The Life and Literature of Abdul Rahman Shukri

This poem is from the fifth of Shukri’s books which was published in 1923 called ‘Songs of Youth’. Before the poem Shukri writes that his friend, the genius poet Al-Jalil Abbas Afendi Mahmoud Al-Aqqad, while staying in Aswan, wrote lines of poetry to Shukri. Al-Aqqad entitled the poem ‘The Futility of Life’ and Shukri responded to him with the lines below and the same title. Further below is my first translation of the poem by Shukri from Arabic into English. I have endeavored to stay as close to the meaning in Arabic as possible while also trying to bring the rhyme to the English were possible.

عبث الحياة

ماذا يفيدُ تصوُّبي وتصعدي

 في مسلكٍ للعيشِ غير ممهَّدِ؟

 كالبحر في أحواله متغيرًا

عبثًا يضجُّ بموجه المتجددِ  

عبثًا تعيثُ الريحُ في هباتها

كالحادثاتِ إِذا تروح وتغتدي

عبثًا يسير النجمُ في أبراجه

متنقلًا في سيره عن موعِدِ

عبثًا تضيء الشمسُ وجْهَ مسالكٍ

للعيش تزخرُ بالشقاءِ المزبدِ

لو كان يدري المرءُ قدْر شقائه

في العيشِ ودَّ لَوَ انَّهُ لم يُولَدِ

والناسُ غرقى في الشقاءِ ولؤمِه

من ناقمٍ يشكو ومن متبلِّدِ

ومن البليةِ أنني بشقائهم

وشقاوتي أمحو لذيذ تجلُّدِي

إِن التبلدَ والبلادةَ والغبا

!مثلُ الخمورِ لذيذة والمرقدِ

ولَرُبَّ صحوٍ للخمار مبغَّضٍ

يأتي بهمٍّ للحياة مجدَّدِ!

من لي بعيشٍ لا أحس صروفَه

كالماءِ أو كالنار أو كالجلمدِ!

ماذا يفيد تضاحُكٌ مِنْ قانطٍ

نار الجحيم بقلبه المتوقِّدِ؟

ضحك يهدُّ القلبَ وقْعُ رعوده

ولرُبَّ ضِحْكٍ في النعيم مغردِ!

ماذا على الإِنسان لولا نسله

إِن باع دنياه بموتٍ سرمَدِ!

The Futility of Life By Abdul Rahman Shukri

Whats the point of my ups and downs

On a path in life far from smooth

Like the sea, ever-changing

In vain, its waves roar, ever-staying

In vain, the wind rages

As do misfortunes, that come and go

In vain, the star follows its elliptical paseo

Wandering along, no end in sight

In vain, the sun illuminates the paths ahead

For a life that is full of traumatic dread

If man had known the burden of strife

He would have never desired to have a life

And people are drowning in harship and its pain

Some, indignant and complain, while others remain inane

And through misfortune, I share their pain

But as for me, the beauty of my endurance is slain

Apathy, dullness, and stupidity

Are like wine — delightful and hypnotic

But alas, awakening from wine detested

Is a return anew to a life dejected

If only, to be granted a life and not feel its pains

As do water, or fire or rock

What use is laughter for one in despair

With the fire of hell in his heart aflare

Laughter, shattering the heart, fierce and strong

Yet oft, laughing, in bliss and song

Who would care, if not for his offspring

To sell his world for eternal death