أبناء الشريف بقلم تشارلز دبليو تشيزنوت قصة قصيرة ترجمتها للعربية رسل ياسر عبد الله من جامعة البصرة
وُلْدَ تِشَارْلِزْ دَبْلِيُو تِشِيزنوت عَامَ 1858 فِي وِلَايَةٍ جَنُوبِيَّةٍ بِأَمْرِيكَا. لَقَدْ خَلَطَ الْبَيضُ وَالدَّمُ الْأَسْوَدُ ، وَبِسَبَبِ مَظْهَرِهِ الْجَمِيلِ لِلْغَايَةِ ، كَانَ مِنْ الْمُمْكِنِ أَنْ يَتَظَاهَرَ بِأَنَّهُ أَبْيَضُ رَجُلٍ لَكِنَّهُ اخْتَارَ عَدَمَ الْقِيَامِ بِذَلِكَ. بَعْدَ تَعْلِيمِهِ الرِّيفِيِّ ، ذَهَبَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ لِلدِّرَاسَةِ الْقَانُونُ وَأَصْبَحَ مُحَامِيًا. اخْتَارَ الْعَيْشَ فِي الشَّمَالِ حَتَّى يَخْتَلِطَ بِالْأَدَبِ الدَّوَائِرُ. كَانَتْ قِصَصُهُ وَ رِوَايَتُهُ فِي الْبِدَايَةِ تَحْظَى بِشَعْبِيَّةٍ كَبِيرَةٍ ، حَيْثُ اسْتَخْدَمَ اللَّهْجَةَ فِي خِطَابِ شَخْصِيَّاتِهِ السَّوْدَاءِ مِثْلَ أَيِّ كَاتِبٍ آخَرَ يَحْظَى بِشَعْبِيَّةٍ كَبِيرَةٍ فِي وَقْتِهِ ، لَكِنَّ أَعْمَالَهُ اللَّاحِقَةَ كَانَتْ مُعَقَّدَةً بِشَكْلٍ مُتَزَايِدٍ لِإِظْهَارِ الْمَوْقِفِ الصَّعْبِ فِي الْجَنُوبِ. مُنْذُ السَّنَوَاتِ الْأُولَى لِلْقَرْنِ الْعِشْرِينَ ، اعْتَقَدَ الْكُتَّابَ الْأَكْثَرَ رَادِيكَالِيَّةً كَانَ تِشِيزُنوت عُنْصُرِيًا. لَمْ يَكْسِبْ أَبَدًا مَا يَكْفِي مِنْ الْمَالِ لِلْعَيْشِ مِنْ كِتَابَاتِهِ ، عَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنْ النُّقَّادِ دَائِمًا أَشَادَ بِهِ. كَانَ رَغْمَ ذَلِكَ رَجُلُ أَعْمَالٍ نَاجِحًا وَنَاشِطًا سِيَاسِيًا. مَاتَ فِي ١٩٣٢.
أَبْنَاءُ الشَّرِيفِ
تَبْدَأُ
الْقِصَّةُ بِوَصْفِ مَكَانِهَا ، مُقَاطَعَةَ بِرَانْسُونْ بِوِلَايَةِ نُورْثْ كَارُولِينَا. مُقَاطَعَةُ بِرَانْسُونْ هِيَ مُجْتَمَعٌ رِيفِيٌّ
جَنُوبِيٌّ نَمُوذَجِيٌّ فِي حِقْبَةِ مَا بَعْدَ الْحَرْبِ الْأَهْلِيَّةِ. كَانَ لِلْحَرْبِ الْأَهْلِيَّةِ تَأْثِيرٌ وَاسِعُ
الِانْتِشَارِ عَلَى جَمِيعِ جَوَانِبِ الْحَيَاةِ الْحَالِيَّةِ ، وَلَكِنْ فِي الْوَاقِعِ
، كَانَ لَهَا تَأْثِيرٌ مَادِّيٌّ ضَئِيلٌ عَلَى الْمِنْطَقَةِ ، وَكَانَ سُكَّانُهَا
عُمُومًا غَيْرَ مُبَالِينَ بِهَزِيمَةِ الْجَنُوبِ.
