The Futility of Life. عبث الحياة Adbul 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 a poem by Shukri 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
في مسلكٍ للعيشِ غير ممهَّدِ؟ ماذا يفيدُ تصوُّبي وتصعدي
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
من 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
Translation
On a path in life far from smooth What is the point of my ups and downs
Like the sea, ever-changing In vain, its waves roar, ever-staying
In vain, the wind rages As do misfortunes, 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 his strife He would never have desired to have a life
And people are drowning in harship and its pain Some, indignant, 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 to return anew a life dejected
If only, to be granted a life and not feel its pains As water, or fire, or all that stays
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 enternal death
The Life and Literature of Abdul Rahman Shukri 