مصابك حيا عرا جعفرا — Khalil Gibran

مُصَابُك حَيّاً عَرَا جَعْفَرَا

وَخَطْبُكَ مَيْتاً عَرَا قَيْصَرَا

Your calamity in life befell Ja'far,

and your tragedy in death befell Caesar.

رُزِئْنَاكَ لَمْ يُغْنِ مِنْك البَيَا

نُ وَلَمْ يَعْصِمِ الجَاهُ أَنْ تُقْبَرَا

We are bereaved of you; your eloquence availed nothing,

nor did rank protect you from burial.

وَهَذي النِّهايَةُ عُقْبَى النُّهَى

وَذَاكَ الثَّرَاءُ لِهذَا الثَّرَى

This ending is the final lot of intellect,

and that wealth belongs to this dust.

وغَايَةُ مَجْدك فِي العَالَمِينَ

إِذَا عَرَفُوا الفَضْلَ أَنْ تُشْكَرَا

The utmost of your glory among mankind,

if they recognize merit, is to be thanked.

وَآخِرُ بَأْسِكَ أَنْ يُعتَدَى

عَلَيْكَ دَفِيناً وَأَنْ يُفْتَرَى

And the end of your might is to suffer assault

while buried, and to have lies forged against you.

أَيُهْتَكُ عَنْهَا قَمِيصُ المُرُو

ءَة تَحْتَ البِلَى مَنْع أَنْ تُسْتَرَا

Is the robe of honor torn away from her

beneath decay, denying her a covering,

وَتَثْوِي المُرُوءَةُ فِي دَارِهِمْ

وَتَرْضَى المُرُوءَةُ أَن تُذْكَرَا

while honor dwells within their home

and honor consents to be named?

كَذَا انْكَشَفَ الدهْرُ لِلنَّاسِ فِيكَ

عنْ قَاهِرٍ عَزَّ أَنْ يُقْهرَا

Thus time revealed itself to people through you

as a conqueror whom it was hard to conquer:

حَلِيمٍ تِرَاكاً بِإِقْبَالهٍ

ضَرُوبٍ دِرَاكاً مَتَى أَدْبَرَا

forbearing, ever sparing when it advanced,

hard-striking, relentless whenever it turned away.

لأَمْرٍ صَفَا لَكَ حِينَ صَفَا

وكَدَّرَ وِرْدكَ إِذْ كُدِّرَا

For some purpose, it ran clear for you when clear,

and muddied your drinking-place when it grew turbid.

يَقُولُ بِأَحدَاثهِ الواعِظا

تِ لِمَنْ هَمَّ بِالزَّهْوِ أَطْرِقْ كَرَى

Through its admonishing events it says

to whoever would be proud: 'Bow your head in sleep.'

حَبَاكَ زَمَاناً بِجَاهِ المُلُو

كِ وَبَطْشِ الأَسَاطِينِ مُسْتوْزَرَا

For a time it endowed you with the standing of kings

and the might of great leaders, appointed a minister;

وَفَخْرِ الغُزَاةِ قُرُومِ السَّرا

يَا وَفِكْرِ الهُدَاةِ نُجُومِ السُّرى

and the glory of warriors, chiefs of the war-bands,

and the thought of guides, stars of the night march;

وَعَزْمٍ يَكُونُ عَلَى أُمَّةٍ

قتَاماً وَفِي أُمَّة نَيِّرَا

and a resolve that becomes, upon one nation,

a dark dust-cloud and, in another, a light.

فكُنْتَ كَمَا تَبْتغِي عِزَّةً

وَكُنْتَ كَمَا تَرْتَضِي مَظْهَرَا

So you were as you sought in dignity,

and you were as you wished in outward bearing;

وَكُنْتَ مَعاً فَارِساً شَاعِراً

وَكُنْتَ مَعاً نَدُساً قسْوَرَا

and you were at once a horseman and a poet,

and you were at once a discerning man and a lion,

جَمِيعَ المَزَايَا فَمَا لِلبَيَا

نِ وَمَا لِلغيَاثِ وَمَا لِلقِرَى

possessing every excellence; neither in eloquence

nor in succor nor in hospitality

نَظِيرُكَ مُبْتَكِراً مُبْدعاً

شِهَاباً سَنِيّاً نَدىً مُمْطِرَا

was there your equal, inventive and creative,

a radiant meteor, dew pouring like rain.

نَظمْتَ المَعَالِيَ نَظْمَ المَعَانِي

فَفَتْحُ الكَلاَمِ كفَتْحِ القُرَى

You strung lofty deeds as you strung meanings,

for the conquest of speech was like the conquest of towns.

وَطَعْنُ السِّنانِ كَنَفْثِ اليَرَاعِ

وَكُلُّهُمَا بِالنُّهى حُبِّرَا

And a spearhead's thrust was like a reed pen's breath,

and both were embellished by intellect.

وَضَمُّ الجُيُوشِ كَنَسْقِ القَرِيضِ

وَتَقْسِيمه أَشْطُراً أَشْطُرَا

And assembling armies was like arranging verse,

and dividing it into half-lines, half-line by half-line.

