لا السهد يدنيني إليه ولا الكرى — Ahmed Shawqi

لا السُهدُ يُدنيني إِلَيهِ وَلا الكَرى

طَيفٌ يَزورُ بِفَضلِهِ مَهما سَرى

Neither sleeplessness nor sleep brings me near him.

A phantom visits by his grace whenever he travels by night.

تَخِذَ الدُجى وَسَماءَهُ وَنُجومَهُ

سُبُلاً إِلى جَفنَيكِ لَم يَرضَ الثَرى

He took the darkness, its sky, and its stars

As paths to your eyelids; he would not settle for the earth.

وَأَتاكَ مَوفورَ النَعيمِ تَخالُهُ

مَلَكاً تَنُمُّ بِهِ السَماءُ مُطَهَّرا

And came to you in full bliss; you would think him

A purified angel, disclosed by the heavens.

عَلِمَ الظَلامُ هُبوطَهُ فَمَشَت لَهُ

أَهدابُهُ يَأخُذنَهُ مُتَحَدِّرا

Darkness knew of his descent, and toward him moved

Its lashes, receiving him as he descended.

وَحَمى النَسائِمَ أَن تَروحَ وَأَن تَجي

حَذَراً وَخَوفاً أَن يُراعَ وَيُذعَرا

And barred the breezes from going or coming,

In caution and fear that he might be startled and frightened.

وَرَقَدتَ تُزلِفُ لِلخَيالِ مَكانَهُ

بَينَ الجُفونِ وَبَينَ هُدبِكَ وَالكَرى

And you lay down, drawing near the phantom's place

Between your eyelids, your lashes, and sleep.

فَهَنِئتَهُ مِثلَ السَعادَةِ شائِقاً

مُتَصَوِّراً ما شِئتَ أَن يَتَصَوَّرا

So you enjoyed him, enticing as happiness,

Taking whatever form you wished him to take.

تَطوي لَهُ الرَقباءُ مَنصورَ الهَوى

وَتَدوسُ أَلسِنَةَ الوُشاةِ مُظَفَّرا

You sweep the watchers aside for him, triumphant in love,

And trample the slanderers' tongues, victorious.

لَولا اِمتِنانُ العَينِ يا طَيفَ الرِضا

ما سامَحَت أَيّامَها فيما جَرى

Were it not for the eye's gratitude, O phantom of contentment,

It would not have forgiven its days for what befell.

باتَت مُشَوَّقَةً وَباتَ سَوادُها

زونا بِتِمثالِ الجَمالِ مُنَوِّرا

It passed the night yearning, and its dark pupil became

A shrine, lit by the image of beauty.

تُعطى المُنى وَتُنيلُهُنَّ خَليقَةً

بِكَ أَن تُقَدِّمَ في المِنى وَتُؤَخِّرا

It receives wishes and grants them, entitled,

Through you, to favor wishes or defer them.

وَتُعانِقُ القَمَرَ السَنِيَّ عَزيزَةً

حَتّى إِذا وَدَّعتَ عانَقتَ الثَرى

And proudly embraces the radiant moon,

Until, when you depart, it embraces the dust.

في لَيلَةٍ قَدِمَ الوُجودَ هِلالُها

فَدَنَت كَواكِبُها تُعَلِّمُهُ السُرى

On a night whose crescent had newly entered existence,

Its stars drew near to teach him night travel,

وَتُريهِ آثارَ البُدورِ لِيَقتَفي

وَيَرى لَهُ الميلادُ أَن يَتَصَدَّرا

And showed him full moons' tracks for him to follow,

And birth deemed him entitled to take the lead.

ناجَيتُ مَن أَهوى وَناجاني بِها

بَينَ الرِياضِ وَبَينَ ماءِ سُوَيسِرا

I whispered to my beloved, who whispered to me that night,

Among gardens and the waters of Switzerland.

حَيثُ الجِبالُ صِغارُها وَكِبارُها

مِن كُلِّ أَبيَضَ في الفَضاءِ وَأَخضَرا

Where mountains, their small ones and their great,

Are of every kind, white against the sky and green.

تَخِذَ الغَمامُ بِها بُيوتاً فَاِنجَلَت

مَشبوبَةَ الأَجرامِ شائِبَةَ الذُرى

Clouds made their homes there, and the mountains appeared

Glowing in their bulk, gray-haired at their summits.

