يومان على فارنا — Jawahiri

ما لهذي الطبيعةِ البكرِ غضبى

أَلها أن تثور نَذرٌ يُوفّى

What ails this virgin nature, so angry?

Has she a vow to fulfill by raging?

أَبْرَقَتْ، ثم أَرْعدت، ثم أَلقت

حِمْلَها تُوسِعُ البسيطةَ قَصْفا

She flashed lightning, then thundered, then cast off

her burden, battering the earth.

زَحَمَتْ كلَّ ثَغْرةٍ .. واستباحتْ

شُرُفات البُيوت صفّاً فصفّا

She crowded every gap and overran

the houses' balconies, row after row.

غَبَشٌ ناعمُ السنا وشفيفٌ

من سديَم راضَ الدجى أن يَشفّا

A haze of gentle radiance, and a translucent veil

of mist that tamed the darkness into transparency.

وكأن الغُيومَ فوق الجبال الخضرِ،

فوق الأدواح يَرْفَعْنَ سَقفا

As though the clouds above the green mountains,

above the great trees, were raising a roof.

وعَجاجٌ من الرَّذاذِ تنِثُّ العطرَ

والدفءَ سمحةٌ منه وطفا

A swirl of drizzle: a cloud sheds fragrance

and warmth from it, generous and dense.

وكأن الأمواجَ يُرْهِفْنَ سَمْعاً

ويطارِحْنها الأناشيدَ عَزْفا

As though the waves were sharpening their hearing

and exchanging songs with her in music.

صعِدتْ ما تشاءُ .. ثم ألاحت

بجَناحينِ أَوشكا أن يزِفّا

She rose as high as she wished, then waved

two wings about to flutter.

طَبَقٌ تِلوُ آخرٍ ثم يُجلى

وخروقٌ ما بينها ثم تُرفا

Layer after layer, then cleared away;

and rifts between them, then stitched shut.

وخَلَتْ باحةُ السما غيرَ رسمٍ

لم يَلُحْ للعُيونِ حتى تعفّى

The sky's expanse emptied, save for a trace

that scarcely appeared to the eyes before vanishing.

ثمَّةَ ازَّيَّنَتْ بأبدعِ ما وُشي

حُسْنا، وقد تخير لطفا

Thereupon she adorned herself with the most exquisite embroidery

of beauty, carefully chosen for its delicacy.

حُلُمٌ لم تُوَفِّهِ العينُ رؤيا

كَذَبَ الحرفُ أن يوفيه وَصْفا

A dream the eye could not do justice to in seeing;

the written word failed to render it fully in description.

خِلْتُ في الجو ساحراً يبعث الخلقَ

جديداً صوغاً، ونشراً، ولفّا

I imagined a magician in the air, reviving creation

anew, shaping, unfolding, and folding.

تتعرّى له الطبيعة عُجْباً

وبلمْحٍ من ظِلِّه تتخفى

Nature undresses for him in self-delight

and hides at a glimpse of his shadow.

ثم يُلقي خضرَ الشُّفوف عليها

ثم يرمي بِهِنَّ شفّاً فشفّا

Then he lays green gossamer veils upon her,

then casts them off, veil after veil.

وحنايا جِنٍّ كأن عليها

من حفيف الرؤى غدائرَ وُحفا

And the curves of jinn, as though upon them

lay luxuriant tresses of visions' rustling.

بُدِّلَ الكونُ خِلْقةً فالعُتُل

الضخمُ يبدو فيه الأشفّ، الأشفّا

Creation's form was changed: the hulking,

the massive, seemed the sheerest of the sheer.

وكأنَّ الحياةَ تُوحشُ نِصفاً

من سماواتِها، وتُؤنسُ نِصفا

As though life were making half

its heavens desolate, and half companionable.

وكأنَّ السُّفوح يَنْسَبْنَ ذُعراً

وكأن الجبالَ يَزْحَفْنَ زحفا

As though the slopes were gliding away in terror,

and the mountains were crawling along.

وكأنَّ الحُجومَ ضُوعفن أَلْفاً

من مقاييسها، وصُغِّرْنَ ألفا

As though volumes were multiplied a thousandfold

beyond their measures, and shrunk a thousandfold.

كُتَلٌ تنبِض الحياة لِماماً

في تضاريسها، ويُحْسَبْنَ غُلْفا

Masses, with life pulsing fitfully

through their contours, though they seemed encased.

