سقياك سقياك ربعا ظل مبتهجا — Germanus Farhat

سقياك سقياك ربعاً ظل مبتهجاً

كأنما السر فيه يملك المهجا

May you be watered, may you be watered, O abode that remained joyful,

as though the mystery within it held souls captive.

عهدي بحبك صفراً ما به أحدٌ

واليوم أبصر فيه الإنس والرهجا

I remember your love as empty, with no one there;

and today I see people and dust within it.

بالحسن محتقبٌ بالحق منتقبٌ

بالفوز معتقبٌ والأمن فيه لجا

It is laden with beauty, veiled in truth,

followed by triumph, and safety has taken refuge in it.

مذ شمت بارقه حققت شارقه

ترى مشارقه قد ضاهت اللججا

Since I glimpsed its lightning, I knew its rising light for certain;

you see its eastern horizons have rivaled the ocean depths.

أرضٌ مقدسةٌ بالقدس منفسةٌ

لو لاح بارقها ليلاً لما ولجا

A holy land, made precious by holiness:

were its lightning to flash by night, night would not enter.

قد سلسل النور أرجاء البطاح بها

والشمس من شأنها أن تهمل السرجا

Light has threaded the far reaches of its broad valleys;

and it is the sun's way to leave lamps idle.

والناس فيها شماطيطاً على وجلٍ

فذاك لم ينهج المسرى وذا نهجا

The people there are in scattered groups, afraid:

that one has not taken the nighttime route, while this one has.

ملائك اللَه أحزابٌ وقد ملأوا

عراص بيدٍ ولم يخلوا لنا أزجا

God's angels are companies, and they have filled

the open desert expanses, leaving no vaulted passage free for us.

منهم بشيرٌ إلى الفردوس منعرجٌ

جبراً ومنهم مقيمٌ قط ما عرجا

Among them is a herald turning toward Paradise,

under compulsion; another remains, never having ascended.

إني أرى الناس في حزنٍ لفرقتها

وأرى الملائك مبتهلاً فمبتهجا

I see the people in sorrow at her departure,

and see the angels, one supplicating, another rejoicing.

فالناس في زعجٍ كالنار في وهجٍ

ملائك اللَه لم يستعروا الوهجا

The people are distraught, like fire in a blaze;

God's angels have not been kindled by that blaze.

فقلت تاللَه إن الأمر مختلفٌ

والقوم في زمجٍ بالنقض قد مزجا

So I said: by God, the matter is at odds,

and the people are in an uproar mingled with contradiction.

فقيل لي والحجى قد عاد مرتبكاً

ممزقاً ذاهلاً بالنوح قد نشجا

Then I was told, while my reason had grown bewildered,

torn and dazed, sobbing in lamentation:

أم الإله غداة اليوم قد نقلت

إلى السماء وهذ النور قد بلجا

The Mother of God has this morning been borne

to heaven, and this light has shone forth.

فقم بنا الآن نبصر عرشها ونرى ال

إكليل والتاج والمعراج والدرجا

Come with us now: let us behold her throne and see the

garland, the crown, the ladder of ascent, and the steps.

فقم بنا الآن نبصر ابنها فرحاً

فيها ونبصره في مدحها لهجا

Come with us now: let us behold her son rejoicing

in her, and see him engrossed in her praise.

رقت مناكب أجناد السماء وقد

تسلمت ملكها السامي لكي تلجا

She mounted the shoulders of heaven's hosts, and

received her lofty dominion, so that she might enter

محجة الأرض والعلياء زينها

أمام بكرٍ وفت عن آدم الحججا

the path of earth and heaven, adorned

before a virgin who answered the pleas on Adam's behalf.

تملكت عندما الثالوت كللها

سلطانةً تملك الأرواح والمهجا

She became sovereign when the Trinity crowned her,

a queen ruling spirits and souls.

لها السماوات تقضي في سرادقها

ما بين طغاتها لا تختشي حرجا

The heavens are hers; within her pavilion she judges

what lies among their tyrants, fearing no constraint.

والمطهر العدل جارٍ في تصرفها

من خلصته وفت عن دينه فنجا

And in Purgatory, justice proceeds under her authority;

whomever she delivers, she pays his debt, and he is saved.

والأرض تحكم فيها في شفاعتها

ومن أتاها نفت عن قلبه الزعجا

On earth she rules through her intercession,

and whoever comes to her, she banishes distress from his heart.

