أَضرَّ بغادةٍ هيفاءَ رود
طوىً بحياتِها قَدْ كادَ يودي
The grievous war brought misery to Bughada's fair maid,
Nearly destroying her life completely.
فباتتْ تحتَ جنحِ الليلِ تذري
من الآماقِ كالدرِّ النضيد
At night she weeps bitterly
Like scattered pearls, from the depths of her pain.
وتندبُ من يعول بها بصوتٍ
يلين لسمعهِ القلب الحديدي
She laments to whoever will listen, in a voice
That softens even the iron heart.
وزاد شجونَها إِعوالُ طفلٍ
لها داني العهودِ مِنَ المهود
Her anguish grew with her suckling babe
Who had known her bosom since his birth.
خوتْ أَحشاؤه مما يقاسي
بعادي الجوعِ من أَلمٍ شديد
His gut writhed with the agony
Of terrible, gnawing hunger.
فضمتَّه تعلِّله وَأَمستْ
لظى أَحشائها ذات الوقود
She held him close to comfort him, and her breasts
Became like firewood furnaces.
وَلما ذَرَّ قرنُ الشمسِ أَنشا
يطالبها بإِنجازِ الوعود
When the light of dawn pressed her
To fulfill her promises,
فظلتْ في خواطر مزعجاتٍ
يضيقُ بوصفها صدرُ القصيد
She lingered anxiously, with thoughts
Too narrow for poetry to contain.
أَأَهرق ماءَ وَجهي في سؤالٍ
وَما في الحيِّ من رجلٍ رشيد
Shall I beg, tears staining my face, from someone
With no honor or wisdom?
أَم اهتك عفةً بسبيلِ قوتٍ
إِذاً إني لفي غيٍّ بعيد
Or compromise my virtue for food,
Wandering astray?
وَما عندي من الأَموالِ شيءٌ
سواءً من طريفٍ أَو تليد
I have no money, neither new nor old coin,
And no help from my aunt.
وَإِنْ يك ليس بدّ من سؤالٍ
فما عن خالتي لي من محيد
She rose, limbs shaking, barely able to walk,
And grudgingly gave her a trifling sum.
فقامتْ ترجفُ الأوصالُ منها
وَقد عجزتْ عن المشيِ الوثيد
She wrote her a promissory note, with four witnesses,
To be paid back in days.
وَأَمَّنها عَلَى كرهٍ وَآبتْ
بنزْرٍ من دراهما زهيد
She brought the news to her starving son,
Sweet as honey on his tongue.
وَقد كتبتْ لها صكاً بِدَيْنٍ
لأَيام بأَربعةٍ شهود
When the debt came due, drawing close
As a noose tightens on the neck,
وَعادتْ لابنها الطاوي بخبرْ
يلذّ أَمامَه طعمُ الهبيد
Her savings were gone, which she had used
To sustain her strong child,
وَلما بات دفعُ الدَيْنِ أَدنى
وَقيت الدين من حبلِ الوريد
And of what she borrowed, only a hundred
Of the new coins remained.
وَقَدْ نفِد الذي ادخرتْ وَكانت
تقيم ببعضِه صلب الوليد
She went to the market and bought with the rest
A loaded pistol, eager for blood.
وَلمّا يبق مما استقرضته
سوى مائةٍ من المال الجديد
She shut the windows, steeled herself,
To erase her soul from existence.
غدتْ للسوقِ وابتاعت ببقيا ال
فلوسِ مسدساً واري الزنود
The child rushed to her, terrified,
His lids marked by years of prostration.
وَأوصدتِ النوافذَ ثم همَّتْ
بمحوِ النفسِ من طرسِ الوجود
Had you but seen him clinging and crying
Like cool pearls streaming down her.
فقام الطفلُ مذعوراً إليها
وَفي أَجفانِه سنةُ الهجود
She kissed him farewell three times
On cheek, gaze, and brow,
فلو تر إِذْ تعلَّقَ وَهو يذري
شَبيهَ الدرِّ منها بالبرود
Saying: Though I act now to end the disgrace
Inscribed through the years,
تقبله مودعةً ثلاثاً
فمن خدٍ وَناظرةٍ وَجيد
I've entrusted you to the Lord, for deposits
Are safe with the Trustworthy.
تقول لئنْ سأُقضي خوفَ عارٍ
يسجله الطوى أَبدَ الأَبيد
She brought her pistol to her brow,
On which prayers were etched.
قَدِ استودعتك المولى وَليستْ
تضيع وَدائعٌ عند الودود
It was done as she said, without question,
For the martyr's death is sublime.
وَأَدنتْ مِنْ مسدسِها جبيناً
تلوحُ عليه آياتُ السجود
My heart melts for you, though it be
Of granite rock or hardened steel.
وتمَّ الأَمرُ وهي تقول دون ال
سؤالِ وذلّه موتُ الشهيد
لذاب القلبُ منك وإنْ يكنْ من
صليبِ الصخرِ أَو قاسي الحديد
