نعمان يا صاح فتى — أحمد الكاشف

نعمانُ يا صاحِ فتىً

ذو حسب ونسبِ

Nu'man, my friend, is a young man

of honor and noble lineage.

قضى بفوز زمن ال

درسِ ودَوْرَ الطلبِ

He successfully completed his time of

study and his period of learning,

حتى ارتقى في الشرع وال

شعر وعلم الأدب

until he excelled in religious law and

poetry and the study of literature,

وكل فن نافعٍ

مثقف مهذب

and every useful art,

cultivating and refining,

من غابر وحاضر

في عجم وعرب

from past and present,

among non-Arabs and Arabs.

لكنه لا يعرف ال

سعي وطرق المكسب

Yet he knows nothing of

striving or ways of earning a living.

بما لديه يكتفي

من الأقلِّ الأقرب

He is content with what he has,

the least and nearest at hand.

إن أبصر التاج برأ

س جاهل لا يغضب

If he sees a crown on the head

of an ignoramus, he does not grow angry.

أو هضم الدهرُ الظلو

م حقه لا يتعب

Or if oppressive time denies him

his due, he does not exert himself.

أو وجد الصاحب عن

ه معرضاً لا يعتب

Or if he finds a friend

turning away from him, he does not reproach him.

ومالَ مرجانَ مبا

حاً نهبُهُ لا يَنْهَبِ

And though Marjan's wealth is

free to plunder, he does not plunder.

لغير وقع الوعظ في

فؤاده لم يطرب

Nothing but admonition's echo

in his heart brings him delight.

سميره يراعه

وراحه في الكتب

His evening companion is his reed pen,

and his wine is in books.

ينظر في فعل العبا

د والزمان القُلَّب

He considers the deeds of people

and ever-changing time,

مقارناً أيامه

بسالفات الحقب

comparing his days

with bygone epochs.

فتارة في راحة

وتارة في تعب

Sometimes he is at ease,

and sometimes in distress.

يبدو السرور مرة

في وجهه كالكوكب

At times joy appears

on his face like a star;

ومرة يعلوه مُغْ

بَرُّ الأسى كالغيهب

at others, sorrow's dusty gloom

covers him like pitch-black night.

وقد تراه ناهضاً

كالقسور المضطرب

Sometimes you see him springing up,

like an agitated lion;

ثم يميلُ واهناً

مستسلماً للعطب

then he droops, feeble,

surrendering to ruin.

حيَّرَ بالَ أهلِه

وقومه والصحب

He bewildered his family's minds,

and his people and friends.

لم يعلموا لمدهشا

ت أمره من سبب

They knew no cause

for his bewildering condition.

هذا يقول علَّهُ اعْ

تَلَّ بداءٍ عصبي

'Perhaps,' one says, 'he has fallen ill

with a nervous disorder.'

وذا يظن أنه

صريع بنت العنب

Another thinks he is

laid low by the daughter of the grape.

وذا يقول صاده

لحظ غزال ربرب

Another says he was caught by

the glance of a gazelle from a herd.

وغير هذا كله

داءُ الفتى المكتئب

Yet quite other than all this

is the dejected youth's ailment.

ووالداه يبكيا

نه بدمعٍ سرِب

His parents both weep for

him with streaming tears,

ويندبان حظَّه

في عمره المنتهب

and lament his lot

in his plundered life.

والده يقول يا

ولي عهد منصبي

His father says, 'O

heir to my office,

نعمان يا أرشد أب

نائي وبدء عقبي

Nu'man, wisest of my sons,

first of my offspring,

يا معقل الأسرة بع

دي عند وقع الكرب

O stronghold of the family after

me, when calamities strike,

أصابني الدهر وما

أمرّه إن يُصِبِ

time has struck me—

how bitter it is when it strikes!

عدمت فيك عضداً

أرجوه عند النوب

In you I have lost a support

I hoped for in times of calamity.'

وأمه تقول يا

نعمان يا معذبي

His mother says, 'O

Nu'man, O my tormentor,

قضيت فيك العمر أر

جو منك نيل أربي

I spent my life on you, hoping

to gain from you my heart's desire,

وأن أراك رجلاً

بين الرجال النجب

and to see you a man

among men of noble worth,

لدى الأمير فائزاً

منه بأسمى الرتب

successful before the prince,

winning from him the highest ranks,

عساي أنسى ما مضى

من سهر ونصب

that I might forget what has passed

of sleeplessness and toil.

فلم أجد منك سوى

شواغلاً برّحن بي

But I found in you nothing but

worries that tormented me.'

فلم يحل عن أمره

نعمان أو ينقلب

Yet he did not turn from his course,

Nu'man, nor change.

كانت له قريبة

ذات ذكاء عجب

He had a female relative

of remarkable intelligence,

باهرة الجمال غض

ضَةُ الشباب القشب

dazzlingly beautiful, tender

in the freshness of youth.

أتت حِماهُ مرة

زائرة في رجب

She once came to his abode,

visiting in Rajab.

فساءها أمر الفتى

شأن القريب الطيِّبِ

The youth's condition saddened her,

as it would a kind relative.

