سبلت على شمس الهدى الأستار — Nicolaos al Sayegh

سُبِلت على شمس الهُدَى الأَستارُ

واحتَفَّها رأدَ الضُحَى الإِسرارُ

Veils have been drawn over the sun of guidance.

And secrecy has surrounded it at the rise of morning.

وتبرقعت عينُ الحقيقةِ بِالعَمَى

فانكفَّ عن الحاظها النُظَّارُ

The eye of truth has been veiled with blindness,

so observers have turned away from its glances:

من كل غِرٍّ جاهلٍ مُتَعمِّقٍ

قلباً فما للكيدِ منهُ سِبارُ

every foolish ignoramus, deep

at heart, whose guile no sounding line can fathom;

مَعَ كُلِّ قومٍ غارةً متغيراً

أبداً كما تتغيَّرُ الأَقمارُ

with every band on a raid, changing

always, as the moons change.

تَاللَه إِنِّي في انذِهالٍ مُوبِقٍ

قد حَيَّرتني هذهِ الأَطوارُ

By God, I am in ruinous bewilderment;

these changes have confounded me.

يدنو ويَبعُدُ عن هُداهُ فدأبُهُ

طولَ المَدَى الإِيرادُ والإِصدارُ

He draws near and moves away from his guidance; his habit

throughout time is bringing in and sending out.

لا يستقرُّ كجَفنِ أَرمَدَ مالَهُ

أبداً قَرارٌ لا ولا إِقرارُ

He never rests, like the eyelid of one with sore eyes; he has

never any repose—no, nor any firm avowal.

ويقولُ إِني ابنُ الكنيسة مؤمن

ويُسِيغُ ما لا ساغَهُ الكُفَّار

He says, “I am a believing son of the Church,”

and sanctions what even unbelievers never sanctioned.

يحنو على أَعدائِها مُتَعطِّفاً

لهمُ كما تتعطَّفُ الأَظارُ

He inclines toward her enemies, tender

to them, as wet nurses are tender.

يسعى لتقديمِ العِدَى بعزائِمٍ

مُتَطاوِلاتِ البغيِ وَهيَ قِصارُ

He strives to advance the foes with ambitions

towering in oppression, though they are short.

مَلَكوُتُهُ الأَسنَى السَناءُ ورَبُّهُ

حُبُّ النِساءِ ودِينهُ الدينارُ

His loftiest kingdom is splendor, and his lord

is love of women; his religion is the dinar.

مُتَفاخِرٌ بأُصولهِ ومُفاخِرٌ

وأُصُولُهُ الصَلصالُ والفَخَّارُ

He boasts of his origins and vies in pride,

though his origins are clay and pottery.

أَغراهُ من أهل الضَلال تقدُّمٌ

هيهاتِ فالإِقدامُ فيهِ عِثارُ

Advancement among the people of error has enticed him;

far from it! Advancing there is stumbling.

نحوَ الغَوايةِ مُقبِلٌ لا مُدبِرٌ

وعن الهداية شأنهُ الإِدبارُ

Toward error he advances, never retreats;

from guidance, his way is to turn away.

لم يَنهَهُ زجرُ الكِتابِ وشرعُهُ

كلَّا ولا التهويلُ والإِنذارُ

Neither Scripture's rebuke nor its law deterred him;

no, nor threats and warnings.

مَن ليسَ تَهدِيهِ الغَزالةُ في الضُحَى

أَيُنِيرُهُ جِنح الدُجَى الغَرَّارُ

Whom the sun at forenoon does not guide,

can the deceitful wing of darkness illumine?

لا تَعجَبوا من شاعرٍ بخلائقٍ

هاجت بهِ من أَجلِها الأَشعارُ

Do not marvel at a poet moved by traits

that have stirred poetry within him.

راموا خَفاءَ الحقِّ في ظُلُماتِهِم

هل تَختفي في الظُلمةِ الأَنوارُ

They sought to conceal the truth in their darkness;

can lights be hidden in darkness?

ومن الفضيحةِ عِندَ ذي الأَلبابِ إِن

جارَى مُطهَّمةَ الجِيادِ حِمارُ

It is disgraceful, in the eyes of the discerning, if

a donkey races the finest steeds.

وإذا ادَّعَى قُزلُ النواهقِ غِرَّةً

سَبقَ الخيولِ فبينَنا المِضمارُ

And if the lame braying beasts foolishly claim

to outstrip horses, the racecourse lies between us.

ومن البليَّةِ في البريَّةِ أَنفُسٌ

يأوي إليها الكِبرُ وَهيَ صِغارُ

Among the afflictions of creation are souls

where pride takes refuge, though they are petty.

