In this fictional family discussion, bookbinding-workshop founder Salim asks his daughter Maryam and son Basil about succession. Their answers separate affection for the workshop from consent to keep running it.
01Read the Arabic conversation
اتِّخَاذُ قَرَارٍ بِشَأْنِ مُسْتَقْبَلِ مَشْرُوعٍ عَائِلِيٍّ
سَلِيمٌ: وَضَعْتُ مِفْتَاحَ الْوَرْشَةِ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ لِأَنَّ مَوْعِدَ تَجْدِيدِ الْإِيجَارِ يَقْتَرِبُ. بَعْدَ ثَمَانِيَةِ أَسَابِيعَ يَنْتَهِي الْعَقْدُ، وَكُنْتُ أَتَصَوَّرُ أَنْ تَتَسَلَّمَا عَنِّي وَرْشَةَ تَجْلِيدِ الْكُتُبِ.
مَرْيَمُ: أَعْرِفُ مَا يَعْنِيهِ هَذَا الْمَكَانُ لَكَ يَا أَبِي، لَكِنَّ حُبَّنَا لَهُ لَا يُحَدِّدُ مَنْ سَيُدِيرُهُ. لَقَدْ تَوَلَّيْتُ الْحِسَابَاتِ مُؤَقَّتًا، وَصَارَ الْمُؤَقَّتُ ثَلَاثَ سَنَوَاتٍ دُونَ حَدِيثٍ صَرِيحٍ.
بَاسِلٌ: وَأَنَا أُحِبُّ التَّجْلِيدَ، وَخَاصَّةً تَصْمِيمَ الدَّفَاتِرِ، وَلَكِنَّنِي لَمْ أَعِدْ بِإِدَارَةِ الْوَرْشَةِ كُلِّهَا. كُلَّمَا سَأَلَنِي زَبُونٌ عَنِ الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ، شَعَرْتُ أَنَّ الْجَوَابَ مَكْتُوبٌ لِي.
سَلِيمٌ: لَمْ أَقْصِدْ أَنْ أَفْرِضَ عَلَيْكُمَا شَيْئًا. رَأَيْتُكُمَا تَعْمَلَانِ مَعِي فَفَهِمْتُ ذَلِكَ مُوَافَقَةً، وَالْوَرْشَةُ مَا زَالَتْ تَتْرُكُ أَلْفَيْنِ كُلَّ شَهْرٍ بَعْدَ الْمَصْرُوفَاتِ الْمُسَجَّلَةِ. أَلَيْسَ هَذَا أَسَاسًا يُمْكِنُ الْبِنَاءُ عَلَيْهِ؟
مَرْيَمُ: فِي أَشْهُرِنَا الثَّلَاثَةِ الْأَخِيرَةِ، كَانَ الْمُتَوَسِّطُ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا إِيرَادًا وَاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مَصْرُوفَاتٍ. غَيْرَ أَنَّكَ لَا تَتَقَاضَى رَاتِبًا، وَوَقْتِي غَيْرُ مَحْسُوبٍ؛ فَالْمَبْلَغُ الْبَاقِي لَا يُمَثِّلُ رِبْحًا بَعْدَ تَعْوِيضِ عَمَلِنَا.
بَاسِلٌ: هَذَا يُغَيِّرُ الصُّورَةَ، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَا يُثْبِتُ أَنَّ كُلَّ شَكْلٍ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ خَاسِرٌ. رُبَّمَا تَخْتَلِفُ حِسَابَاتُ مَشْغَلٍ صَغِيرٍ لِلدَّفَاتِرِ عَنْ حِسَابَاتِ مَحَلٍّ يَسْتَقْبِلُ كُلَّ طَلَبٍ.
سَلِيمٌ: أَخْشَى أَنْ نُغْلِقَ الْبَابَ فَنَكُونَ قَدْ تَخَلَّيْنَا عَنِ الَّذِينَ وَثِقُوا بِنَا. جَاءَ رَجُلٌ بِكِتَابِ وَالِدِهِ، وَقَالَ إِنَّهُ لَا يَأْتَمِنُ عَلَيْهِ سِوَانَا. هَلْ نَقُولُ لَهُ إِنَّ الْحِكَايَةَ انْتَهَتْ؟
مَرْيَمُ: نَقُولُ لَهُ بِصِدْقٍ مَا نَسْتَطِيعُ فِعْلَهُ، وَلَا نَتَعَهَّدُ بِمَا لَا نَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ. كُنْتُ أُفَكِّرُ فِي مَتْجَرٍ إِلِكْتُرُونِيٍّ، لَكِنَّ الطَّلَبَاتِ سَتَحْتَاجُ أَيْضًا إِلَى إِنْتَاجٍ وَتَغْلِيفٍ وَرَدٍّ عَلَى الرَّسَائِلِ.