وحاولت كشف خفي

ي سرِّه المستَغرَب

She tried to uncover

his hidden, puzzling secret.

فدخلت غرفته

كالشمس لم تحتجب

She entered his room

like the sun, unconcealed.

وسلَّمت وعن سوى

إشفاقها لم تُعرِب

She greeted him, and nothing beyond

her concern did she express.

وسألته شرْحَ حا

له المخيف المرهب

She asked him to explain

his frightening, terrifying state.

فقال يا نعمى رأي

ت أمتي في وصب

He said, 'O Nu'ma, I have seen

my nation in affliction,

خائبة المسعى وَسَعْ

يُ خصمِها لم يخب

failing in her endeavor, while the endeavor

of her adversary has not failed.

وأمره في صعَدٍ

وأمرها في صبب

His fortunes are on the rise,

and hers are falling.

وكل فرد ذاهب

في الغيّ كل مذهب

Every individual goes

astray in every direction,

مشتغل عن الحمى

بلهوه واللعب

distracted from the homeland

by his amusements and play.

إذا دعاه للمتا

ب مرشد لم يتب

If a guide calls him to

repentance, he does not repent.

حتى إذا الخصم سطا

بويله والحرب

Until, when the enemy assailed them

with his havoc and war,

باتوا أمام هوله

ديكاً أمام ثعلب

before his terror they became

a cock before a fox.

واستنجدوا بالكلب أو

بالقط أو بالأرنب

They sought help from the dog, or

the cat, or the rabbit,

وغفلوا عن أسد

مستيقظ مقترب

and overlooked a lion,

awake and drawing near,

يرعاهم بمقلة

ساهرة لم تغب

watching over them with an eye

ever wakeful, never absent.

من يدعه لنصرة

على العدو يُجِب

Whoever calls on him for help

against the enemy, he answers.

حتى قضى عليهم ال

خصم بشر الكرب

Until the enemy finished them off

with the worst of afflictions,

مشتفياً بضربهم

مستأثراً بالسلب

sating his vengeance by striking them,

keeping the spoils for himself.

من منهم لم يمتلئْ

رعباً ومن لم يَشِب

Who among them was not filled

with terror, and who did not turn gray?

من يرضَ بالذل هوى

ومن أباه يهرب

Whoever accepts humiliation has fallen,

and whoever refuses it flees.

فلا أرى فيهم قُوَىً

على العدو المذنب

I see in them no strength

against the guilty enemy,

ولا أرى فيهم هوىً

إلى الإله والنبي

nor do I see in them any love

for God and the Prophet.'

وصار يبكي مثلما

يبكي صغار المكتب

He began to weep just as

little schoolchildren weep.

إن يسمع الصخر أني

نَهُ الأليم يَذُبِ

If rock could hear his

painful moaning, it would melt.

قالت له يفديك يا

نعمان أمي وأبي

She said to him, 'May you be ransomed, O

Nu'man, by my mother and father.

العيش بحر والورى

فيه كجيش لَجِب

Life is a sea, and mankind

in it are like a clamorous army.

والمرء من كابد في

تياره والعَبَب

A true man is one who struggles in

its current and surging waves,

حتى يصير دَرِباً

يسبق كل دَرِب

until he becomes so practiced

that he outstrips every practiced man.

وقد أراك غارقاً

في موجه المضطرب

Yet I see you drowning

in its turbulent waves,

لا صحة تملكها

ولا قليل نشب

possessing no health,

nor even a little wealth.

هب أن قومك استفا

قوا من خمار الرِيَب

Suppose your people awoke

from the stupor of doubts,

واتقدت غيرتهم

على الحمى كاللهب

and their zeal blazed

for the homeland like flame,

وحاولوا تخليصه

من ذلك المغتصب

and they tried to free it

from that usurper,

وانتخبوك سيداً

لعمل منتخَب

and chose you as a leader

for a chosen task:

فهل إليه ترتقي

بالسبب المنقضب

could you rise to it

by a severed rope?

وإن دعوك قائداً

تسوس أمر الموكب

And if they summoned you as commander,

to direct the marching host,

فكيف تدبيرك في

أمر القنا والقضب

how would you manage

the business of spears and swords?

أو آنسوا منك خطي

باً ذا لسان ذَرِب

Or if they saw in you an orator

with an eloquent tongue,

فما ترى وأنت لم

تعتد مقام الخُطَب

what would you think, when you have never

grown used to the platform of speeches?

نعمان دع هذا الذهو

ل والخمولَ اجتنب

Nu'man, leave this distraction,

and avoid lethargy.

واسع إلى الصحة وال

مجد وجمع الذهب

Strive for health and

glory, and the gathering of gold,

ليقتدي بك الذي

ن أصبحوا في سغب

so that those may follow your example

who have come to hunger.

حالك أصلح يا نصو

ح ثم أحوال الغبي

Set your own condition right, O counselor,

then the conditions of the foolish.

بنفسك ابدأ ثم في

إصلاح قومك ادأب

Begin with yourself, then

work diligently to reform your people.'