حازَ البرانسَ والقلانسَ أَرؤُسٌ

أَولَى بِهِنَّ الصارمُ البَتَّارُ

Heads have gained hoods and caps,

though the sharp, severing sword is fitter for them.

وتتوَجَّت هاماتُ بعضٍ في الوَرَى

وبها حَرِيٌّ مِقنَعٌ وإِزارُ

Some heads among mankind have been crowned,

though a head-veil and waist-wrapper would suit them.

وتزيَّنَت بالخَزّ خَلقٌ والخليقُ

بخَلقها الأَخلاقُ والأَطمارُ

People have adorned themselves in silken cloth, while what befits

their make is worn clothing and rags.

وتبرقعت منهم وُجُوهٌ باللِحى

وبها جديرٌ بُرقُعٌ وخِمارُ

Faces among them have been veiled with beards,

though a face-veil and head covering would suit them.

ثوبُ التُقى خيرُ الملابسِ فانتبه

يا مَن عليهِ المُوبِقاتُ شِعارُ

The garment of piety is the best clothing; take heed,

O you whose undergarment is ruinous sins.

فالمُخزِياتُ حُلِيُّهم أَبَداً وإِن

لمعت عليهم فِضَّةٌ ونُضَارُ

Disgraceful deeds are always their adornments, even if

silver and gold gleam upon them.

بَهرا لكِ فِئَةً رئيسُكِ يافعٌ

لا يُستَشارُ ولا اليهِ يُشارُ

Woe to you, faction! Your leader is a youth,

neither consulted nor looked to.

يُؤتى اليهِ بالنُذورِ ويأخُذُ ال

أَعشارَ وَهوَ الماكسُ العَشَّارُ

Votive offerings are brought to him, and he takes the

tithes, being the toll collector, the tithe gatherer.

فهمُ النِعاجُ وما بِهنَّ نَواتجٌ

خيراً ولكن بالفَسادِ عِشارُ

They are ewes, bringing forth nothing

good, but pregnant with corruption.

تُرَبٌ مكلَّسةٌ تُرَى من خارجٍ

بِيضاً وداخلَها صَدىً وبَوارُ

Whitewashed tombs, seen from outside

as white, with dead remains and decay within;

وعيونُ ارضٍ غِضنَ من يَنبوعِها

لا ماءَ فيها للرَوَى فيُخارُ

and springs of the earth, dried up at their source,

with no water to quench thirst, so strength fails;

وغيومُ أُفقٍ لا يَزالُ يَكُدُّها

عَصفُ الرياحِ وما بها أَمطارُ

and clouds on the horizon, ceaselessly harried

by raging winds, though they hold no rain.

أَلمفسدونَ العائثونَ المُلتَوُو

نَ الآبقونَ العُصبةُ الفُجَّارُ

The corrupters, the ravagers, the crooked,

the fugitives, the wicked band;

الكافرونَ الجاحدونَ الغادرو

نَ الكاتمون الحقَّ وَهوَ جهارُ

the unbelievers, the deniers, the treacherous,

those who conceal the truth although it is manifest;

الجاعلون النورَ فيهم ظُلمةً

ومُصيِّرونَ الحُلوَ فيهِ مرارُ

those who make the light within them darkness,

and turn sweetness there to bitterness;

الماسكونَ الحقَّ ظُلماً في دُجَى

صمتٍ وكلٌّ ناطقٌ مِهذارُ

those who wrongfully hold the truth in the darkness

of silence, though each is a babbling talker.

أَمسَوا وعِندَهم الفضيلةُ فَضلةٌ

والصِدقُ كِذبٌ واليمينُ يَسارُ

For them, virtue has become a mere leftover,

truth falsehood, and right left.

قد أَيَّدوا دِينَ المَجُوسِ بجعلِ تلكَ

النارِ نورَ الحقِّ وَهيَ أُوارُ

They have upheld the religion of the Magi by making that

fire the light of truth, though it is blazing heat.

فهمُ المَوابِذةُ الذين الهُهم

نارٌ ذُبالٌ دونَها وعَفارُ

They are the Magian priests, whose god

is fire, with wicks and ʿafār wood beneath it.

عُميُ البصيرةِ ما لهم بَصَرٌ وهل

بعدَ البصائر تنفعُ الأَبصارُ

Blind in insight, they have no sight; and can

eyesight help when insight is lost?

خِيلوا كحملانٍ أَتَتكَ وديعةً

مرأى وهم في خُبرهم أَسوارُ

They seemed like lambs that came to you meek

in appearance, though in their true nature they are warriors.

ما فيهمِ الا جهولٌ طائشٌ

متغطرسٌ متكِّبرٌ غَدَّارُ

Among them there is only a reckless ignoramus,

haughty, arrogant, treacherous.

