سار مذبوح القلم أوحى الصرير — Shibli Al Atrash

سار مذبوح القلم أَوحى الصَرير

فوق طَليحة بَدا يَنثر لباه

The slit-nibbed pen moves; I hear its scratching.

Upon a little tablet, it begins scattering its essence.

وَاشتغل دولابها فَنا يدير

وَاليراع انهل يرعف من لماه

Its wheel gets to work, turning out art.

And the reed pours forth, bleeding from its dark lips.

قُلت ها يا راعي السن الصَغير

هات جاوب مغرماً دَهرو بَلاه

I said, 'Ah, you with the tiny point,

Come, answer a lovesick man whom time has afflicted.

وَاطرس القافات عالكاغد وَسير

هاج بحر الفن وَازبد من علاه

Inscribe the rhymes upon the paper, and proceed.'

The sea of art surged and foamed from its heights.

راع باعود القَصب اوحي الهَدير

مثل رَعل لا قصف تسمع دَواه

Look at the reed-stem; I hear its roaring,

Like a thundercloud whose peal you hear when it crashes.

وارزم الدلال وَاشتد السَعير

من كثر حر الخزارق وَلسناه

The coffee-pots rumbled, and the blaze grew fierce,

From the firebrands' great heat and their flaming tongues.

فاض تيار القَوافي لَو خَرير

رد فكر الفَن عَالكاغد حداه

The stream of rhymes overflowed with a murmuring sound;

Art's thought replied upon the paper beside it:

قال لبيك إِنَّني رجل قَدير

وَحربتي امضى مِن حراب القَناة

'At your service! I am a capable man,

And my spear is sharper than the lances.

هات حَتّى نشوف مَن باعو قَصير

بالقَوافي وَالمَعاني وَاللغاه

Come, let us see whose reach is short

In rhymes, meanings, and language.

بِغَير رَسمي قَط ما يحصى اليَسير

وَلا قَليل وَلا كَثير إِلا مَلاه

Without my marks, not even the least can be counted;

Neither little nor much is left unrecorded.

صنعتي طرس المَعاني وَالضَمير

جيب من عِندَك فُنون منقداه

My craft is to inscribe meanings and inner thoughts;

Bring from your own store some refined arts.'

قلتلو يا أَسودي فاض الجَهير

زل خايف يا خذك سيل المِياه

'My black one,' I said, 'the great flood has overflowed.

Move away; I fear the torrent will take you,

واعدمك يا راعي الجرم الصَغير

وَأَنتَ عودك يَسحبو سرب المِياه

And destroy you, you of the tiny body.

Your reed would be swept away by the flowing water.'

قال جرمي يا خذو السيل اليَسير

حَيث عُودي أَجوَف ناحل حَشاه

'A slight torrent can take my body,' it said,

'For my reed is hollow, with a slender belly.

غير فعلي لا بخنتو يا خبير

في المَواجب مثل عَنبر بي لقساه

But my work, if you test it, discerning one,

Is like ambergris in its toughness when duty calls.'

قلتلو نعمين لَو عودك حَقير

كُلنا من رعفتك رُحنا هباه

'Well said,' I told it, 'though your reed is slight,

Your bleeding has made dust of us all.

وَشتتونا مثل دُخان السَعير

وَكُل شَخص بِجال مَولانا نَفاه

They scattered us like smoke from a blaze,

And our lord exiled each man to a different region.

وَذوملت بَينا السفاين به مخير

بِاللجاج من فَوق تَيار المِياه

The ships rocked with us at his choosing,

Through the deep seas, over the flowing waters.

وَدخن البابور يدوي لَو صَفير

وَقلعونا وَانقطع مِنا الرَجاه

The steamer smoked and thundered with a whistle;

They uprooted us, and hope deserted us.

وَبعضنا زَجوه في رودس أَسير

وَبعضنا باكريت مَولانا هَفاه

Some of us they thrust into Rhodes as prisoners,

And some our lord banished to Crete.

وَبعضنا في الغَرب وَقعوا بِالحَفير

دَفَنوهم وَاستراحوا مِن الحَياة

Some in the west fell into graves;

They buried them, and they rested from life.

وَالَّذي حيين لا صاح النَفير

يَنقلون الشُورَبا عُقب القَناه

Those still alive, when the summons sounds,

Carry soup now, after carrying lances.

يَخدمون أَنذال سُبحان القَدير

كَيفَ طير الباز يَخضَع للقطَاه

They serve base men—glory to the Almighty!