أَكْبَرُ
مَدِينَةٍ فِي الْمُحَافَظَةِ هِيَ تَرْوِي ، وَهِيَ قَرْيَةٌ يَبْلُغُ عَدَدُ سُكَّانِهَا
400 أَوْ 500 نَسَمَةُ. تَرْوِي مَدِينَةً
نَائِمَةً ، مَعَ الْقَلِيلِ مِنْ الْأَحْدَاثِ ، إِلَى أَنْ صُدِمَ الْقَرَوِيُّونَ
ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بِنَبَأِ جَرِيمَةِ قُتْلٍ فِي وَسَطِهِمْ. الضَّحِيَّةُ هُوَ الْكَابْتِنُ وَوكْرُ الْمَحْبُوبُ
عَلَى نِطَاقٍ وَاسِعٍ. رَأَى بَعْضُ الْقَرَوِيِّينَ
مُولَاتُو "غَرِيبٌ" بِالْقُرْبِ مِنْ مَنْزِلِ الْكَابْتِنِ وُوكَرْ فِي
اللَّيْلَةِ السَّابِقَةِ ، وَمِنْ الْمُفْتَرَضِ عَلَى الْفَوْرِ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ
الْأَمْرِيكِيَّ مِنْ أَصْلٍ أَفْرِيقِيٍّ قَدْ ارْتَكَبَ الْجَرِيمَةَ. يُنَظِّمُ الشَّرِيفُ حَقِيبَةً وَيَقْبِضُ عَلَى
هَذَا الرَّجُلِ.
عِنْدَمَا
انْتَشَرَ خَبَرُ الْقَبْضِ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ فِي جَمِيعِ أَنْحَاءِ الْمَدِينَةِ ،
لَا يَزَالُ الرِّجَالُ غَيْرَ سُعَدَاءَ.
إِنَّهُمْ يَشْعُرُونَ أَنَّ "الْعَدَالَةَ الْعَادِيَّةَ كَانَتْ عُقُوبَةً
طَفِيفَةً لِلْغَايَةِ لِمِثْلِ هَذِهِ الْجَرِيمَةِ". قَرَّرَ الْحَشْدُ الْمُتَجَمِّعُ إِعْدَامَ السَّجِينِ
دُونَ مُحَاكَمَةٍ ، وَالتَّرْتِيبُ لِلِّقَاءِ فِي السَّاعَةِ الْخَامِسَةِ بَعْدَ
ظُهْرِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ لِاتِّخَاذِ إِجْرَاءٍ.
مَا
يَقْرُبُ مِنْ خَمْسَةِ ، أَمْرِيكِيٍّ مِنْ أَصْلٍ أَفْرِيقِيٍّ سَمِعَ الْحَدِيثَ
رَكَضَ إِلَى بَابِ مَنْزِلِ الشَّرِيفِ كَامْبِلْ لِإِبْلَاغِهِ بِالْقَتْلِ الْمُخَطَّطِ
لَهُ. الشَّرِيفُ رَجُلٌ مُتَعَلِّمٌ وَثَرِيٌّ
وَمُحْتَرَمٌ. يَتَعَهَّدُ بِدُخُولِ السِّجْنِ
وَحِمَايَةِ أَسِيرِهِ كَمَا وَاجَبَهُ. تَتَوَسَّلُ
إِلَيْهِ ابْنَتُهُ بِوَلِيٍّ أَلَّا يَذْهَبَ ، لَكِنَّهُ يَظَلُّ حَازِمًا. يَتْرَكُ مَعَ ابْنَتِهِ مُسَدَّسًاً تَحَسُّبًاً
لِمُضَايَقَةِ أَحَدٍ.
