أليوم ضاءت لمحة السر الخفي — Nicolaos al Sayegh

أَليومَ ضاءَت لمحةُ السِّرِّ الخَفي

جَهراً وضاعت نَفحةُ البرِّ الحَفِي

Today a gleam of the hidden mystery shone

openly, and the fragrance of tender goodness spread.

اليوم قد حُسِر الغِطاءُ ولاح لِل

أَبصارِ ما قد كانَ أَضأَلَ مختفي

Today the veil was lifted, and there appeared to

the eyes what had been faintest and concealed.

اليوم قد ظَهَرَ الالهُ لعبدهِ

لقَبُول صَبغتهِ ولم يستنكفِ

Today God appeared to His servant

to receive his baptism, and did not disdain it.

اليومَ قُدِّسَتِ المِياهُ وبُورِكَت

وسَقامُها الزَمِن العُقامُ بهِ شُفِي

Today the waters were sanctified and blessed,

and through Him their chronic, incurable sickness was healed.

اليومَ صوتُ الآب يُعلِنُ أَنَّ ذا

من قد سُرِرتُ بهِ وهذا ابني الصفي

Today the Father's voice declares: This is

the one in whom I am well pleased, and this is My chosen Son.

والروحُ حلَّ عليهِ منهبطاً بنَو

عِ حَمامةٍ بيضاءَ ذاتِ تَرَفرُفِ

And the Spirit alighted upon Him, descending in the form

of a white dove with fluttering wings.

من بعد أعوامٍ ثلاثينَ انطَوَت

في طاعة الأَبَوينِ مريمَ يُوسُف

After thirty years had passed

in obedience to His parents, Mary and Joseph,

وافى إلى الأُردُنِّ يبغي صَبغةً

من عبدهِ ذاك الذي منهُ اصطُفِي

He came to the Jordan seeking baptism

from His servant, the one chosen by Him.

وانسابَ ما بينَ الخُطاةِ كخاطئٍ

مما يُعَدُّ لتوبةٍ لم يَعتَفِ

He slipped among the sinners like a sinner,

not shrinking from what is prepared for repentance.

خلعَ المسيحُ وِشاحَهُ في شطِّهِ

يبغي العِمادَ كتائبٍ متنظفِ

Christ took off His mantle on its bank,

seeking baptism like a penitent washing himself clean.

مُذ شامَ يوحنا النبيُّ بانهُ وافاهُ

مكتتماً كمن لم يُعرَفِ

When John the prophet perceived that He had come to him,

concealed, like someone unrecognized,

نادى بإِيماءِ الاصابعِ معلناً

بسَماعِ شعبٍ ذي فُؤادٍ اغلفِ

he called out, pointing with his fingers, proclaiming

within hearing of a people whose heart was uncircumcised:

هذا هُوَ الحَمَلُ الكريمُ الرافعُ ال

أَوزارَ أجمَعها ومن عنها يَفِي

This is the noble Lamb who takes away

all sins, and makes full recompense for them.

هذا عنيتُ بانهُ بعدي يجي

ءُ وأَنَّهُ ما زالَ قبلي وهوَ فِي

This is the one I meant: He comes after me,

yet He has always been before me; He is one

من لَستُ حقّاً مستحقاً حَلَّ شِسعِ

حِذائِهِ بل إِن فيهِ تَشَرُّفي

before whom I am truly unworthy to loosen the strap

of His sandal; indeed, in that lies my honor.

اني أُعمِّدكم بماءِ طُهُوركم

لأُعِدَّكم فيهِ لحالٍ اشرفِ

I baptize you with water for your purification,

to prepare you thereby for a nobler state.

هيَ صبغةُ الإِبنِ الوحيدِ بروحهِ ال

قُدُسيّ والنارِ التي لا تنطفي

It is the baptism of the only Son, through His Spirit

of holiness, and the fire that never goes out.

أَنَّي الهي تعتلي مني يدٌ

من فوق هامِك ذي الجَلال المُرجِفِ

How, my God, can a hand of mine rise

above Your head, with its awe-inspiring majesty?

فيما أُنقِّي عينَ يَنبوعِ النَقا

وبما أُعمِّدُ لُجَّةَ الطُهرِ الوَفي

In what can I cleanse the very fountainhead of purity?

With what can I baptize the deep sea of perfect purity?

اني لفي عَوَزٍ اليك وانت تأ

تيني بكل تخضُّعٍ وتلطُّفٍ

I am indeed in need of You, yet You

come to me in utter humility and gentleness.

