أَحَبَّ إِلَهٌ في صِباهُ إِلاهَةً
جَرى السِحرُ في أَعطافِها وَالتَرائِبِ
A god, in his youth, fell in love with a goddess,
In whose curves and bosom magic flowed.
تَمَنَّت عَلَيهِ آيَةً لَم يَجِئ بِها
إِلَهٌ سِواهُ في العُصورِ الذَواهِبِ
She requested of him a miracle never produced
By any other god in the ages past,
لِيُمسي عَلى الأَربابِ أَجمَعَ سَيِّداً
وَتُمسي تُباهي كُلَّ ذاتِ ذَوائِبِ
That he might become the master of all lords,
And she might boast above all those with flowing locks.
وَكانَ إِلَهاً جامِحاً مُتَضَرِّماً
هَوىً فَأَتى بِالمُعجِزاتِ الغَرائِبِ
He was an untamed god, burning
With passion, so he brought forth wondrous miracles.
كَسا الأَرضَ بِالزَهرِ البَديعِ لِأَجلِها
وَرَصَّعَ آفاقَ السَما بِالكَواكِبِ
He clothed the earth in exquisite blossoms for her sake,
And studded the sky’s horizons with stars.
وَمازالَ حَتّى عَلَّمَ الطَيرَ ما الهَوى
فَحَنَّت وَغَنَّت في الذُرى وَالمَناكِبِ
He persisted until he taught the birds the meaning of love,
So they longed and sang upon the peaks and highlands.
وَأَنشَأَ جَنّاتٍ وَأَجرى جَداوِلاً
وَمَدَّ المُروجَ الخُضرَ في كُلِّ جانِبِ
He created gardens and made brooks flow,
And spread green meadows in every direction.
وَشاءَ فَشاعَ العِطرُ في الماءِ وَالضِيا
وَفي كُلِّ صَوتٍ أَو صَدىً مُتَجاوِبِ
He willed, and fragrance diffused through water and light,
And into every voice or answering echo.
وَمَسَّ الضُحى فَاِرفَضَّ تِبراً عَلى الرُبى
وَسالَ عَقيقاً في حَواشي السَباسِبِ
He touched the morning light, and it scattered as gold dust upon the hills,
And flowed like carnelian at the deserts’ edges.
وَقالَ لِأَحلامِ البِحارِ تَجَسَّدي
مَواكِبَ أَلوانٍ وَجَيشَ عَجائِبِ
And he commanded the dreams of the seas: "Incarnate yourselves
As processions of colors and an army of wonders."
فَكانَت لَآلٍ في الشُطوطِ وَفي الفَضا
غُيومٌ وَمَوجٌ ضاحِكٌ في الغَوارِبِ
So there were pearls upon the shores, and in the expanse
Were clouds, and laughing waves upon the crests.
وَلَمّا رَأى الأَشياءَ أَحسَنَ ما تُرى
وَتَمَّت لَهُ دُنيا بِغَيرِ مَعايِبِ
And when he saw things in their fairest form,
And a world without blemish was perfected for him,
دَعاها إِلَيهِ كَي تُبارِكَ صُنعَهُ
وَلَم يَدرِ أَنَّ الحُبَّ جَمُّ المَطالِبِ
He summoned her to bless his creation,
Not knowing that love is ever-demanding.
فَقالَت لَهُ أَحسَنتَ أَحسَنتَ مُبدِعاً
فَيا لَكَ رَبّاً عَبقَرِيَّ المَواهِبِ
She said to him: "You have done well, excellently, O Creator!
What a lord you are, of genius talents!"
وَلَكِنَّ لي أُمنِيَةً ما تَحَقَّقَت
إِذا لَم تُنِلنيها فَما أَنتَ صاحِبي
"Yet I have a wish that remains unfulfilled;
If you do not grant it to me, you are no companion of mine."
فَدُنياكَ هَذي عَلى حُسنِها
وَسِحرِ مَشاهِدِها وَالصُوَر
"For this world of yours, despite its beauty,
And the magic of its vistas and forms,"
تُشارِكُني سائِرُ الآلِهاتِ
لَذاذاتِها وَنِساءُ البَشَر
"The other goddesses share with me
Its delights, as do the women of mankind."
