امرأة وشيطان — Ali Mahmoud Taha

أقسمَتْ لا يَعْصِ جبَّارٌ هَوَاهَا

أبَدَ الدهرِ وإنْ كانَ إِلَهَا

She swore no mighty one would defy her desire

for all eternity, even were he a god.

لا ولا أفلَتَ منها فاتنٌ

قرَّبَتْه واحتوتهُ قبضتاها

No—nor did any charmer escape her

whom she drew close and her two fists enclosed.

قِيلَ عنها: إنَّها ساحرةٌ

تتحدَّى سطوةَ الجنِّ سُطاها

It was said of her: she was a sorceress

whose might defied the dominion of the jinn;

وعجوزٌ بالصِّبا موعودةٌ

وبعمرِ الدهر موعودٌ صباهَا

and an old woman promised youth,

her youth promised the span of eternity.

حَذِقَتْ عِلمَ الأوالي ووعتْ

قصصَ الحبِّ ومأثورَ لغاها

She mastered the knowledge of the ancients and retained

the stories of love and the lore of their speech.

قِيلَ: لا يُذْهِبُ عنها كيدَها

غيرُ شيطانٍ ولا يمحو رُقَاها

It was said: none could take her cunning from her

save a devil, nor efface her incantations.

ورَوَوْا عنها أحاديثَ هوًى

آثمٍ يُغْرِبُ فيها من رواهَا

They recounted tales about her of a passion

sinful, whose tellers related strange marvels,

وأساطيرَ ليالٍ صُبِغَتْ

بدماءٍ سفكتهنَّ يَدَاهَا

and legends of nights stained

with blood her two hands had spilled.

يذكرُ الركبانُ عنها أنَّها

سرقتْ من كل حسناءَ فتاها

The riders recounted of her that she

stole from every beautiful woman her young man.

وقتيلٌ بين عينيْ زوجِهِ

كلُّ معشوقٍ دَعَتْهُ فَعَصَاهَا

And slain before his wife's eyes was

every beloved she summoned who defied her.

كلما التذَّتْ وصالًا من فتًى

سَحَرَتْهُ وهو في حِضْنِ هواهَا

Whenever she savored union with a young man,

she bewitched him while he lay in her love's embrace,

واحتوتْهُ في أصيصٍ زهرةً

يَسْرِقُ الأنفاسَ من طيب شذاهَا

and enclosed him in a flowerpot as a flower

that stole one's breath with its sweet fragrance.

زَهرَاتٌ مثَّلَتْ عشَّاقَها

بعيونٍ غَارِقَاتٍ في كراهَا

Flowers embodied her lovers,

with eyes drowned in their slumber.

فإذا ما الليلُ أرخى سِتْرَهُ

أطلقَتْ أشباحَهم في منتداهَا

And whenever night lowered its veil,

she released their ghosts into her gathering:

مُهَجًا خفَّاقةً ملتاعةً

وعيونَا ظامئَاتٍ، وشفاهَا

souls throbbing and anguished,

and thirsty eyes, and lips.

تستعيد الأمْسَ في لذَّاتها

ولياليها، وأشواقِ رُؤَاهَا

She relived yesterday in her pleasures,

and her nights and the yearnings of her visions.

تتلوَّى بينهم مشبوبةً

شهوةً، يلتهمُ الليلَ لظاهَا

She writhed among them, aflame

with desire, whose blaze devoured the night.

عبرَ الشيطانُ يومًا أُفْقَها

فرأى، ثَمَّ فنونًا ما رآها

One day the devil crossed her horizon

and there saw wonders he had never seen.

أيُّ وادٍ رائعٍ أحجارُهُ

تحذر الرِّيحُ عليهنَّ سُرَاهَا

What a valley, with wondrous stones,

over which the wind feared to journey by night!

أيُّ قصرٍ باذخٍ في قمَّةٍ

تحسَبُ الأنجمَ من بعض ذُرَاهَا

What a lofty palace upon a summit,

whose pinnacles seemed to include the stars!

ودروبٍ حولها ملتفَّةٍ

كأفاعٍ سُمِّرَتْ في منحناهَا

And paths winding about it,

like serpents nailed fast along its curves;

وبروجٍ لحمامٍ زاجِلٍ

هو بالأقدارِ يهفو من كُوَاهَا

and towers for homing pigeons,

fluttering from their openings with destinies.

