ترجمة خمرية ابن الفارض

Ibn Al-Faridh's Mystical Wine

ترجمة محمود عباس مسعود

شَـرِبْنَا عـلى ذكْـرِ الحبيبِ مُدامَةً = سـكِرْنَا بها من قبل أن يُخلق الكَرْمُ

I quaffed a sip of wine to the remembrance of my beloved, that rendered me inebriated even before vineyards were ever created

لـها البدرُ كأسٌ وهيَ شمسٌ يُدِيرُهَا = هـلالٌ وكـم يـبدو إذا مُزِجَتْ نَجم

A wine which is the sun; its cup is the full moon, served by a crescent; reflecting many a star when duly mixed

ولـولا شـذَاها مـا اهتدَيتُ لِحانِها = ولـولا سَـناها مـا تصَوّرها الوَهْمُ

Had it not been for its scent, I would not have discovered its tavern.

Had it not been for its splendor, my mind would have never fancied it

ولـم يُـبْقِ منها الدّهْرُ غيرَ حُشاشَةٍ = كـأنّ خَـفاها في صُدور النُّهى كتْم

Eternity has but consumed it all; its concealment in the bosom of the wise is a well-guarded secret

فـإن ذُكـرَتْ في الحَيّ أصبحَ أهلُهُ = نَـشاوى ولا عـارٌ عـليهمْ ولا إثم

When mentioned in a gathering, people become enraptured; unashamedly drunk; ecstatically sinless

ومِـنْ بـينِ أحشاء الدّنانِ تصاعدتْ = ولـم يَـبْقَ منها في الحقيقة إلاّ اسمُ

From the midst of earthen jugs it has soared on high, with nothing left of it save only a name

وإن خَطَرَتْ يوماً على خاطرِ امرئِ = أقـامتْ بـه الأفـراحُ وارتحلَ الهمّ

Whenever it flashes in a man’s mind, great rejoicings abound, worries depart

ولـو نَـظَرَ الـنُّدْمَانُ خَـتمَ إنائِها = لأسـكَرَهُمْ مـن دونِـها ذلكَ الختم

If drinking companions see the seal of its jar, its sight leaves them intoxicated; albeit not imbibing

ولـو نَـضحوا منها ثرَى قبرِ مَيّتٍ = لـعادتْ اليه الرّوحُ وانتَعَشَ الجسم

If a dead man’s grave were sprinkled with it, his soul would return to him; his body revives

ولـو طَرَحُوا في فَيءِ حائطِ كَرْمِها = عـليلاً وقـد أشـفى لـفَارَقَهُ السّقم

If a sick man were placed in the wall-shadow of its vineyard, his illness at once vanishes, even if on the verge of death

ولـو قَـرّبُوا من حانِها مُقْعَداً مشَى = وتـنطِقُ مـن ذِكْـرَى مذاقتِها البُكْم

If a cripple were brought near its tavern, he would soon rise and walk; the mere remembrance of its taste enables the dumb to speak

ولـو عَبِقَتْ في الشرق أنفاسُ طِيبِها = وفـي الـغربِ مزكومٌ لعادَ لهُ الشَّمّ

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If its fragrant breath permeates the East, a man with a congested nose in the West would soon regain his smell

ولـو خُضِبت من كأسِها كفُّ لامسٍ = لـمَا ضَـلّ فـي لَيْلٍ وفي يَدِهِ النجم

If the hand of him who touches it were dyed with its color, he would never lose his way at night; a star in his hand

ولـو جُـليتْ سِـرّاً على أَكمَهٍ غَدا = بَـصيراً ومن راووقِها تَسْمَعُ الصّم

If secretly revealed to a sightless man, he would see; the very sound of its filtering makes the deaf hear

ولـو أنّ رَكْـباً يَمّموا تُرْبَ أرْضِهَا = وفـي الرّكبِ ملسوعٌ لمَا ضرّهُ السّمّ

If a troop of people set out in search of its soil, and among them one who’s stung, poison would not cause him harm

ولو رَسَمَ الرّاقي حُرُوفَ اسمِها على = جَـبينِ مُـصابٍ جُـنّ أبْرَأهُ الرسم

If a necromancer inscribes its name on the forehead of a madman, he would be healed of his madness by the script

وفـوْقَ لِـواء الجيشِ لو رُقِمَ اسمُها = لأسـكَرَ مَـنْ تحتَ اللّوا ذلك الرّقْم

If its name were writ on an army flag, all under the flag would be inebriated

تُـهَذّبُ أخـلاقَ الـنّدامى فـيّهْتَدي = بـها لـطريقِ العزمِ مَن لا لهُ عَزْم

It polishes the character of drinking companions, even the faltering one is spurred on; goaded to the the path of firm determination

ويـكرُمُ مَـن لـم يَعْرِف الجودَ كَفُّه = ويـحلُمُ عـند الـغيظ مَن لا لهُ حِلم

It opens the hand of the tight-fisted miser, endowing him with generosity; it makes the irate lenient, with temper subdued

ولـو نـالَ فَـدْمُ الـقومِ لَثْمَ فِدَامِها = لأكْـسـبَهُ مَـعنى شـمائِلها الـلّثْم

If an inarticulate person kisses the cap of its bottle, it suffices to endue him with its qualities sublime

