The Epistle of Forgiveness. Abu l-'Ala al-Ma'arri

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      I shall visit the house of truth for a permanent visit;

      why should I care for things that fall into ruin and collapse?

      The Arabs always speak of the grave as a “house,” even if he who moves into it is dead. A rajaz poet said:⁷⁵

      Today a house will be built for Duwayd.

      Many a respectable house have I built,

      Many a wrist with a bracelet have I bent.

      If Fate could be worn out, I would wear it out;

      Or if my opponent were single, I would be more than his match.

      23.6

      فأمّا الفصل الذي ذكر فيه الخليل، فقد سقط منه اسم الذي غلا فيَّ، وقرن بالنُّجوم الصَّلافيَّ، ومن كان، فغفر اللهُ جرائمه، وحفِظ له في الأبد كرائمه، فقد أخطأ على نفسه فيما زعم وعليَّ، ونسب ما لا أستوجب إليَّ. وكم أعتذر وأتنصَّل، من ذنْبٍ ليس يتحصَّل! وإنّي لأكرهُ بشهادة الله تلك الدَّعْوى المُبْطِلة، كَراهةَ المسيح مَن جعله رَبَّ العِزّة، فما ترك للفِتَن من مَهَزّة، بدليل قوله تعالى: {وَإذْ قال ٱللهُ يا عِيسَى بْنَ مَرْيَمَ أأَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنّاسِ ٱتّخِذُوني وأُمِّي إلٰهيْنِ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ، قالَ سُبْحانَكَ ما يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ ما لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ، إنْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُهُ فََقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ، تَعْلَمُ ما فِي نَفْسِي وَلا أَعْلَمُ ما فِي نَفْسِكَ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ عَلّامُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ}.

      In the paragraph in which the Sheikh mentions al-Khalīl the name is missing of the person that extols me so excessively,⁷⁶ pairing the stars with hard stones. Whoever it was—may God forgive his misdeeds and preserve for him for ever his noble qualities!—in his assertion he erred both against me and himself. He ascribed to me things I do not deserve. How often do I have to exculpate myself and justify myself for a sin that never occurred! Truly, I loathe—God be my witness—such false claims as much as the Messiah loathed those who turned him into the Lord Omnipotent, and who thus did not omit any opportunity to stir up religious temptation.⁷⁷ The proof is in the words of God the Exalted:⁷⁸ «And when God said, “O ʿĪsā son of Maryam, did you say to the people: Take me and my mother as two gods, rather than God?” He answered, “May You be glorified! It is not for me to say what I am not entitled to. If I said it You would know it: You know what is in my soul, whereas I do not know what is in Your soul. You are the one who knows all things that are hidden.”»

      The Stolen Letter

      24.1.1

      وأمّا أبو الفرج الزَّهْرَجيُّ فمعرفته بالشّيخ تُقْسِم أنه للأدب حليفٌ، وللطَّبع الخيِّر أليفٌ. وودِدتُ أنّ الرّسالة وصلتْ إليَّ، ولكنْ ما عدل ذلك العديلُ، فبعِد ما تغنَّى هديل، هلاَّ اقتنع بنَفَقةٍ أو ثوْب، وترك الصُّحُف عن نوْب؟ فأَرِب من يديه، ولا اهتدى في اللَّيلة بفَرْقَديْه. لو أنه أحد لصوص العرب الذين رُويتْ لهم الأمثالُ السّائرة، وتحدَّثت بهم المُنْجِدة والغائرة، لما اغتفرتُ ما صنع بما نظم، لأنه أفرط وأعظم، أي أتى عظيمة وبَتَك من القلائد نظيمةً.

      As for Abū l-Faraj al-Zahrajī, the fact that he knows the Sheikh testifies as if on oath that he has a close connection with erudition and is allied with a good natural disposition. I wished that the letter had reached me,⁷⁹ but that fellow traveler was a felon traveler⁸⁰—away with him, for as long as doves sing!⁸¹ Could he not have been content instead with some cash or clothes, leaving the letter alone? May his hands drop from his body! May he not find the right path at night by the two stars of the Little Bear!⁸² If he had been one of the proverbial Arab robber-poets⁸³ spoken of by people wherever they go,⁸⁴ then I would not have forgiven him his deed, despite the poetry he composed, because he went too far and committed an enormity, i.e., a grave misdeed, and he destroyed a well-strung necklace.

      24.1.2

      وقد وُفّق أبو الفرج وولده، وصار كاللُّجّة ثَمَدُه، لمَّا درس عليه الكتب، وحفظ عنه ما يكون التُّرْتُب، فسلَّم العاتكةَ إلى القاريِّ، والنافجةَ إلى المرء الداريّ، والرُّمح الأطْول إلى ابن الطُّفيل، والأعِنّة إلى أحلاس الخيل.

      Abū l-Faraj and his son⁸⁵ were fortunate! His little puddle of knowledge became like the sea’s billows when he studied his books under the Sheikh’s guidance and memorized what will be forever immutable. “He handed the ancient bow to the man of the tribe of al-Qārah, the musk pouch to the man of Dārīn, the long lance to Ibn al-Ṭufayl, and the reins to the riders that never quit the saddle.”⁸⁶

      24.2

      وإن كان الشّيخ مارَس من التَّعب أُمَّ الرُّبيق، فقد جدّد عهدَه الأوَّل بقُويْق، وإنه لَنِعم النَّهر، لا يُغْرق السّابح ولا يَبهَر، وبناتُه المخطوبات صغارٌ، يؤخذن منه في الغفلة ولا يَغار. يَعولهنَّ، والقدر يَغولهنَّ، سترْن الأنفُسَ فما تبرَّجن، ولكنْ بالرّغم خرجن. خدورهنَّ من ماء، زارتْهنَّ الملموءةُ بالإلماء، والملموءة الشَّبَكة، يقال: ألمأ على الشيء إذا أخذه كلَّه. ما يشعُر قويقٌ المسكين، أعَرَبٌ سَبَتْ من ولد أم رومٌ، ولا يحفل بما تروم. ولقد ذكره البُحْتُريّ، ونعته الصَّنَوْبَريّ، وإخالُ أنّ الشيخ أفسدتْه عليه دِجلةُ وصَراتها، وأعانها على ذلك فُراتها.

      Though the Sheikh had to contend with contretemps,⁸⁷ he has renewed his former acquaintance with the river Quwayq. What a lovely river! It will not give СКАЧАТЬ