ظنَّها من عَبْقَرٍ ناحيةً

أخطأَتْ عيناهُ بالأمس صُواهَا

He thought it a district of Abqar

whose waymarks his eyes had missed yesterday.

فهوَى من حالقٍ يرتادُها

طُرقاتٍ زخرفَ الفنُّ حصاهَا

So he swooped from a great height to explore it,

along paths whose pebbles art had adorned.

ورنا حيث رنا فاهتاجهُ

منظرُ الزَّهْرِ الذي زانَ رباهَا

Wherever he gazed, he was stirred

by the flowers that adorned its hills.

أُصصٌ من ذَهَبٍ تحسبُها

بَعْثَرَتْ فيها الدراريُّ سناهَا

Flowerpots of gold—you would think

the radiant stars had scattered their glow within.

كلما مَسَّتْ يداه زهرةً

عَطَفَتْهُ لقطافٍ شفتاهَا

Whenever his two hands touched a flower,

its two lips drew him to pluck it.

فجنَى ما شاءَ حتى لم يَدَعْ

في أصيصٍ زهرةً إلَّا جناهَا

He plucked whatever he wished, until he left

no flower in any pot unplucked.

وانتشى من عطرها فانتثرتْ

مثل حَبَّاتٍ من الماس يراهَا

He grew drunk on their fragrance; they scattered

like beads of diamond, as he watched them.

عجبًا ما لمستْ غيرَ الثرى!

أيُّ نورٍ شاعَ فيها فزهاهَا؟

How strange—they had touched nothing but the earth!

What light spread through them and adorned them?

نظرةٌ، أو خطرةٌ، واختلجتْ

فعرتهُ هِزَّةٌ ممَّا عراهَا

A glance, or a passing thought—and they quivered;

a shudder seized him at what had seized them.

واستحالتْ بين عينيهِ دُمًى

حَيَّةً تستبقُ البابَ خطاهَا

Before his eyes they changed into dolls,

alive, their steps racing toward the door.

فُكَّ عنها السِّحْرُ فارتدتْ إلى

عالم الحسِّ وخَفَّتْ قدماهَا

The spell was broken, and they returned to

the world of the senses, their feet grown nimble.

ورنا الشيطانُ في آثارها

سابحًا في دهشَةٍ طال مداهَا

The devil gazed after their tracks,

swimming in astonishment that stretched far.

يا لَها! كيف استقرَّتْ ثم فرَّتْ!

لحظةً مَرَّتْ ولكنْ ما وعاها!

Oh, what a marvel! How they settled, then fled!

A moment passed, yet he never grasped it!

ودنا الليلُ، ورنَّتْ صدحةٌ

نَبَّهَتْهُ، حين لا يبغى انتباهَا

Night drew near, and a singing note rang out,

rousing him when he sought no awakening.

فإذا مائدةٌ حافِلَةٌ

بالأباريقِ ترامَى طرفاهَا

And there was a table laden

with pitchers, its two ends stretching far.

مِلْؤُها الخمرةُ نورًا وشذًا

نَسَمَتْ وائتلقتْ فخَّارتاهَا

Their fill was wine—all light and fragrance;

its two earthenware vessels breathed fragrance and gleamed.

وصحافٍ كتهاويلِ الرُّؤَى

تجد الأنفسُ فيها مُشتهاها

And dishes like the fantastic shapes of dreams,

in which souls found what they desired.

وإذا مقصورةٌ من حوله

خالها تَنْبِضُ بالرُّوح دُماها

And there was a chamber all around him,

whose dolls he imagined throbbing with life.

وقفتْ غانِيةٌ في بابها

قد تعرَّتْ غيرَ فضلٍ من حُلاهَا

A beautiful woman stood in its doorway,

naked save for a remnant of her ornaments.

يا لَهَا من فتنةٍ قد صُوِّرَتْ

في قوامِ امرأةٍ راع صباها

Oh, what enchantment had been fashioned

in a woman's form, whose youth inspired awe!

طلعتْ في هالةٍ من خُضْرَةٍ

وعيونٍ يتَرَقْرَقْنَ مياهَا

She appeared in a halo of greenery

and springs whose waters shimmered.

