يا ظالما مع ظلمه بتظلم — Nicolaos al Sayegh

يا ظالماً مَعَ ظُلمهِ بتظلَّمُ

إِعدِل فليسَ سِواك ممَّن يَظلِمُ

O oppressor, who complains of injustice while doing wrong,

be just: none but you does wrong.

لك غُرَّةٌ ظلمت وقلبٌ ظالمٌ

قد حِرتُ ايُّهما الأَجَنُّ الأَظلَمُ

Your brow has darkened, and your heart is unjust;

I am bewildered: which is more crazed, more dark?

يا من أَعارَ القلبَ حِليةَ وَجههِ

فارعَ النظيرَ لان دَهرك مُظلِمُ

O you who lent your heart the ornament of your face,

heed its counterpart, for your time is dark.

انفقتُ عيني غارماً ودفَقتُها

فالعينُ من إِنسانها تسُتخدم

I spent my eye, paying dearly, and poured it out;

for the eye is put to use by its pupil.

أُسدِي لك الحُسنَى بفَكّ مَلاحِمِ ال

بُؤسى فتُسدِي لي النِقامَ وتُلحِمُ

I do you good, undoing the embroilments of

misery; you give me vengeance and embroil me.

كم ذا أَلينُ وانتَ تقسو جانباً

وإلى مَ أُقدِمُ في الوِدادِ وتحجم

How long shall I be gentle while you grow hard in manner?

And how long shall I advance in affection while you draw back?

والى مَ أَسترضِي وتَزأَرُ ثائراً

وإلى مَ أُخمِدُ ما تُثيرُ وتُضرمُ

And how long shall I seek your favor while you roar in rage?

And how long shall I quench what you stir up and kindle?

وإلى متى أَلوِي وتُلوِي مُعرِضاً

وإلى مَ أُعرِبُ بالمَقالِ وتُعجِمُ

And how long shall I turn toward you while you turn away?

And how long shall I speak plainly while you speak obscurely?

وإلى مَ أَعدِلُ يالكاع وتلتوي

وإلى مَ أَزكُو بالطِباعِ وتلؤُمُ

And how long shall I act justly, you wretch, while you twist away?

And how long shall I be pure in character while you act basely?

وإلى مَ انصُلُ ما نصلتَ من الأَذَى

وإلى متى أَصِلُ الإِخاءَ وتَصرِمُ

And how long shall I draw out the harm you have driven in?

And how long shall I maintain brotherhood while you sever it?

وغلى متى أَقذَى وتُقذِي أَعيُناً

وإلى مَ ابني بالقلوب وتَهدِمُ

And how long shall my eyes smart while you make eyes smart?

And how long shall I build in hearts while you tear down?

وإلى مَ أَخفِرُ ذِمَّةً أَخفَرتَها

وإلى مَ امتدحُ الكرامَ وتَذمُمُ

And how long shall I safeguard a pledge you have broken?

And how long shall I praise the noble while you revile them?

وإلى مَ استشفي وتُولِع بي المُدَى

وإلى مَ أَلثِمُ راحتَيك وتَلطِمُ

And how long shall I seek healing while you set knives upon me?

And how long shall I kiss your palms while you slap me?

بيني وبينك بالحُكومةِ عادلٌ

مستظهرُ الأَلبابِ فيما تَحكُمُ

Between you and me, in judgment, stands a just arbiter,

backed by discerning minds in what you judge.

يا مُلغيَ الإِحسانِ ما هذي الإِسا

ءَاتُ التي لُعرَى المحبَّة تَفصِمُ

O you who annul kindness, what are these wrong-

doings that snap the bonds of love?

يا لائمي باللَوم والتهديد هلذ

يُرجَى الشِفاءُ لمن بفَلس يُحجِمُ

O you who blame me with reproaches and threats, can

healing be hoped for by one who balks over a copper coin?

أَمسى الذي لي انت فيهِ مُلزِمٌ

أَلزَمتَنيهِ لُزومَ ما هو أَلزَم

What is mine has become a matter you compel me in;

you imposed it on me as the most binding obligation.

واراك تَسخَطُ بعد شرطٍ مُرتَضىً

والشرطُ أَملَكُ والرِضَى مستحكمُ

Yet I see you angry after an agreed condition,

though the condition is more binding and consent stands firm.