أُريدُ دُنيا فيها شُعاعٌ
يَبقى إِذا غابَتِ النُجوم
"I desire a world containing a radiance
That endures even when the stars fade."
أُريدُ دُنيا تُحِسُّ نَفسي
فيها نُفوساً بِلا جُسوم
"I desire a world where my soul can sense
Souls existing without bodies."
أُريدُ خَمراً بِلا كُؤوسٍ
مِن غَيرِ ما تُنبِتُ الكُروم
"I desire wine without cups,
Pressed not from what the vineyards grow."
أُريدُ عِطراً بِلا زُهورٍ
يَسري وَإِن لَم يَكُن نَسيم
"I desire fragrance without flowers,
That wafts even when there is no breeze."
وَزادَت فَقالَت أُريدُ أَنيناً
يُشَوِّشُ روحي وَلا مُحتَضَر
She added: "I desire a moan
That unsettles my spirit, without the presence of death."
وَماءً يَموجُ وَلا جَدوَلٌ
وَناراً بِلا حَطَبٍ تَستَعِر
"And rippling water where no stream flows,
And a fire blazing without firewood."
فَأَطرَقَ ذاكَ الإِلَهُ الفَتِيُّ
وَفي نَفسِهِ أَلَمٌ مُستَتِر
That young god bowed his head in thought,
While a hidden pain stirred within his soul.
وَقالَ اِمهِليني ثَلاثَ لَيالٍ
أُذَلِّلُ فيها المُرادَ العَسِر
He said: "Grant me a respite of three nights,
In which I shall conquer this difficult quest."
وَراحَ يَجوبُ رِحابَ الفَضاءِ
يَحدوهُ شَوقٌ وَيَدعوهُ سِر
He went roaming the vastness of space,
Driven by longing and summoned by a secret.
فَسالَ مَعَ الشَمسِ فَوقَ الرُبى
وَغَلغَلَ في الحِندِسِ المُعتَكِر
He flowed with the sun over the hills,
And penetrated the murky darkness.
وَأَصغى إِلى نَسَماتِ المُروجِ
وَأَصغى إِلى نَفَحاتِ الزَهَر
He listened to the breezes of the meadows,
And harkened to the breaths of the flowers.
وَبَعدَ ثَلاثِ لَيالٍ أَتاها
فَظَنَّتهُ جاءَ لِكَي يَعتَذِر
After three nights, he returned to her,
And she thought he had come to apologize.
فَقالَ وَجَدتُ الَّذي تَطلُبينَ
لَدى شاعِرٍ ساحِرٍ مُبتَكِر
He said: "I have found that which you seek,
With a magical, inventive poet."
وَأَخرَجَ خَيطاً قَصيرَ المَدى
بِلَونِ التُرابِ وَلينِ الشَعَر
And he produced a short length of string,
The color of earth and the softness of hair.
فَلَمّا رَأَتهُ عَراها الأَسى
وَغَوَّرَ إيمانِها وَاِندَثَر
When she saw it, dismay seized her,
And her faith withered and vanished.
فَصاحَت بِغَيظٍ أَتَسخَرُ مِنّي
إِذَن فَاِحمِلِ العارَ أَو فَاِنتَحِر
She cried out in rage: "Do you mock me?
Then bear the shame or take your own life!"
أَجابَ رُوَيدَكِ يا رَبَّتي
فَما في التَعَجُّلِ إِلّا الضَرَر
He answered: "Patience, my goddess,
For in haste lies only harm."
وَشَدَّ إِلى آلَةٍ خَيطَهُ
وَدَغدَغَهُ صامِتاً في حَذَر
He fastened his string to an instrument,
And plucked it silently, with caution.
فَفاضَت خُمورٌ وَسالَت دُموعٌ
وَشَعَّث بُروقٌ وَلاحَت صُوَر
Then wines overflowed and tears poured down,
Lightnings flashed and images appeared.
فَصاحَت بِهِ وَهيَ مَدهوشَةٌ
أَلا إِنَّ ذا عالَمٌ مُختَصَر
She cried out to him, struck with awe:
"Truly, this is a world in miniature!"
فَيا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ ماذا يُسَمّى
فَقالَ لَها إِنَّ هَذا الوَتَر
"Oh, would that I knew what this is called?"
He said to her: "This is the String."