ثم نادتْ: «يا أحبَّايَ انهضوا

واغنموا الليلةَ حتى منتهاهَا»

Then she called: “My beloveds, arise,

and savor the night until its end!”

وتلاشى الصوتُ لا رجعَ صدًى

لا، ولا ثَمَّ مُجيبٌ لنداهَا

The voice faded; no echo returned,

no, nor was there anyone to answer her call.

فعرتها رِعْدَةٌ، فالتفتتْ،

فرأتْهُ، فتلقَّاها وِجاهَا

A shudder seized her, and she turned,

and saw him; he met her face-to-face.

أبصرتْ وجهًا كوجه المَسْخِ لم

يَتَقَنَّعْ، شاهَ هذا الوجهُ شاهَا

She saw a face like a monster's, not

masked—hideous was that face, hideous!

ورأتْ كفَّيْهِ يَنْدَى منهما

أَرَجُ الزَّهْرِ فأجَّتْ نظرتاهَا

And she saw his two palms, from which exuded

the fragrance of flowers; her two glances blazed.

عرفتْ ما اجترحتهُ يَدُهُ

أَوَلَا يعرِفُ من داسَ حماهَا؟

She knew what his hand had perpetrated.

Did he not know whose sanctuary he had trampled?

يا لهذا المسخ! دَوَّتْ ومَشَتْ

صيحةٌ ينذر بالويل صَدَاهَا

“Oh, that monster!” There rang out and spread

a cry whose echo threatened calamity.

فانثنى الشيطانُ عنها صارخًا

أتراها تتحدَّى؟ من تُراها؟

The devil turned away from her, shouting:

“Does she dare defy me? Who can she be?”

فَبَدَتْ في شفتيها آيةٌ

من مُبينِ السِّحْرِ، أَوْما فمحاها

Then upon her lips appeared a sign

of manifest magic; he gestured and erased it.

فَدَنَتْ ترمقهُ فاختلجتْ

عينُهُ، حين أشارت بعصاهَا

She approached, watching him, and his eye

twitched when she pointed with her staff.

بُدِّلَتْ تلك العصا جمجمةً

رِيعَ لمَّا شرَعَتْهَا فاتَّقاهَا

That staff was transformed into a skull.

He was terrified when she leveled it, and warded it off.

هيَ من مَلْكةِ جِنٍّ من تُصِبْ

يخترمْهُ بالمنايا محجراها

It came from a queen of jinn; whomever it struck,

its two eye sockets carried off with death.

فتنحَّى غاضيًا مبتئسًا

وتنحَّت والأسَى يُلجِمُ فاهَا

He drew aside, eyes lowered, despondent,

and she withdrew, sorrow bridling her mouth.

وسَجَى بينهما الصمتُ الذي

يَتَغَشَّى الأرضَ إنْ حان رداهَا

Between them settled the silence that

covers the earth when its doom is at hand.

والتقتْ عيناهما فاستروحَا

راحةً من قبلها ما عرفاهَا

Their eyes met, and they found

a solace they had never known before.

عرفتْ من هو فاستخذتْ لَهُ

ورَأَى من هي فاستحيَا قُوَاهَا

She knew who he was and humbled herself to him;

he saw who she was and felt abashed before her powers.

قال: أختاهُ، اغفري لي نظرةً

اشتهتْ كلَّ جمالٍ واشتهاهَا

He said: “My sister, forgive me a glance

that desired every beauty, and desired her.

واغفري لي شِرَّةً عارمةً

في دمي، لو أتأبَّى ما أبَاها

And forgive me a raging fierceness

in my blood, which would not spurn it, though I resisted.

يا لهذا الدم! ما عنصرُهُ؟

كلُّ ما في النار من وَقْدِ لظاهَا

Oh, this blood! What is its substance?

All the burning blaze that fire contains.”

فأجابتْ: زهراتي رُدَّها

إنْ تَقُلْ حقًّا ولا تَبْغِ أذاهَا

She answered: “Restore my flowers,

if you speak truly and seek no harm to them.”

قال: لا أذكر إلا حُلُمًا

لحظةً ضلَّ بها عقلي، وتاهَا

He said: “I remember only a dream,

a moment in which my mind strayed and lost its way.

أهِيَ جِسْمٌ؟ أهيَ روحٌ؟ إن تَكُنْ

لا يَردُّ الروحَ إلا من براهَا

Is it a body? Is it a spirit? If it is,

none restores a spirit but the one who created it.”

