لَقَد كان شَيخٌ بالكرامةِ يُذكَرُ
يدقّ على عُودٍ فَيَسبي ويسحُرُ
There was once a revered old man renowned for his generosity
Who would play the oud, enchanting and beguiling all
وكان برغدِ العيشِ ينهَى ويأمُرُ
فَأخنى عَلَيهِ الدهرُ والدهرُ يغدرُ
In his comfortable life he would advise and command
But time betrayed him, for time is ever a traitor
وَخانَتهُ أيامٌ بُعَيد مشيبِ
فَحَارَبَ بالصّبرِ الجميلِ زمانَهُ
And days long past deceived him when his hair turned white
So he battled time with graceful patience
عسى أنَّ هذا الصّبرَ يُصلح شانَهُ
فلمّا ابتُلي بالوُلدِ عَضّ بَنانَهُ
Hoping this patience would set his affairs right
But when he was tested with the loss of his son, he gnashed his teeth in grief
وَفَارَقَهُ صَبرٌ لَدَيهِ وَخانَهُ
فأصبحَ مطرُوداً أسيرَ خطوبِ
And the patience he had deserted and betrayed him
So he became an outcast, captive to sorrows
فَخَلّى عن الدّنيَا وملّ عِبَادَها
وتاهَ بأرض اللهِ يطوي وهادَها
And he parted from this world, tired of its worship
Wandering in God's lands, traversing its valleys
فضاقَت بهِ الدّنيَا فذمّ ودادَها
ولمّا خَلا بالنفس رامَ رشادَها
The world felt too confining, so he blamed it and shunned its affection
And when alone with his soul, he sought to guide it saying:
فقال لها يا نفس ويحك ذوبي
فحِيناً تَرَى بينَ الجبالِ ظُهورَهُ
"Oh soul, woe to you, melt away"
Sometimes between the mountains you would see his silhouette
وتسمَع بالوِديانِ طَوراً زفيرَهُ
يجولُ وذاك العُودُ أضحى سميرَهُ
And hear his oud moaning through the valleys
Roaming as his oud became his bosom friend
رفيقاً لَهُ في النّائِبَاتِ مُجِيرَهُ
على صَدرِه قد ضَمّه كحبِيبِ
Comforting him in times of distress, sheltering him
Clasped to his chest like a beloved
فَجَاءَ إِلى نهرٍ لِيَجلِسَ مَرّةً
وينفي هموماً ضايقَته وحسرةُ
He came to a river to sit for a while
And relieve the anguish and regret overwhelming him
فلمّا رَأى ماءً وصَادفَ خُضرَةً
وضمّ إِلَيهِ العودَ أرسلَ عَبرَةً
When he saw the water and greenery before him
He drew the oud close and let flow a tear
وحنّ إِلى الماضي حنينَ غريبِ
وما زالَ تَذكارَ الشبابِ يُرَدِّدُ
Yearning for the past, a stranger's lament
Ceaselessly he recalled his youth
ويَذرفُ دَمعاً والحَشا تَتَوَقّدُ
يقولُ لِنَهرٍ ماؤهُ يَتَجَعّدُ
Shedding tears as memories sparked a blaze in his mind
Saying to the river whose water seethed and churned
سَلامٌ على نهرٍ غليلي يُبَرِّدُ
إِذا جئتُهُ أُنهي عناء كروبي
"Greetings O river, cool my agonies
Whenever I come to you, you relieve my troubles"
فلمّا انبَرى هذي الحَياةَ يودّعُ
ويَنحرُ نفساً طالَ منها توَجّعُ
As he bid farewell to this life
And sacrificed a soul long tormented
وأرسلَ طَرفاً باهتاً يَتَطَلَّعُ
فَشاهَدَ ما مِنهُ الحَشَا تَتَقَطّعُ
Sending a faded glance searching
He saw the trees before him fragmented in agony
وَيجزَعُ منهُ قلبُ كلّ رهيبِ
رَأى غَادةً حَسناءَ حارَ بأمرِها
And it shattered the heart of each terrified witness
He saw a beautiful gazelle confounded
تلاعبُ أذيال النّسيمِ بشعرِهَا
فَكَفٌّ على خَدٍّ وكَفٌّ بصَدرها
The breeze playing with her hair
One hand on her cheek, the other on her chest
وتَندُبُ كالخنساءِ فرقَةَ صَخرِها
وما من سمِيعٍ صوتها ومجيبِ
Mourning the loss of her companion like Al-Khansa
With none to hear her voice or answer her call
دنا الشيخُ منها وهوَ يَرثي جمالها
يخاطِبها نُصحاً لِيُنعمَ بالَها
The old man drew near her, lamenting her beauty
Speaking to counsel her, to delight in her daze
يسائلها لُطفاً لِتَشرَحَ حالَها
لَعَلّ هُمُوماً يَستطيعُ زوالَها
Asking gently about her state
Hoping he could somehow end her sorrows
فَتَبقى بعيش بالحياة خصيبِ
فقال لها هل أنتِ تائِهَةٌ هُنَا
And she might live a happy, fruitful life
He said "Are you lost here, weeping
وتَبكينَ من فَرطِ المَشَقّةِ والعنَا
علامَ علامَ ذا البكاء وذا الضنى
From overwhelming misery and hardship?