متلوّناً كأَبِي بَراقِشَ مُسفِراً

عن بُردةٍ فيها السَداءُ مُسهَّمُ

Changing colors like Abu Baraqish, revealing

a mantle whose warp is striped.

والمرءُ لا يؤذيهِ شيءٌ مِثلَما

يؤذيهِ يوماً رأيُهُ المتقسِّمُ

Nothing harms a man as much as

his divided judgment harms him one day.

حمَّلَتني ما لو تحمَّلَ بعضَهُ

متنُ الجِبالِ الشُمِّ كادت تُفصَمُ

You burdened me with what, were but a part of it borne

by the backs of lofty mountains, would nearly split them.

خَلَعَت عليَّ يدا صِفاتكَ خِلعةً

أَخلاقَ عارٍ فَهيَ لا تَتَردَّمُ

The two hands of your qualities bestowed on me a robe—

tatters of shame that cannot be patched.

أَيدٍ جَنَت لي راحةً إِبهامها

يا راحةً لَيتي لمثلكِ أَعدَمُ

Hands whose thumb brought me comfort—

O comfort, would that I lacked the likes of you!

يا شاتمي ظُلماً وهذي شِيمةٌ

شَمعي لداودَ بنِ يَسَّى يَشتِمُ

O you who unjustly revile me, this is the way

of Shimei as he reviles David son of Jesse.

كيفَ استحثَّ اللَه في هدمِ العِدى

ولهُ يدٌ تغزو وأُخرى تَنقَمث

How did he urge God to overthrow his foes,

with one hand waging war and another taking vengeance?

ان الحيوةَ مع اللَذاذةِ جَنَّةٌ

هيهاتِ لولا دُونَهنَّ جهنَّمُ

Life with pleasure is a paradise;

alas, if only hell did not stand before them!

لي أُسوةٌ بُمسامحٍ ذَنبَ الوَرَى

مُذ كانَ فوقَ صليبهِ يتأَلَّمُ

I have an example in the forgiver of mankind's sin,

as he suffered upon his cross.

يا مَن لهُ للشرّ قلبٌ مُسرَجٌ

عن وصف خُلقِكَ لي لِسانٌ مُلجَمُ

O you whose heart is saddled for evil,

my tongue is bridled from describing your character.

لا اشتكيكَ ولا أُدنِّسُ مَنطِقي

فلِسانُ حالكَ ناطقٌ يتكلمُ

I do not complain of you or sully my speech;

for your state has a tongue that speaks for itself.

لن يستقلُّ فمي بنُطقِ مَذَمَّةٍ

فكأَنَّني بالذمّ أَفلَحُ أَعلَمُ

My mouth shall not undertake to utter blame;

as though, in reviling, my lower and upper lips were cleft.

كلَّمتَ قلبي حينما كلَّمتَني

ختلاً فقلبي من كلامك مكُلَمُ

You wounded my heart when you spoke to me

deceitfully; my heart is wounded by your words.

وأَرَيتَني بالوَجهِ امراً مُعظَماً

وأَرَيتَني بالنَجهِ امراً يَعظُمُ

Your face showed me something exalted;

your harshness showed me something growing grave.

ومُكلِّمي بالختلِ اسجمَ مُقلتي

فكأنما قد قُتَّ فيها حِصرِمُ

The one who spoke to me deceitfully made my eye stream,

as though unripe grapes had been crushed into it.

واذا ابانَ لك العدوُّ بَشاشةً

فأَحذَر ولا يَخدَعكَ منهُ تبسُّمُ

If your enemy shows you a cheerful face,

beware, and do not let his smile deceive you.

ظُلمُ القَرُونةِ كامنٌ بطباعها

حرَّك لتُبصِرَ ما يُثارُ ويُضرَمُ

The soul's injustice lies hidden in its nature;

stir it, and see what is roused and kindled.

فالظُلمُ من شِيَم النُفوسِ فان تَجِد

ذا عِفَّةٍ فلِعِلَّةٍ لا يَظلِمُ

Injustice is among the soul's traits; if you find

a man of restraint, some reason keeps him from doing wrong.

والحِلمُ شِنشِنةُ الكريمِ ودُونَهُ

يأباهُ لكن بعدُ عجزٍ يَحلُمُ

Forbearance is the noble man's habit; one beneath him

rejects it, but shows forbearance once powerless.