وَسَهْلُ القِتَالِ كَطِرْسٍ بِه

يُسَطِّرُ بَأْسُكَ مَا سَطَّرَا

And the plain of battle was like a parchment on which

your valor wrote what it wrote.

بِنَقْطِ الجَمَاجِمِ إِعْجَامُهُ

وَإِهْمَالُهُ جَوْبُهُ مُقْفِرَا

Its letters were dotted with skulls,

and its undotted script was the crossing of its barren ground.

وَتَفْوِيفُهُ بِنِعَالِ الجِيَا

دِ وَتَدْبِيجُه بِدَمٍ أَحْمَرَا

And its stripes were traced by the steeds' shoes,

and its brocade was worked in red blood.

فَيَا غَازِياً ذَاكَ إِعْجَازُهُ

وَيَا نَاظِماً ذَاك مَا صَوَّرَا

So, O warrior, such was its wondrous power,

and, O poet, such was what it depicted.

أَتِلْكَ مِنَ الكَلِمِ الذَّاكِيَا

تِ تَسِيلُ النُّفوسُ بِهَا أَنْهُرَا

Are those glowing words,

through which souls flow like rivers,

شَقَائِقُ آيَاتِكَ النَّادِيَا

تِ رَحِيقاً مِنَ الأُُنسِ أَوْ كوْثَرا

sisters of your verses, dewy

with nectar of delight, or Kawthar?

أَمِ الصافِياتِ شَوافِي الأُوَا

مِ بِمَا تَحْتَها مِنْ زلاَلٍ جَرى

Or the limpid ones, healers of thirst,

with the clear water flowing beneath them?

أَمِ الجَالِيَاتِ يُبِنَّ لَنَا

مِنَ الغَيْبِ كُلَّ ضَمِيرٍ سَرَى

Or the unveiling ones, revealing to us

from the unseen every secret thought that stole through the night?

أَمِ المُطْرِبَاتِ يُشَنِّفنَنَا

بِشَدْوِ الهَزَارِ وَقَدْ بَكَّرَا

Or the enchanting ones, delighting our ears

with the nightingale's song as it rises early?

أَمِ المَرْسَلاَتِ هُدىً لِلأَنَا

مِ حَقائِقُ مُودَعَةٌ جَوْهَرَا

Or those sent as guidance to mankind,

truths enshrined as gems?

فَهَلْ كَانَ أَفْرَسَ مِنْكَ فَتىً

وَهَلْ كَانَ مِنْكَ فَتىً أَشْعَرا

So, was any youth a better horseman than you?

And was any youth a greater poet than you?

كِلا المفْخَرَيْنِ يَرَاعاً وَسَيْفاً

دَعَا تاجَهُ لَكَ مُسْتَأْثِرَا

Both glories—the reed pen and the sword—

each summoned its crown for you, seeking sole possession.

فَتَاجٌ عَصَاكَ وَتاجٌ عَلاَ

كَ وَكانَ الأَحَقَّ بِأَنْ يُؤْثَرَا

One crown defied you, and another rose above

you, and was the worthier of being preferred.

فَلمَّا رَقِيتَ إِلى المُنْتَهَى

وكِدْتَ تُجَاوِزُ مَا قُدِّرَا

Then, when you rose to the utmost height

and nearly surpassed what had been ordained,

رَمَاكَ الزَّمَانُ بِأَحْدَاثه

مُجَيَّشةً فَانْبَرَتْ وَانْبَرَى

time struck you with its calamities,

mustered as armies; they charged, and it charged.

أَبَانَ المُحِبِّينَ وَالآلَ عَنْكَ

وَأَقْصَى المَوَالِي وَالعَسْكَرَا

It parted your loved ones and your family from you,

and drove off your retainers and the army;

وَأَسْكَتَ أَفْراسَكَ الصَّاهِلاَتِ

وَأَصْمَتَ صَمْصَامَكَ الأَبْتَرَا

and silenced your neighing horses,

and stilled your keen, severing sword;

وَأَخْرَسَ مَنْ قَالَ لِلّه أَنْتَ

وَأَبْكَمَ حَوْلَكَ مَنْ كَبَّرَا

and hushed whoever cried, 'God bless you!'

and struck dumb those around you who proclaimed God's greatness.

وسَكَّن رَوْعَ الفَلاَ مَجْفِلاَتٍ

وَأَمَّن شَامِخَهَا أَصْعَرَا

And it calmed the fright of the wilds' fleeing creatures,

and reassured their proud one, his neck turned aside;

وَنَفَّس كرْبَ الظِّبا لاَفِتَاتٍ

وَرَوَّحَ أَيِّلهَا أَصْوَرَا

and eased the gazelles' distress as they glanced back,

and gave their bent-necked stag repose.

وَأَلْوَى عَليْك فَأَدْمَى وَأَصلَى

وَصالَ وطالَ وَمَا أَقْصَرَا

And it bore down on you, drawing blood and scorching,

and attacked and overpowered, never desisting.

رَمَى بِك في السِّجنِ مِنْ حَالِقٍ

أَلِيفَ الجُنَاةِ طَرِيحَ العَرَا

It hurled you into prison from a lofty height,

a companion of criminals, cast upon bare ground.