بَاسِلٌ: وَمَنْ سَيَتَوَلَّى ذَلِكَ؟ إِذَا نَقَلْنَا الْوَاجِهَةَ إِلَى الشَّاشَةِ، فَلَنْ تَخْتَفِيَ الْمَهَامُّ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهَا. أَخْشَى أَنْ نُسَمِّيَ الْمَشْرُوعَ جَدِيدًا وَنَتْرُكَ تَوَقُّعَاتِنَا الْقَدِيمَةَ مُعَلَّقَةً بِالْأَشْخَاصِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ.
سَلِيمٌ: لَوْ تَوَقَّفْتُ عَنِ الْعَمَلِ الْيَوْمِيِّ، فَهَلْ تَرْغَبُ أَنْتَ فِي أَخْذِ الْمَكَانِ يَا بَاسِلُ؟ لَا أَسْأَلُكَ عَمَّا يُرْضِينِي، بَلْ عَمَّا تَخْتَارُهُ لِنَفْسِكَ مَعَ مَعْرِفَةِ الْمَسْؤُولِيَّةِ كُلِّهَا.
مَرْيَمُ: وَقَبْلَ أَنْ تُجِيبَ، أُرِيدُ تَوْضِيحَ مَوْقِفِي: لَنْ أَدْخُلَ شَرِيكَةً وَلَنْ أُوَاصِلَ الْحِسَابَاتِ بَعْدَ انْتِهَاءِ الْعَقْدِ. أَسْتَطِيعُ تَسْلِيمَ السِّجِلَّاتِ، لَكِنَّ هَذَا عَرْضٌ مَحْدُودٌ، وَلَيْسَ بِدَايَةَ تَعَهُّدٍ جَدِيدٍ.
بَاسِلٌ: شُكْرًا لِصَرَاحَتِكِ. جَوَابِي أَنَّنِي لَا أُرِيدُ هَذَا الْمَحَلَّ، وَلَوْ بَقِيَ اسْمُ الْعَائِلَةِ عَلَى الْبَابِ. أُرِيدُ تَصْمِيمَ دَفَاتِرِي فِي مِسَاحَةٍ أَصْغَرَ، وَلَمْ أَحْسِمْ بَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُ سَأَفْتَحُ مَشْرُوعًا.
سَلِيمٌ: يُؤْلِمُنِي سَمَاعُ ذَلِكَ، وَكُنْتُ أَظُنُّ أَنَّ تَوْرِيثَ الْمِفْتَاحِ هَدِيَّةٌ. أَفْهَمُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ يَكُونُ حِمْلًا إِذَا لَمْ يَخْتَرْهُ صَاحِبُهُ. أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْحُزْنِ عَلَى الْمَكَانِ، لَا إِلَى إِقْنَاعِكُمَا بِالْبَقَاءِ.
مَرْيَمُ: وَنَحْنُ لَا نَطْلُبُ مِنْكَ أَنْ تَفْرَحَ بِالْإِغْلَاقِ. لَكِنْ لَوْ جَدَّدْنَا الْإِيجَارَ هَرَبًا مِنْ هَذَا الْحُزْنِ، لَبَقِيَ سُؤَالُ الْإِدَارَةِ بِلَا جَوَابٍ. هَلْ تَرْغَبُ أَنْتَ فِي سَنَةٍ أُخْرَى بِالشَّكْلِ نَفْسِهِ؟
بَاسِلٌ: لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبْدُوَ رَفْضِي سَبَبًا وَحِيدًا لِقَرَارِكَ. تَحَدَّثْتَ قَبْلًا عَنْ رَغْبَتِكَ فِي الصَّبَاحَاتِ الْحُرَّةِ وَالْقِرَاءَةِ. يُمْكِنُنَا أَنْ نَحْتَرِمَ تِلْكَ الرَّغْبَةَ أَيْضًا، وَلَوْ صَعُبَ الْوَدَاعُ.
