خلوا سبيل الشاعر المتدفع — Ahmad Muharram

خَلُّوا سبيلَ الشّاعرِ المُتدفِّعِ

وخُذوا بيانَ العبقريِّ المُبدِعِ

Clear the path for the impetuous poet,

And receive the eloquence of the inventive genius.

النيّلُ يُصغِي في مواكبِ عِزّهِ

ويَهُزُّ عِطفَ الشيِّقِ المُتَطَلِّعِ

The Nile listens amid the processions of its glory,

And sways the frame of the yearning, expectant man.

لَبّيكَ جئتُ وأنطقتني حُرمةٌ

لَكَ لم تَزَلْ منّي بأكرمِ مَوضعِ

At your call I have come, and reverence has given me voice—

Reverence for you, ever held in the noblest place within me.

لكَ من زَعيمِكَ ما أردتَ وهذه

نجوى زعيمِ الشّعرِ فانظر واسمعِ

From your leader you have what you wished; and here

Is the private counsel of poetry's leader: look and listen.

أحببتُ مصرَ بقلبهِ ويقينهِ

فبيانُه عِندي وحكمتُه معي

I loved Egypt with his heart and his conviction,

So his eloquence is in my keeping, and his wisdom with me.

وعَرَفتُها تشكو إليه غليلَها

وتطوفُ من يدهِ بأطيبِ مشرعِ

And I knew her complaining to him of her burning thirst,

And circling the sweetest watering place his hand provides.

حامت على استقلالها وتوجّعتْ

للمُشفِقِ الحاني على المُتوجِّعِ

She hovered over her independence and poured out her pain

To the compassionate man, tender toward the suffering.

فمَضى يخوضُ إليه كُلَّ مَخوفةٍ

غبراءَ تعصِفُ بالكميِّ الأروعِ

So he went on, wading toward it through every peril,

Dust-dark, lashing the dauntless armored warrior.

ومَشَى يُحدِّثُ هَالكاً عن هالكٍ

فيها ويسألُ مَصرعاً عن مصرعِ

And walked, speaking to one fallen man of another,

Amid those perils, asking one death-site about another.

نستنطق الغَمَراتِ أين مكانه

ونظلُّ ننظرُ في القَتامِ الأسفعِ

We question the engulfing perils: where is he?

And keep gazing into the dusky battle-dust,

مُتطلّعينَ نرَى تَقلُّبَ وجههِ

في مثلِ إيماضِ البُروقِ اللُّمَّعِ

Looking upward, we see his face turn

As in the flashing of brilliant lightning.

ونَراهُ يَستبِقُ المطالعَ صاعداً

حتّى يَمُرَّ من السّماكِ بمطلعِ

And see him outpace the horizons, ascending,

Until he passes a rising-place of al-Simak.

يَبغِي لُبانةَ مصرَ في مُستشرِفٍ

صَلْبِ الجوانبِ بابُه لم يُقرَعِ

Seeking Egypt's desire in a lofty stronghold,

Solid-sided, whose door has never been knocked upon.

أتتِ الغَوائلُ دونها فكأنّما

هيِ من كُهوفِ الجنِّ في مُستودَعِ

Deadly perils barred the way to it, as though

It lay stored away in the caves of the jinn.

كانت كأحلامِ النّيامِ فأصبحتْ

مِلءَ العيونِ سناً ولمّا تهجعِ

It was like the dreams of sleepers, but now has become

A radiance filling eyes that have not yet slept.

أَمُذلِّلَ الأحداثِ أنتَ جَعلتَها

مِنّا بمنزلةِ الذَّلولِ الطيِّعِ

O tamer of events, you have made them

Like a docile, obedient mount for us.

لولا حِجاكَ وَطُولُ باعِكَ جاوزتْ

بَاعَ الرجاءِ ومُستطاعَ المطمعِ

But for your wisdom and long reach, they would have passed

Beyond hope's reach and what ambition could attain.

لما اصطفاكَ الشّعبُ كُنتَ له أباً

يَرعاهُ في الحَدَثِ الجليلِ المُفظعِ

When the people chose you, you became their father,

Tending them through the great, appalling calamity.

دَفَع اللّواءَ إليكَ لم يُؤثِرْ به

غيرَ الأعزِّ من الحُماةِ الأمنعِ

They handed you the standard, reserving it

For none but the mightiest, most unassailable defender.

