قال سمعت أن طاووسا سعى — Ibn Al Habariya

قالَ سَمعت أن طاووساً سَعى

في طَلَب القوت المشوم فرعى

He said: I heard that a peacock set out

in search of ill-fated sustenance, and ate

حُباً لِصَياد عَلى شباكه

فَعادَ مِن ذَلِكَ في إِشراكِهِ

a fowler's grain laid upon his nets.

Thus he ended up caught in his snares.

قَد صارَ مَأسوراً يُعاني الشبَكه

في حيرة يَرى الردى وَالهلكه

He had become a captive, struggling with the net,

bewildered, seeing death and destruction.

فَقال لَما أن رَأى ما حَل بِه

وَما تَشك نَفسه في عطبه

When he saw what had befallen him, he said,

his soul having no doubt of his doom:

لَقَد هَلَكت شَرها وَحرصا

كَفى بِذاك سبة وَنقصا

“I have perished through greed and grasping!

That is disgrace and deficiency enough.

فَهَل إِلى الخَلاص مِن طَريق

أَو مِن شَريك في الأَذى رَفيق

Is there any road to deliverance,

or a fellow sufferer to be my companion?

فَإِن في الوحدة هما زائِدا

يا حَبَذا لَو أن لي مُساعِدا

For solitude brings added sorrow;

how welcome it would be if I had a helper!”

فَجاءهُ في الحال يَوم أَطلَس

فَساءهُ وَقالَ بئس المؤنس

Then at once a dusky owl came to him.

He was displeased and said: “What a wretched companion!

ما نجرنا متفق فَكَيفَ ذا

هَذا أَشَد ما لَقيت مِن أَذى

Our natures do not agree—how can this be?

This is the worst hurt I have encountered.

أَعظَم ما يَلقى الفَتى مِن جُهد

أَن يَبتَلي مِن جنسِهِ بِالضد

The greatest hardship a young man meets

is to be afflicted by an opposite of his own kind.

جهد البَلاء صُحبة الأَضداد

فَإِنَّها كَي عَلى الفُؤاد

The worst affliction is the company of opposites,

for it is a searing brand upon the heart.

لَولا نَفاذ القَدر المَحتوم

ما بت بِالحَبس رَفيق البوم

Were it not for the fulfillment of decreed fate,

I would not have spent the night imprisoned beside the owl.

صَبراً عَلى أَحوالِها وَلا ضحر

وَرُبَّما فازَ الفَتى إِذا صَبَر

Patience with its circumstances—no impatience!

A man may prevail if he is patient.”

وَقالَ أَهلاً بِأَخي وَمَرحبا

ادن تَعالَ ها هُنا وقربا

And he said: “Welcome, my brother, welcome!

Draw near; come here, and come closer.”

مِن أَين قالَ البوم من ناووس

كُنت بِه بِالأَمس مع طاووس

“Where from?” The owl said: “From a sepulcher.

Yesterday I was there with a peacock.

نادمني فيهِ فَكانَ ضَيفي

ثُم جزي بري بِكُل حيف

He drank with me there and was my guest,

then repaid my kindness with every injustice.”

قالَ وَكَيفَ جاءَكَ الطاووس

ضَيفاً حلفت أَنَّهُ مَنحوس

He said: “How did the peacock come to you

as a guest? I swear he is ill-starred!”

قالَ نَعم جن الظَلام وَسَقَط

عَلى جِدار مَنزِلي وَقَد شَحط

“Yes,” he said. “Darkness had fallen, and he alighted

on the wall of my home, having gone far

عَن وَكرِهِ وَالليل وَالسحاب

فَحارَ إِذ أَعوزه الذهاب

from his nest, amid night and clouds.

He was bewildered, unable to depart.

فَقُلت ضَيف فَاِصنَعوا طَعاما

وَروقوا الشراب وَالمداما

I said: ‘A guest! Prepare some food,

and strain the drink and the wine.

فَهوَ كَريم ظاهر الوَسامَه

للمَجد في أَعطافِهِ علامه

For he is noble and plainly handsome;

there is a mark of glory upon his flanks.’

ثُم دَنَوت مِنهُ فَاِستَخبرته

عَن حالِه فَقَص ما ذكرته

Then I drew near him and questioned him

about his condition; he recounted what I have mentioned.

فَقُلت طب نَفساً فَهَذا مَنزل

رَحب وَكنٌ وَالجَميل أَجمَل

I said: ‘Be easy in your heart; this is an abode

spacious and sheltered, and kindness is fairest of all.’

فَقالَ إِن الجوع عِندي أَطيَب

مِن زادِ يَومٍ والكَريم يسغب

He said: ‘To me, hunger is sweeter

than a day's provisions; the noble go hungry.’