لا بدعَ ان ضلُّوا لِأَنَّ إِمامَهم

بالكُفر سِيمُنُ ذلكَ السَحَّارُ

No wonder they strayed, for their leader

in unbelief is Simon, that sorcerer.

سارينَ في إِثرِ الضَلالِ لأَنَّهم

بالوَرقِ تُؤخَذُ منهمُ الأَسرارُ

Following in error's footsteps, for

one obtains the sacraments from them for silver.

أَسَروا البنينَ بظُلمهم فابتاعهم

نَخَّاسُهم منهم وهم أَحرارُ

They took the sons captive unjustly, and they were bought

by their slave dealer, from them, though they were free.

واستعبدوهم حقَّ شرِّ رِعايةٍ

عاثُوا بها وعلى الرعيَّةِ جاروا

They enslaved them with truly the worst shepherding,

ravaging through it and oppressing the flock.

هذي الثِمارُ فما تُرَى أَغصانُها

والغُصن تُظهِرُ نوعَهُ الأَثمارُ

These are the fruits; what, then, must their branches be?

A branch's kind is revealed by its fruit.

لَهُم نفوسٌ مُخصِباتٌ بالأَذَى

لكن من فعلِ الجميلِ قِفارُ

They have souls fertile in harm,

but barren of doing good.

فَهُمُ قَتادٌ ما جُني إِلَّا جُنِي

منهُ الجِنايةُ ثُمَّتَ الأَوزارُ

They are thornbushes: whenever gathered, there is gathered

from them wrongdoing, and then burdens of sin.

سِيماؤُهم ظُلمُ القريبِ وشأنهم

فرطُ الأَذَى والشؤم والإِضرارُ

Their mark is wronging their neighbor; their way

is excess of harm, ill omen, and injury.

كَمَنوا لصِدِّيقِ الإِلهِ وأُنشِبَت

منهم بهِ الأَنيابُ والأَظفارُ

They lay in wait for God's righteous one; into him were driven

their fangs and claws.

لا بُدَّ ما يَقَعونَ في الفَخّ الذي

نَصَبوهُ لو نحوَ الفراقدِ طاروا

They must inevitably fall into the snare

they set, even if they fly toward the Farqad stars.

وسيُوهَقونَ بشرّ مَقنِصةٍ ولو

فوقَ السِماكِ عَلَت لهم أَوكارُ

They will be ensnared in the worst trap, even if

their nests rise above al-Simak.

ويُجاوِرونَ الرَمسَ لو أَن في عُلَى ال

جَوزاءِ قد رُفِعَت لهم أَوجارُ

They will lie beside the grave, even if high in

al-Jawza their lairs have been raised.

ويَبِينُ كلٌّ صاغراً ذي الدار لو

بُنِيَت لهُ فوقَ المَجَرَّةِ دارُ

Each will depart this abode, humbled, even if

a house is built for him above the Milky Way.

إِن طائِعاً أو كارهاً يُردى ولو

أَن صانَهُ العَيُّوق والجَبَّارُ

Willing or unwilling, he shall perish, even if

al-Ayyuq and al-Jabbar protect him.

فالدهرُ مَيدانُ الحيوةِ ولم تَزَل

في شَوطِهِ تَتَسابَقُ الأَعمارُ

Time is life's arena, and still

lifespans race along its course.

كادت مَخازِيهم تُمِيتُهُمُ وإِن

يَحيَوا فما يَنجابُ عنهم عارُ

Their disgraces have nearly killed them; even

if they live, shame never lifts from them.

لو عاشتِ الشمسُ المُنِيرةُ بينهم

لعرا سَناها ظُلمةٌ وسَرارُ

If the luminous sun lived among them,

darkness and obscurity would beset its brilliance.

ولَوِ الثُرَيَّا جاوَرَتهم ساعةً

لَغَشِي محاسنَها لذاك شَنارُ

And if the Pleiades dwelt beside them for an hour,

disgrace would thereby overspread their beauty.

تَباً لهم ما صُنعُهم يوماً بهِ

تَجري إِزاءَ العرشِ تلك النارُ

Ruin upon them! What will they do on the day when

that fire flows before the Throne?

يوماً يوافي ربُّهم مُتَسنِّماً

سُحُبَ السماءِ وحولَهُ الأَنصارُ

The day their Lord comes, riding

the clouds of heaven, his supporters around him:

بدرٌ لهُ الأَبكار والأَطهارُ ها

لاتٌ كذا الأبرارُ والأخيارُ

a full moon whose haloes are virgins and the pure,

as well as the righteous and the good.