كن عقرباً تُخشى وصِلّاً يُتَّقى

عندَ القِراعِ ليتَّقيكَ الأَرقَمُ

Be a feared scorpion and a serpent men avoid

in combat, so the speckled viper will avoid you.

ان طالَ ظُفرُ أُولِي الشَراسةِ فابرِهِ

ما احسنَ الأَظفار حينَ تُقلَّمُ

If the savage people's claw grows long, pare it;

how fine are nails when trimmed!

فإِهانةُ المتمردّينَ كَرامةٌ

ولَرُبَّ جُرحٍ يشتفيهِ المَرهَمُ

Humbling rebels is an honor,

and many a wound is healed by ointment.

شِيَمُ اللواسبِ بَثُّ سَمِّ حُماتها

هيهاتِ منها يا سليماً تَسلَمُ

Stinging creatures scatter the poison of their stings;

you will hardly escape them, O snakebitten man.

فالشانُ شانٌ دونهُ من شانهِ

مُهَجٌ تسيلُ على ظُباهُ وتُسجَمُ

For rank is rank; beneath it, as its nature dictates,

lifeblood flows and pours upon its blade-edges.

لا يَسلَمُ الشرفُ الرفيعُ من الأَذى

حتى يُراقَ على جوانبهِ الدَمُ

High honor is not safe from harm

until blood is spilled around its sides.

يا من تلبَّبَ للنِضالِ بلَهذَمٍ

إِحذَر فلا يُخطِيكَ ذاك اللَهذَمُ

O you who have girded yourself for combat with a sharp spear,

beware: that spear will not miss you.

لا بُدَّ ما تفري البَنانَ نَدامةً

وأَسىً ولا يشفيك أَنَّك تَندَمُ

Inevitably you will rend your fingertips in remorse

and grief; your regretting it will not heal you.

وقرأتَ سوفاً مُعرِضاً عن أُختها ال

سِينِ التي نادت عليك ستندمُ

You read 'sawfa'—'will'—ignoring its sister, the

'sīn' that cried out to you: 'You will regret it!'

يا خائضاً في بحر عِرضٍ دونهُ

بحرٌ من النيرانِ وَهوَ عَرَمرَمُ

O you who wade into a sea of honor, before which

lies a vast sea of fire,

صُن جوهرَ الأَعراض صَونَ كرائِمٍ

فالعِرضُ جوهرةٌ تُصانُ وتُكرَمُ

guard the jewel of reputations as precious things are guarded,

for honor is a jewel to be guarded and esteemed.

واجلِل دَواءَ العِرض وارتُق فَتقَهُ

فعَساهُ يُرفَى ثوبك المتردّمُ

Esteem the remedy for honor, and stitch its tear;

perhaps your tattered garment may then be darned.

من يشتهِ النَكراءَ يَبلُغها فقد

تَلِدُ الحواملُ مثلما تَتَوحَّمُ

Whoever desires monstrous deeds attains them, for

pregnant women bear according to what they crave.

ها انتَ معروفٌ بلا أَلِفٍ ولا

لامٍ فللتعريفِ لا اتجشَّمُ

There you are, known without an 'alif' or a

'lām'; I need not labor to make you known.

وبك الأمانةُ والدِيانةُ أُعلِنَت

مما جنيتَ ففيك من يتهكَّمُ

Through you, trustworthiness and piety have been proclaimed,

by what you committed—so there are those who mock you.

قد تُعرَفُ الأَشجارُ من ثَمَراتِها

ويبينُ نوع الاصل مما يَنجُمُ

Trees may be known by their fruits,

and the nature of the root shows in what sprouts.

ليتَ البُطونَ الوالداتِ جميعها

طولَ المَدَى عن نتج مثلك تَعقَمُ

Would that all childbearing wombs

were forever barren of offspring like you.

كم ليلةٍ غادَرتَني متسهداً

أَرعى النُجومَ كانني متنجمُ

How many a night you have left me sleepless,

watching the stars as though I were an astrologer!

يا ليتنا كنا سُهيلاً والسُهى

بل ليتَ ان الضِدَّ منا يُعدَمُ

Would that we were Suhayl and al-Suhā!

Rather, would that the foe among us were no more!

أَبصِحُّ اذ خَذَلَت نُهاك رئَاسةٌ

ان تَخذُلَ الإِيمان ياذا الأَيهَمُ

Is it right, when leadership has betrayed your judgment,

that you should betray the faith, O witless man?

