16
before every woman in our company had been entrusted with a suckling infant—every woman, that is, except me. When we were about to set off, I said to my husband:
‘I really would hate to go back to our dwellings and face the women of our clan empty-handed (1), without having taken a baby to nurse. Not one of my companions is without an infant in her care.
By Allah, I shall go back to that orphan boy and I shall take him!’
My husband replied, ‘There is no harm in that; take him—perhaps Allah will place goodness in him.’ So I went to his mother and took him.
By Allah, nothing moved me to take him except that I could find no other boy.
****
When I returned to my tent with him, I placed him in my lap,
(1) Khawiyyat al-Wifadh: The term al-Wifadh refers to a leather bag placed beneath a millstone to collect flour, while 'khaliyat al-Wifadh' is an expression denoting extreme need and utter destitution.
كلُّ امرأة معنا بواحد من الرُّضعاء ... أما أنا فلم أظفر بأحدٍ ... فلمَّا أزمعنا الرَّحيل قلت لزوجي:
إنِّي لأكره أن أرجع إلى منازلنا وألقى بني قومنا خَاوية الوِفَاض (١) دون أن آخذ رضيعًا، فليس في صُويحباتي امرأةٌ إلاَّ ومعها رضيعٌ.
والله لأذهبنَّ إلى ذلك اليتيم، ولآخذنَّه.
فقال لي زوجي:
لا بأس عليك، خذيه فعسى أن يجعل الله فيه خيرًا فذهبت إلى أمِّه وأخذته ...
ووالله ما حملني على أخذه إلاَّ أنِّي لم أجد غلامًا سواه.
****
فلمَّا رجعت به إلى رحلي وضعته في حجري،
(١) خَاويَة الوِفَاض: الوفاض هو جلدة توضع تحت الرحى لتلقى الطحين، وخالية الوفاض: كناية عن الحاجة الشديدة وإلآَّفلاس التام.