رأينا عجيبا والزمان عجيب — Alarjani

رأينا عجيباً والزّمانُ عجيبُ

رجالاً ولكنْ مالَهُنَ قلوبُ

We saw a marvel, and the age is strange:

men, yet they have no hearts.

تَماثيلُ في صَخْرٍ نَحيتٍ كأنّها

بنو زمنٍ لم يُلفَ فيه أريب

Figures in carved stone, as though they were

sons of an age in which no discerning man was found.

نَزْلنا وُفوداً في حِماها ولم يكن

لنا من قِراها في الوفود نَصيب

We lodged as a visiting company within their precinct, but there was

no share of their hospitality for us among the visitors.

وَمَنْ يكُ مُلْقَى رَحْلِهِ عند سُوقةٍ

له وَرِقٌ للزّائرينَ رطيب

And whoever sets his baggage down with a commoner

finds fresh foliage for visitors;

فنحن لدى كِسرى أبَرويزَ غُدوةً

نُزولٌ ولكنّ الفِناءَ جَديب

yet we were with Kisra Abarwiz one morning,

lodged as guests, but the courtyard was barren,

بظاهرِ قَرميسينَ والرَّكبُ مُحدقٌ

حَوالَيْهِ فيهم جَيئةٌ وذهُوب

outside Qarmisin, with the riding company gathered

around him, some coming and others going,

لدى مَلِكِ من آلِ ساسانَ ماجدٍ

وَقورٍ عليه التّاجُ وهْو مَهيب

before a noble king of the house of Sasan,

dignified, crowned, and awe-inspiring.

وقد ظَلّ بينَ المُوبذان مكانَه

وشِيرينَ للأبصارِ وهْو قريب

He has remained in his place between the Mobadhan

and Shirin, plainly visible and close at hand,

مكانَ المُناجي من خليلَيْهِ واقفاً

وإن عّزَّ منهم سامعٌ ومجيب

standing like one speaking privately with his two companions,

though a listener or respondent among them is hard to find.

يرُونَكَ من تحتِ الحوادثِ أَوجُهاً

بها من تصاريف الزمان شُحوب

They show you, beneath the blows of fate, faces

pale from the vicissitudes of time.

وقاموا على الأقدامِ لا يَعتَريهمُ

مَدى الدهرِ من طول القيام لُغوب

They stood upon their feet, untouched

throughout the ages by weariness from standing so long.

عليهم ثيابٌ لَسْنَ مُجتابَ لابسٍ

ولكنْ من الصَخْر الأصَمِّ مَجوب

Upon them are garments no wearer has donned,

but hewn instead from unyielding stone.

تُعُجِّبَ منها كيف جُرَّ لِمثْلها

ذيولٌ لهم أم كيفَ زُرَّ جُيوب

One marvels at them: how, for their like, were

hems made to trail for them, or neck openings buttoned?

وقد شَخَصتْ للناظِرين بَوادياً

صُدورٌ لهم من تحتها وجنُوب

Plainly visible to observers, there stand revealed

their chests and flanks beneath those garments,

كما تَصِفُ الأعضاءَ يوماً غلائلٌ

إذا كان فيها للرياحِ هُبوب

as thin tunics outline the limbs at times

when winds blow through them.

ومن تحته شَبْديزُ ناصِبُ جِيدهِ

ومُنتَفِضٌ في الوجهِ منه سَبيب

Beneath him is Shabdiz, his neck held high,

his forelock tossing across his face,

ومُسبَلُ ضافٍ بين حاذَيْهِ مُرسَلٌ

له خُصَلٌ مالتْ به وعَسيب

and a long, full tail hanging loose between his haunches,

with locks that bend it, and a tailbone.

ثنى سُنْبُكاً منه عنِ الأرض صافناً

وهيهاتَ منه أن يكونَ خبيب

He draws one hoof off the ground, standing poised,

but how far he is from ever trotting!

تُؤُمّلَ منه كيف نسْجُ حِزامه

فيَصعَدُ فيه ناظِرٌ ويَصوب

One studies how his girth is woven,

the viewer's gaze rising and falling along it.

وقد بان حتّى عِرقُه تحت جِلْدهِ

وإن لم تَبِنْ في صَفْحَتْيهِ نُدوب

Even his vein stands out beneath his skin,

although no scars appear on his flanks.

تَرى كلَّ عُضْوٍ منه أُكملَ صُنعْهُ

فلا شيءَ إلاّ الروحَ منه تَغيب

You see each limb of his made to perfection;

nothing is missing from him but the soul.

وفارِسُه شاكي السلاحِ مُدَرَّعٌ

على الأرضِ للرُمْحِ الأصحِّ سَحوب

His rider is fully armed and clad in armor,

dragging his sturdy spear along the ground.