فاجابهُ دَع عنكَ كل تمنُّعٍ

وبما اصطنعتَ بهِ الوَرى لا تأَنَفِ

He answered him: Set aside all reluctance,

and do not disdain the service you have rendered humankind.

قَمِنٌ بنا أَنَّا نكمِّلُ كلَّ عد

لٍ تقتدي فيهِ الأَنامُ وتقتفي

It befits us to fulfill all

righteousness, which humankind may follow and emulate.

وَقَفَت مياهُ البحر لما أَبصَرَت

في الناسِ مُبدِعَها بذاك المَوقِفِ

The waters of the sea stood still when they saw

their Maker among the people at that place.

فاءت على أدبارِها وتماسكت

عن جَريها ومن العجائبِ ان تَفِي

They turned back upon themselves and held back

from flowing; wondrous was their keeping faith.

فالماءُ في الأُردُنِّ وَلَّى هارباً

من هَولِ عِزَّتهِ ولم يتوقَّفِ

The water in the Jordan turned and fled

from the terror of His might, and did not stop.

قَصُرَ امتدادُ الماءِ جَزرَ مَهابةٍ

وحَراكُهُ قال السُكونُ لهُ قِفِ

The water's reach shrank back, an ebb of awe,

and Stillness said to its movement, 'Stop!'

أَوِشاجُ ايليّا بهِ فمِياهُهُ

مثلَ اسمهِ الأُردُنِّ لمَّا تُصرَفِ

Is Elijah's mantle there, that its waters,

like its name, the Jordan, have not yet been turned aside?

أَم ذا ابنُ نُونٍ جائزُ الأُردُنِّ بال

تابوتِ فالأمواهُ ذاتُ توقُّفِ

Or is this the son of Nun, crossing the Jordan with the

Ark, so that the waters stand still?

ام ذاكَ أَليَشَعُ النبيُّ وشانهُ

صلحُ المياهِ من الفَسادِ المُتلِفُ

Or is that Elisha the prophet, whose task is

to heal the waters of their ruinous corruption?

ظهرَ الالهُ فكلُّ وادٍ يمتلي

وتدينُ اتلاع النُهى المتصلِّفِ

God has appeared, and every valley fills,

and the heights of arrogant reason bow down.

ظهر الالهُ فيا نجومُ تستَّرِي

من هولِ عِزَّتهِ ويا شمسُ اختَفِي

God has appeared: O stars, veil yourselves

before the terror of His might; O sun, hide yourself!

ظهرَ الالهُ فيا بسيطةُ زلزلي

فَرَقاً وايتها السماواتُ ارجُفي

God has appeared: O earth, quake

in dread; O heavens, tremble!

من بيت لحمٍ ضاءَ بدراً كاملاً

يُزرِي البدورَ فنورُهُ لم يُخسَفِ

From Bethlehem He shone, a perfect full moon,

putting full moons to shame; His light was never eclipsed.

من مِذوَدٍ قد كان مُبزَغُ شمسِهِ

يا شمسَ قُدسٍ ضَؤها لم يُكسَفِ

From a manger came the dawning of His sun:

O sun of holiness, whose light was never eclipsed!

يا أرضَ زابُلُّونَ سرّي وافرحي

يا ارضَ نفتاليمَ نادي واهتِفي

O land of Zebulun, be glad and rejoice!

O land of Naphtali, call out and cry aloud!

برّيَّةَ الأُردُنِّ سقياً فاجذَلي

وبصوتِ داعي البِشر سَمعَكِ شَنِّفي

O wilderness of Jordan, may you be watered: rejoice!

And adorn your ears with the herald's voice of glad tidings.

أَنفَت مَهابتُهُ التنانينَ التي

أَنفَت بعادك نَفيَ ما لا ينتفي

His majesty spurned the dragons that

spurned separation from you, as though beyond banishment.

صالت على الأَصلال في وَكَناتها

نِقَمٌ بها صلَّت صليلَ المَشرَفي

Against the asps in their lairs swept

punishments, ringing there like a Mashrafi blade.

ولتبتهج شَجَرُ الغِياضِ إذا النَدى

رَوّى الصَدى واخضلَّ كل مُجفَّفِ

Let the trees of the groves rejoice, as the dew

slakes thirst and every withered thing grows green.

ورِياضُكِ الغَنَّاءُ تُزهِرُ سُوسَنا

والآسُ يُؤسِي كلَّ قلبٍ مُدنِفِ

Your luxuriant gardens blossom with lilies,

and myrtle soothes every ailing heart.