فَقُلت خَل هَذِهِ الحَماقه

وَوافق الناس لأَجل الفاقه

I said: ‘Leave off this foolishness

and accommodate others because of your need.’

ثُم دَخَلت الوَكر وَهوَ خَلفي

في فاقَةٍ يَعجَز عَنها وَصفي

Then I entered the nest, with him behind me,

in a need beyond my powers of description.

وَقدم الطعام وَالشراب

وَهاجَت الأَشجان وَالأَلباب

Food and drink were served,

and sorrows and minds were stirred.

يَقول لا آكل زاد اليَوم

زادَ اللئيم طَعمة اللئيم

He said: ‘I do not eat today's fare:

a base creature's fare is food for the base.’

فَقُلت ما أَخرَني وَقدمك

وَما الَّذي لأمني وَكرمك

I said: ‘What put me behind and you ahead?

What made me base and you noble?

لَيسَ بِقَدر الصور التفاضل

كَم حسن وَهوَ لَئيم جاهل

Merit is not measured by appearances:

many a handsome creature is base and ignorant.

وَإِنَّما الفَضل بِفعل وَكَرَم

وَخَلق حُر وجود مقتسم

Excellence lies only in deeds and generosity,

in noble character and bounty shared out.’

فَظهرت دَفائن الضمائر

وَباحَ كُل القَوم بِالسرائر

Then the buried secrets of our hearts emerged,

and everyone in the company disclosed his secrets.

فَقالَ ما أَعجَب ما مَرَّ بِكا

وَشَر ما لَقيته مِن دَهركا

He said: ‘What is the strangest thing that happened to you,

and the worst you have suffered in your lifetime?’

قُلت لَهُ وَالسكر قَد أَباحا

حمى فُؤادي كُله وَاِجتاحا

I told him, while drunkenness had laid open

my heart's whole sanctuary and swept it away:

أَعجب ما لَقيته في عُمري

إِني كُنت جالِساً في وكري

‘The strangest thing I encountered in my life

was that I was sitting in my nest,

عيشة وَزَوجَتي وَصبيتي

فسنحت أنثى فَهاجَت صَبوَتي

living there with my wife and little ones,

when a female appeared and stirred my desire.

فَطرت مِن عِند فِراخي تابِعا

لَها وَقَد أَمسيت فيها طامِعا

I flew away from my chicks, following

her, already filled with desire for her.

وَلَم أَزَل أَتبَعها حَتَّى أَتت

وَكراً لَها في رأس نبق فعدت

I kept following her until she reached

her nest atop a lote tree; then I turned back.

وَأَخبرت بِقصتي حَليلها

وَسَجعت وَرَجعت هَديلها

She told her mate my story,

then cooed and repeated her cooing.

وَقُلت تَدعوني فَجئت قَصدَها

وَزَوجَها مِن غَيظه قَد شَدها

I thought: “She is calling me,” and headed toward her,

but her husband had bound her in his fury.

ثُم أَتاني في بَني أَبيه

فَشوهوني أَقبح التشويه

Then he came at me with his father's sons,

and they disfigured me most hideously.

وَنَتَفوا ريشي وَألقوني وَقَد

لَقيت ما لَم يَلقه قَبلي أحَد

They plucked my feathers and cast me out, after I had

suffered what no one before me had suffered,

عَلى ثُلوج وَقَعت كَثيره

في لَيلة بارِدة مطيره

onto snow that had fallen thickly,

on a cold, rainy night.

فَكدت أَن أَهلك لَولا أَني

أَحضَرت قَلبي وَاستشرت ذهني

I nearly perished, but for the fact that I

summoned my heart and consulted my mind.

فَقُلت لابُد مِن التجَلُد

لأَنَّهُ خَير مِن التبَلد

I said: “There is no avoiding fortitude,

for it is better than numbness.

فَالحر للعبء الثَقيل يحمل

وَالصبر عِندَ النائِبات أَجمَل

The noble man bears the heavy burden,

and patience is finest when calamities strike.

لا يَجزع الحر مِن المَصائب

كَلا وَلا يَخضع لِلنَوائب

The noble man does not panic at disasters;

no, nor does he bow to adversities.

لِكُلِّ شَيء مدة وَتنقَضي

لا يغلب الأَيام إِلا من رضي

Everything has its allotted span, which passes;

none masters the days but one who accepts them.

ما أَحسَن الثَبات وَالتجَلُّدا

وَأقبح الحيرة وَالتبَلُّدا

How fine are steadfastness and fortitude,

and how ugly bewilderment and numbness!

قَد يَضحَك المَرء وَإِن قَلبه

باكٍ بسر غمه وكربه

A man may laugh, even while his heart

weeps secretly with his grief and anguish.

