قلب يوسوس في الصدور ويخنس — Germanus Farhat

قلبٌ يوسوس في الصدور ويخنسُ

مكراً ونفسٌ للسرائر تَحبسُ

A heart that whispers in breasts and slinks away

deceitfully, and a soul that locks away inward secrets;

وطبيعةٌ طبعت على كدرٍ فما

لصلاحها إلّا زمانٌ مُتعِس

and a nature stamped with murkiness—so there is

nothing to reform it but a time of distress.

فكأنها في الربح أشعبُ عصرها

والدهر عما قد يفيها أَقْعس

In seeking gain, it is like the Ash'ab of its age,

while time draws back from what might satisfy it.

تزداد همّاً كلما ازدادت غنىً

كالبدر يخسف في الكمال ويَعبس

Its worry grows whenever its wealth grows,

like the full moon, eclipsed at its fullness and frowning.

ماجاءها مستمطرٌ إلّا وقد

أسقته من مكرٍ كغيثٍ يَسلَس

No rain-seeker has ever come to it without its having

given him guile to drink, like gently flowing rain.

إن الذي يبغي موارد صفوها

جهلاً فعند صدورها يتوسوس

Whoever seeks the watering places of its purity

in ignorance grows anxious upon departing from them.

يرجو الأماني أن تفيه بوعدها

بينا نرى يرجو وفاها ييأس

He hopes that wishes will keep their promise to him;

even while we see him hoping for their fulfillment, he despairs.

كالزهر يبدو للعيون مورَّداً

بيننا تراه يميس غضّاً ييبس

Like a blossom appearing rose-red to the eyes,

among us you see it sway, fresh, then wither.

فالغدرُ شيمتُها ولو صدقت أبت

والصدق منها بالخلاف ملَبَّس

Treachery is its habit; even if it spoke truth, it would balk,

and truth from it is clothed in contradiction.

تشكو العنا ضعفاً ولكن كذبها

أدرى فهل لي من فتىً يتفرَّس

It complains of hardship in weakness, but its falsehood

I know well—is there a discerning young man for me?

فكأنها لمقاصدي وكأنني

شاءٌ يمزقهنَّ ذئبٌ أطلس

In pursuing my aims, it is like a wolf, and I like

sheep that a gray wolf tears apart.

فاحذر أُخَيَّ ولا تثق بصفيرها

ما بين أشجار الأماني يَخنُس

Beware, my little brother, and do not trust its whistling,

which lurks among the trees of wishes.

فاجعل مواعيد الطبيعة بيننا

منسيةً دُرِست وأخرى تدرس

So let nature's promises between us

be forgotten: erased, with others being erased.

فكأنها في وعدها وبخُلقها

أقوال عرقوبٍ تلين وتَيبَس

In its promises and its character, it is like

Urqub's sayings, softening and then hardening.

فاحذر طبيعتك التي في عينها

عمشٌ يكدِّرها تُفيقُ وتَنعس

Beware your nature, whose eye

is clouded by bleariness; it wakes and dozes.

وتريك نقصَ الكاملين بمقلةٍ

وراء تحسدها الجواري الكُنَّس

It shows you the flaws of the perfect through an eye

which the coursing, retreating stars envy from behind.

فالحكمة الغراء تجهل حدها

منها وآرسطو لديها أخرس

Radiant wisdom does not know its limits

where it is concerned, and Aristotle is mute before it.

كم من حكيمٍ جاء مأسوراً بها

قسراً ولا يدري لماذا يَدرس

How many a sage has come captive to it,

forcibly, not knowing why he studies!

عميت بصيرتُه بعلمٍ مُعجَب

عن علمها الشرعيْ فكيف يُهندس

His insight, through learning he admired, became blind

to knowledge of it under sacred law—how, then, can he practice geometry?

فمحبة الذات استغشَّته متى

عنها تجرد عاد عنها يوكَس

Self-love has beguiled him; whenever

he strips himself of it, he comes away from it diminished.

يا راهباً ترك الطبيعة خلفه

متنكباً عنها وعنها أقعَس

O monk who left nature behind him,

turning aside from it and drawing back from it,

لم لا تكذِّبُها متى ما حدثت

بالسوء إن السوء فيها يَهجِس

why do you not disbelieve it whenever it speaks

of evil? For evil stirs within it.

فعلام تجهلها وإنك راهبٌ

وعلام تسمعها وأنت مُقَلنَس

Why are you ignorant of it, though you are a monk?

And why listen to it while you wear the cowl?

أعطيت في علم الطبيعة خبرةً

لم تعطها الحُكَما وأنت تُدلِّس

You were given expertise in knowing nature,

not granted to the sages, yet you conceal the truth.

كم راهبٍ ضحكت عليه عندما

آلامُها فيه عليه تؤسَّس

How many a monk has it mocked, when

its pains take root within him, to his detriment!

ينقاد معْها طائعاً لعِنانها

مهما تقلْه قال هذا الأنفَس

He follows it, willingly yielding to its reins;

whatever it says, he declares, 'This is most precious.'

