قلب الدهر الشؤونا — أحمد الكاشف

قلب الدهرُ الشؤونا

وتخلّى القائمونا

Time overturned affairs,

and those in charge stepped aside.

وأتى الأمر كما سا

يره المنتظرونا

And the affair came about as

those awaiting it had gone along with it.

يغضب الراضين عن أم

س ويُرضي الغاضبينا

It angers those pleased with yesterday,

and pleases the angry.

ولقد عاد ضجيجاً

فيه ما كان حنينا

And clamor has indeed replaced

what had been yearning within it.

وطوى المستقبلونا

صفحة المستدبرينا

And those arriving folded

the page of those departing.

وهوىً سار شمالاً

وهوى سارٍ يمينا

And one inclination went left,

and another inclination goes right.

لم نزل في كل شيء

بيننا مختلفينا

In everything we have remained

at odds among ourselves.

لم تؤلفنا المقاد

ير أمام الغالبينا

The fates did not unite us

in the face of the victors.

بدلوا اليوم طريقاً

بطريق يبتلونا

Today they replaced one path

with another, making trial.

وأطالوا بين آبا

ء عراكاً وبنينا

And they prolonged a struggle between fathers

and sons.

واشتفى من أهله من

ساءه الأهل سنينا

And he avenged himself upon his kin—

he whose kin had grieved him for years.

ولقوا منَّا لَهُم هَ

ذا على هذا معينا

And they found among us, on their behalf,

this one helping against that one.

والذين اضطُهدوا اليو

م غداً ينتقمونا

And those persecuted today

will take revenge tomorrow.

والذي يشمت في الشا

كي سيلقى شاميتنا

And whoever gloats over one

who complains will himself meet gloaters.

حِيَلُ القوم وما زا

لت ضروباً وفنونا

The people's stratagems have ever been

of many kinds and arts.

قد أجادوها شباكاً

وأعدوها كمينا

They have indeed perfected them as nets,

and prepared them as an ambush.

عركوا الكل فساوى ال

آخرون الأولينا

They battered everyone, so that

the later ones equaled the first.

ما عرفنا من يزكُّو

ن ومن يتهمونا

We did not know whom they commended

and whom they accused.

وجزاء الساكنينا

كجزاء الثائرينا

And the recompense of the quiet

is like that of those who revolt.

وقديماً كان سلطا

نهمُ بأساً ولينا

And long ago, their power was

force and gentleness.

جنَّ بالعزل وبالتو

لية الناس جنونا

Over dismissal and appointment,

the people went utterly mad.

وتلاقوا عند من فر

رقهم يحتكمونا

And they met before the one who divided

them, seeking arbitration.

حسبوا التغيير تفري

جاً عساهم يسلمونا

They deemed the change a relief,

in hopes they might be safe.

ومضوا فيه بحاجا

تهمُ يبتهلونا

And they went on in it with their needs,

pleading fervently.

أجلاء الخصم ما را

حوا به يحتفلونا

Is the foe's departure what

they have gone on celebrating?

من هو المحدث هذا

بينهم هل يعلمونا

Who is the one bringing this about

among them—do they know?

وفضول ما جرى أم

هو أمر المالكينا

And is what happened meddling, or

is it the masters' command?

هبة مرّ سواها

واسترد الواهبونا

A gift—others besides it have passed,

and the givers took them back.

وخداع لم يزل تع

مية للغافلينا

And a deception that has never ceased

to blind the heedless.

أين بالحرية اليو

م لمصر الهاتفونا

Where are those who today cry

for freedom for Egypt?

ونصيب الوطن الأق

دس فيما يطلبونا

And where is the most sacred homeland's share

in what they demand?

أي عيش يشتهَى في

حوزة المستعمرينا

What life could be desired in

the colonizers' domain?

أربع مرت ولو شا

ءوا لكانت أربعينا

Four have passed; had they wished,

they would have been forty.

وعسى هذا نذير

يزع المستوزرينا

And may this be a warning

to restrain those seeking ministerial office,

وقضاءٌ بعده يص

طلحُ المختصمونا

and a judgment after which

the disputants make peace.

إن في الحزبية الآ

فةَ والداءَ الدفينا

Indeed, in partisanship lies the blight

and the hidden disease.