أشْرق الفجرُ فوقَ " فرنا " فأَضْفَتْ

فوقَهُ سحرَها الخفيَّ وأضفى

Dawn shone over Varna, and she cast

her hidden magic over him, and he bestowed his.

واستطاب الرملُ النديُ بِساطاً

فمشى ناعمَ الْخطى يَتَكفّا

He found the damp sand a pleasing carpet,

and walked with gentle steps, swaying.

مُعْجَباً يَمْسَحُ الدُّجى منه عِطفاً

ويُهزُّ الصبحُ المنورُ عِطْفا

Self-admiring, as darkness stroked one of his flanks

and radiant morning swayed another.

وتوارى عاتٍ من " الزّنج " صفّى

ما لديه من النُّجوم فأصفى

A fierce one of the Zanj withdrew, having disposed of

the stars he held, and was left empty.

وارتمى البحرُ عاصِفاً يلطِمُ السا

حلَ حتى حَسِبْتهُ يَتَخفّى

The sea hurled itself stormily, battering the

shore, until I thought it was hiding itself.

ونديمي وجهٌ صَبُوحٌ وكأسٌ

غُودرت في مِزاجها الصرفِ صِرْفا

My companion was a radiant face and a cup

left undiluted in its pure blend.

أحتسيها من لاعجِ الوَجْدِ عَبّاً

وعلى رَفَّةِ الشِّفاه فَرَشْفا

I drink it in great draughts, from longing's fire,

and, at the flutter of lips, in sips.

ثمّ دبّتْ بنا تُثَقِّلُ جَفْناً

وتُصَفِّي نَفْساً، وتُرْعِشُ كفّا

Then it crept through us, weighing down an eyelid,

clearing a soul, and making a hand tremble.

يا مَزيجاً من ألف كَونٍ تَرفّق

إنّ كوناً على ذراعيكِ أَغْفى

O blend of a thousand worlds, be gentle:

a world has fallen asleep upon your arms.

قُتل الحسنُ ما أشدَّ على

العيْنِ وُضوحاً، وما أدقَّ وأخفى

Slain be beauty! How overpowering

its clarity to the eye, yet how subtle, how hidden!

يُذْهِلُ النفسَ سحرُه .. ما تخطّى

من معاييرِهِ .. وما تتقفّى

Its magic bewilders the soul—in what exceeds

its measures, and in what the soul pursues.

أنت " إكْليكُ " يا طفيفاً من اللَّحم

على العظم كاد أن يُستشفّاً

You, Iklik—O wisp of flesh

upon bone, almost translucent.

ألَّفَ " الفنُّ " صورةً منكِ تنا

هت في الحسن لُطفاً وعُنفاً

Art fashioned from you an image that attained

the utmost beauty, in gentleness and force.

دَفَعَ الصدر دَفعةً أعجب

النهدينِ منه طيبُ المُقام فرّفا

It gave the chest a thrust; delighted were

the two breasts by their pleasant lodging there, and they quivered.

الشَّهيانِ لُملِما فاستدارا

فاستثارا، فاستضريا، فاستخفّا

The two enticing ones were gathered in and grew round;

then they stirred desire, grew ravenous, and enthralled.

وثنى طيّةً فضمَّرَ كَشْحاً

ورأى فُسحةً فدوَّر خَلْفا

It folded a fold and slendered the waist,

then saw room and rounded the rear.

يا نديمي ولا يُخِفْكِ نديمٌ

أَثْقَلَتْهُ سودُ الليالي فخفّا

O my companion, do not fear a companion

whom black nights weighed down, so he grew light.

حُرِم العيشَ مُمتعاً .. فهو يُلفي

مُتعةً منه نعمةً حيث تُلفى

Denied a pleasurable life, he finds

any pleasure in it a blessing, wherever it is found.

يخطَفُ النبعَ بين ثَغْريكِ يخشى

وعدَ صدقٍ من نبعه أن يجِفّا

He snatches the spring between your two mouths, fearing

a true promise from his spring, that it will run dry.

وعد صدقٍ، وكلُّ وعدٍ صدوقٍ

غيرِه .. طالما تحيَّن خُلْفا

A true promise—and every truthful promise

but that one has so often awaited its breach.

في دمي ثورةٌ على الموتِ تَكْفي

أن تعفِّي عليه لو كان يكفى

In my blood is a revolt against death, enough

to efface it, if that could ever suffice.