How can the falcon bow to the sandgrouse?

بَعدَما هم عالعدا يَرخوا الجَرير

وَلا يَهابوا المَوت في يَوم اللقاه

After once loosening their reins against the enemy,

Unfearing of death on the day of encounter.

وَالَّذي في جلق الفَيحا قَهير

ذوقوه المُر مِن بَعد الحَلاه

Those oppressed in spacious Jilliq

Were made to taste bitterness after sweetness.

ما لَقوا دَفان جروهم جَرير

دملوهم بِالحُفَر فَوق الثَراه

They found no gravedigger; they dragged them along,

And covered them in pits upon the earth.

وَالَّذي مِن حَولنا جرحو خَطير

غَير رَب العَرش يَأمر في شِفاه

And the one among us whose wound is grave,

Only the Lord of the Throne can decree his healing.

مِن عيالو وَالبُعد مالو مطير

وَكُل حين الضابطي يَمشي قَفاه

Far from his children, he has no flight across the distance,

And at every moment the officer walks behind him.

بَين قَوم ما بهم رَجل بَرير

غج عن دُون البَوادي وَالرعاه

Among people with not one decent man,

A coarse rabble, beneath desert folk and shepherds,

ابخل من كِلاب أَبو حسين العَفير

يَكرَهون الضَيف لَو خُبزو مَعاه

More miserly than the dogs of Abu Husayn al-Afir.

They hate a guest even if he brings his own bread.

كارهم نقل الحطب فَوق الحَمير

وَالبَعض صَياد حيتان المِياه

Their trade is carrying firewood on donkeys,

And some catch fish from the waters.

أَسألك يا خالقي يا براً كبير

يا إِله العَرش يا رَب السَماه

I ask You, my Creator, great Benefactor,

God of the Throne, Lord of heaven,

يا علي يا جابر العَظم الكَسير

أَنتَ رَب الناس ما غَيرك حداه

Most High, mender of the broken bone,

You are Lord of humankind; there is none besides You.

يا كَريم تفرج الأَمر العَسير

وَتُنجد المَضيوم مِنا مِن بَلاه

Generous One, relieve this difficult plight,

And rescue the oppressed among us from his affliction.

أَنتَ يا مَعبودنا خابر خَبير

مالنا مِن دُون بابك ملتجاه

You, whom we worship, know and understand;

We have no refuge but Your door.

فَكُنا يا خالِقي إِنكَ قَدير

بِجاه سر المصطَفى وَالأَنبياء

Free us, my Creator; You are mighty,

By the sacred mystery of al-Mustafa and the prophets.

ارحم اللي بَينَهُم مثل الضَرير

لَوعيونو مفتحا كنو عَماه

Have mercy on the one among them who is like the blind,

Though his eyes are open, as if he had lost his sight.

كُل يَوم بضامري نار وَهَجير

مِن حواب التراك نشحين الملاه

Each day, fire and scorching heat burn in my heart,

From the wrongs of the Turks, those grim-faced men,

وَالبلاوي وَالمَصايب وَالسَعير

كُل واحد مستقل بِما بَغاه

And calamities, disasters, and the blaze.

Each man bears alone what has beset him.

وَلو بَغيت أَحكي بَعد عِندي كَثير

كثر ما راعيت مِن جُو العِداه

If I wished to tell more, I have much still to say,

So much have I witnessed among the enemies.

اختصرت وَقُلت يكفيني اليَسير

عل يفرجها المهيمن من علاه

I kept it brief, saying, 'A little is enough for me.'

May the Guardian bring relief from on high,

وَيَستريح القَلب مِني وَالضَمير

عِندَ شوف الربع حلوين النِباه

And my heart and inner spirit find rest,

At the sight of my people, fair of countenance.

بَعد ذا مِن فُوق علمين النَضير

مِن رِكاب التيه عجلين الخطا

After this, upon a fine, lofty mount,

One of the proud camels, swift of step,

شد كُور الميس مِن فُوق الحَرير

فُوق مَنبور النَوابي وَالقَطاه

Fasten a hackberry saddle over silk,

Upon prominent shoulder-bones and rump.

كَربو وَأَمكَن حزامة وَالمَرير

خُوف مِن سحوان لا ثور رَماه

Tighten it, secure its girth and the stout rope,

Lest the gliding beast throw it when he bolts.

بميركه يا مع هدبها مستدير

بريش هيج نَعام مِن شان الغواه

With a saddle-pad—ah!—with its fringe all around,

With wild ostrich feathers for adornment.