Why, why such tears and melancholy
بعيشك قولي هل تقطعت المُنى
وأنتِ كغصنٍ بالرّياض رَطيبِ
Tell me of your life, has your joy been severed?
You seem like a blossoming branch in the gardens"
فإن كان لا هل قد جفاك بصَدّه
حبيبٌ تَجَنّى في هوَاهُ وودّه
"Has a beloved shunned you in his passion and affection?
If he has broken his vow, have patience
لئن كان ذاكَ الخِلّ مان بوَعده
فصبراً على حكم الزمانِ وكَيده
With the ways of time and its cunning
Through patience, the state of the wise tastes sweet"
فبالصبر تحلو حالُ كل لبيبِ
ولا ترفضي من ذي الحياة سرورها
"Do not reject life's joys
Leave regret to the days of old age
وخلّي إِلى وقت المشيب ثبورها
أمَامك أيّامٌ حَذارِ غُرُورَها
You have days ahead - beware their deception
On which woes will etch their lines
تخُطّ عَلَيها النّائِباتُ سُطورَهَا
زمان لديه الموت خير طبيبِ
Time holds death, the best healer"
When she understood, the old man's heart burned brighter
فَهَمّت وقلبُ الشيخِ زادَ تَلهّبا
وَرَاحَ إِلى الحسنَاءِ يَبغي تَقَرّبا
And he drew closer to the beauty, seeking nearness
Stretching his hands to the maiden with propriety
ومَدّ يَديهِ للفَتَاةِ تأدّبا
وقال بصَوتِ المُستَجيرِ تَحَبّبَا
Saying in an imploring tone, wooing her:
"Answer my call, O angel, answer"
أجيبي ندائي يا ملاك أجيبي
فقالت وَدمعُ العينِ يجري بزَفرَة
She replied as tears flowed in torrents:
"O Sheikh, leave me now to my anguish
أيا شيخ دعني الآن أقضي بحسرة
فمن حادث الأيام أني بسكرَة
For by chance of fate, I am in Sukrah
Perhaps when I die, I will glimpse
لعلي إذا م امتّ أحظى بنَظرَة
هنالك ممن مات وهو نصيبي
My love, my fate in the hereafter"
"By God, I left behind my family and home
فَواللهِ قد خَلّفتُ أهلي ومنزلي
أرومُ انفصالَ النفس مني بمعزلِ
Seeking to free my soul in isolation
Alas, my love died yesterday, and I have nothing left
فَوَاهاً حبيبي ماتَ أمس وليس لي
سوَى حسرَتي من بعده وتذللي
Except my agony and humiliation after him
Oh, how I wish for death after my beloved"
فيا ما أُحَيلى الموتَ بعد حبيبي
وما برحت تشكو الزمانَ وما جرى
She continued lamenting the days and what they had wrought
Weeping and wailing as her heart blazed
وتَبكي انتحاباً والفؤادُ تَسَعّرا
فيا ليتَ عَنها ما سمعتَ ولن تَرى
Oh, that you had not heard or seen
Her weeping, as the sheikh looked on bewildered
بكاها وذاك الشيخ فيها تحيّرَا
وأحشاؤه ذابت بحرّ لهيبِ
His being melted by the searing flames
When he called her to acceptance of the ordained fate
فَلَمّا دعاها للمَسنونِ المُقَدَّرُ
رَمَت نفسَها في النَهرِ والشيخُ ينظرُ
She flung herself into the river as the sheikh watched
And her last words were "I die absolved and pardoned
وآخِرُ ما قالت أموتُ وأُعذَرُ
عسى الله يعفو عن فعالي ويغفرُ
I hope God forgives my deeds and grants me grace
And pardons one like me, erasing my sins"