جرّدتَ صَحبَك للكفاحِ مَواضياً

خُذُماً متى تضرب بكفِّكَ تَقْطَعِ

You unsheathed your comrades for the struggle, keen swords,

Sharp-edged: whenever your hand strikes, they cut.

مِن كلّ مُقتحمٍ يَرى الدَّمَ حَوله

فيخوضُهُ ويَكِرُّ غيرَ مُروَّعِ

Each a bold assailant who sees blood around him,

Then wades through it and charges again, unafraid.

أبطالُ مصرَ تَداركوا آمالَها

واليأسُ مِلءُ فؤادِها والأضلعِ

Egypt's heroes rescued her hopes

While despair filled her heart and ribs.

وَعَجِبتُ لِلشُّهداءِ حَولَ زَعيمهم

جَزَعَ الرَّدَى ونفوسُهم لم تجزعِ

I marveled at the martyrs around their leader:

Death recoiled in fear, while their souls knew no fear.

كتب الشّبابُ لِمصرَ من مُهجاتِهم

عَهدَ الفِداءِ فَقُلْ لِنفسكَ وقِّعي

The young wrote for Egypt, with their lifeblood,

A covenant of sacrifice; tell your soul, 'Sign it.'

يا مطلعَ العهدِ الجديدِ تحيّةً

كَسناهُ إن تَظْفَرْ بِنُوركَ تَسطعِ

O dawn of the new age, here is a greeting,

Like its radiance: if it gains your light, it will shine.

أخرجتَ قومَك مِن غياهبِ أزمةٍ

لَولاكَ لم تَنْجَبْ ولم تتقشَّعِ

You brought your people out of the darkness of a crisis

That, but for you, would neither have lifted nor dispersed.

لولا غُلُوُّكَ في المطامعِ ما انْبَرى

يَبغِي الزِّيادةَ طَامعٌ لم يقنعِ

But for your soaring ambitions, none would have stepped forth

Seeking more, an aspirant never content.

مَا ليسَ من أدبِ الحياةِ وحقّها

فَضَلالةٌ أو باطلٌ لم يُشْرعِ

What does not belong to life's proper conduct and its rightful claims

Is error, or falsehood never sanctioned.

أحداثُ دَهرٍ مَن يَسُسْها تَستقِمْ

بَعدَ الجُنوحِ ومَن يَرُضْها تَخْضَعِ

The events of time: whoever governs them sets them straight

After their swerving; whoever tames them makes them yield.

وأُمورُ دُنيا ما لَوَتْ يدَ طالبٍ

لَبقٍ ولا ضَاقتْ على مُتوسِّعِ

Worldly affairs have never twisted the hand of a seeker

Who is skillful, nor hemmed in one seeking wider scope.

ذُو الجهل يُقتَلُ بالدَّواءِ وذُو النُّهى

يَجنِي الشفاء مِن الذُّعافِ المُنْقَعِ

The ignorant man is killed by medicine, while the wise

Reaps healing from well-steeped, deadly poison.

وأشدُّ مِن ظُلْمِ الحَوادثِ ظالمٌ

يَبكي لِما صَنعتْ وَما لَمْ تَصْنعِ

Worse than the injustice of events is a wrongdoer

Who weeps over what they have done and what they have not.

مَن راضَ في خِدَعِ السّياسةِ نفسَه

عِلماً بها فكأنّه لم يُخدَعِ

Whoever schools himself amid the tricks of politics,

Learning their ways, is as though he had never been deceived.

الأَمرُ غَيبٌ والذّرائعُ جَمّةٌ

والصَّبرُ نِعمَ العَونُ للمُتذرِّعِ

The outcome is unseen, and the means are many;

And patience is a fine help to one seeking means.

إنّ الذي أعطَى الكِنانةَ عَهْدَهُ

لَهُو المُؤمَّلُ لِلمهمِّ المُفزعِ

Indeed, he who gave al-Kinana his pledge

Is surely the man to count on in a fearsome crisis.

ياذا القِلادةِ إنّها لَكَ آيةٌ

مِن مَظهرِ الشَّرفِ الأعزِّ الأرفعِ

O wearer of the necklace, it is for you a sign

Of honor in its mightiest, loftiest manifestation.

