تحت لفح الشمس في تيه — Ibrahim Osta

تحت لفح الشمس في تي

ه الصحارى القاحلات

Under the sun's searing heat, in the wilderness

of the barren deserts,

أوغل الركب حثيث الس

سير يجتاز الفلاة

the caravan pressed deeper, swift in its

march, crossing the desert waste.

فإذا الركب على مف

رق نهجين هلاك ونجاة

Then the caravan found itself at a

fork of two paths: ruin and salvation.

وعلى كل علاما

ت حوتها اللافتات

And on each were signs

borne by the signboards.

يمم الأول حادي

ه ونادى بالمسير

Its guide headed toward the first

and called for the onward march.

ومضى في إثره الرك

ب ولم يبد نكير

And the caravan followed in his wake,

with no objection appearing,

غير صوت خافت كا

ن يقول

except for a faint voice that was

saying:

جرت يا حادي وأخطأ

ت السبيل

You have strayed, O guide, and missed

the way.

مرت الأيام والرك

ب مجد في الصحارى

The days passed, and the caravan

pressed on through the deserts.

ورأى الركب أن الن

نهج عنه قد توارى

And the caravan saw that the

path had vanished from its sight.

لفه التيه فظل ال

قوم في الأمر حيارى

The trackless waste engulfed it, and the

people remained bewildered over what to do.

خبط عشواء يسيرو

ن يمينا ويسارا

Stumbling blindly, they traveled

to the right and to the left.

ذهب الحادي بهم في

مهمه من ظلمات

The guide led them into

a trackless waste of darkness.

ينشر الذعر جناحي

ه على تلك الجهات

Terror spread its wings

over those regions.

فعلى صوت من الرك

ب يقول

Then a voice rose from the caravan,

saying:

جرت يا حادي وأخطأ

ت السبيل

You have strayed, O guide, and missed

the way.

غير أن الحادي المغ

رور قد أبدى عنادا

But the conceited guide

showed stubbornness.

وادعى أن طريق ال

خير ما كان أرادا

And he claimed that the path of

goodness was what he had intended.

صدق البعض بما قا

ل خضوعا وانقيادا

Some believed what he

said, submissively and obediently.

وطوى بعضهم الغي

ظ وإن أبدى انتقادا

And some of them suppressed their

anger, though they voiced criticism,

معلنا أن طريق الر

ركب حتما مهلكه

declaring that the caravan's road

was certainly deadly,

وهي للسالك لو كا

ن خبيرا مربكه

and, for a traveler—even if he

were experienced—it was bewildering.

وإذا بعض من الرك

ب يقول

Then some of the caravan

said:

جرت يا حادي وأخطأ

ت السبيل

You have strayed, O guide, and missed

the way.

ومضى الحادي إلى غي

ر تجاه بالجماعة

And the guide led the company onward

without any fixed direction,

موغلا في التيه اظ

هارا لآثار الشجاعة

plunging deeper into the wilderness to

display signs of courage.

فإذا الماء قليل

وبدا شبح مجاعة

Then suddenly water was scarce,

and the specter of famine appeared.

فبدا العصيان في الرك

ب ولات اليوم طاعه

Then rebellion appeared in the caravan,

and that day obedience was no more.

أخذت في القوم روح الش

شر تبدو ظاهره

The spirit of evil began among the people

to show itself openly.

ومضى قائدهم يخ

في النوايا الغادره

And their leader continued to conceal

his treacherous intentions.

فإذا الركب ينادي

ويقول

Then the caravan called out

and said:

جرت يا حادي وأخطأ

ت السبيل

You have strayed, O guide, and missed

the way.

لجأ الحادي إلى الحي

لة في الركب العرير

The guide resorted to trickery

among the inexperienced caravan.

قال إني عالم بالرم

ل جدا وخبير

He said: I know the art of divining by sand

very well, and I am an expert.

سأنبئكم فلا تستع

جلوني بالمصير

I shall tell you; so do not press

me about the outcome.

ومضي يرسم في الرم

ل خطوطا وسطورا

And he went on drawing in the sand

lines and rows.

ثم أبدى دهشة مم

ما رأى كالمستريب

Then he displayed astonishment

at what he saw, like one in doubt.

قال للقوم ثقوا في

فرج يأتي قريب

He said to the people: Trust in

relief that will come soon.

تمتم الركب بأصوا

ت تقول

The caravan murmured in voices

saying:

جرت يا حادي وأخطأ

ت السبيل

You have strayed, O guide, and missed

the way.

وقف الركب من الاع

ياء والجوع الشديد

The caravan halted from

exhaustion and severe hunger.

وانعدام الماء لا يت

رك للصبر وجود

And the lack of water left

no room for patience.

وخيال الفرج المز

عوم حتما لا يعود

And the phantom of the supposed relief

would certainly not return.

صمم الركب على أن

يقتل الحادي الجحود

The caravan resolved to

kill the ungrateful guide.

فبكى مستعطفا كالط

طفل حيران ذليل

Then he wept, pleading for pity like a

bewildered, humbled child.

غير أن الركب من تع

ذيبه أشفى الغليل

But the caravan, through torturing him,

quenched its thirst for vengeance.

ومضى بعد تسفيه يقول

مت لقد أخطأت يا حا

And after deriding him, it went on saying:

Die! You have indeed missed, O guide,

دي السبيل

هلك الحادي وإذ بالر

the way!

The guide perished, and suddenly the caravan

ركب قد شد قواه

ومضى للهدف المن

had rallied its strength.

And it moved toward its longed-for goal,

شود لا يبغي سواه

وسرى الإخلاص في ال

seeking nothing else.

And devotion coursed through the

قوم على أقوى عراه

شملتهم رحمة في ال

people, with its bonds at their strongest.

Mercy embraced them in their

يأس من عند الإله

فرأوا في الليل نجم ال

despair—a mercy from God.

Then in the night they saw the Pole

قطب فانصاعوا شمالا

وأتوا العمران في الصب

Star, and obediently turned northward.

And they reached settled lands in the

ح وشبح الموت زالا

هلل الركب بأصوا

morning, and the specter of death vanished.

The caravan cried out joyfully in voices

ت تقول

نحمد الله هدانا للسبيل

saying:

We praise God, who guided us to the way.