أولى مسيري ذا الأمان — Germanus Farhat

أولَى مسيري ذا الأمانْ

برقٌ سرى من كَسرَوانْ

This safety was granted to my journey

by a lightning flash that traveled by night from Keserwan.

أرضٌ ظليلٌ ظلُّها

يَحمي حماها النيِّرانْ

A land whose shade is deep,

whose precincts the two luminaries protect.

تبّاً لشاني وصفها

قد زانها مَن كان شان

Perdition to whoever disparages her portrayal;

the one who once defamed her has adorned her.

سكّانها لن يبرحوا

ساعينَ في حفظ الضمان

Its inhabitants will not cease

striving to preserve the assurance.

دينُ المسيح شعارُهم

فكأنه شمسُ القِران

The faith of Christ is their emblem,

as though it were the sun at conjunction.

يحمون دينَ إلههم

من غير سيفٍ أو سنان

They protect the faith of their God

without sword or spearpoint.

فالصالحون سلاحهم

والمرسلون لهم عَوان

For the righteous are their weaponry,

and the apostles are their helpers.

فترى الملائكَ هالةً

يحمون أنوارَ المكان

So you see the angels as a halo,

guarding the lights of the place.

نور الصليب كأنه

نجمٌ حكاه الفرقدان

The light of the Cross is as though

it were a star mirrored by the two Farqad stars.

ينقضُّ يَرجمُ مارداً

يبدو سناه للعيان

It swoops down, stoning a rebellious demon;

its radiance appears to the eye.

يُعمي بصائرَ حُسَّدٍ

فكأنه سهمُ البنان

It blinds the insight of the envious,

as though it were an arrow from the fingertips.

أنصاره من حوله

قد جردوا العَضْبَ اليمان

Its supporters around it

have unsheathed the keen Yemeni sword.

يحمون ساحة شانه

أكرمْ بهم حامينَ شان

They guard the precinct of its honor;

how noble they are as guardians of honor!

للَه دَرُّ منازلٍ

ومعاهدٍ تَنفي الهوان

How splendid are the dwellings,

and sanctuaries that banish humiliation!

رُفعت بساحة رَبعها

أعلامُ علّام الجَنان

Within the grounds of its dwelling were raised

the banners of the Knower of hearts.

للَه أديارٌ بها

وكنائسٌ لا تُستهان

God be praised for the monasteries within it,

and churches not to be held in contempt.

ألحانُها من شدوها

تحلو بمسمعها الأذان

Its melodies, arising from its chanting,

delight the ears that hear them.

سرُّ التجسد زانه

قُدّاسها بالإعتلان

The mystery of the Incarnation was adorned

by its Mass, in open proclamation.

يتلون بالأسحارِ من

إنجيلنا فصلَ البيان

In the predawn hours they recite from

our Gospel a passage of clear exposition.

صُن يا يسوع جموعَها

من حر نار الإمتحان

Protect, O Jesus, its congregations

from the heat of the fire of trial.

فصليبُ رسلك رُمحُها

وحسامُها عَضبُ اللسان

For the cross of Your apostles is its spear,

and its sword is the tongue's keen blade,

من تحت راية بِيعةٍ

وحَميُّها بابا المكان

from beneath the banner of a church,

and its protector is the pope of the place.

مفتاحُ بُطرسَ سُنَّتي

فأُطيعُه طولَ الزمان

Peter's key is my rule;

so I obey him throughout time.

ودعِ العدوَّ بمعزلٍ

متسكِّعاً طُرقَ الهوان

And leave the enemy isolated,

wandering the paths of humiliation.

تبّاً لأضدادي وإذ

ضلّوا فقل تبَّت يَدان

Perdition to my adversaries; and when

they stray, say: 'May both hands perish!'

طوباكِ يا روما التي

حزتِ الخلافةَ والضمان

Blessed are you, O Rome, who

have attained succession and assurance.

يا ما أُمَيلِحَ صوتَها

يدعو الأنامَ إلى الأمان

Oh, how sweet is her voice,

calling humankind to safety!

سرْ يا مجيبَ دعائِها

لا تَلوِيَنْ عنها العِنان

Go, O you who answer her call;

never turn the reins away from her.

أنشدْ وقل مترنماً

لبيك يا باب الجنان

Chant, and say in song:

'At your service, O gate of Paradise!'

من طاعها طاعَ العلِي

يوماً وعاصيها يُدان

Whoever obeys her obeys the Most High;

one day, whoever disobeys her will be judged.

يا شعب مارون افرحوا

أنتم بنوها باللِبان

O people of Maron, rejoice!

You are her children through milk;

قد أرضعتكم ثَديَها

أي عِلْمَها ذاك المصان

she has suckled you at her breast—

that is, that safeguarded knowledge of hers.

لا البعدُ يَثنيكم ولا

سيفُ النفاق الهندوان

Neither distance turns you aside, nor

the Indian sword of hypocrisy.

كلا ولا تعليمُ ما

يُغوي عقولَ بني الزمان

No—nor the teaching of what

leads the minds of the age's children astray.

إذ كان أُسُّ نفوسِكم

إيمانَ سمعانَ المُعان

Since the foundation of your souls was

the faith of Simon, the aided one,

دُستُم بأخمص صدقكم

أريوسَ ألطاغي الجنان

you trampled with the sole of your sincerity

Arius, rebellious of heart.

وخذلتمُ نسطورَ مع

بَرصومَ ذانِ الغاويان

And you forsook Nestorius, with

Barsoum, those two who went astray;

هذا ودِيُّسْقُورُسَ ال

باغي بِشَقشقة اللسان

this, and Dioscorus, the

transgressor with his tongue's bluster;

ساويريوسْ ذاك الشقي

إذ كان بالإيمان مان

Severus, that wretched man,

since he had lied about the faith;

والبردعي ذو شيعةٍ

مغرورةٍ لا تستعان

and al-Barda‘i, with a sect

deluded, from which no help is sought;

بيروسُ معْ تُبّاعه

مع فُوتِيُوسٍ ذاكَ المُهان

Pyrrhus, with his followers,

with Photius, that abased man;

لُوتاريوس ذاك الغبي

كَلْوين ذاكَ الأُفعُوان

Luther, that fool,

Calvin, that viper.

ولَعَنْتُمُوهُم لعنةً

كبرى مثلَّثةَ العِنان

And you cursed them with a curse

mighty, with threefold reins.

فلذاك أضحى نورُكم

شرقاً وغرباً ذا بيان

For that reason your light has become

manifest in the East and the West.

إيمانكم مستوثِقٌ

يفري افتِرا مَن كان مان

Your faith is firmly secured,

rending the falsehood of whoever has lied.

هذا اعتقادي إنني

أُبديهِ يومَ الإعتلان

This is my belief; indeed, I

shall declare it on the day of revelation,

في ذاك الحشر الذي

أهنَى هَناهُ الإمتحان

at that resurrection gathering, whose

sweetest delight is the trial.

في باب بُطرس مَدخَلي

إذ مَخرجي من ذاكَ كان

At Peter's gate is my entrance,

since my departure was from that gate,

متمسّكاً بخِلافَةٍ

عن بُطرس الحِبر الكِيان

holding fast to a succession

from Peter, the regal pontiff.

يا رب إقبل سُنَّتي

وأمانتي قبلاً أُدان

O Lord, accept my creed,

and my fidelity, before I am judged;

وأموتُ موتاً مُسعَداً

من عن يمينك في الحنان

and let me die a blessed death,

among those at Your right hand, in mercy.

وأقول إيماني الذي

أولَى مَسيري ذا الأمان

And I proclaim my faith, which

granted my journey this safety.