وَالخرج مَرقوم مثلو ما يصير

مِن ذَهب وَهاج غالي مُشتَراه

And an embroidered saddlebag whose like cannot be made,

Of gleaming gold, costly to buy.

وَاللواليح يَوم يغووا بِالمسير

مثل خطاف يميد مَع الهَواه

The dangling ornaments, when they dance on the journey,

Are like a swallow swaying with the breeze.

هيه يا راكباً نضواً مستكير

مثل شامور مدخن عالمياه

Ho there, rider of a well-rounded camel,

Like a smoking ship upon the waters,

شيل زهبا فوق سحوان المغير

ضيف بر الترك ما حيا دُعاه

Load the gear upon the swift, gliding beast.

Guest in the Turks' land—may his summoner not live!

دركتكم للمصطفى الهادي السَفير

عِندَ شنعين الملاقا بِالخلاه

Your protection, for al-Mustafa, the guiding envoy,

Against those dreadful to meet in the wilderness.

الصُبح مِن سيناب قبل الضوسير

ريت نجم من السَما يخسف بَناه

Set out from Sinop in the morning, before daylight;

Would that a star from heaven sank its buildings!

اجمح علينا الصور اشلك بِالغَفير

بابها مَقفول يلعن مَن بَناه

Leap the wall for us—what need have you of the guard?

Its gate is locked; cursed be the one who built it.

الدَرب عالبيواط زملها وَغير

وَنحرن صمسون شرقيها سِواه

The road is toward al-Baywat: load her and spur her on,

And head straight for Samsun, to its east.

وَقسطموني انهجا وَارخي المَرير

وَانقرا وَشاهر قَرا حروة عَشاه

Take the route to Kastamonu, and slacken the stout rein,

Then Ankara and Shahr Qara, about supper-time.

وَالصُبح مِن يَوم فج الضو سير

فَوق مَفتول السَواعد وَالذراه

In the morning, when daylight breaks, set out,

On a beast with sinewy forelegs and shoulders.

أَنتَ نضوك لَو قفل طيراً بِطَير

لا تَهاب الدَرب لَو طُول مَداه

Your mount, once underway, is a bird in flight;

Do not fear the road, however far it stretches.

نوخو لا جيت قيصر يا خَبير

عِندَ شَيخ مِن فُروع طايلاه

Make him kneel when you reach Kayseri, discerning one,

At a shaykh of lofty lineage:

الشيخ أَبو محمد سماعيل الشَهير

خلفة هزيمة لَيث كباد العِداه

The shaykh Abu Muhammad, the renowned Ismail,

Offspring of Hazimah, a lion against his enemies' vitals,

صاحب الناموس يُوم الكُون زير

خي شما ضيغمي عطب الهَواه

A man of honor, a Zir on the day of battle,

Shamma's brother, a lion, deadly to his foes.

حيد يوم الموزما يرخي الجَرير

مثل أَبو زيد الهلالي باللقاه

A crag who loosens the rein on the day of the clash,

Like Abu Zayd al-Hilali in combat.

عيب الفُرسان يومنو بغير

شُوق غطروفا بَدا يَنثر غواه

He puts horsemen to shame when he charges,

Beloved of a graceful maiden, displaying his charms.

يَلحَق العسال وَالسَيف الشَطير

فَوق نَضوه مثل غُزلان المَهاه

He follows through with the quivering lance and cleaving sword,

On his mount, like the gazelles of the white oryx.

لا لفى عَالخيل توحي لَهُ هَدير

حر هيلع مَخلبو يذرف دِماه

When he comes upon the cavalry, you hear his roar:

A fierce, swift falcon, his talon spilling blood.

صلف أَبو محمد شَفا وَيا وَزير

خاص مِن روس المَناصب في علاه

Lofty Abu Muhammad, a healing refuge—O vizier,

Chosen from the highest-ranking men in his eminence.

منسفو يُوم الغَلا مثل الغَدير

يفرحوا الخطار لَو سمعوا نَباه

His food-platter in times of dearth is like a pool;

Guests rejoice when they hear news of him.

لَو شَوايع في مجذبات السَعير

كَم يَتامى يَلتجوا داخل حِماه

His bounty spreads through the fire-scorched barrens;

How many orphans seek refuge within his protection!