لَمْ يَكَادْ الشَّرِيفُ يُغْلِقُ السِّجْنَ عِنْدَ ظُهُورِ حَشْدٍ مِنْ الرِّجَالِ. إِنَّهُمْ يُطَالِبُونَ بِالدُّخُولِ إِلَى السِّجْنِ ، لَكِنْ عِنْدَمَا يَرْفُضُ الشَّرِيفُ ، يَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُمْ سَيَكْسِرُونَ الْبَابَ. يُحَذِّرُهُمْ الشَّرِيفُ مِنْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذَا حَاوَلُوا ، فَسَوْفَ يَقُومُ بِوَاجِبِهِ - سَوْفَ يُطْلَقُ النَّارَ عَلَيْهِمْ. يُقِرُّ الرِّجَالُ فِي الْحَشْدِ وَالْعُمْدَةِ جَمِيعًا أَنَّهُ عَلَى الْأَرْجَحِ سَيَتِمُّ إِدَانَةُ السَّجِينِ بِارْتِكَابِ جَرِيمَةِ الْقَتْلِ وَإِعْدَامِهِ ، لَكِنَّ الْعُمْدَةَ مُصَمَّمٌ عَلَى أَدَاءِ وَظِيفَتِهِ. وَبَيْنَمَا كَانَ الْقَادَةُ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ ، يَدْخُلُ الشَّرِيفُ زِنْزَانَةَ الْأَسِيرِ. يَتَوَسَّلُ الرَّجُلُ الْخَائِفُ إِلَى الْعُمْدَةِ لِإِنْقَاذِ حَيَاتِهِ وَيُعْلِنُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْتُلْ الْقُبْطَانَ. يَقُومُ الشَّرِيفُ بِفَكِّ قُيُودِ الرَّجُلِ وَيُخْبِرُهُ إِذَا دَخَلَ الرِّجَالُ السِّجْنَ ، لِلْقِتَالِ مِنْ أَجْلِ نَفْسِهِ.
قَرَّرَ
الرِّجَالُ ، الَّذِينَ فُوجِئُوا بِمُقَاوَمَةِ الْعُمْدَةِ ، التَّخَلِّيَ عَنْ فِكْرَةِ
قَتْلِ السَّجِينِ. يُغَادِرُ الْغَوْغَاءَ
وَيُرَاقِبُهُمْ الشَّرِيفُ مِنْ خِلَالِ نَافِذَةِ الزِّنْزَانَةِ. لَا يُلَاحِظُ السَّجِينُ يَسْرِقُ مُسَدَّسَهُ
، وَسُرْعَانَ مَا يُصَوِّبُ الْمُسَدَّسُ نَحْوَهُ. يُعْلِنُ السَّجِينُ عَنْ نِيَّتِهِ الْهُرُوبَ. يَقُولُ الشَّرِيفُ إِنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ سِوَى الْقَلِيلِ
مِنْ الِامْتِنَانِ لِإِنْقَاذِ حَيَاتِهِ ، وَيَعْتَرِفُ السَّجِينُ أَنَّهُ بَيْنَمَا
أَنْقَذَهُ الشَّرِيفُ ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مُجَرَّدُ لَحْظَةٍ ؛ قَرِيبًا سَوْفَ يُعَلِّقُ عَلَى أَمْرِ الْمَحْكَمَةِ. يَقُولُ السَّجِينُ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْتُلْ الْقُبْطَانَ
لَكِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَنْ يَتَمَكَّنَ مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ ذَلِكَ.