ما الذي يصنعه الحا

ضر بعد الذاهبينا

What will the one now present do

after those who have departed?

وقرارٌ عهده أم

سبب للآخرينا

And is his tenure a settlement, or

a means for others?

إننا للعمل الصا

لح نرجو أن يكونا

Indeed, we hope it will be

for righteous work.

حسبه أن عطل الدس

تور أو ألغى اليمينا

Enough for it, even if it suspends the constitution

or annuls the oath,

راحة الهدنة بين ال

أخوة المقتتلينا

is a truce's respite between

brothers fighting one another.

وإذا القانون لم تن

فذْه أيدي الواضعينا

And if the law is not enforced

by the hands of those who laid it down,

فقديم السابقينا

كجديد اللاحقينا

then the old ways of predecessors

are like the new ways of successors,

وصدور الحافظينا

كسطور الكاتبينا

and the breasts of those who memorize

are like the lines of those who write.

إنما الأبقى على الده

ر نظام المصلحينا

What lasts longest through time

is the order of reformers.

وصواب الرأي لا يغ

ني بغير العاملينا

And sound judgment is of no avail

without those who act.

ولنا سنَّتنا لا

ما يسنُّ الداخلونا

We have our own established way, not

what newcomers lay down.

خف ما فيه تغالى ال

آملون المسرفونا

What they exaggerated has dwindled—

those extravagant in hope.

واكتفى بالممكن المُح

تَمَلِ المقتصدونا

And with the possible and probable

the moderate were content.

وانتهى المشترطونا

بالذي يقترحونا

And those setting conditions wound up

with what they propose.

واستوى المستعجلونا ال

آن والمستمهلونا

And those demanding haste are equal

now to those seeking more time.

والذي طاروا به ما

زال رجماً وظنونا

And what they took wing with

remains guesswork and conjecture.

ولقد يعبس بعد ال

مرح المستبشرونا

And they may yet frown after

their merriment, those who rejoice.

لمن اليوم نعد ال

شعر والوحي المبينا

For whom today do we prepare

poetry and clear inspiration?

إننا بعد التجاري

بِ لنأبى أن نهونا

Indeed, after these trials,

we surely refuse to be abased.

كم رفعنا بالأمادي

حِ رجالاً أغفلونا

How many we raised with praises—

men who disregarded us!

وائتمناهم على العه

د فلم نلق أمينا

And we entrusted them with the covenant,

but found no trustworthy man.

لم ننل فيما أنلنا

هم قلوباً وعيونا

We did not gain, for all we gave

them, hearts or eyes.

وانقضت تلك الأحادي

ث وقد كانت شجونا

And those conversations have ended,

though they had been full of sorrows.

قادة الشعب وأين ال

قادة المؤتلفونا

Leaders of the people—where are

the leaders who stand united?

كلكم مارس في الح

كم عناء الحاكمينا

All of you have experienced in governing

the hardship of those who govern.

ما الذي فاز الأقلُّو

ن به والأكثرونا

What is it that the few have won,

and the many as well?

وأحق الناس بالعذ

رِ ولاة الأمر فينا

And most deserving of excuse

are those in authority among us.

أتعدون لحرب ال

غد جنداً وحصونا

Are you preparing for tomorrow's war

soldiers and fortresses?

ولقد جاء بها من

كل جوٍّ منذرونا

And warners have indeed brought news of it

from every sky.

لم تفكر مصر فيها

وهي شغل العالمينا

Egypt has not considered it,

though it preoccupies all the world.

وسنغشاها كحرب ال

أمس عزلاً مكرهينا

And we shall face it, like yesterday's war,

unarmed and under compulsion.

هل عرفنا الآن ما نح

ن إليه صائرونا

Do we now know what

we are heading toward?

لست من أهل التقالي

د ولا المتبعينا

I am not one of the traditionalists,

nor one of the followers.

لم أكن في جانبٍ حي

ناً وفي آخرَ حينا

I have not been on one side a while

and on another a while.

ولي المبدأ أرعا

ه وفاءً ويقينا

I have my principle, which I uphold

with fidelity and conviction.

أبتني للأمة العز

زةَ والخلق المتينا

I build dignity for the nation,

and steadfast character.

وأرى في جمعها الشم

ل لعقباها ضمينا

And I see in its uniting its ranks

a guarantor of its future.