انتبه (أبو مبروكة) أن الديك، له دور ما يوذّن، فنشد مرته؛ وشب الديك قَلَب دجاجة، وإلا لطي لسانه في منقاره؟ وأضاف؛ ديوك الخلق تكاكي من صباح العالمين، وهو كما المضيّع؟ فقالت؛ يا مخلوق، ولدك (المنفّر) أدخل كلبة بجروتها، في السفل، وآهو رابض عندها، وأضافت؛ الكلاب تطرد الملائكة من البيت، وتدخل الشياطين، تشره على ديك، ما عاد شاف ملايكة ربي.
طلب منها تكبّ على خبزة حنطة، وتحتصي عشرة، وقال؛ بيجينا خطّابة في مبروكة، ومدري يتفاولون معنا، وإلا نخليها فال غداء. سألته؛ فيش يبتلّون الخبزة؟ ردّ عليها؛ السمن والتمر والعسل في العُلّية! علّقت؛ يفقدني المنفّر؛ ما عاد منها زفرة ولا حثرة، فتغيّرت ملامحه، وحندر فيها بعينين ينزّ منهما شرر، قائلاً؛ وثاقة البيت يا هَمَلة فين أغديتيها؟ أجابت؛ والله ما حلّت عليّه، الطرعين ما خلّوا سِكنه، واستدركت؛ يكون يا ربي؛ أمي مرضت، فسويت لها عيش، وجليته بملعقة سمن، ولُحسة عسل.
نفض الحلس، ولبس ثوبه، وارتدى عمامته وعقاله، وركب حمارته، وطول الطريق، ما فتر لسانه؛ (يا الله بلحمه زينه؛ من عند ولد القينه) صدر بطفيتين؛ من ثور مِشحم، وقال؛ انصبي بطفيَه؛ والثانية ملحيها، وانشريها فوق الحمّالة؛ وما كسرت الشمس، إلا وقلاقل الحمير لها أزله، في مساريب القرية، ما نزل الأرحام من فوق ظهورها، إلا والكلبة المجرية خارجة من السفل، وبهشت بهم؛ فلزمها بذنبها، وحدحد بها بين فروخها، ولاح الباب، فخفت نباحها وتراجع إلى صواء.
رحّب وسهّل، وغمز لولده (المنفّر) فاقترب منه؛ فقال: اعلف حمير أرحامك واسقها، تحرّك بتثاقل، فحداه بالزنوبة، قدام ضيوفه؛ وقال؛ أعجل يا كلبان، ما وقّعت فيه؛ فانطلق؛ وتفاول الجميع وتقهووا؛ وأبدوا جوابهم؛ أعلامنا خير، من الله ومن هذي الساعة؛ جيناكم لا جاكم شرّ، نطلب ملزمة ربي، في بنتك (مبروكة) لولدنا (مشاهق)، وسمعت مبروكة العائدة للتو بغنمها، من المسراح، فانفرجت أساريرها؛ وطلبت الله يتمها، ممنّية نفسها؛ تنتسم من الشقا، ولاحظت أن الخاطب ما يبصم شدقه مفتوح، ويزرق عينه ويليها، وسنونه كما سنون مقصب الخريف، متباينة، وبارزة للأمام.
ترددتْ في القبول به، فانفرد بها أبوها، وقال؛ إن طعتيني وخذتيه لتسمينها سُعدى؛ وأضاف؛ انتي تبغين ابن حلال يناني بك، والا ابن حرام يلزك عند عينك؟ وسرد عليها مكانة وميلان أهل خطيبها، ونشدها؛ ما شفتي حميرهم كما الخيل، وهما يأخذان ويعطيان؛ على دخلة (المنفّر) وفروخ الكلبة ساقته؛ فتناول العرقة؛ وقام عليه؛ يهبد ويحنم عليه؛ وثاقة البيت يا طرع كلما وِقِعْ لنا شوية سمن، وعدلة تمر وإلا عكة عسل، اندعيت عليها، فصاح الولد؛ الله يفقدني أمي وآبي ما دبت ثمي، فانفعل أكثر؛ تفقد بي يا منفّس الكلبة، وشمّطه وملّخه وفين اللي ما يوجعك. أرسل نداء استغاثات لأمه؛ وهي لاهية، وترد بصوت هامس؛ ليته يتويك يا العنز السّرِفه.