سَلِيمٌ: صَحِيحٌ، لَا أُرِيدُ سَنَةً أُخْرَى مِنَ الْعَمَلِ نَفْسِهِ، وَلَا أُرِيدُ قَرْضًا لِتَأْجِيلِ الْقَرَارِ. سَأُبَلِّغُ صَاحِبَ الْمَكَانِ بِأَنَّنِي لَنْ أُجَدِّدَ الْعَقْدَ. أَمَّا طَرِيقَةُ الْإِغْلَاقِ فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ نُرَتِّبَهَا بِعِنَايَةٍ.
مَرْيَمُ: لَدَيْنَا ثَلَاثَةُ طَلَبَاتٍ مُؤَكَّدَةٍ نَنْتَهِي مِنْهَا قَبْلَ آخِرِ الشَّهْرِ، وَدُفِعَتْ مُقَدَّمَاتُهَا. سَأُرَاجِعُ مَعَكَ السِّجِلَّاتِ غَدًا لِنَتَأَكَّدَ مِنْ عَدَمِ وُجُودِ وَعْدٍ شَفَهِيٍّ لَمْ يُسَجَّلْ، قَبْلَ نَشْرِ إِعْلَانِ الْإِغْلَاقِ.
بَاسِلٌ: وَالْعَامِلَانِ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَسْمَعَا الْخَبَرَ مِنْ زَبُونٍ. نَعْرِفُ أَنَّ لَدَيْكَ مَبْلَغًا مَخْصُوصًا لِمَا اتَّفَقْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ انْتِهَاءِ الْعَمَلِ، لَكِنَّ الْمَالَ لَا يُغْنِي عَنِ الْحَدِيثِ مَعَهُمَا.
سَلِيمٌ: سَأَجْلِسُ مَعَهُمَا صَبَاحًا، وَأَسْمَعُ مَا يَحْتَاجَانِ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْأَسَابِيعِ الْبَاقِيَةِ. وَلَنْ أَعِدَهُمَا بِوَظِيفَتَيْنِ فِي مَشْرُوعِ بَاسِلٍ؛ فَهُوَ لَمْ يُقَرِّرْ إِطْلَاقَهُ أَصْلًا، وَلَيْسَ لِي أَنْ أُقَرِّرَ عَنْهُ.
مَرْيَمُ: هُنَاكَ أَيْضًا دَفَاتِرُ التَّصَامِيمِ الْقَدِيمَةِ وَصُوَرُ أَوَّلِ مَحَلٍّ. إِغْلَاقُ الْمَكَانِ لَا يَقْتَضِي رَمْيَهَا، وَالِاحْتِفَاظُ بِهَا لَا يَعْنِي أَنْ نَبْقَى أَسْرَى لَهَا. هَلْ تَرْغَبُ فِي تَرْتِيبِهَا مَعَنَا؟
بَاسِلٌ: أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ مِنْ تِلْكَ التَّصَامِيمِ، وَلَكِنَّنِي سَأَطْلُبُ إِذْنَكَ قَبْلَ اسْتِخْدَامِ أَيٍّ مِنْهَا فِي مُنْتَجٍ أَبِيعُهُ. وَإِنْ بَدَأْتُ مَشْرُوعًا، فَسَأَخْتَارُ لَهُ اسْمًا مُخْتَلِفًا يُوَضِّحُ أَنَّهُ مَسْؤُولِيَّتِي.
سَلِيمٌ: كُنْتُ أَتَمَنَّى بَقَاءَ الِاسْمِ، لَكِنَّنِي أُفَضِّلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ بَقَاؤُهُ اخْتِيَارًا لَا شَرْطًا لِمُسَاعَدَتِكَ. سَأُعْطِيكَ أَدَوَاتِي الْيَدَوِيَّةَ لِتَتَعَلَّمَ بِهَا، سَوَاءٌ أَفَتَحْتَ مَشْرُوعًا أَمِ احْتَفَظْتَ بِالتَّجْلِيدِ هِوَايَةً.
مَرْيَمُ: وَأُرِيدُ أَنْ نَكْتُبَ هَذِهِ الْحُدُودَ بِلُغَةٍ بَسِيطَةٍ، لَا لِأَنَّنَا يَشُكُّ بَعْضُنَا فِي بَعْضٍ، بَلْ لِأَنَّنَا فَهِمْنَا الصَّمْتَ بِطُرُقٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ سَابِقًا. أَنَا أُرَتِّبُ الْحِسَابَاتِ الْأَخِيرَةَ، وَلَا أَتَوَلَّى حِسَابَاتِ مَشْرُوعٍ مُقْبِلٍ.