وَأَثْخنَ جُرْحاً فَأَقْصَاكَ عَنْ

ثَرَى مِصرَ مُجْتَنَباً مُزْدَرَى

And it deepened the wound, banishing you from

Egypt's soil, shunned and despised.

وَزادكَ ضَيْماً فَحَجبَ عَنْ

عُيُوِنكَ ضَوْءِ الضُّحى مُسْفِرَا

And it increased your oppression, veiling from

your eyes the radiant light of morning.

وَجَازَ النَّكالَ فَأَرْدَى ابنتَيْكَ

كمَا يُذْبَحُ الذِّبْحُ أَوْ أَنْكَرَا

And it went beyond punishment, striking down your two daughters,

as a sacrificial victim is slaughtered, or more hideously.

وَلَكِنْ أَبَى لَك ذَاكَ الإِبَا

ءُ إِلاَّ الثَّباتَ وَأَنْ تَصْبِرَا

Yet that proud resolve would allow you

only steadfastness and patient endurance.

وَهَلْ فِي الأَسى غَيْرُ صَدْعِ الحَشى

وَتَدميَةِ الجَفْنِ مُسْتَعْبِرَا

And is there anything in grief but rending the heart,

and making the tearful eyelid bleed,

وَتهْوِينِ نَفْسٍ لَدَى خَصْمِهَا

بِلاَ طَائِلٍ غيْرَ أَن تَصْغُرَا

and belittling oneself before one's foe,

to no avail, except to grow smaller?

فَلَمْ تَنْتَقِصْكَ الرَّزَايَا وَلَكِنْ

أَعادَتْكَ مِحْنَتُهَا أَكْبَرَا

So calamities did not diminish you; rather,

their ordeal made you greater.

وَرَدَّ بَيَاضُ المَشِيبِ ثَنَا

ءَكَ أَجْلَى بَهَاءً وَقَدْ طُهِّرَا

And the whiteness of gray hair made your renown

more radiant in splendor, now purified.

فَمَا كَان سِجْنُكَ إِلاَّ قَرَاراً

وَقَدْ تعِبَ الجِدُّ أَنْ يَسْهَرَا

Your prison was nothing but a resting place,

when striving had grown weary of keeping vigil.

وَلاَ النَّفيُ إِلاَّ خَلاَءً أَعَدْتَ

بِه زَمَنَ الأَدَبِ الأَزْهَرا

And exile was only a solitude; you restored

in it the radiant age of letters.

وَلاَ الثُّكلُ إِلاَّ لِتَأْسَى أَسَا

كَ وَتَبْكِي بُكَاءَ لُيُوثِ الشَّرى

And bereavement was only to let you mourn your sorrow,

and weep as the lions of Shara weep.

وَلاَ الغَضُّ عَمَّا تَرَاهُ العُيُو

نُ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ سَاءَ أَنْ يُنْظَرَا

And lowering the gaze from what eyes see

was only because it had grown foul to behold.

إِذَا وَسِع الكَوْنَ فِكْرُ امْرِيءٍ

فَلاَ بأْسَ بِالطَّرْفِ أَنْ يُحْسرَا

When a person's thought encompasses the universe,

there is no harm if the gaze grows weary.

عَلَى الشمْسِ أَنْ تهْديَ المُبصِرِينَ

وَلَيْسَ عَلَى الشَّمسِ أَنْ تُبْصِرَا

The sun must guide those who see,

but the sun is not required to see.

فَيَا جِسْمَ مَحْمُودَ بِتْ في سُكُونٍ

وَيَا عَيْنَ سَامٍ اهْنَيءِ بِالْكرَى

So, body of Mahmoud, spend the night in stillness,

and eye of Sami, rest content in slumber.

وَيَا فِكْرَهُ كمْ نَشَدْتَ العُلَى

بَلَغْتَ مَدَاهَا فَمَاذَا تَرَى

And you, his thought, how often you sought the heights!

You have reached their utmost limit; what do you see?

أَطِلَّ عَلَى هَذِهِ الكَائِنَا

تِ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَنْتَ بِأَسْمَى الذُّرَى

Look down upon these beings

from where you are, at the loftiest peaks.

أَتَنْظرُ غيْرَ فضَاءٍ رَحِيبٍ

تُحَاكِي النُّجومُ بِه العِثْيَرَا

Do you see anything but a vast expanse,

where the stars resemble dust?

وتَسْمَعُ غيْرَ شَبِيهِ الحَفيفِ لِمَا

اصْطُكَّ مِنْهَا وَمَا كُوِّرَا

And hear anything but a sound like rustling from what

has collided among them, and what was rolled into spheres?

فَقُلْ صَامِتاً وَأَشِرْ مَائِتاً

لِمَنْ تَاهَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَاسْتَكْبَرَا

Then speak in silence, and gesture in death,

to whoever strutted on earth and grew arrogant:

عَلاَمَ تَبَاذُخُ هَذي الجِبَالِ

وَفِيمَ تَشَامُخُ هَذَا الوَرَى

Why do these mountains vie in grandeur,

and why does humankind hold itself so high?