وَالصَخرُ عالٍ قامَ يُشبِهُ قاعِداً

وَأَنافَ مَكشوفَ الجَوانِبِ مُنذِرا

And the lofty rock stood like a seated figure,

Towering, its sides exposed, threatening.

بَينَ الكَواكِبِ وَالسَحابِ تَرى لَهُ

أُذُناً مِنَ الحَجَرِ الأَصَمِّ وَمِشفَرا

Between the stars and clouds you see on it

An ear of deaf stone and a camel's lip.

وَالسَفحُ مِن أَيِّ الجِهاتِ أَتَيتَهُ

أَلفَيتَهُ دَرَجاً يَموجُ مُدَوَّرا

And the slope, from whichever direction you approach,

You find a staircase, surging in circles.

نَثَرَ الفَضاءُ عَلَيهِ عِقدَ نُجومِهِ

فَبَدا زَبَرجَدُهُ بِهِنَّ مُجَوهَرا

The sky scattered over it the necklace of its stars,

And its chrysolite appeared jeweled with them.

وَتَنَظَّمَت بيضُ البُيوتِ كَأَنَّها

أَوكارُ طَيرٍ أَو خَميسٌ عَسكَرا

And white houses were arrayed as though they were

Birds' nests, or an army encamped.

وَالنَجمُ يَبعَثُ لِلمِياهِ ضِياءَهُ

وَالكَهرُباءُ تُضيءُ أَثناءَ الثَرى

And the star sends its radiance to the waters,

While electricity lights the folds of the earth.

هامَ الفِراشُ بِها وَحامَ كَتائِباً

يَحكي حَوالَيها الغَمامُ مُسَيَّرا

The moth fell in love with it and circled in battalions,

Mimicking drifting clouds around it.

خُلِقَت لِرَحمَتِهِ فَباتَت نارُهُ

بَرداً وَنارُ العاشِقينَ تَسَعُّرا

It was created in mercy for him; his fire became

Coolness, while lovers' fire blazed.

وَالماءُ مِن فَوقِ الدِيارِ وَتَحتَها

وَخِلالِها يَجري وَمِن حَولِ القُرى

And water, above the dwellings and beneath them,

Flows through them and around the villages,

مُتَصَوِّباً مُتَصَعِّداً مُتَمَهِّلاً

مُتَسَرِّعاً مُتَسَلسِلاً مُتَعَثِّرا

Descending, ascending, lingering,

Hurrying, flowing in chains, stumbling.

وَالأَرضُ جِسرٌ حَيثُ دُرتَ وَمَعبَرٌ

يَصِلانِ جِسراً في المِياهِ وَمَعبَرا

And the land, wherever you turn, is a bridge and a crossing,

Both linking a bridge and a crossing in the waters.

وَالفُلكُ في ظِلِّ البُيوتِ مَواخِراً

تَطوي الجَداوِلَ نَحوَها وَالأَنهُرا

And boats, plowing in the houses' shadows,

Traverse streams and rivers toward them.

حَتّى إِذا هَدَأَ المَلا في لَيلِهِ

جاذَبتُ لَيلي ثَوبَهُ مُتَحَيِّرا

Until, when the throng fell quiet in its night,

I tugged at my night's robe, bewildered.

وَخَرَجتُ مِن بَينَ الجُسورِ لَعَلَّني

أَستَقبِلُ العَرفَ الحَبيبَ إِذا سَرى

And I went out from among the bridges, hoping

To welcome the beloved fragrance as it drifted by night.

آوي إِلى الشَجَراتِ وَهيَ تَهُزُّني

وَقَدِ اِطمَأَنَّ الطَيرُ فيها بِالكَرى

I take refuge among the trees, and they stir me,

While the birds have settled in them in sleep.

وَيَهُزُّ مِنّي الماءُ في لَمَعانِهِ

فَأَميلُ أَنظُرُ فيهِ أَطمَعُ أَن أَرى

And the gleaming water stirs something within me,

So I lean to gaze into it, hoping to see.