يا عرش رب السما مذ جاء متضعاً

تسلمي الآن عرشاً سامياً فرجا

O throne of the Lord of heaven since he came in humility,

receive now a lofty, spacious throne.

إن الملائك تجثو وهي خاضعةٌ

لديه يا من لها كل النام رجا

The angels kneel in submission

before it, O you in whom all creation hopes.

فالرسل والأنبيا الأخيار والشهدا

من غير إذنٍ على مثواك لن تلجا

For the apostles, the righteous prophets, and the martyrs

will not enter your dwelling without permission.

لقد هجرت ربوع الأرض راغبةً

عنها بملك نعيمٍ نوره انبلجا

You have forsaken earth's abodes, turning away

from them for a realm of bliss whose light has dawned.

وأحدقت بفنا تابوت جثتها

أهل السما والفضا عن ضمِّهم حرجا

Around the courtyard of the coffin of her body gathered

heaven's people, and space grew too narrow to contain them.

أتى النبيون كيما ينظروها فقد

نالوا على يدها الإطلاق والفرجا

The prophets came to behold her, for they had

received through her hand release and relief.

والرسل قد أقبلوا يبغون أمهم

من كل فجٍّ عميقٍ حشوه وهجا

The apostles came, seeking their mother,

from every deep mountain pass, its heart filled with flame.

مواكب الشهدا الأطهار قد وفدت

تزف بكراً عروساً سافرت دلجا

The processions of the pure martyrs arrived,

escorting a virgin bride who had journeyed by night.

وأقبلت طغمة الرهبان لابسةً

ثوباً يرى سبجاً لا منظراً سمجا

And the company of monks approached, wearing

a robe that seemed like jet, not an unlovely sight.

قد طوفوها بأنغامٍ مقسمةٍ

ركبا ورصداً يضم الأوج والهزجا

They bore her round to measured melodies:

Rakb and Rasd, bringing together Awj and Hazaj,

حتى انتهو نحو جسمانيةٍ ولهم

دمعٌ سخينٌ وقلبٌ بالأسى نضجا

until they arrived at Gethsemane, with

hot tears and a heart seared by sorrow.

وضمنوا القبر جسماً ما اعتراه بلىً

ولا فسادٌ ولكن للسما عرجا

They placed within the grave a body untouched by decay

or corruption; instead, it ascended to heaven.

سقاكَ يا قبرُ نورٌ خلته سرجاً

كلّا ولكنه نورٌ نفى السرجا

May light water you, O grave—I thought it was lamps!

No, but it is a light that banished lamps.

سقاك يا قبر نورٌ ظل منبجساً

منه نرى الليل مطويّاً ومندرجا

May light water you, O grave, a light ever welling forth;

by it we see night folded away and rolled up.

كأنما الليل لما شام بارقه

لصٌّ رأى الصبح ولى منه منزعجا

As though night, when it glimpsed that lightning,

were a thief who saw dawn and fled from it in alarm;

أو أنه الصب أضحى عاشقاً قمراً

رام الوصال ومن خوف الرقيب دجا

or were a lovesick soul, grown enamored of a moon,

seeking union, and growing dark for fear of the watcher.

بدا له النور فانهلت مدامعه

كأنجم وهو بالتبكاء قد نشجا

Light appeared to him, and his tears poured down

like stars, while he sobbed in copious weeping.

مولاي مولاي وفق لي زيارته

وقولتي تائباً يا ناظري ابتهجا

My Lord, my Lord, enable me to visit it

and say in repentance: O my two eyes, rejoice!

ثم ارحض الإثم في تيار رحمته

بمدمعي قائلاً يا خاطئ انفرجا

Then wash away sin in the torrent of his mercy

with my tears, saying: O sinner, find relief!

واغفر بمريم ذنبي إذ اقول لها

والعين تذري دماً بالدمع ممتزجا

And through Mary forgive my sin when I say to her,

as my eye sheds blood mingled with tears:

إني رجوتك والآثام قد عظمت

طوبى لمرء لها دون الأنام رجا

I have hoped in you, though my sins have grown great.

Blessed is one who hopes in her rather than in other mortals.

نسجت فيك مديحاً أنت غياته

لولاك لم ينسج الفكر الذي نسجا

I have woven praise of you; you are its goal.

Without you, my mind would not have woven what it wove.