درت (الشبّارة) شقيقة أبو مبروكة؛ أنه أخطب بنته لأجنبي، وما ذاقت الذُّوق، ولا بلّت العروق، فهي سبق وصهّرت عند أمها لولدها (المندس) فأقبلت عليه بشونها، ومسبحتها تسحب في الحيله؛ سلّم عليها؛ وترضّاها، ولم يُفلح في اقناعها تزلّ؛ وانفرطت؛ أرخصت مبروكة رُخْص التراب الله يرخصك؛ وطقّت بيمين تحجّ بها البلّ؛ لو ما يعطيها المندس؛ لتقطعه قطع الدلو في البير، وتبدي له السوداء من فوق المسيد ليلة ما يروّحها.
التقى بعد العصر، زوج أخته الشاعر، معتنزاً على شماغه، في ظُلة المسيد، ويتّنبك دخان عثري، ومن ساعة ما شافه كركر لين دمّعت عيونه؛ وبدع له (انتبه لاختك يا بو مبروكة، لا تهب لك قَبْعَةً في راسك، مدْمِيَه والا معجْرِمه) فعزمه للعشاء؛ وطاب لهما السمر؛ وأحسّ الشاعر بالبرد؛ فقال؛ يا مبروكة وأنا خالك، اندري جُبّة أبوك المعلقة من يوم خِلقت الخلوق، لا دِفي بها ولا صخي يدفا بها غيره؛ كلتها الرِبية، كما جُبّة الضبياني.
وهو ساري، حذّره، وقال؛ أختك يا الرحيم مشعوذة، وكل خميس تلقى (قطير السحار) في السوق؛ وتعقّدْ وتربّط هي واياه؛ شعران وأظافير؛ قدام الله وخلقه، فحرّز على بنتك وملابسها، ووصّ رحيمك لا جاكم فلا يأكل ولا يشرب من بيتي، فقرر أبو مبروكة، يتفادى الشرّ بالمرواح؛ وقصد أرحامه؛ وقال؛ دور اليوم عروسكم عندكم؛ والبنت إذا راحت كسّوها وحلّوها؛ وحنّت الدففه؛ ورمى ثلاث طلقات من بندقه المحدّش، وقال للموذّن؛ إن كان تبغاني أبقي لك من اللزومة يا ديكان؛ أزرب درجة المسيد بطلح؛ لا تغدي المطنقرة، تفضحنا وتشرّه بنا قدام الحاير والباير ورديف الحظ العاثر.
راحت العروس؛ وشروح وفروح، وظلّ رأس العريس منكّساً؛ طوال أيام الأسبوع، فأبلغ أمه؛ وقال؛ الفِرَاص ينكب، يا البنت ملزومة، وإلا أنا مبرود؟ تكتموا على الموضوع؛ وأبو مشاهق، عارفة قوم، ترقّب فقيههم لين صار لحاله؛ فقال؛ تنجدني والا زيّ ما فقّهتك أخلعك واندرك من المنبر باذنك؟ ردّ؛ أبشر بي تقول وتطول لو على واحد من سفاني؛ فأبدى له ما جا عليهم، وما جرى على ولده وعروسه؛ فدلّه على بيت (قطير السّحار) قصده في مسحرته، وكسر شوكته بخمسين ريال فرانسي؛ وصار كما الخاتم في أصبعه، وصباح اليوم التالي؛ لمحوا مشاهق وعروسه سارحين، وطشت الغسيل فوق رأسه والسراويل مدلدلة من طرف؛ فالتقاه الفقيه ونشده؛ بشّرني وآنا عمّك قطاب؟ فأجابه؛ انفقعتْ عين الشيطان.
Attention (Abu Mabrouka), the rooster has a role that does not call for prayer, so he asked his wife; and the rooster grew up and turned into a hen, or would he have folded his tongue in his beak? He added; the roosters of creation have been crowing since the dawn of the worlds, and is he like the one who is lost? She said; O creature, your son (the repulsive) brought a dog with her puppy, downstairs, and he is lying next to her. She added; dogs drive angels out of the house and bring in devils, they bark at the rooster, and he no longer sees the angels of my Lord.
He asked her to knead a wheat bread and to set aside ten, and he said; a matchmaker will come for Mabrouka, and I don’t know if they are optimistic with us, or if we should leave it for lunch. She asked him; what will they do with the bread? He replied; the ghee, dates, and honey are in the attic! She commented; the repulsive has lost me; there is no more sigh or groan from her, so his features changed, and he looked at her with eyes that sparkled with anger, saying; the security of the house, O burden, where is your lunch? She replied; by God, it hasn’t come to me, the dogs didn’t leave its dwelling, and she added; maybe, O my Lord; my mother got sick, so I made her rice, and I served it with a spoonful of ghee, and a lick of honey.