يُخَيّلُ للرائي زمانُ حياته

فيَعلَقُ منه بالفؤادِ وَجيب

His living days are conjured before the viewer,

and a throbbing grips the heart because of him.

ومِن حَوْله من كلِّ ما اللهُ خالقٌ

تَماثيلُ ما في نَحْتِهنَّ عُيوب

Around him, of everything that God creates,

are figures with no faults in their carving:

سَماءٌ ذُراها بالنجومِ مُنيرةٌ

وأرضٌ ثَراها بالرِياضِ خَصيب

a sky whose heights are lit with stars,

and an earth whose soil is fertile with gardens;

ومُقتَنَصٌ فيه الجوارحُ سُرَّبٌ

تَطير وتَعدو والوحوشُ سُروب

and a hunting ground, its hunting creatures in bands,

flying and running, and its wild beasts in herds;

ومن كلِّ أَنواع الأنامِ مُصوَّرٌ

شبَابٌ وشُمْطٌ يَمرحونَ وشِيب

and figures of every kind of humankind:

youths, graying men, and the white-haired, all frolicking;

ومَجلسُ أُنْسٍ يُفْسِحُ الطَرفَ مِلْؤه

قيانٌ تُغنِّي وَسْطَهُ وشُروب

and a convivial gathering, its throng giving the eye room to roam,

slave songstresses singing in its midst, and drinkers;

وصَرْعَى وقَتْلَى في قتالِ عساكرٍ

تَحولُ حصونٌ دُونَهم ودُروب

and fallen men and slain men in the fighting of armies,

with fortresses and passes standing in their way.

فمِن جانبٍ أَضحتْ تُصَبُّ مُدامةٌ

ومن جانبٍ أَضحَتْ تُشَبُّ حروب

On one side wine is poured,

and on another wars are kindled.

خَليطانِ هذا للقراعِ مُعَبَسٌ

يَصولُ وهذا للسّماع طَروب

Two companions: one scowls for the clash of arms

and charges; the other is enraptured by music.

وقد حققَّوا التصويرَ حتّى وجوهُهم

يَبينُ لنا بِشْرٌ بها وقُطوب

They perfected the portrayal until even their faces

show us cheerfulness and frowns.

وكلٌّ يُعاني شُغْلَه غيرَ أنّه

على فَمِه دونَ الكلام رَقيب

Each is occupied with his task, except that

a watchman guards his mouth against speech.

مَلاعبُ فيها المَلْكُ رامٍ بطَرْفِه

وكلُّ ابْنِ دُنْيا إن نَظرْتَ لعوب

Playgrounds where the king casts his gaze—

and every child of this world, if you look, is a player.

وعاشوا طويلاً ثُمَّ فّرَّقَ شَمْلَهم

زَمانٌ أكولٌ للأنامِ شَروب

They lived long; then their fellowship was scattered by

time, a ravenous eater and drinker of humankind.

فلولا مَكانُ الدِينِ قَلَّ لفَقدِهم

بُكاءٌ لنا في إثْرهم ونَحيب

But for religion's standing, too little to mourn their loss

would be our weeping and wailing in their wake.

مُلوك أقاموا ما أقاموا أعزّةً

وقد شعَبتْهم بعد ذاكَ شَعوب

Kings who lived in might for as long as they lived,

then Death scattered them afterward.

وُخيّل للرّائي ليذكُرَ عهْدَهم

خيالٌ لعمري إن رأيتَ عجيب

For the viewer, to recall their days, there was conjured

a likeness—by my life, wondrous if you see it!

خيالٌ لهم يُهْدَى إلى كُلِّ أُمَةٍ

لقصْد اعتبارٍ إن رآه لَبيب

A likeness of them, presented to every nation,

to prompt reflection, if a discerning person sees it.

وما هو بالطّاوي السُّهوب وإنّما

لكي يُجتلَى تُطوىَ إليه سُهوب

It does not traverse the plains; rather,

plains are crossed to reach it, that it may be beheld.

سَيبْقَى ويَفْنَى الناظِرون وتنقضي

قبائلُ حتّى ينقضي وشعوب

It will remain while its viewers perish, and vanish

tribes and peoples, until it too vanishes.

ولا بُدّ يوماً من فَناءٍ مُقَدّرٍ

سَنُدْعَى إليه دَعوةً فَنُجيب

One day, inevitably, comes an appointed end;

we shall be called to it, and we shall answer.

أُحِبُّكَ يا كسرى لعدْلك وحدَه

ودينُكَ مَشنوءٌ إلى مَعيب

I love you, Kisra, for your justice alone;

but your religion is hateful to me and blameworthy.