وِرد الرئاسةِ مَورِدٌ مُستعذَبٌ

لكنَّ مَصدَرهُ أُجاجٌ عَلقَمُ

Approaching leadership is a sweet watering place,

but leaving it is briny and bitter as colocynth.

قد جئتَ معذوراً بطيّ تَوارُبٍ

والحقُّ أَوجَبَ أَنَّ مثلك يُرحَمُ

You came excused, wrapped in evasions,

and justice required that one like you be shown mercy.

هيهاتِ يُؤمَنُ من اتى عن ظاهرٍ

خِلاً وباطنهُ الشُجاعُ الأَرقَمُ

How could one trust someone who comes outwardly

as a friend, while inwardly he is a speckled venomous snake?

ما زالَ يَرقُبني كما لم يَبرَحِ ال

حِرباءُ في شمس الضُحى يَتَوسَّمُ

He never ceased to watch me, as the

chameleon keeps watch in the morning sun.

أَمَّلتُ منهُ ان يَهُبَّ رُخاؤُهُ

فأَتَى سَمُوماً لافحاً يتنسَّمُ

I hoped his gentle breeze would blow,

but he came breathing a searing simoom.

قد غرَّني سِمَنٌ بهِ وجَسامةٌ

لم أدرِ ان السِمنَ فيهِ تورُّمُ

His fatness and bulk deceived me;

I did not know his fatness was swelling.

مهما أَسَرَّ المرءُ من اخلاقهِ

تُبدِي بهِ حَرَكاتُهُ ما يَكتُمُ

Whatever a man conceals of his character,

his movements reveal what he hides.

وارَت مظاهرُ خِيمهِ نَكراءَهُ

أَيبينُ في الظَلماءِ وَجهٌ مُظلِم

The outward signs of his nature concealed his wickedness;

can a dark face be seen in darkness?

لا تَعجَبَنَّ من القبيح وقُبحهِ

ان الشبيهَ لشِبهِهِ مستلزمُ

Do not marvel at the ugly man and his ugliness;

for the like necessarily entails its likeness.

حملُ النظيرِ على النظير محلَّلٌ

أَنَّى القبيح على القبيح يحرَّمُ

Placing like upon like is lawful;

how could ugly upon ugly be forbidden?

فلَأَقصِدَنَّ من العِراقِ نُسورُها

ما دام أَجدَلُ ارض جِلِّقَ يَشؤُمُ

I shall surely seek out Iraq's eagles,

so long as the falcon of Jilliq's land brings ill luck.

ولأَهجُرَنَّ شبيههُ هجرَ القِلا

فذِمامُ ذي الغدرِ الذميمِ مُذَمَّمُ

And I shall surely shun his like with loathing,

for a vile traitor's pledge is discredited.

قد تُعجَمُ الأَغصانُ وَهيَ نضيرةٌ

لكنما العَجراءُ ليست تُعجَمُ

Branches may be tested by biting while still fresh,

but a gnarled branch cannot be tested so.

والعودُ تُسوِيهِ وفيهِ لُدونةٌ

لكنَّهُ ان جفَّ لا يتقوَّمُ

You can straighten a stick while it is supple,

but once it dries, it cannot be straightened.

لي من أذاهُ بكل جزءٍ لَهذَمٌ

وبكلِّ عُضوٍ من بِلاهُ مِخذَم

Each part of me bears a sharp spear from his harm,

and every limb, from his affliction, a cutting sword.

أَضحى حَشايَ كِنانةً لسِهامهِ

ومقاتلي قد أَغرَضَتها الأَسهُمُ

My innards have become a quiver for his arrows,

and the arrows have made my vital spots their targets.

أَيَرُوعُ قلبي شَرَّهُ ومخلِّصي

منهُ المخلصُ والبتولةُ مريمُ

Can his evil frighten my heart, when my deliverers

from him are the Savior and the Virgin Mary?

ذات المقامِ السامِ في فَلَكِ العُلى

في حُكمِها كلُّ القَضاءِ مسلَّمُ

She of the lofty station in the sphere of exaltation,

to whose judgment every decree is submitted.

تُعطي وتمنعُ ذات امرٍ نافذٍ

تَنهى وتأمُرُ بالأَنام وتَحكُمُ

She gives and withholds, wielding an effective command;

she forbids, commands mankind, and rules.