وزهورِك الفيحاءُ تَنشُرُ عَرفَها

وتميسُ تِيهاً بالقَوامِ الأَهيَفِ

Your fragrant flowers spread their scent

and sway proudly in their slender forms.

إذ في بَواديكِ ابتدى مستأنَفاً

رَبٌّ قديمٌ ليسَ بالمُستأنَفِ

For in your deserts began afresh

an eternal Lord who was not newly made.

وافى ليرحَضَ إِثمَ آدمَ موفياً

أَوفى الوفاءِ ووعدُهُ لم يُخلَفِ

He came to wash away Adam's sin, fulfilling

His pledge to the fullest; His promise was never broken.

يا عِترةَ الجَدِّ القديم دَعِي البُكا

كُفّي عن النَوحِ المبرّحِ وانكَفي

O offspring of the ancient forefather, cease your weeping,

stop your grievous lamentation and desist.

وَرَد الخَلاصُ لنا واصدرَ ردؤُهُ

نفيَ الردى ووجوبَ ردِّ المنتفي

Salvation has come to us, and its aid has brought about

death's banishment and the sure return of the banished.

افدى وارشدَ ثم أَشفَى أُمَّةً

لم تُفدَ لولاهُ وتُهدَ وتشتفِ

He redeemed and guided, then healed a people

who without Him could not be redeemed, guided, or healed.

فَهُوَ المخلِّصُ والمعلمُ والطبيبُ

ثلثةٌ نَغنى بِهِنَّ ونكتفي

He is the Savior, the Teacher, and the Physician:

three by which we are enriched and satisfied.

هذا الذي عاصَيتُ أمرَ صَبابتي

من أجلِهِ وأَطَعتُ نَهيَ تَعَفُّفي

This is the one for whom I defied my passion's command

and obeyed the restraint imposed by my chastity.

وجعلتُ قيد الآبداتِ من الهَوى

حُبِيّهِ واستعذبتُ فيهِ تكلُّفي

I made a fetter for the wild creatures of desire

of love for Him, and found my striving for Him sweet.

يا من تسنَّمنا بهِ سُدَدَ العَلا

اذ حازها بتواضُعٍ لم يوصفِ

O You through whom we scaled the summits of glory,

since He attained them with indescribable humility,

عرَّفتَ ما كانَ قد قبلُ من الوَرَى

مُستغرقَ التنكيرِ لم يتعرَّفِ

You made known what had once, among humankind,

been steeped in obscurity, never recognized.

ثقَّفتَ اخلاقَ الوَرى بمثقِّفِ البِرِّ

الذي قد فاقَ كل مثقِّفِ

You refined human character with the refiner of righteousness,

who has surpassed every refiner.

وجَدَعتَ عِرنِينَ التشامُخ خافضاً

بِعَلا الهَلاكِ بسيف عدلٍ مُرهَفِ

You cut off the nose of arrogance, laying low

destruction's heights with a keen-edged sword of justice.

ومنحَتنا الزُلفى إلى عَدنَ التي

بالعدلِ قِدماً آدمٌ منها نُفِي

You granted us nearness to Eden, from which

Adam was justly banished long ago.

وكَسَوتَنا ثوب البَرارةِ عاجلاً

إذ شفَّنا التسويفُ غير مسوّفِ

You clothed us at once in the robe of righteousness,

without delaying, when postponement had worn us thin.

أَلفتنا بك حينَ جَرَّدت الرَدَى

فأَقمتَ بالتجريد خير مؤَلَّفِ

You united us with Yourself when You stripped death bare,

and through that stripping formed the finest union.

ورفأتَ صَدعَ قُلُوبِنا بترؤفٍ

وحُنُوِّ قلبٍ بالمحبَّة أَرأَفِ

You mended the rift in our hearts with compassion

and the tenderness of a heart most loving in its affection.

ومحوتَ اظلالَ الضَلالةِ بالهُدى

ورفأتَ ما لولا رِفاؤُك ما رُفِي

You erased the shadows of error with guidance,

and mended what, without Your mending, could not be mended.

فلك المديحُ يضوعُ عَرفُ كِبائِهِ

من كل هاتفةٍ وما لم تهتِفِ

So Yours is praise, whose incense spreads its fragrance,

from every voice that cries aloud, and all that does not.

ولك السجودُ مع الكَرامةِ سرمداً

ما لا يُكَفَّ ولا يُقالُ لهُ كفي

And Yours are worship and honor forever,

never checked, never told, 'Enough.'