فأحسَّتْ هول ما يجهَلُهُ

فاستحت منه وأغضَى ناظراها

Then she felt the horror of what he did not know,

and grew ashamed before him, lowering her eyes.

صَاحَ: غفرانَكِ لا تبتئسي

اطلبي ما شئتِ مِنِّي ما خلاهَا

He cried: “Your forgiveness! Do not despair.

Ask whatever you wish of me, save those flowers.

أَأَنَا من تَتَخَطَّى قَدَمي

مَسبحَ الشمس فيربدُّ ضحاهَا

Am I he whose foot strides beyond

the sun's swimming-course, darkening its daylight?

أأنا من يطفئُ النَّجْمَ فمي

وأردُّ الأرضَ غرقَى في دُجَاهَا

Am I he whose mouth extinguishes the stars,

and who returns the earth to drowning darkness,

وتمسُّ القممَ الشمَّ يدِي

فيُرَى منحدرًا لي مُرتقاهَا

whose hand touches the lofty peaks,

so their ascent appears a descent to me,

وأجيءُ الأرضَ من محورها

فإذا بي يتدانَى قطباهَا

who comes to the earth from its axis,

and through whom its two poles draw close,

وأصدُّ الريحَ عن وجهتهَا

فتجوبُ الكونَ لا تدري اتِّجَاهَا

who turns the wind aside from its course,

so it roams the universe, not knowing its direction?

أأرانِي عاجزًا عن دَرْكِ ما

تتمنَّى امرأةٌ؟! عزَّتْ مُنَاهَا!

Do I find myself powerless to attain what

a woman desires? Her wishes are beyond reach!

آهِ، ما أضعفَ سلطاني، وما

كنتُ إلَّا بغروري أتباهَى!!

Ah, how weak my dominion! I

was merely boasting in my arrogance!”

قالتِ: الآن سلامًا زائرِي

ورِضَا نفسيَ إن رُمْتَ رضاهَا

She said: “Now, peace to you, my visitor,

and my soul's approval, if you seek its approval.

أيها الشيطانُ، ما أعظمَ ما

قُلْتَهُ، ما قُلْتَ لغوًا أو سفاهَا

O devil, how great is what

you have said! You spoke no idle talk or folly.

زهراتي تلك، ما كانت سوى

شهواتٍ، جِسْمِيَ الطاغي نماهَا

Those flowers of mine were nothing but

desires my tyrannical body nurtured.

قهرتني، واستذلَّتني بها

غَيْرَةٌ، ينهشُ قلبي عقرباهَا

I was overpowered and abased through them by

jealousy, whose two scorpions gnawed my heart,

وأنانيةُ أنثى لم تُطِقْ

فاتنًا تملِكُه أنثى سواهَا

and a woman's selfishness that could not bear

a charmer possessed by any woman but herself.

قد صَنَعْتَ الحقَّ، قد عاقبَتني

فارحمِ المرأةَ في ذُلِّ هواهَا

You have done right; I have been punished.

So pity the woman in her desire's humiliation.”

فدنا منها، فألفتْ وجههُ

غير ما كانَ، لقد ألفَتْ أخاهَا!

He approached her, and she found his face

unlike what it had been: she had found her brother!

قَرَّبَتْ بينهما روحُ الأسَى

فاجتبتْهُ بَعْدَ حِقْدٍ واجتباهَا

The spirit of sorrow drew them together;

she chose him after hatred, and he chose her.

واستهلَّتْ دمعةٌ منْ عينها

دمعةٌ رفَّتْ وشَفَّتْ قطرتاهَا

A tear welled from her eye,

a tear whose two drops trembled and shone clear,

ضُمِّنَتْ كلَّ عذاب وضنًى

كلُّ ما في النفس من بثِّ أساهَا

filled with every torment and weariness,

all the soul's outpouring of sorrow.

ورآها فتندَّتْ عينهُ

رحمةً، فاحتال يُخفي من بُكاها

He saw it, and his eye grew moist

with pity; he contrived to hide some of its weeping.

وبكى الشيطانُ! يا لامرأةٍ

أَبْكَتِ الشيطانَ لَمَّا أنْ رآهَا!!

And the devil wept! Oh, what a woman,

who made the devil weep when he beheld her!