الرق والحرية – أحمد شوقي
O singing bird, O king of the Kanari, O chief of the nightingale,
I have succeed in you with the singer ‘ Ma’bad ’ and I have been provided with the proximity of the singer ‘Musili’ . (That means that Kanari is well singer as well as beautiful.)
David has been ordained to me as a lute and beautiful recitation.
Above the thrones and pulpits you never put your steps.
You have never stepped neither upon the throne nor upon the pulpit.
You move just like the gold coin in the passage of the eye sight of squint-eyed person.
When you appear on the theatre/ stage you do not leave anything more desirable for an actor.
You have got the beginnings (openings) of poetry of the poet Farazdaq and conclusion of the poetry of the poet Hutaiya.
You have borrowed/ taken yellowish upper garments and colour of ornaments from the forenoon.
You speak in the whiteness of the big cap about the virgins of the church (Nuns).
Would that I knew! O captive bird, your heart is broken or it is free.
O ally of wakefulness, you didn’t sleep at night until it disappeared.
In spite of me, you are suffering from hardship inside the brass made locked cage.
My interest in you is out of love and he who gets a costly thing become miserly.
Necessity produces miserliness in the generous munificent person.
If I keep you in the golden cage glorified with silk,
If I cover it with lily flower and spread clove in it,
If I burn purest wood and precious sandal wood around it,
If I carry it above the fountains and on the source of the small river
If I invite every kind of bright, black and
white birds from the kingdom of birds,
And fighting, loving, coquetting birds came to entertain you,
If I order my son and then he meets you with his cheerful, smiling face,
Keeping in his right hand the sweetest drink faluda which was not presented to the caliph Mutawakkil,
(Keeping in his hand) a silver glass filled with pure water,
O singing bird! I will never be kind, generous person to you.
The honey of the life is mixed with slavery is just like the bitter colocynth.
The chain even if it is woven with pearl, it can not be carried.
O
bird, if people could not have said he has become mad, I would say that you
have the power of understanding.
Listen to me because many detail advices did not benefit you like the brief one.
Have patience for the suffering you are enduring there! Or you can whatever appears to you.
You are the product of opinion for nature which is unchanging in your case.
You are always frightened with imprisonment and threatened with killing.
If you fly away from my protection, you will fall victim with the ignorant vulture.
O bird! Examples are cited to the likely intelligent persons.
Customs of your world is that it is not meant for armless person.
Nor this world is made for dull person, even if it offers excuse with the future time.
This world is made for that noble man who is put to trouble and who puts other into trouble.
Who shoots and who is stricken in the struggle of life avertedly.
Who collects power like the lion, when he is being misbehaved he becomes arrogant,
Have you listened the two judges at the day of Jandal in the history of Islam?
In the big calamity, if there will be no trick no fire will take place.
That day the companions became pleased with the descended book i.e. Qur’an.
They were like bright lamps, narrators of Hadith from the sent down apostle i.e. Muhammad.
They said, (we accept the decision of) the book. And everyone began to interpret and elaborate.
That’s why the path (of being caliph) became spacious for Muabia and narrow for ‘Ali.
So they returned towards the oppression as per nature what was established in their minds.
They bow down to the judgment of the powerful man and the trick of cleaver person.
O singing bird! Whatever I say is true, whether you care for it or not.
You resided at the most luxuriant garden and you have alighted at the most honourable avode.
(You are living) between the reception of Hussain and attention of Ali,
(You are living) under the affection of Amenah who is just like your mother in your early childhood.
Cry out with good morning and bring good news to the children with good future.
And ask special attention for Egypt which comes and descends from above.
Say: O our Lord, open the door of mercy and send betterment from you.
Help the noble Arabs, O our lord! Accept our prayers.
صداح يا ملك الكنار
صداح يا ملك الكنا ر ويا أمير البلبل
قد فزت منك بمعبد ورزقت
قرب الموصلي
وأتيح لي داود مز مارا
وحسن ترتل
فوق الأسرة والمنا بر
قط لم تترجل
تهتز كالدينار في مرتج
لحظ الأحول
وإذا خطرت على الملا عب
لم تدع لممثل
ولك ابتداءات الفرز دق
في مقاطع جرول
ولقد تخذت من الضحى صفر
الغلائل والحلى
ورويت في بيض القلا نس
عن عذارى الهيكل
يا ليت شعري يا أسير شج
فؤادك أم خل
وحليف سهد أم تنا م
الليل حتى ينجلى
بالرغم منى ما تعا لج
في النحاس المقفل
حرصي عليك هوى ومن يحرز
ثمينا ينجل
والشح تحدثه الضرو رة
في الجواد المجزل
أنا إن جعلتك في نضا ر
بالحرير مجلل
ولففته في سُوسن وحففته
بقَرنفل
وحرقت أزكى العود حو لَيه
وأغلى الصندل
وحملته فوق العيو ن
وفوق رأس الجدول
ودعوت كل أغر في ملك
الطيور محجل
فأتتك بين مُطارح ومحبذ ومدلل
وأمرت بابني فالتقا ك
بوجهه المتهلل
بيمينه فالوذج لم
يهد للمتوكل
وزجاجة من فضة مملؤة من سلسل
ما كنت يا صدّاح عنـ ـدك
بالكريم المفضل
شهد الحياة مشوبة بالرق
مثل الحنظل
والقيد لو كان الجما ن
منظما لم يحمل
يا طير لولا أن يقو لوا
جُن قلت تعقل
اسمع فرب مفصل لك
لم يفدك كمجمل
صبرا لما تشقى به أو
ما بدا لك فافعل
أنت أبن رأى للطبي عة
فيك غير مبدل
صداح حق ما أقو ل
حفلت أم لم تحفل
جاورت أندى روضة وحللت
أكرم منزل
بين الحفاوة من حسيـ ـن
والرعاية من على
وحنان آمنة كأمـ ـك في صباك الأول
صح بالصباح وبشر الـ ـأبناء
بالمستقبل
واسأل لمصر عناية تأتي
وتهبط من عل
قل ربنا افتح رحمة الخير
منك فأرسل
أدرك كنانتك الكريـ ـمة ربنا وتقبل