وَهُنالِكَ اِزدَهَتِ السَماءُ وَكانَ أَن

آنَستُ نوراً ما أَتَمَّ وَأَبهَرا

And there the sky grew resplendent, and it happened that

I perceived a light—how perfect and dazzling!

فَسَرَيتُ في لَألائِهِ وَإِذا بِهِ

بَدرٌ تُسايِرُهُ الكَواكِبُ خُطَّرا

So I traveled through its glitter, and behold:

A full moon, with stars swaying gracefully beside it.

حُلُمٌ أَعارَتني العِنايَةُ سَمعَها

فيهِ فَما اِستَتمَمتُ حَتّى فُسِّرا

A dream—Providence lent me its ear

Within it; before I had finished, it was interpreted.

فَرَأَيتُ صَفوى جَهرَةً وَأَخَذتُ أَن

سى يَقظَةً وَمُنايَ لَبَّت حُضَّرا

Then I saw my chosen beloved plainly, and began

To forget waking life, my wishes answering in person.

وَأَشَرتَ هَل لُقيا فَأوحِيَ أَن غَداً

بِالطَودِ أَبيَضَ مِن جِبالِ سُوَيسِرا

And you gestured, 'A meeting?' It was revealed: 'Tomorrow,

On a white mountain among Switzerland's mountains.'

إِن أَشرَقَت زَهراءَ تَسمو لِلضُحى

وَإِذا هَوَت حَمراءَ في تِلكَ الذُرى

If she rises radiant, climbing toward forenoon,

And when she sinks red among those peaks,

فَشُروقُها مِنهُ أَتَمُّ مَعانِياً

وَغُروبُها أَجلى وَأَكمَلُ مَنظَرا

Her rising from it is fuller in meaning,

And her setting clearer and more perfect to behold.

تَبدو هُنالِكَ لِلوُجودِ وَليدَةً

تَهنا بِها الدُنيا وَيَغتَبِطُ الثَرى

There she appears to existence a newborn,

In whom the world rejoices and the earth delights.

وَتُضيءُ أَثناءَ الفَضاءِ بِغُرَّةٍ

لاحَت بِرَأسِ الطَودِ تاجاً أَزهَرا

And lights the reaches of space with a radiant brow

That appears on the mountain's head, a shining crown.

فَسَمَت فَكانَت نِصفَ طارٍ ما بَدا

حَتّى أَنافَ فَلاحَ طاراً أَكبَرا

She rose, half a tambourine; scarcely had it appeared

Before it towered, showing as a larger tambourine,

يَعلو العَوالِمَ مُستَقِلّاً نامِياً

مُستَعصِياً بِمَكانِهِ أَن يُنقَرا

Rising above the worlds, independent and growing,

Unreachable in its station, impossible to tap.

سالَت بِهِ الآفاقُ لَكِن عَسجَداً

وَتَغَطَّتِ الأَشباحُ لَكِن جَوهَرا

The horizons flowed with it—but as gold,

And forms were covered—but with jewels.

وَاِهتَزَّ فَالدُنيا لَهُ مُهتَزَّةٌ

وَأَنارَ فَاِنكَشَفَ الوُجودُ مُنَوَّرا

It trembled, and the world trembled with it,

And shone, revealing existence filled with light.

حَتّى إِذا بَلَغَ السُمُوُّ كَمالَهُ

أَذِنَت لِداعي النَقصِ تَهوى القَهقَرى

Until, when ascent reached its perfection,

She heeded the call of waning, falling backward.

فَدَنَت لِناظِرِها وَدانَ عَنانُها

وَتَبَدَّلَ المُستَعظِمُ المُستَصغِرا

She drew near her beholder, and her reins yielded,

And he who deemed her great now deemed her small.

وَاِصفَرَّ أَبيَضُ كُلِّ شَيءٍ حَولَها

وَاِحمَرَّ بُرقُعُها وَكانَ الأَصفَرا

The white of everything around her turned yellow,

And her veil turned red, having been yellow.

وَسَما إِلَيها الطَودُ يَأخُذُها وَقَد

جَعَلَت أَعالِيَهُ شَريطاً أَحمَرا

The mountain rose toward her to take her, after she

Had made its heights a red ribbon.