He shook off the blanket, wore his thobe, put on his turban and agal, and rode his donkey. Throughout the journey, his tongue did not tire; (O God, with its meat, it is good; from the son of the one who is good) he brought two bottles; from a fat bull, and said; set up one bottle; and the other, salt it, and spread it on the carrier; and the sun had not yet broken, except for the donkeys’ braying in the village paths, and the wombs did not descend from their backs, except that the stray dog came out from below, and she barked at them; so he held her by her tail, and pulled her among her pups, and the door creaked, so her barking quieted and she retreated to her den.
He welcomed and facilitated, and winked at his son (the repulsive) so he approached him; he said: feed your womb donkeys and give them water, he moved slowly, so he urged him with the whip, in front of his guests; and said; hurry up, O dogs, what did you do? So he set off; and everyone was optimistic and had coffee; and they expressed their response; our signs are good, from God and from this hour; we came to you, if evil comes to you, we seek the blessing of my Lord, in your daughter (Mabrouka) for our son (Mushahq), and Mabrouka, who had just returned with her sheep from the pasture, her face brightened; and she asked God to complete it for her, wishing for herself; to breathe from the hardship, and she noticed that the suitor did not close his mouth, his eyes were bulging and following her, and his teeth were like the teeth of a fall harvest, uneven, and protruding forward.
She hesitated to accept him, so her father took her aside, and said; if you obey me and take him, you will name her Su’ada; and he added; do you want a righteous son who will care for you, or a son of sin who will burden you? And he recounted the status and inclination of her suitor’s family, and asked her; did you not see their donkeys like horses, and they take and give; at the entrance of (the repulsive) and the pups of the dog he brought; so he took the rope; and stood over it; hitting and urging it; the security of the house, O burden, every time we get a little ghee, and a handful of dates or a jar of honey, I called upon her, so the boy shouted; God take my mother and father as long as I am here, and he became more agitated; check on me, O repulsive dog, and smell it and tell me where it doesn’t hurt you. He sent a call for help to his mother; and she was distracted, and replied in a whisper; I wish he would take you, O wandering goat.
The sister of Abu Mabrouka (the young lady) learned that he was proposing his daughter to a foreigner, and she had not tasted the flavor, nor wet her veins, as she had previously married her mother’s son (the hidden one), so she approached him with her troubles, and her rosary dragging in her hand; she greeted him; and he accepted her, but he did not succeed in convincing her to calm down; and she fell apart; Mabrouka was as cheap as dirt, may God make you cheap; and she struck with her right hand to make the rain fall; if the hidden one does not give it to her; she would cut him into pieces like a bucket in the well, and show him the black one from above the mosque on the night she would not return.
He met after the afternoon, the husband of his sister the poet, leaning on his headscarf, in the shade of the mosque, and the smoke of incense was rising, and from the moment he saw him, he chuckled until his eyes watered; and he prayed for him (beware of your sister, O Abu Mabrouka, do not let a blow land on your head, bloody or bruised) so he invited him to dinner; and the evening was pleasant for them; and the poet felt cold; so he said; O Mabrouka, and I am your uncle, I know your father’s robe has been hanging since the day creation was created, it neither warms nor cools anyone else; she ate it raw, like the robe of the deer.
As he was walking, he warned him, and said; your sister, O Rahim, is a sorceress, and every Thursday she finds (the incense of the sorcerer) in the market; and she ties and binds herself and him; hair and nails; before God and His creation, so safeguard your daughter and her clothes, and advise your Rahim that if he comes to you, do not let him eat or drink from my house. So Abu Mabrouka decided to avoid evil by going back; and he headed to his relatives; and said; your bride is looking for you today; and if the girl goes, dress her and adorn her; and the drum sounded; and he fired three shots from his rifle, and said to the muezzin; if you want me to keep you from the necessity, O roosters; I will tie the degree of the mosque with a palm; do not feed the troublesome one, it will expose us and disgrace us in front of the confused and the lost and the unfortunate.
The bride went; and there were celebrations and joy, and the groom’s head remained bowed; throughout the week, so he informed his mother; and said; the horse is stumbling, O girl, is it necessary, or am I cold? They kept the matter secret; and Abu Mushahq, knowing the people, waited for their scholar until he was alone; so he said; will you help me or as I taught you, I will remove you from the pulpit with your permission? He replied; I promise you to say and take your time even if it’s for one of my servants; so he showed him what had happened to them, and what had happened to his son and his bride; and directed him to the house of (the incense of the sorcerer) which he intended in his incantation, and he broke his strength with fifty French riyals; and he became like a ring on his finger, and the next morning; they saw Mushahq and his bride walking, and a basin of laundry on his head and his trousers hanging from one side; so the scholar met him and asked him; give me good news and I am your uncle Qatab? He replied; the devil’s eye has burst.
