.
"أَنْتَ مُعَلِّمٌ جَيِّدٌ،" هَمَسَتْ.
"You are a good teacher," she whispered.
"وَأَنْتِ تَلْميذَةٌ سَريعَةُ التَّعَلُّمِ."
"And you are a quick learner."
الفصل الخامس: لَيْلَةُ الاكْتِمال
Chapter Five: The Night of Completion
في اللَّيْلَةِ التي أَكْمَلَ فيها السَّجّادَةَ، جاءَتْ فاطِمَةُ لِتَراها.
On the night he completed the carpet, Fatima came to see it.
"رائِعَةٌ،" قالَتْ وَهِيَ تَتَأَمَّلُها. "أَجْمَلُ مِمّا تَخَيَّلْتُ."
"Magnificent," she said as she contemplated it. "More beautiful than I imagined."
"صُنِعَتْ بِحُبٍّ."
"It was made with love."
نَظَرَتْ إلَيْهِ. "حُبٌّ لِماذا؟"
She looked at him. "Love for what?"
"لَكِ."
"For you."
أَغْلَقَتْ بابَ الوَرْشَةِ. "إذاً أَرِني هذا الحُبَّ."
She closed the workshop door. "Then show me this love."
الفصل السادس: الكَشْف
Chapter Six: The Revelation
خَلَعَتْ ثِيابَها وَوَقَفَتْ أَمامَهُ عَلى السَّجّادَةِ الجَديدَةِ. جَسَدُها الفارِسِيُّ المُمْتَلِئُ يَتَوَهَّجُ في ضَوْءِ المَصابيحِ.
She removed her clothes and stood before him on the new carpet. Her full Persian body glowed in the lamplight.
كانَتْ بَيْضاءَ كَالحَريرِ الذي يَنْسُجُهُ. ثَدْياها كَبيرانِ مُسْتَديرانِ بِحَلَماتٍ وَرْدِيَّةٍ. بَطْنُها ناعِمَةٌ مُنْحَنِيَةٌ. وِرْكاها عَريضَتانِ فارِسِيَّتانِ.
She was white as the silk he wove. Her breasts were large and round with pink nipples. Her belly was soft and curved. Her hips were wide in the Persian way.
"جَسَدُكِ أَجْمَلُ مِنْ أَيِّ سَجّادَةٍ نَسَجْتُها،" هَمَسَ.
"Your body is more beautiful than any carpet I have woven," he whispered.
"إذاً اِنْسُجْني."
"Then weave me."
الفصل السابع: الاتِّحاد
Chapter Seven: The Union
أَلْقاها عَلى السَّجّادَةِ الناعِمَةِ. خَلَعَ ثِيابَهُ وَاسْتَلْقى فَوْقَها.
He laid her on the soft carpet. He removed his clothes and lay upon her.
قَبَّلَها بِعُمْقٍ. يَداهُ الماهِرَتانِ تَسْتَكْشِفانِ جَسَدَها كَما تَسْتَكْشِفانِ أَنْماطَ السَّجّادِ.
He kissed her deeply. His skilled hands explored her body as they explored carpet patterns.
"اِنْسُجْني بِأَصابِعِكَ أَوَّلاً،" هَمَسَتْ.
"Weave me with your fingers first," she whispered.
أَدْخَلَ أَصابِعَهُ فيها وَبَدَأَ يَتَحَرَّكُ بِإيقاعِ النَّسّاجِ. بَطيءٌ ثُمَّ سَريعٌ. أَنَّتْ وَتَلَوَّتْ.
He inserted his fingers inside her and began to move with a weaver's rhythm. Slow then fast. She moaned and writhed.
بَعْدَ أَنْ وَصَلَتْ إلى الذُّروَةِ الأولى، دَخَلَها بِجَسَدِهِ.
After she reached the first climax, he entered her with his body.
"يا اللهِ!" صَرَخَتْ. "أَنْتَ ماهِرٌ في كُلِّ شَيْءٍ."
"My God!" she cried. "You are skilled in everything."
الفصل الثامن: الذُّروَة
Chapter Eight: The Climax
تَحَرَّكَ داخِلَها بِإيقاعِ النَّسّاجِ عَلى النَّوْلِ. ذَهاباً وَإياباً. بُطْءاً وَسُرْعَةً. جَسَدُها المُمْتَلِئُ يَتَمَوَّجُ تَحْتَهُ عَلى السَّجّادَةِ الناعِمَةِ.
He moved inside her with a weaver's rhythm on the loom. Back and forth. Slow and fast. Her full body undulated beneath him on the soft carpet.
"أَنا قَريبَةٌ!" صَرَخَتْ.
"I am close!" she cried.
"وَأَنا أَيْضاً!"
"And I too!"
وَصَلا إلى الذُّروَةِ مَعاً عَلى السَّجّادَةِ. صَرَخا وَانْسَكَبَ داخِلَها.
They reached the climax together on the carpet. They cried out and he spilled inside her.
الخاتِمَة
Epilogue
أَصْبَحَتْ فاطِمَةُ زَبونَتَهُ الدّائِمَةَ. كانَتْ تَطْلُبُ سَجّادَةً جَديدَةً كُلَّ شَهْرٍ، وَفي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ كانا يُجَرِّبانِها مَعاً.
Fatima became his permanent customer. She would order a new carpet every month, and each time they would try it out together.
وَبَعْدَ سَنَةٍ، تَزَوَّجا. وَيُقالُ إنَّ سَجّاجيدَ رُسْتَمَ أَصْبَحَتْ أَجْمَلَ بَعْدَ زَواجِهِ، لِأَنَّهُ تَعَلَّمَ مَعْنى النَّعومَةِ الحَقيقِيَّةِ.
And after a year, they married. It is said that Rustam's carpets became more beautiful after his marriage, because he learned the meaning of true softness.
انْتَهَتِ القِصَّة | The End