زَادت مقامَكَ رِفعةً وجَزَيْتَها

فَثَوتْ مع الجوزاءِ فيما تَدّعي

It raised your standing, and you repaid it,

So it dwelt with al-Jawza in the station it claims.

هِيَ فوقَ سُؤدُدِها وغايةِ عِزِّها

فَلْتُغْضِ في عَليائها وَلْتَخْشَعِ

It has surpassed its own eminence and utmost glory;

So let it lower its gaze on high, and bow in humility.

ما المجدُ يلبسُهُ الرِّجالُ مُرصَّعاً

كالمجدِ غُفْلُ التَّاجِ غيرُ مرصَّعِ

No gem-studded glory worn by men

Equals glory with a plain crown, unadorned.

أوَ ما كفاكَ الجُّودُ بالنّفسِ التي

حمَّلتَها عِبءَ الجهادِ المُضلِعِ

And was the gift of your own self not enough—

The self you burdened with the crushing weight of struggle?

آثرتَ مِصرَ بما بَذلتَ لأجلها

وَمَنحتَ من مِالِ امرئٍ مُتورِّعِ

You favored Egypt with what you gave for her sake,

And bestowed from the wealth of a scrupulous man.

لَو لم تكن قَدَّمتَه مُتبرِّعاً

لَبلغتَ أقصَى غايةِ المُتبرِّعِ

Had you not offered it freely,

You would still have reached the utmost a donor can attain.

جَرَتِ المنابعُ يستبقنَ سَماحةً

وَسبَقتَ أنتَ فكنتَ أوّلَ مَنبعِ

The springs flowed, racing in generosity,

But you outstripped them and were the first spring.

مالي سِوَى الشِّعرِ الذي أنا باذلٌ

والشّعرُ من خيرِ العَتادِ لمن يعي

I have nothing but the poetry I offer,

And poetry is among the best provisions for those who understand.

اجمعْ لِمصرَ جَزاكَ ربُّك صَالحاً

أعلامَ عمروٍ في مواكبِ خفرعِ

Gather for Egypt—may your Lord reward you well—

Amr's banners amid Khafra's processions.

واسْلُك بها النّهجَ السَّوِيَّ فإنّها

مهما تكن تُقبِلْ عليكَ وتَتْبَعِ

And lead her along the straight path, for she,

Come what may, will turn to you and follow.

وإذا الأُمورُ على الرجال تَشابهتْ

فاهدِ النُّفوسَ إلى الأحبِّ الأنفعِ

And when matters grow confused for men,

Guide souls toward what is dearest and most beneficial.

وَزِنِ العُقولَ فان ظَفرتَ براجحٍ

فاستبقِ كنزَك لا يَكُنْ بِمُضيَّعِ

Weigh minds, and if you find a weighty one,

Preserve your treasure; let it not be squandered.

وتخيَّرِ الأخلاقَ إنّ أجلَّها

ما ليس بالواهي ولا المُتصدِّعِ

Choose qualities of character; the noblest of them

Are those that are neither frail nor fractured.

ابْنِ الحياةَ على أساسٍ صالحٍ

وتأنَّ تأمنْ زَلَّةَ المُتسرِّعِ

Build life upon a sound foundation,

And be deliberate, safe from the hasty man's stumble.

وَبحبلِ ربِّكَ ذي الجلالةِ فاعتصمْ

وإليه في كلِّ المواطنِ فارْجعِ

Hold fast to the rope of your Lord, Possessor of Majesty,

And return to Him in every circumstance.

وخُذِ القِلادةَ صاغها لَكَ شاعرٌ

اللهُ أَوْرَثَهُ قَلائدَ تُبَّعِ

And take the necklace a poet has fashioned for you,

To whom God bequeathed the necklaces of Tubbaʿ.

والاكَ في مصرَ التي لم يَنْتَصِرْ

لِسوَى قضِيَّتِها ولم يتشيّعِ

He stood by you for Egypt, championing

No cause but hers, and taking no other side.

الأُمّةُ ائتمرتْ بأمرِكَ فَاسْتَعِنْ

بِصُفوفِها والشّملَ حُوْلَكَ فَاجْمَعِ

The nation has obeyed your command, so seek help

From its ranks, and gather the whole company around you.