يعصي الإله ونذرَه ورئيسه

ويطيعها فهيَ الرئيس الأرأس

He disobeys God, his vow, and his superior,

and obeys it: it is the chief, the supreme chief.

لو كان يبغض ذاته ويذمها

ما كان أصبح كافراً يتوسوس

Had he hated his own self and censured it,

he would not have become an unbeliever beset by whispers.

للَه درك راهباً ومجاهداً

يقظاً حكيماً لا ينام وينعس

God bless you, monk and spiritual warrior,

watchful and wise, neither sleeping nor dozing!

ملك الطبيعة فهي قيد مراده

مأمورةٌ منه فلا يَتَسَجَّس

He has mastered nature, and it is bound to his will,

commanded by him, so he is not troubled.

إن شاء يلزمها إماتتَها تَمُت

أو شاء يحبسها بذلٍّ تُحبَس

If he wishes to impose its mortification upon it, it dies;

or if he wishes to confine it in abasement, it is confined.

فجهادُها وسلوكها متوقِّفٌ

منها على عقلٍ رصينٍ يَحرُس

Thus, combating it and governing its conduct depend

on a steadfast mind that guards against it.

فاللَه قد قسم الحظوظَ لخلقه

فاسمع مُصيخاً ما تلاه بولُس

For God has apportioned fortunes to His creatures;

so listen attentively to what Paul recited.

يُوداسُ مات بذنبه وخَطائه

وحَظي بتوبته أخوه بُطرس

Judas died through his sin and error,

and his brother Peter found favor through his repentance.

إن شئت فاسأل طاعةً تسمع إذاً

ماذا يجيبك يوسفٌ أو يونس

If you wish, ask about obedience; then you will hear

what Joseph or Jonah answers you.

إن العوالي للمعالي معقلٌ

بفضائلٍ خضعت لديها الأرؤس

Lofty spears are indeed a stronghold for noble aims,

through virtues before which heads bow.

فصلاحها وطلاحها كصوارمٍ

بيضٍ تسيل على ظُباها الأنفس

Its goodness and wickedness are like swords,

white blades on whose edges souls flow.

أنفاسها مسكيةٌ وحواسها

نَسكيَّةٌ منها الأعادي تُخفَس

Its breaths are musky, and its senses

are ascetic; through it, enemies are humbled.

كذب الذي قد قال وهو المفتري

السيف أصدق من كتابٍ يُدرَس

He lied who said, that fabricator,

'The sword is truer than a book that is studied.'

فالسيف معناه الطبيعةُ نفسُها

أما الكتاب فشرع ربٍّ يَرؤس

For the sword signifies nature itself,

whereas the book is the law of a Lord who rules.

إن الطبيعة علَّةٌ لحياتنا

والموت فيها حاكمٌ مترئِّس

Nature is indeed the cause of our life,

and death rules within it, presiding.

كالجسم ينمي بالحرارة قوةً

وبما ترى أنفاسه تتنفس

Like the body, which gains strength through heat

and, as you see, draws its breaths,

وبها يعود إلى التلاشي ميتاً

كالنار من بعد اشتعال تُرمَس

yet through that heat returns, dead, to dissolution,

like fire buried after blazing.

لا تركننَّ إلى طبيعتك التي

من شأنها تبدو بأُنسٍ يؤنِس

Never rely upon that nature of yours

whose habit is to appear with comforting friendliness.

يا ليتها كانت ترى آلامَها

هيهات إن الحس منها مُفلس

Would that it could see its own pains!

Far from it! Sensation within it is bankrupt.

تتسربل الكذب الفظيع كأنه

ثوبٌ يسهِّمه طِرازٌ سندس

It robes itself in hideous falsehood, as though it were

a garment striped with fine-silk embroidery,

حتى إذا رأستك بثت سمها

والسم يعقبه هلاكٌ مُتعس

until, once it rules you, it spreads its poison;

and poison is followed by distressing destruction.

فاحذر رئيساً حاد عن تهذيبه

تَغوَى الرعية حين يَغوى الريِّس

Beware a superior who strays from his discipline:

the flock goes astray when the leader goes astray.

ربّي أجرنا من رئيسٍ مفسدٍ

يطوي رداء الحق ثم يدلِّس

My Lord, protect us from a corrupting superior

who folds away the cloak of truth, then deceives,

بشفاعة العذراء مريم إنها

باب الرجا ومن الأعادي محرَس

through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, for she is

the gate of hope and a stronghold against enemies.

قد قدست قبل الخلائق كلهم

واللَه منها الخالق المُتأنِّس

She was sanctified before all creatures,

and from her came God, the Creator incarnate.

بِكرٌ دعاها اللَه قبل كيانها

وبمدحه وثنائه تتقدس

A virgin whom God called before she came into being,

she is sanctified through His praise and commendation.

لبست رداءَ المدح منه كاملاً

ولمدحنا في كل يومٍ تَلبَس

She donned the robe of praise from Him in its fullness,

and for our praise she puts it on each day.