فرز مثلو في البَوادي ما يصير

كَهف ملجا زين مَضيوما نَصاه

No exceptional man like him is found in the deserts:

A shelter, a refuge, good to the oppressed who come to him,

مقدم الفُرسان في اليَوم الكَبير

شيخ علمه شوص في يُوم الوَغاه

Leader of the horsemen on the great day,

A shaykh whose banner towers on the day of battle.

الهنادي جَمعهم يُومن يسير

التفنك بيدهم يرعب رماه

The Hanadi, when their host marches,

The muskets in their hands strike terror with their shots.

جَمع اربد بِاللُقا جَمعاً فَرير

يرزقون لا لفوا ينطي قَفاه

A grim host in combat, a force that puts others to flight;

When they sweep in, they strike whoever turns his back.

ما يَهابوا المَوت لَو فج الذَخير

فَوق ضَمر يلحقوا سُمر القَناد

They fear no death, even when ammunition bursts;

On lean mounts they pursue the brown lance-shafts.

شُيوخ أَدناهم عَلى الجُوده قَدير

خاص مِن روس المَناصب بِالفَلاه

Shaykhs whose least is capable of generosity,

Chosen from the highest-ranking men of the wilderness.

بِالكَرَم يَنطوا السَلايل وَالبَعير

وَبِالغَلا للضيف عجلين القَراه

In generosity they give purebred horses and camels,

And in dearth they hasten to feed the guest.

الهنادي من حضر مِنهم شوير

عابني مَعروف يَوم الموزماه

Those Hanadi who were there, though only a few,

Humbled me with kindness on the day of ordeal.

تلو أَخو شَما النداوي الخَطير

خلفة المَرحوم كساب الثَناه

After him comes Shamma's brother, the generous, eminent man,

Son of the departed, a winner of praise.

عقب سماعيل مثلو ما يصير

لَيث عقب لَيث جارح مِن ضَناه

After Ismail, his like cannot be found:

A lion after a lion, a predator sprung from his offspring.

زبن بيضة خدَها بَدراً يُنير

عزها سماعيل زين الجايداه

Protector of a fair woman whose cheek shines like a full moon;

Ismail is her honor, finest of the noble men.

كلمو يا رسل عني يا سَمير

وَلومه وَاللَوم ما يجني حَلاه

Speak to him, messenger, for me, companion,

And reproach him, though reproach bears no sweetness:

كيف آمنت البواشه وَالمُشير

وَأَنتَ زبنك فتر قيسان اللجاه

How did you trust the pashas and the marshal,

When your refuge is a mere handspan of the Laja?

ليش ما راعيت ربعك بِالنَضير

يُوم بذونا بديران الهَفاه

Why did you not watch over your people,

When they cast us into the lands of exile?

قَبلَكثم في حول خلونا نَذير

بَين شنعين الطَوائف وَاللغساه

A year before you, they left us as a warning,

Among dreadful peoples and harsh tongues.

ما عَلى ما صابَني ظَني نَذير

بللذي مثلك منفه بي فَضاه

My warning is not about what has befallen me,

But about one like you, exiled into emptiness.

ذول من يلآمن بهم عقلو صَغير

ساسهم مبطي عَلى الخونة بَناه

Whoever trusts those men has little sense;

Long ago they built their foundations upon treachery.

اين راح المالطي السالف بَشير

وَجمبلاط الطايفة قَد أَتلاه

Where has the former Bashir, the Maltese, gone,

And Jumblatt of the community, who followed him?

أَين أَبو هواش إِسماعيل خير

أَين اِبن جرار وَالهادي مَعاه

Where is Abu Hawwash, Ismail Khayr?

Where is Ibn Jarrar, and al-Hadi with him?

أَينَ اِبن حَرفوش في بعلبك أَمير

وَيوسف الحَمدان راسو مَن رَماه

Where is Ibn Harfush, prince in Baalbek?

And Yusuf al-Hamdan—who cast down his head?

أَينَ أَبو قويطين الحاسي الكَبير

عاصفد وَبلادها حكمو ضَفاه

Where is great Abu Quwaytin al-Hasi,

Whose rule encompassed Safad and its lands?

اين ابن شعلان وَشيوخ السمير

أَين أَخو بلشه ببصرى مِن سقاه

Where are Ibn Sha'lan and the shaykhs of al-Sumayr?

Where is Balsha's brother in Busra—who made him drink?

أَينَ شيخان البَداوي وَالضَفير

أَينَ اِبن سَعدون سُلطان الفراه

Where are the shaykhs of al-Badawi and al-Dhafir?

Where is Ibn Sa'dun, sultan of the Euphrates?