بِأَمْرٍ مِنْ السَّجِينِ ، يَفْتَحُ الشَّرِيفُ أَبْوَابَ السِّجْنِ ، ثُمَّ يَعُودُ الرِّجَالُ إِلَى الزِّنْزَانَةِ. ثُمَّ يَكْشِفُ الرَّجُلُ أَنَّهُ لِكَيْ يَفْلِتَ ، عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَقْتُلَ الشَّرِيفَ. عِنْدَمَا يَكْشِفُ الْعُمْدَةُ عَنْ دَهْشَتِهِ الْمُطْلَقَةِ مِنْ أَنَّ السَّجِينَ "سَيَقْتُلُ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي تَدِينُ لَهُ بِحَيَاتِكَ" ، يَقُولُ السَّجِينُ بِالْفِعْلِ إِنَّهُ يَدِينُ بِحَيَاتِهِ إِلَى الْعُمْدَةِ - فِي الْوَاقِعِ ، إِنَّهُ تَوَّمَ ، الِابْنُ غَيْرُ الشَّرْعِيِّ لِلْعَمْدِ ، الْمَوْلُودِ لَهُ مِنْ عَبْدِ شَرِيفٍ السَّابِقِ. يَتَذَكَّرُهُمْ الشَّرِيفُ الْآنَ. غَاضِبًا مِنْ الْأُمِّ وَقَلِقَ مَالِيًا ، بَاعَ الْعُمْدَةَ تُومْ وَوَالِدَتَهُ فِي الْجَنُوبِ ، إِلَى أَلَابَامَا. كَانَ يَأْسَفُ لِأَفْعَالِهِ عِدَّةَ مَرَّاتٍ مُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْحِينِ. يَلْهَثُ الشَّرِيفُ قَائِلًاً فِي مُفَاجَأَةٍ: "لَنْ تَقْتُلَ وَالدَكَ؟" كَمَا يُشِيرُ إِلَى أَنَّ الْمُلَّاكَ الْبِيضَ الْآخَرِينَمَنَحُوا أَطْفَالَهُمْ الْأَمْرِيكِيِّينَ مِنْ أَصْلٍ أَفْرِيقِيِّ الْحُرِّيَّةِ. إِنَّهُ يُهَاجِمُ الشَّرِيفَ لِإِعْطَائِهِ "رُوحَ الرَّجُلِ الْأَبْيَضِ" فِي جَسَدِ رَجُلٍ أَسْوَدَ. ثُمَّ يَسْأَلُ عَمَّا إِذَا كَانَ الْعُمْدَةُ وَعَدَ بِعَدَمِ إِطْلَاقِ الْإِنْذَارِ إِذَا لَمْ يُطْلِقْ النَّارَ. يَتَرَدَّدُ الشَّرِيفُ ، وَلَا يُعْرِفُ مَا إِذَا كَانَ بِإِمْكَانِهِ تَجَاهُلُ وَاجِبِهِ. أَعْلَنَ تَوْمٌ عَنْ نِيَّتِهِ فِي إِطْلَاقِ النَّارِ عَلَى الْعُمْدَةِ - لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الْوُثُوقُ بِهِ حَتَّى لَوْ أَعْطَى كَلِمَتَهُ بِالْتِزَامِ الصَّمْتِ. الرَّجُلَانِ فِي نِقَاشٍ عَمِيقٍ لِدَرَجَةِ أَنَّهُمَا لَمْ يُلَاحِظَا دُخُولَ بُولِيٍّ. كَانَتْ قَلِقَةً عِنْدَمَا لَمْ يَعُدْ وَالِدُهَا ، جَاءَتْ إِلَى السِّجْنِ لِتَرَى مَا إِذَا كَانَ قَدْ أُصِيبَ. عِنْدَمَا رَأَتْ الْبُنْدُقِيَّةُ صَوْبَ وَالِدِهَا ، أَطْلَقَتْ النَّارَ عَلَى تَوْمٍ بِالْمُسَدَّسِ. يُوثِّقُ الشَّرِيفُ جُرْحَ السَّجِينِ وَيُعَدُّ بِإِرْسَالِ طَبِيبٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي. كَمَا يَقُولُ إِنَّهُ لَنْ يَكْشِفَ أَنَّ الْإِصَابَةَ حَدَثَتْ بَيْنَمَا كَانَ تَوْمٌ يُحَاوِلُ الْهُرُوبَ ، مَعَ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ سَيَجْعَلُ وَضْعَ السَّجِينِ أَسْوَأَ.