هيَ مَعقِلٌ للمستجيرِ ومَلجأٌ

للمستضار وجَنَّةٌ لا تُثلَمُ

She is a fortress for whoever seeks refuge, and a shelter

for the afflicted, a shield that cannot be breached.

من حَيَّرَ الحُذَّاقَ نعتُ كَمالِها

فلِسانُ كُلٍّ عنهُ أَخرَسُ أَبكَمُ

She whose perfection's description bewildered the masters,

before which every tongue is speechless and mute.

بِكرٌ تَسامَى فضلُها فهيَ التي

من مستميح نَوالها لا تَسأَمُ

A virgin whose excellence rose high, she is the one

who never tires of those seeking her bounty.

خيرُ الفِدَى بحرُ النَدى ريُّ الصَدى

كَنزُ الجَدى تَهَبُ العَطاءَ وتُنعِمُ

The best redemption, a sea of generosity, thirst's quenching,

a treasury of bounty, she grants gifts and favors.

تعنو لخِدمتها البريَّةُ اسفلاً

ولها الملائكُ في الأعالي تَخدِمُ

Creation below bows down in her service,

and angels on high serve her.

قد قَوَّضَت ظُلَمَ الضَلالِ لانها

عَلَمُ الهِدايةِ والطِرازُ المُعلَمُ

She has dispelled the darkness of error, for she is

the beacon of guidance and the patterned brocade.

هيَ مَسكِنُ اللَهِ العظيمِ وانها

قُدسُ المقادسِ والخِباءُ الأَعظَمُ

She is the dwelling of the mighty God, and she is

the Holy of Holies and the greatest tabernacle.

والكوكبُ السَحَريُّ نورُ العرش مَن

دانت لهُ شمس الضُحَى والأَنجُمُ

And the dawn star, the light of the throne, she to whom

the morning sun and stars have bowed.

هذه هي الحَجَرُ الكريمُ قد اجتبا

هُ وهامَ فيهِ الفيلسوفُ الأَكرَمُ

She is the precious stone, chosen

and adored by the most noble philosopher.

مُذ حَلَّ فيها عاقداً جِسماً لهُ

أُقنومُهُ شخصٌ به مُتقنِّمُ

When he dwelt in her, forming a body for himself,

his hypostasis was a person subsisting in it;

مُتَنزِّهاً لاهوتُهُ عن لازمٍ

لكنّما ناسوتُهُ متقنمُ

his divinity transcending every constraint,

yet his humanity hypostatically constituted.

ربٌّ بسيطٌ جِسمُهُ متركبٌ

يمشي فيُعيِي أو يجوعُ فيَطعَمُ

An uncompounded Lord, whose body is composite,

he walks and grows weary, or hungers and eats.

أُقنومُهُ فَذٌّ وليسَ بِتَوأَم

وكِلا الطبيعةِ والمشيئَةِ تَوأَمُ

His hypostasis is single, not double,

while his nature and will are each twofold.

يا عُمدتي في شِدَّتي ومَعُونتي

ببليَّتي والفوزُ فيما يَعظُمُ

O my support in hardship and my help

in affliction, and my triumph when things grow grave,

فلأَمدَحَنَّكِ ما حَيِيتُ وان أَمُت

فلَتَمدَحنَّكِ تُربتي والأَعظُمُ

I shall surely praise you as long as I live; and if I die,

my dust and bones shall surely praise you.

حقٌّ على الأَفلاكِ مدحُكِ في العُلى

لو كانَ للأَفلاك نُطقٌ أو فمُ

The celestial spheres owe you praise on high,

if the spheres had speech or mouths.

فعلى مديحكِ أجمَعت وتجمَّعت

عُربُ البريَّة كلُّها والأَعجُمُ

In praising you they have agreed and gathered—

Arabs and non-Arabs throughout all creation.

أُهديكِ بِكرَ الفِكرِ خيرَ خريدةٍ

في نَحرِها دُرُّ المديح مُنظَّمُ

I offer you the firstborn of thought, the finest maiden,

with pearls of praise strung along her neck.

برعَ الختامُ بها بمسك ثنائِها

فاعظِم باللطائِمِ يُختَمُ

Her ending excels with the musk of her praise;

how splendid the perfumes with which it is sealed!