وَالظَواهر شَتتةهم وَالزَغير

وَكَم أَمارة غرقوهم بِالمِياه

And al-Zawahir and al-Zughayr—they scattered them.

How many princes they drowned in the waters!

وَمثلنا كرات ناموا عالحَصير

وَكُل صور الحُكم بالخونة فَلاه

Like us, time and again they slept upon mats;

Every rampart of rule they breached by treachery.

كُل ذولي بدورنا ذاقوا النَكير

مِن فِعال الترك خَبيثين المَلاه

All these, like us in our turn, tasted cruelty,

From the deeds of the Turks, those vile-faced men.

مِن وثق بإِيمانهم لا شَك عير

ذول ناس لبعضهم ملهم بَقاه

Whoever trusts their oaths is surely an ass;

People without constancy even toward one another.

ساسهم عالعيب من مبطي جَدير

من بخنهم ذمهم بين المَلاه

Their foundations have long been rooted in disgrace;

Whoever tests them condemns them before the people.

وَلو أَمان التركواني بِالنَذير

الهاشمي وَاللَه يكذب لَو حَكاه

Even a Turk's pledge of safety—I swear by the Warner,

The Hashimite—by God, he lies if he utters it.

من وَثق بخطوط قرطاس المُشير

وَختمه قَد مات بديار الهَفاه

Whoever trusted the writing on the marshal's paper,

And his seal, has died in the lands of exile.

أَينَ عَهد المُصطَفى الهادي البَشير

أَين أَمر اللَه خانوه الرَداه

Where is the covenant of al-Mustafa, the guiding bearer of good news?

Where is God's command? The vile men betrayed it.

أَينَ أَمان السلطنة ما هوَ صَغير

أَينَ رَأيه وَالأَمان اللي عَطاه

Where is the sultanate's pledge of safety? It is no small thing.

Where is his resolve, and the safety he granted?

يَحسبون الناس دَولتنا حَمير

ما يشوفوا العيب مِنهُم لا بداه

Our government takes people for donkeys,

Who cannot see its disgrace when it appears.

عدلهم حط المؤامن بِالسَعير

وَالمحزب عَفو مَولانا غَشاه

Their justice cast the trusting man into the blaze,

While our lord's pardon covered the partisan.

عدلهم ساوى المَشايخ وَاليدير

عسكرية وَالخَدَم صاروا نَفاه

Their justice put shaykhs and al-Yadir on one footing;

Soldiers and servants became exiles.

عدلم ساوى الكَبير مَع الصَغير

وَالمرا وَالشيخ ينطوهم شَداه

Their justice made the great and the small alike,

And women and old men are given an allowance.

يصرفوا قرشين للرجل الكَبير

وَالصَغير قرش في الغُربة كَفاه

They pay two piasters to an adult man,

And one piaster suffices for a child in exile.

فاعلك قرشين لَو تحصد كَثير

وَالعدس وَالفُول وَالحنطة كَفاه

Your laborer gets two piasters, though he harvests much,

And lentils, beans, and wheat suffice him.

ينقد الإبريز وَالفضة الخَبير

وَالَّذي ما لو شرف كنو عَماه

An expert assays gold and silver,

But one without honor is as though blind.

ذول من يرجو مراحمهم غوير

عَن مَواضي فعلهم بَين المَلاه

Whoever hopes for those men's mercy is naive

About their past conduct among the people.

من وقع بيناتهم عَدو ببير

غَير رَب العَرش ينشل في رَشاه

Whoever falls among them—reckon him in a well;

Only the Lord of the Throne can draw him up with His rope.

وَالدَراهم لا رتشا حل المَرير

وَدارَها مِن خاطر وَلا مِن بغاه

When he takes coins as a bribe, he loosens the binding cord,

And turns the matter at whim, or as he desires.

وَكُل عَيب بجنب ما يَجروا حَقير

وَكُل ذَم الربع لاذوا مِن وَراه

Every fault is slight beside what they do,

And behind every disgrace, those men have taken shelter.

ثُم صَلوا عَالنبي الهادي البَشير

المُصطَفى المَنعوت وَالعداة مَعاه

Then send blessings upon the Prophet, guide and bearer of good news,

Al-Mustafa, the one described, and the enemies with him.

يَختم لِمَن عانى مَصايبهم بِخَير

يَم نوقف كُلنا عَرياً حفاه

May He grant a good ending to those who suffered their calamities,

When we all stand naked and barefoot.