صاح استمع خبرا يبدي لك العبرا — أحمد الكاشف

صاح استمعْ خبراً يبدي لك العبرا

أمسى حديثَ بني الأشواق والسمرا

Friend, listen to a tale that reveals lessons to you;

it became the talk of lovers and nighttime companions.

فتى من الترك في وادي دمشق رأى

بين الرياض فتاة تخجل القمرا

A young man of the Turks, in the valley of Damascus, saw

among the gardens a maiden who put the moon to shame.

أحبها وأحبته فما لبثا

أن أحدث الحب في قلبيهما شررا

He loved her and she loved him; before long,

love kindled sparks in both their hearts.

تواعدا بالتلاقي فوق منعرج

عن الورى كان بالأشجار مستترا

They arranged to meet upon a bend,

concealed from all people by the trees.

وكان في الحي واشٍ من عداتهما

فظٌّ غليظ يحب الشر والضررا

In the quarter was a tale-bearer among their enemies,

coarse and harsh, loving evil and harm.

درى الشقيُّ بسر الوعد بينهما

وليته ألهم الإرشاد حين درى

The wretch learned the secret of their appointed meeting;

would that he had been granted right guidance when he learned it!

فبات في الموعد المضروب مرتقباً

لقياهما ثائر الأحقاد منتظرا

So he spent the night at the appointed meeting-place, watching

for their meeting, seething with grudges as he waited.

حتى إذا سادت الظلماء لاح له

ظل يسير الهوينا مقبلاً حذرا

Until, when darkness reigned, there appeared to him

a shadow walking slowly, approaching warily.

فصاح من ذلك الساري فروَّعها

لِما بدا من تعدِّيه وما ظهرا

He shouted, 'Who is that night-walker?' and terrified her

because of the aggression he displayed and what came to light.

فأدبرت نحو دار الصب باحثة

عنه فما علمت من أمره خبرا

She turned away toward her lover's house, searching

for him, but learned no news of his situation.

لكنها إذ رأت مفتاح مضجعه

في بابه دخلته تتقي الخطرا

But when she saw the key to his sleeping chamber

in its door, she entered it, guarding against danger.

وبعد ذا رأت الغدار مقترباً

من دار صاحبها كالسيل منحدرا

After that, she saw the traitor approaching

her beloved's house, rushing down like a torrent.

واستبطأت أوبة المحبوب فادرعت

بدرعه وانتضت بتّاره الذكرا

Finding her beloved's return too long delayed, she armored herself

in his armor and drew his keen sword of hard steel.

ونازلت ذلك الباغي فما لبثت

أن جندلته قتيلاً لم ينل وطرا

She fought that aggressor, and before long

she felled him dead, his desire unfulfilled.

وأطفأت بالدم المسفوك منه لظى ال

حقد الذي كان في جنبيهِ مستعرا

And with the blood spilled from him, she quenched the blaze of the

hatred that had burned within his sides.

وغادرت في فيافي البر جثتَه

فأنشب الوحش فيها الناب والظفرا

She left his corpse in the wild expanses of the open country,

so wild beasts sank fang and claw into it.

وكان صاحبها في البيت منفرداً

جم الغرام يقاسي الشوق والفِكَرا

Her beloved had been alone in the house,

full of passion, tormented by longing and thoughts.

وقام يستطلع الأحوال مضطرباً

كأنه بتَعَدِّي المعتدي شعرا

He rose, distraught, to discover what was happening,

as though he had sensed the aggressor's assault.

ضل الطريق التي فيها الفتاة سرت

فلم يمتع بمرأى وجهها النظرا

He missed the path along which the maiden had gone,

so he could not delight his eyes with the sight of her face.

ثم انثنى فرأى شيئاً يلوح له

كالبرق يلمع في وسط الفلا سحرا

Then he turned back and saw something gleaming before him,

flashing like lightning in the wilderness before dawn.

وكان مَرْئِيُّهُ عقداً لسوسنَ في

أثناء فتكتها بالمعتدي انتثرا

What he saw was Sawsan's necklace, which,

during her slaying of the aggressor, had scattered.

فحار لما رآه فوق رابية

مخضوبة بدم المقتول حين جرى

He was bewildered when he saw it upon a mound,

stained with the slain man's blood as it flowed.

وقال يا عقد أنَّى فرّ قاتلها

بل كيف فارقت ذاك الجيد والنحَرا

He said, 'O necklace, where did her killer flee?

But how did you leave that neck and bosom?'

وهام مضطرب الأفكار يبحث عن

ذاك العدو فلا يلقى له أثرا

He wandered, his thoughts in turmoil, searching for

that enemy, yet finding no trace of him.

حتى انتهى فرأى في قربه شبحاً

لما رآه عليه مقبلاً نفرا

At last he arrived and saw a shadowy figure nearby;

when he saw it coming toward him, he recoiled.

فارتاب في أمر هذا الظل يحسبه ال

وغد الذي لدم الحسناء قد هدرا

He grew suspicious of this shadow, thinking it the

wretch who had shed the fair maiden's blood.

فقال من وبحد السيف بادرها

وليتها جاوبته قبلما ابتدرا

He said, 'Who are you?' and rushed at her with his sword's edge;

would that she had answered him before he rushed upon her!

خرت صريعة سيف الصبّ صارخة

وسط الفلاة صراخاً يفلق الحجرا

She fell, slain by her lover's sword, crying out

amid the wilderness, with a cry that split stone:

قتلتني ساهياً فاقبل مسامحتي

فلا ترد قضاء اللّه والقدرا

'You killed me unwittingly; accept my forgiveness,

so do not resist God's decree and destiny.'

فاصح وا أسفي هل أنت صاحبتي

لا عيش لي وبماضي سيفه انتحرا

He cried, 'Alas! Are you my beloved?

There is no life for me!' And with his keen sword he killed himself.

بدا الصباح وهبَّ الناس وانتشروا

فذاع أمرهما في الحي واشتهرا

Morning came; the people rose and spread out,

and their story spread through the quarter and became well known.

واراهما جدث في وجهه كتبوا

بيتاً من الشعر يبكي الجن والبشرا

A grave concealed them both; on its face they inscribed

a verse of poetry that makes jinn and humankind weep:

مثوى حبيبين لم يسمح بضمهما

قصرٌ فضمَّهما قبر به قُبِرا

'The resting place of two lovers whom no

palace would embrace; a grave embraced them, and in it they were buried.'