ما ألذَّ الحياةَ لولا نهايا

تُ مطافٍ ملآنَ رُعباً وسُخفا

How sweet life would be, but for the endings

of a journey filled with terror and absurdity!

يَنْفَدُ العمرُ شدّ ما كان حَوْجاً

كسِراجٍ في فحمةِ الليل يُطفا

Life runs out—how urgently it was needed!—

like a lamp extinguished in the pitch-black night.

ليتَ أنَّ الحِمام، إذ لم يكنْ بدٌ

من الموت، علةٌ ثم تُشْفى

Would that dying, since there is no escape

from death, were an illness that could then be cured.

يجد المرءُ بعدَها العيشَ أحلى

وهباتِ الدنيا ألذَّ وأَصْفى

A person would afterward find life sweeter,

and the world's gifts more delightful and purer.

أَفحتْمٌ .. وإن ثوى المرءُ ألفاً

أن يُذرّى ذروَ الترابِ ويُعْفى

Is it inevitable, though a person remain a thousand years,

that he be scattered like dust and erased?

فلمَ الزهرُ، والربيعُ ، وشدوٌ

مثلُ سَجْعِ الحمام حلوٌ مقفى ؟!

Then why the flowers, the spring, and song

like the doves' cooing, sweet and rhymed?

ولِمَ الثلجُ، والشتاءُ وشُمٌّ

من نُهودٍ بجمرِها يُتدفى ؟!

And why the snow, the winter, and the lofty

breasts by whose embers one is warmed?

ولمَ الصيفُ عارياً يتقاضى

واجباتِ النفوس عُرياً وكشفا ؟!

And why does summer, naked, demand

the souls' dues in nakedness and exposure?

ليت شعري والموتُ مثلُ عُقابِ

الْجوِ يُدمِي بنا مخالبَ عُقفا

Would that I knew, as death, like an eagle

of the sky, bloodies its hooked talons on us:

أَقرابينُ نحنُ شوهاءُ تُزْجى

للإلهِ الغضبانِ قُربى وزُلْفى ؟

Are we misshapen sacrifices driven

to the angry god, for nearness and favor?

أمْ عقولٌ صنائعٌ سيطر الوهمُ

عليها فرُحْن يَرْقُبن حَتْفا

Or minds, mere artifacts, with delusion ruling

over them, so they go on watching for doom?

أم ألاعيبُ من دُمى صُنعِ فذٍّ

طوعُ كفّيهِ ما يُخَط ويُنْفى

Or playthings, dolls made by a peerless maker,

at his hands' command, whatever is written or effaced?

أم على الكوكبِ العجيبِ من

الغيبِ رُصودٌ يُمْتِعنَ إلْفاً وإلفا

Or are there, upon this wondrous planet, from

the unseen, watchers who give joy to one lover and another,

أن يعيشا عمرَ النُّجومِ وأن

يستكفيا في الحياة ما ليسَ يُكفى ؟

that they may live as long as the stars, and

find enough in life of what can never be enough?

يا نديمي .. وما غدٌ .. والليالي

ثمرٌ يُشتَهَى فيُخطَف خَطْفا

O my companion, what is tomorrow, when the nights

are coveted fruit, snatched in haste?

يسخَراليومُ من غدٍ خائرَ الهمّة

من كل ما يُعنِّيه يُعفَى

Today mocks tomorrow, weak in resolve,

spared all that concerns it.

يُترجَّى ويُختَشَى ليس يُدرَى

يُولَدُ الصُبح منه .. أم يُتوفَّى

It is hoped for and feared; no one knows

whether morning will be born of it, or die.

أنت " إكليكُ " ها هنا .. تملأين

السمعَ والعينَ والأحاسيسَ لُطْفا

You, Iklik, here you are, filling

hearing, sight, and the senses with grace.

أَتَملَّى عينيكِ عِرقاً فعِرقا

وحديثاً سَجَعتِ حَرفاً فحرفا

I savor your eyes, vein by vein,

and the speech you cooed, letter by letter,

ووِشاحاً أضفيت ما اللونُ منه

وجَديلاً صَفَفتِه كيف صُفّا

and the scarf you draped, what color it bore,

and the braid you arranged, how it was arranged.

ولكم صانتِ الهَوى ذكرياتٌ

هنَّ أبقَى ذِكراً، وأغنى، وأوفى

And how often memories have safeguarded love!

They are more lasting in remembrance, richer, and more faithful.