ويصفحُ عن مثلي ويمحو ذنوبي
هيَ النفسُ إن مَلّت وزادَ عَناؤها
When the soul despairs and its torment intensifies
Triumphing over the joys of life and its misery
وفازَ على طيبِ الحَياةِ شَقاؤهَا
يقولُ على الدنيَا السلام رَجاؤها
It bids the world farewell, renouncing all hope in it
Just as that sheikh's soul found consolation unbearable
كذا نفس ذاك الشيخ عزّ عزاؤها
فوَدّعَ عوداً قائلاً بنحيبِ
And bid farewell to his oud, crying:
"O solace of sorrows, in you troubles smoldered,
أيا سَلوَةَ الأحزانِ فيها تَوَلَّعَت
عَواطفُ أهل العشق حين تضعضعت
The passions of lovers stirred and crumbled
Without you my hopes of old would have been severed
فَلَولاك آمالي قديماً تَقَطّعَت
فكم راحةٍ لي فيك منك توسّعَت
So much comfort you brought when you embraced me
And you so often told my woeful soul: be soothed"
وكم قلتَ للنفس الحزينة طيبي
فأنت الذي يَبكي بغير دموعِهِ
"You who wept without tears
Yearning, love's tranquility warmed your core
حُنُوَاً وسكنى الحبّ طيّ ضلوعه
فكم نحتَ مُشتاقاً قضى بولوعِهِ
How many times you carved the longing of one consumed by passion
A melancholy soul lost in desire and submission
حزيناً تَفانى في الهَوى بخضوعهِ
بلحنٍ هواه العاشقون مذيبِ
In a melody that mesmerized the lovers"
"My companion in my isolation and estrangement
ويا مُؤنسي بعد انفرادي وغربتي
لقد كنتَ في الضّراءِ فارجَ كربتي
You were my relief in times of distress
You were my only desire, not apart from you
ولم تكُ إِلاّ فيك لا عنك رغبتي
فأنت مقيمٌ في حضُوري وغَيبَتي
Ever present whether I was with you or apart
In a heart open until the day of resurrection"
بصَدرٍ إِلى يوم النشور رحيبِ
عسى الريح إن هَبّت تمِيلُ وتعطفُ
"May the breeze blow and sway and bend
To strum your strings and make them tremble
وتحتكّ بالأوتارِ منكَ فترجُفُ
فيسري حنينٌ بالهَواءِ ويلطُفُ
So a longing spreads through the air sweetly
And touches my spirit in the sky, befriending it
ويلمسُ روحي في الفضاءِ ويألفُ
فسوفَ تطيرُ الريحُ عما قريبِ
And the wind will carry what is near"
"O feather that dictates the feelings of the heart
ويا ريشَةٌ تُملي معاني شعورها
فتجلو لنَا الأوتارُ ما في ضميرِهَا
Bringing the strings to life, revealing their secrets
Uncovering the essence of love in every line
ويُظهر معنى الحبّ ما في سطورها
وما أخفَتِ الرّنّاتُ عند مسيرها
And what the melodies concealed in their course
Farewell, in the morn and eve's dusk"
عليك سلامٌ في الضحى وغروبِ
وجادَت دموعُ الشيخِ تهمي بسكبها
"And how your tears flowed copiously
As the world felt too small however vast
وضاقَت به الدنيا بواسع رحبِها
فألقى بنَفسٍ تَبتَغي عَفوَ ربّها
He cast off a soul seeking its Lord's pardon
Wandering in yearning toward the axis of its pole
تهيمُ اشتياقاً نحو مركزِ قطبِها
وقلبٍ إِلى دارِ البقاءِ طروبِ
A heart bound for the abode of eternity and bliss"