مَسَّتهُ فَاِشتَعَلَت بِها جَنَباتُهُ

وَبَدَت ذُراهُ الشُمُّ تَحمِلُ مِجمَرا

She touched it, and its flanks blazed with her,

And its lofty peaks appeared to bear a brazier.

فَكَأَنَّما مَدَّت بِهِ نيرانَها

شَرَكاً لِتَصطادَ النَهارَ المُدبِرا

As though she had spread her fires upon it

As a snare to catch the departing day.

حَرَقَتهُ وَاِحتَرَقَت بِهِ فَتَوَلَّيا

وَأَتى طُلولَهُما الظَلامُ فَعَسكَرا

She burned it, and burned with it; both departed,

And darkness came to their ruins and encamped.

فَشُروقُها الأَمَلُ الحَبيبُ لِمَن رَأى

وَغُروبُها الأَجَلُ البَغيضُ لِمَن دَرى

Her sunrise is beloved hope to whoever sees,

And her sunset the hated end to whoever knows.

خَطبانِ قاما بِالفَناءِ عَلى الصَفا

ما كانَ بَينَهُما الصَفاءُ لِيَعمُرا

Two mighty events brought destruction upon serenity;

The serenity between them was never to endure.

تَتَغَيَّرُ الأَشياءُ مَهما عاوَدا

وَاللَهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَن يَتَغَيَّرا

Things change whenever the two return,

And God, majestic and exalted, will never change.

أَنهارُنا تَحتَ السَليفِ وَفَوقَهُ

وَلَدى جَوانِبِهِ وَما بَينَ الذُرى

Our days were spent beneath Salève and above it,

Along its sides and between the summits,

رَجلاً وَرُكباناً وَزَحلَقَةً عَلى

عَجلٍ هُنالِكَ كَهرُبائِيِّ السَرى

On foot, mounted, and gliding on

Wheels there, electrically driven,

في مَركَبٍ مُستَأنِسٍ سالَت بِهِ

قُضُبُ الحَديدِ تَعَرُّجاً وَتَحَدُّرا

In a docile carriage, along which flowed

Iron rails, winding and descending.

يَنسابُ ما بَينَ الصُخورِ تَمَهُّلاً

وَيَخِفُّ بَينَ الهُوَّتَينِ تَخَطُّرا

It glides slowly between the rocks,

And speeds, swaying, between the two chasms.

وَإِذا اِعتَلى بِالكَهرُباءِ لِذَروَةٍ

عَصماءَ هَمَّ مُعانِقاً مُتَسَوِّرا

And when it climbs by electricity toward a summit,

Inaccessible, it strains to embrace and scale it.

لَمّا نَزَلنا عَنهُ في أُمِّ الذُرى

قُمنا عَلى فَرعِ السَليفِ لِنَنظُرا

When we alighted from it on the mother of peaks,

We stood on Salève's summit, that we two might look.

أَرضٌ تَموجُ بِها المَناظِرُ جَمَّةٌ

وَعَوالِمٌ نِعمَ الكِتابُ لِمَن قَرا

A land where countless sights surge,

And worlds—what an excellent book for whoever reads!

وَقُرىً ضَرَبنَ عَلى المَدائِنِ هالَةً

وَمَدائِنٌ حَلَّينَ أَجيادَ القُرى

And villages formed a halo around the cities,

And cities adorned the necks of villages.

وَمَزارِعٌ لِلناظِرينَ رَوائِعٌ

لَبِسَ الفَضاءُ بِها طِرازاً أَخضَرا

And farms, wonders to those who look,

With which the landscape wore green embroidery.

وَالماءُ غَدرٌ ما أَرَقَّ وَأَغزَرا

وَجَداوِلٌ هُنَّ اللُجَينُ وَقَد جَرى

And pools of water—how limpid and abundant!

And streams—silver itself, set flowing.

فَحَشَونَ أَفواهَ السُهولِ سَبائِكاً

وَمَلَأنَ أَقبالَ الرَواسِخِ جَوهَرا

They filled the mouths of the plains with ingots,

And filled the faces of steadfast mountains with jewels.

قَد صَغَّرَ البُعدُ الوُجودَ لَنا فَيا

لِلَّهِ ما أَحلى الوُجودَ مُصَغَّرا

Distance has made existence small for us—oh,

God, how lovely existence is in miniature!