فِي
تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ ، وَجَدَ الشَّرِيفُ صُعُوبَةً فِي النَّوْمِ. يُقَرِّرُ أَنَّ عَلَيْهِ وَاجِبٌ تُجَاهَ ابْنِهِ
، مَسْؤُولِيَّةٌ. إِنَّهُ يُدْرِكُ كَيْفَ
خُذَلَ تُومْ ، وَأَنَّهُ رُبَّمَا يَكُونُ قَادِرًا عَلَى كَبْحِ جِمَاحِ الشَّابِّ
، وَأَنَّهُ رُبَّمَا يَكُونُ قَدْ أَطْلَقَ سَرَاحَهُ وَأَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى الشَّمَالِ
، مِمَّا يُوَفِّرُ لَهُ فُرْصَةً لِتَحْقِيقِ شَيْءٍ مِنْ حَيَاتِهِ. إِيمَانًا مِنْهُ بِبَرَاءَةِ تَوْمٍ ، يُقَرِّرُ
الْعُمْدَةُ أَنَّ أَفْضَلَ شَيْءٍ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَهُ لِابْنِهِ غَيْرِ الشَّرْعِيِّ
هُوَ التَّحْقِيقُ فِي الْجَرِيمَةِ وَمُحَاوَلَةُ اكْتِشَافِ الْمُجْرِمِ الْحَقِيقِيِّ. يَطْرَحُ فِكْرَةَ إِطْلَاقِ سَرَاحِ تُومْ ، لَكِنَّ
إِحْسَاسَهُ بِالْوَاجِبِ لَنْ يُسْمَحَ لَهُ بِالْقِيَامِ بِذَلِكَ.
فِي
صَبَاحِ الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي ، يَذْهَبُ الشَّرِيفُ إِلَى السِّجْنِ. يَجِدُ تَوْمَ نَائِمًا عَلَى لَوْحِ التَّحْمِيلِ
الْخَاصِّ بِهِ ، وَلَا يَسْتَجِيبُ. يَدْخُلُ
الشَّرِيفُ الزِّنْزَانَةَ ، حَيْثُ يَكْتَشِفُ جُثَّةَ تُومٍ. وَكَانَ السَّجِينُ
قَدْ مَزَّقَ الضِّمَادَةَ عَنْ جُرْحِهِ وَنَزَفَ حَتَّى الْمَوْتِ أَثْنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ. مِنْ الْوَاضِحِ أَنَّهُ مَاتَ مِنْ عِدَّةِ سَاعَاتٍ.
The Sheriff's Children
BY CHARLES W. CHESNUTT
Charles W. Chesnutt was born in 1858 in a Southern state of America. He had mixed white and black blood and, because of his very fair looks, could have pretended to be a white man but chose never to do so. After a rural education, he eventually went on to study law and became a lawyer. He opted to live in the North so that he could mix in literary circles. Chesnutt's stories and novels were at first very popular, as he used dialect in his black characters' speech like every other writer of his time, but his later works were increasingly complicated to show the difficult situation in the South. From the early years of the twentieth century, more radical writers thought Chesnutt was racist. He never made enough money to live from his writing, although critics always praised it. He was though a successful businessman and political activist. He died in 1932.
The Sheriff's Children
The story opens up with a description of its setting, Branson County, North Carolina. Branson County is a typical rural southern community in the post-Civil War era. The Civil War has a pervasive effect on all aspects of present-day life, but in reality, had little physical affect on the area, and its inhabitants were generally apathetic to the defeat of the South.
The biggest town in the county is Troy, a village of 400 or 500 people. Troy is a sleepy town, with little going on, until one day the villagers are shocked by the news of a murder in their midst. The victim is the widely liked Captain Walker. Some of the villagers have seen a “strange” mulatto near Captain Walker’s house the previous night, and it is immediately assumed that the African-American man must have committed the crime. The sheriff organizes a posse and apprehends this man.