بَاسِلٌ: وَأَنَا أُسَاعِدُ فِي إِنْجَازِ الطَّلَبَاتِ الثَّلَاثَةِ ضِمْنَ سَاعَاتِي الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ أَبْحَثُ خُطَّتِي الْخَاصَّةَ. لَنْ أَسْتَعْمِلَ أَسْمَاءَ زَبَائِنِ الْوَرْشَةِ لِلتَّرْوِيجِ دُونَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُمْ إِنْ كَانُوا يَرْغَبُونَ فِي التَّوَاصُلِ مَعِي.
سَلِيمٌ: إِذَنْ لَنْ نُوَرِّثَ الْعَقْدَ وَالْمَهَامَّ تَحْتَ اسْمِ الْوَفَاءِ. سَنُغْلِقُ هَذَا الْمَحَلَّ بَعْدَ إِتْمَامِ مَا الْتَزَمْنَا بِهِ، وَنَحْفَظُ حِكَايَتَهُ. مَا زِلْتُ حَزِينًا، لَكِنَّنِي لَمْ أَعُدْ أَرَى اخْتِيَارَكُمَا رَفْضًا لِي.
مَرْيَمُ: وَهَذَا يُتِيحُ لَنَا أَنْ نَجْلِسَ مَعًا كَأُسْرَةٍ دُونَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِقَاؤُنَا اجْتِمَاعَ عَمَلٍ. الْمَرَّةَ الْمُقْبِلَةَ أُرِيدُ أَنْ تَحْكِيَ لَنَا عَنْ أَوَّلِ كِتَابٍ جَلَّدْتَهُ، دُونَ أَنْ نَفْتَحَ دَفْتَرَ الْحِسَابَاتِ.
بَاسِلٌ: سَأُحْضِرُ ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابَ إِنْ كَانَ مَا زَالَ هُنَاكَ. قَدْ لَا تَكُونُ النِّهَايَةُ الَّتِي تَخَيَّلْتَهَا يَا أَبِي، وَلَكِنَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِيَّاهُ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَبْقَى خَارِجَ جُدْرَانِ الْمَحَلِّ.
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Salim: I put the workshop key on the table because the lease renewal is approaching. The contract ends in eight weeks, and I had imagined the two of you taking over the bookbinding workshop.
Maryam: I know what this place means to you, Dad, but our affection for it does not determine who will run it. I took on the accounts temporarily, and that temporary arrangement became three years without an honest discussion.
Basil: I love binding, especially designing notebooks, but I never promised to run the whole workshop. Whenever a customer asks me about its future, I feel the answer has been written for me.
Salim: I did not mean to impose anything on either of you. I saw you working with me and understood that as agreement, and the workshop still leaves two thousand each month after recorded expenses. Is that not a foundation we can build on?
Maryam: Over our last three months, the average was fourteen thousand in revenue and twelve thousand in expenses. However, you take no salary, and my time is not counted; the remaining amount does not represent profit after compensating our work.
Basil: That changes the picture, but it does not prove that every form of the work loses money. The figures for a small notebook studio might differ from those for a shop that accepts every request.
Salim: I fear we will close the door and abandon those who trusted us. A man brought his father’s book and said he trusted no one else with it. Do we tell him the story is over?
Maryam: We honestly tell him what we can do without committing to what we cannot manage. I had been thinking about an online shop, but orders would still need production, packaging and replies to messages.
Basil: And who will handle that? If we move the storefront onto a screen, the tasks will not disappear by themselves. I fear we will call the project new while leaving our old expectations attached to the same people.
Salim: If I stopped daily work, would you want to take over the premises, Basil? I am not asking what would please me, but what you would choose for yourself, knowing the full responsibility.
Maryam: Before you answer, I want to make my position clear: I will not become a partner or continue the accounts after the contract ends. I can hand over the records, but that is a limited offer, not the start of a new commitment.
Basil: Thank you for being direct. My answer is that I do not want this shop, even if the family name stays on the door. I want to design my notebooks in a smaller space, and I have not yet decided whether to open a business.