وأَمامَهم وَوَراءَهم من كل

طُغمات الملائك حَجفَلٌ جَرَّارُ

And before them and behind them, from all

the angelic ranks, a vast marching host.

يوماً يَحُولُ البدرُ فيهِ إلى دمٍ

والشمسُ تُظلِمُ والنَهارُ يَهارُ

A day when the full moon turns to blood,

and the sun grows dark, and day collapses.

ويَكِفُّ عن دوَرانِهِ الفَلَكُ المُدا

رُ ويستقرُّ الكوكبُ السَيَّارُ

And the revolving sphere ceases its rotation,

and the wandering star comes to rest.

يوماً يُنادي اللَُه نحوَ عُداتِهِ

عِنّي ابعُدوا يا أيُّها الأَشرارُ

A day when God calls to his enemies:

“Depart from me, O wicked ones,

حيثُ البُكا والندبُ والحَسَراتُ وال

حَشَراتُ والأَقذاءُ والأَقذارُ

where there are weeping, lamentation, regrets, and

vermin, refuse, and filth.

ولِجُوا حِمَى قايينَ رأسِ المُبدِعينَ

وبِكرِ مَن بِنفاقِهِ قد ساروا

Enter the domain of Cain, chief of the innovators,

and firstborn of those who followed his hypocrisy:

فوتي وبالأماس والزُمَر التي

من حِزبهم فيكم لها آثارُ

Photi and Balaamas, and the bands

of their party whose traces remain among you.

أَلا فادخُلوها آئسينَ لِأَنَّكم

سيماكمُ الإِصرارُ والإِضرارُ

Come, enter it without hope, for

your mark is obstinacy and harm.

وعَمُوا ظلاماً وانعَمُوا فيها اضطِلا

ماً مستمراً ليسَ فيهِ غيارُ

Enjoy darkness, and delight there in burning

unceasing, with no change.

واستوطِنوها يا لَها ابديَّةً

لم يَفنَ فيها مدمعٌ مِدرارُ

Make it your home—ah, an eternity!

There, no copious stream of tears ever runs dry.

فلَقد عَقَقتم نائِبي الهامَ الذي

تعنوا إلى طاعاتهِ الأَقطارُ

For you disobeyed my mighty deputy, to whom

all lands bow in obedience.

وكذاكَ انكرتم خليفتَهُ لِأَن

قد عاد نُكراً ذلكَ الإِنكارُ

And likewise you denied his successor, for

that denial has become an abomination.”

رأسُ الكنيسةِ والرئيسُ الأَرأَسُ ال

أَسُّ الصَفا والمُصطَفَى المختارُ

Head of the Church, the supreme chief, the

foundation, the rock, the chosen, the elect;

خيرُ الأَيمَّةِ والإِمامُ العامُ وال

حِبرُ الذي من دونهِ الأَحبارُ

best of leaders, the universal leader, and the

pontiff, beneath whom stand the other pontiffs;

حاوي المفاتيح التي مرموزُها

حُكمٌ طليقٌ ما عليهِ حِصارُ

holder of the keys, whose symbolic meaning

is unfettered authority, subject to no constraint.

قامت خِلافتُهُ بروميَةَ التي

دانت لها من أجلها الأَعصارُ

His succession was established in Rome, to which

the ages submitted because of that succession.

كَمَلَت شهادتُهُ بها فتكاملت

فيها بمَشهَدهِ لها الأَخطارُ

His martyrdom was fulfilled there; thus were perfected

its high honors there through his shrine.

صُن يا رسولَ اللَهِ شعباً حافظاً

طاعاتهِ لكَ أَيُّها المِغيارُ

Protect, O apostle of God, a people that maintains

its obedience to you, O zealous one.

وارجِع سِهامَ عُداتِهِ لقلوبهم

حتى يَعُدنَ وما لَهُنَّ حيارُ

Turn its enemies' arrows back toward their hearts,

until they return, with no turning back.

فلقد أَثاروا بالمَكامنِ نحوهُ

حرباً لها في الخافقَينِ شِرارُ

For they have stirred against it, from ambush,

a war whose sparks fly east and west.

فلكَ السلامُ على المَدَى ما نَسَّمَت

ريحُ الصَبا وتغنَّت الأَطيارُ

Peace be upon you forever, as long as there breathes

the east wind, and birds sing;

وعلى كنيستك المُجاهدةِ الوثيقِ

حِفاظُها ما كرَّت الأَعصارُ

and upon your militant Church, steadfast

in its fidelity, as long as the ages recur;

وعلى البتول البكرِ مريمَ فخرِنا

ما قابلَت دَرَّ الحيا الأَزهارُ

and upon the virgin maiden Mary, our pride,

as long as blossoms greet the outpouring of rain.