When the news of the capture spreads through the town, the men are still not happy. They feel that “ordinary justice was too slight a punishment for such a crime.” The gathered crowd decide to lynch the prisoner, and arrange to meet at five that afternoon to take action.
Close to five, an African
American who overheard the talk runs up to the door of Sheriff Campbell’s house
to inform him of the planned lynching. The sheriff is an educated, wealthy, and
respected man. He vows to go the jail and protect his prisoner, as is his duty.
His daughter, Polly, pleads with him not to go, but he remains resolute. He
leaves a pistol with his daughter in case anyone disturbs her.
The sheriff has hardly locked the jail when the crowd of men appear. They demand entrance into the jail, but when the sheriff refuses, they say they will bust the door in. The sheriff warns them that if they try, he will do his duty—he will shoot them. The men in the crowd and the sheriff all acknowledge that most likely the prisoner will be found guilty of the murder and be hanged, but the sheriff is determined to fulfill his job. While the leaders converse, the sheriff enters the prisoner’s cell. The scared man pleads with the sheriff to save his life and declares that he didn’t kill the captain. The sheriff unshackles the man and tells him if the men get in the jail, to fight for himself.
The men, surprised at the sheriff’s resistance, decide to give up the idea of lynching the prisoner. The mob departs, and the sheriff watches them through the cell window. He does not notice the prisoner steal his revolver, and theprisoner soon levels the gun at him. The prisoner declares his intention of escaping. The sheriff says that this is little gratitude for saving his life, and the prisoner admits that while the sheriff saved him, it is only momentary; soon he will hang on the order of the court. The prisoner says he didn’t kill the captain but knows he will not be able to prove it.
Under orders from the prisoner, the sheriff unlocks the doors of the jail, then the men return to the cell. The man then reveals that to get away, he will have to kill the sheriff. When the sheriff reveals his utter surprise that the prisoner would “kill the man to whom you owe your own life,” the prisoner says indeed he owes his life to the sheriff— in fact, he is Tom, the sheriff’s illegitimate son, born to him of the sheriff’s former slave. The sheriff remembers them now. Angry with the mother and financially worried, the sheriff had sold Tom and his mother down South, to Alabama. He had been sorry for his actions many times since. The sheriff gasps, saying in surprise, “’you would not murder your own father?”’ Tom counters with logic: what “father’s duty” has the sheriff done for him; he also points out that other white owners gave their African-American children freedom. He lashes out at the sheriff for giving him “a white man’s spirit” in a black man’s body. Then he asks if the sheriff will promise to not raise the alarm if he does not shoot. The sheriff hesitates, not knowing if he could ignore his duty. Tom declares his intention to shoot the sheriff—he could not trust him even if he gave his word to keep silent. The two men are so deep in discussion that they don’t notice Polly’s entrance. Worried when her father didn’t return, she had come to the jail to see if he was wounded.
Seeing the gun pointed at her
father, she shoots Tom with the pistol. The sherif binds up the prisoner’s
wound and promises to send a doctor the next day. He also says he will not reveal
that the injury came while Tom was attempting to escape, knowing that would
make the prisoner’s situation worse.
That night, the sheriff has trouble falling asleep. He decides that he has a duty to his son, a responsibility. He comprehends how he has failed Tom, that he may have been able to restrain the younger man, that he might have freed him and sent him North, providing him with an opportunity to make something of his life. Believing in Tom’s
innocence, the sheriff
decides the best thing he can do for his illegitimate son is to investigate the
crime and attempt to discover the real criminal. He raises the idea of letting
Tom go free, but his sense of duty will not permit him to do this.
The next morning, the sheriff
goes to the jail. He finds Tom sleeping on his pallet, and unresponsive. The
sheriff enters the cell, where he discovers Tom’s dead body. He had torn the
bandage off his wound and bled to death, alone, during the night.