Salim: Hearing that hurts, and I used to think passing on the key was a gift. I understand that it can be a burden if its recipient has not chosen it. I need to grieve the place, not persuade you both to stay.
Maryam: We are not asking you to feel happy about closing. But if we renewed the lease to escape that sadness, the question of management would remain unanswered. Do you want another year in the same form?
Basil: I do not want my refusal to look like the only reason for your decision. Earlier, you spoke about wanting free mornings and time to read. We can respect that wish too, even if saying goodbye is hard.
Salim: You are right. I do not want another year of the same work or a loan to postpone the decision. I will tell the landlord I will not renew the contract. We must, however, organise the closure carefully.
Maryam: We have three confirmed orders to finish before the end of the month, and their deposits have been paid. Tomorrow I will review the records with you to check for any unrecorded verbal promise before we publish the closure notice.
Basil: The two workers should not hear the news from a customer. We know you have money set aside for what you agreed would be paid when their work ended, but money does not replace a conversation with them.
Salim: I will sit down with them in the morning and hear what they need in the remaining weeks. I will not promise them two jobs in Basil’s business: he has not even decided to launch it, and I cannot decide for him.
Maryam: There are also the old design books and photos of the first shop. Closing the premises does not require throwing them away, and keeping them does not mean remaining captive to them. Would you like to organise them with us?
Basil: I would love to learn from those designs, but I will ask your permission before using any of them in a product I sell. If I start a business, I will choose a different name that makes clear it is my responsibility.
Salim: I had hoped the name would continue, but I would rather that happened by choice than as a condition of helping you. I will give you my hand tools to learn with, whether you open a business or keep binding as a hobby.
Maryam: I want us to write these boundaries in simple language, not because we distrust one another, but because we interpreted silence differently before. I will organise the final accounts; I will not take on the accounts of a future business.
Basil: I will help finish the three orders within my agreed hours, then explore my own plan. I will not use the workshop’s customer names for promotion without asking whether they want to hear from me.
Salim: Then we will not pass on the contract and duties in the name of loyalty. We will close this shop after fulfilling our commitments and preserve its story. I am still sad, but I no longer see your choices as a rejection of me.
Maryam: That lets us sit together as a family without our gathering becoming a business meeting. Next time I want you to tell us about the first book you bound, without opening the accounts book.
Basil: I will bring that book if it is still there. This may not be the ending you imagined, Dad, but what you taught us can survive outside the shop’s walls.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| مَوْعِدَ تَجْدِيدِ الْإِيجَارِ | the lease-renewal deadline |
| تَجْلِيدِ الْكُتُبِ | bookbinding |
| الْمَصْرُوفَاتِ الْمُسَجَّلَةِ | the recorded expenses |
| تَعْوِيضِ عَمَلِنَا | compensating our work |
| مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهَا | by themselves |
| بِدَايَةَ تَعَهُّدٍ جَدِيدٍ | the start of a new commitment |
| تَوْرِيثَ الْمِفْتَاحِ | passing on the key |
| وَعْدٍ شَفَهِيٍّ | a verbal promise |
| دَفَاتِرُ التَّصَامِيمِ الْقَدِيمَةِ | the old design books |
| أَدَوَاتِي الْيَدَوِيَّةَ | my hand tools |
| سَاعَاتِي الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَيْهَا | my agreed hours |
| تَحْتَ اسْمِ الْوَفَاءِ | in the name of loyalty |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic conversation for evidence. Open the English question support or a hint when you need help.
What to remember
- Distinguish affection and occasional help from consent to take over a family business.
- Ask what recorded financial figures omit before treating a remaining balance as profit after family labour.
- Preserve memories and skills while setting clear limits on future work and promises.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّ حُبَّنَا لَهُ لَا يُحَدِّدُ مَنْ سَيُدِيرُهُ
Use lakinna to contrast affection with the separate question of responsibility; hubba is its accusative noun.
Idha in Arabic: How to Say When and If
إِذَا نَقَلْنَا الْوَاجِهَةَ إِلَى الشَّاشَةِ، فَلَنْ تَخْتَفِيَ الْمَهَامُّ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهَا
Use idha to introduce a possible change, followed by fa-lan to state what that change will not accomplish.
Lam in Arabic: How to Say “Did Not”
وَلَمْ أَحْسِمْ بَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُ سَأَفْتَحُ مَشْرُوعًا
Use lam with the jussive ahsim to say that a decision has not yet been settled.