ومَعْبودُكم نارٌ ومَورِدُكم غداً

فسوفَ تَرَى العُبّادَ كيف تُنيب

Fire is your object of worship and your destination tomorrow;

then you will see how the worshippers repent.

ونحن سَبقْنا الأعجَميِنَ بمُلكها

وما كان منهم للبلادِ وثُوب

We ruled it before the non-Arabs,

before they had made any onslaught on the land.

بَدأنا وعُدْنا فانتزَعْناهُ ثانياً

فللمُلْكِ فينا سابِقٌ وجَنيب

We began, then returned and seized it a second time;

so kingship has among us a leading steed and a led horse.

مُلوكٌ من العُرْب الكرامِ إذا انتموا

تَبلّجَ منهم مالِكٌ وعَريب

Kings of the noble Arabs: when they trace their descent,

Malik and Arib shine forth among them.

وما في بنى ماءِ السماء أُشابَةٌ

تُعَدُّ وهل ماءُ السّماءِ مَشوب

Among the sons of Ma’ al-Sama’ there is no admixture

to be reckoned—and can heaven's water be adulterated?

فلاحظْ غداةَ الافتخارِ نصابَنا

أمن مثلِه للأعجَمين نَصيب

So, on the morning of boasting, consider our stock:

have the non-Arabs any share in its like?

هُمُ عَمروا الدُنيا ولادين عندهم

زماناً وإهمال الديانة حوب

They made the world flourish, with no religion among them,

for a time—and neglecting religion is a sin.

ونحن عمرنا الدين أوَّل ما بدا

ولم تكُ دُنْيا للرِّجالِ خَلوب

We made religion flourish when first it appeared,

and worldly life did not beguile men.

وذا زَمَنٌ ما منهما فيه عامرٌ

فصْبراً وغيَري يا أُميمَ كذوب

This is an age in which neither of the two flourishes;

so patience, Umaym! Anyone but me is a liar.

فإن ساءنا ذا الأمرُ إذ هو مُبْهَجٌ

فقد سَرَّنا ما شئْت وهْو قَشيب

If this affair has saddened us while it is joyous,

it has delighted us as much as you could wish, while still fresh.

عسى زمنٌ يثْنِي لنا العِطفَ مُنجِبٌ

فما في بني هذا الزّمانِ نَجيب

Perhaps an age that turns kindly toward us will beget noble sons,

for among this age's sons there is no noble man.

تَناهى بيَ الإيحاشُ منهم فكلُّهم

وإن أظهر الودَّ الكثير مُريب

My alienation from them has reached its height, for each of them,

however much affection he displays, is suspect.

وآنَسني نَحتٌ من الصْخرِ ماثلٌ

مُقيمٌ عن الأبصار ليس يَغيب

And a standing carving of stone has kept me company,

abiding there, never disappearing from sight.

عَديمُ الأذى طَبْعاً ولا عيشَ للفتى

بقُرْبِ امرىءٍ يُخشَى أذاه يَطيب

Harmless by nature; no young man's life

is pleasant near someone whose harm is feared.

غَدا قائماً يَقري الرّجالَ تأسّياً

إذا ضافَه نائي الدّيارِ غَريب

He stands, serving men consolation as hospitality,

whenever a stranger far from home comes as his guest.

فلولا الذي خلْفَ النّوى من علائقٍ

أقمتُ لديه ما أقام عَسيب

But for the ties that lie beyond the distance,

I would remain beside him as long as Asib remains.

وهل مُنْكِرٌ إن كان بالنّاس قاسه

أخو نَظْرةٍ يرْمي بها فَيُصيب

Could anyone deny it, if he compared him with people—

a man of insight who aims his glance and strikes true?

وأبناءُ هذا العصرِ أيضاً جلامدٌ

تُريك جسوماً مالهنَّ قلوب

The sons of this age, too, are boulders,

showing you bodies with no hearts.

وقد مُسِخوا فاسَتحْجَروا حين أصبحوا

عُصاةَ المعالي والعِقابُ ضُروب

They were transformed, then petrified, when they became

rebels against nobility—and punishment takes many forms.

فإن خُلِقوا في الخيرِ صَخْراً فإنّهم

إلى الشرِّ سَيلٌ إن أهابَ مُهيب

If they were made of stone where good is concerned, they are

a torrent toward evil when a caller summons.

وأسعَدُ عند العقلِ شَخْصٌ مُمَثّلٌ

وكُلٌّ إلى عُقْبَى الفَناء يَؤوب

Happier, in reason's judgment, is a sculpted figure,

and all return to extinction as their final lot.

أقامَ خليّاً ما أقامَ مُعمَّراً

ومَرَّ ولم تُكْتَبْ عليه ذُنوب

It remained carefree for all its long existence,

and passed away with no sins recorded against it.