يـقولونَ لـي صِفْهَا فأنتَ بوَصفها = خـبيرٌ أَجَـلْ عِندي بأوصافها عِلم

They ask me to give an account of it, saying “ you can accurately describe it.” Yes, indeed I can! Its description is well familiar to me

صـفاءٌ ولا مـاءٌ ولُـطْفٌ ولا هَواً = ونـورٌ ولا نـارٌ وروحٌ ولا جِـسْمٌ

It is clear, with no water; subtle, with no air; light, with no fire; soul, with no body

تَـقَـدّمَ كُــلَّ الـكائناتِ حـديثُها = قـديماً ولا شـكلٌ هـناك ولا رَسم

Since time immemorial it has been an engrossing tale, even though intangible; formless

وقـامت بـها الأشـياءُ ثَـمّ لحكمَةٍ = بـها احتَجَبَتْ عن كلّ من لا له فَهْمُ

Things were all made and sustained by it, but for a wise reason it became hidden from all who lack understanding

وهامتْ بها روحي بحيثُ تمازَجا = اتّـحـاداً ولا جِـرْمٌ تَـخَلّلَه جِـرْم

My soul, infatuated by it, became inseparably joined to it; with no bodily union between the two

فَـخَـمْر ولا كـرْم وآدَمُ لـي أب = وكَـرْم ولا خَـمْر ولـي أُمُّـها أُمّ

Hence a vine-less wine, Adam is my Father; a wine-less vine, its Mother is mine

ولُـطْفُ الأوانـي في الحقيقة تابع = لِـلُطْفِ الـمعاني والمَعاني بها تَنْمُو

Transparency of receptacles is intimately linked to subtle meanings, swelling and expanding within goblets clear

وقـد وَقَـعَ الـتفريقُ والـكُلّ واحد = فـأرواحُنا خَـمْرٌ وأشـباحُنا كَـرْم

Separation has taken place, while the Whole is an indivisible One; our souls are the wine, our phantoms the vine

ولا قـبلَها قـبل ولا بَـعْدَ بَـعْدَهَا = وقَـبْليُّة الأبْـعادِ فـهْي لـها حَـتْم

None has ever preceded it, none will be subsequent to it; primordial dimensions surely belong to it

وعَصْرُ المَدى من قَبله كان عصرَها = وعـهْدُ أبـينا بَـعدَها ولـها الـيُتم

Timelessness has ever been its epoch cycle. It is fatherless, as our father’s age dawned in its wake

مـحاسِنُ تَـهدي المادِحينَ لوَصْفِهَا = فَـيَحْسُنُ فـيها مـنهُمُ النّثرُ والنّظم

ٍIts splendid charms inspire lauders to extol its loveliness; excelling in its description, in verse and prose

ويَـطْرَبُ مَـن لم يَدْرِهَا عند ذِكْرِهَا = كَـمُشْتَاقِ نُـعْمٍ كـلّما ذُكـرَتْ نُعم

Its very mention transports him who has never previously heard of it; like a seeker of favors passionately desiring boons

وقـالوا شَـرِبْتَ الإِثـمَ كـلاّ وإنّما = شـرِبْتُ التي في تركِها عنديَ الإِثم

They say “you have quaffed sin when you drank of it,” O , no! I have sipped that which the abstention from I consider impious, profane

هـنيئاً لأهـلِ الدّيرِ كمْ سكِروا بها = ومـا شـربوا مـنها ولـكِنّهم هَمّوا

Blessed are the monastics who so frequently intoxicated themselves with it; they, however, never drank it; only endeavored

وعـنديَ مـنها نَـشْوَةٌ قبلَ نشأتي = مـعي أبـداً تـبقى وإنْ بَليَ العَظْم

As for me, I was intoxicated by it even before I appeared on the stage of life; it is ever with me, even when my bones revert to dust

عـليكَ بها صِرْفاً وإن شئتَ مَزْجَها = فَـعَدْلُكَ عـن ظَلْم الحبيب هو الظُّلم

Imbibe it undiluted, mix it if you will; but if you shun the mouth of the beloved, you would have unjustly acted

ترجمتُ الظَلم (بفتح الظاء) إلى mouth لأن هذه الكلمة تعني – بحسب ما ورد في محيط المحيط (ماء الأسنان وبريقها)

فَـدُونَكَهَا فـي الـحانِ واستَجْلها به = عـلى نَـغَمِ الألـحان فهيَ بها غُنْمُ

Hurry! Seek it out in the tavern, uncover its beautiful face to the sweet melodies, for indeed it is a matchless gain

فـما سـكنَتْ والـهمَّ يوماً بموضع = كـذلك لـم يـسكُنْ مـع النَّغَم الغَم

It never abides with care and worries in the same spot; even as soulful tunes with distress never dwell

وفـي سـكرةٍ منها ولَوْ عُمْرَ ساعةٍ = تَـرَى الدَّهْرَ عبداً طائعاً ولك الحُكْم

To be intoxicated with it even for an hour, eternity itself becomes your servant; you, in command

فلا عَيْشَ في الدُّنْيا لمَن عاشَ صاحياً = ومَـن لم يَمُتْ سُكْراً بها فاته الحزم

He who lives sober leads a meaningless existence; he who doesn’t drink to death is a spineless weakling

عـلى نـفسه فليَبْكِ مَن ضاع عُمْرُهُ = ولـيسَ لـهُ فـيها نَصيبٌ ولا سهمُ

Let him, who has wasted his life, abstaining from it, lament for himself ; having no lot or allotment in it at all