ويأكل الحر شغاف قلبه

وَلا يَبين جَزعَةً لِصَحبه

And the noble man gnaws at his heart's very sheath,

yet betrays no anguish to his companions.

وَيؤثر الضيف عَلى عياله

وَنَفسه بِزاده وَماله

He favors the guest over his dependents

and himself, with his provisions and wealth,

حَتَّى يَظن جوده عن مال

وسعة في عيشه والحال

until one thinks his generosity springs from riches

and abundance in his livelihood and circumstances.

والحر لا يخضع للشدائِد

قَط وَلا يَغتاط بِالمَكايد

The noble man does not bow to hardships,

ever, nor is he enraged by schemes.

لَيسَ الفَتى إِلا الَّذي إِن طرقه

خطب تَلقاه بِصَبر وَثقه

A true man is only he who, when

calamity visits him, meets it with patience and confidence.

وَالمَوت لا يَكون إِلا مره

وَالمَوت أَحلى مِن حَياة مره

Death comes only once,

and death is sweeter than a bitter life.

وَفي الخطوب تَظهر الجَواهر

ما يَغلب الأَيام إِلا الصابر

In calamities, true substance is revealed;

none conquers the days but the patient.

إذا الرزايا أقبلت ولم تقف

فثم أقدار الرِّجال تختلِف

When calamities come on and will not stop,

then the worth of men differs.

كَم قَد لَقيت لذة في زَمَني

فَاِصبر الآن لهذي المِحَن

How much pleasure I have known in my time!

Now be patient with these trials.

فَالعُمر مثل الكاس وَالدهر القَذر

وَالصفو لا بُد لَهُ مِن الكدر

For life is like a cup, and time is filth;

and clarity must have its murk.

إِني مِن المَوت عَلى يَقين

فَاجهد الآن لما يَقيني

I am certain of death,

so now I strive for what will shield me.”

ثُم دَنوت ساعياً لا طائِرا

إِذ نَتَفوا ريش جَناحي الوافِرا

Then I drew near, walking rather than flying,

since they had plucked my wing's abundant feathers,

حَتَّى تَعَلقت بِأَغصان الشَّجر

في وَرق يكنني مِن المَطر

until I clung to the branches of the trees,

amid leaves that sheltered me from the rain

وَبَرد الليل وَزاد أَلَمي

وَلَم أَزَل أَئن مِن تَأَلمي

and the night's cold; my pain increased,

and I kept groaning from my suffering.

فَسَمِعَت دَجاجة أَنيني

قالَت أَنين دنف مسكين

A hen heard my groaning.

She said: “The groan of a poor, ailing creature!”

فَسَخط الديك عَلَيها وَغَضب

وَنق مِما ذكرته وَصَخب

The rooster was displeased with her and grew angry,

grumbling over what she said and raising a din.

قالَت لَهُ لا تَنهر الضعيفا

وَاِرحَم لِكي ترحَم ذا اللهيفا

She said to him: “Do not scold the weak.

Have mercy on this anguished creature, that you may receive mercy.

فَاِسعد العِباد عِندَ اللَّه

من ساعد الناس بِفَضل الجاه

For the happiest of God's servants

is he who helps people through the influence he has.

لا تَغترر بِالخَير وَالسلامه

فَإِنَّما الحَياة كَالمدامه

Do not be lulled by prosperity and safety,

for life is like wine:

في دنها فيها صَفاء وَقَذى

وَهَكَذا في الدَّهر خَفض وَأَذى

in its jar, it holds both clarity and sediment.

So too, in time there are ease and hurt:

خَفضٌ وَبُؤس وَغِنى وَفَقر

وَصحة وَمَرَض وَأَسر

ease and misery, wealth and poverty,

health, sickness, and captivity.

وَإِنَّما الموفق الحَكيم

مَن لَم يُغَير رَأيه النعيم

The fortunate and wise one is only

he whose judgment prosperity does not change

فَيَحسَب الصحة حَقاً وَاجِباً

لَهُ عَلى اللَّه حِساباً كاذِبا

into deeming health a right owed

him by God—a false reckoning.

فَعوذ النعمة مِن زَوال

بِكَثرة الإِحسان وَالإجمال

So ward the blessing against its loss

with abundant kindness and gracious conduct.

وَاِرحَم عَساكَ إن سَقَطت ترحم

فَالمَرء في أَيّامِهِ لا يَسلَم

Show mercy; perhaps, if you fall, you will be shown mercy,

for no man passes his days unscathed.

وَلا تَكُن حاشاكَ كَالبقال

فَقالَ قصي شَرح تِلكَ الحال

And do not be—far be it from you—like the grocer.”

Then he said: “Relate the details of that affair.”