Read on Twitter
Reminds me of Ibn Sīnā's al-Qaṣīda al-ʿayniyya, his famous poetic allegory for the soul's descent.
وأظنها نسيتْ عهودًا بالحمى * ومنازلاً بفراقها لمْ تقنـــعِ
حتى إذا اتصلتْ بهاء هبوطها * عن ميم مركزها بذات الأجرعِ
علقت بها ثاء الثقيل فأصبحتْ * بين المعالم والطلول الخضـعِ
1/ https://twitter.com/AmericanMaghreb/status/1329537419067097088
وأظنها نسيتْ عهودًا بالحمى * ومنازلاً بفراقها لمْ تقنـــعِ
حتى إذا اتصلتْ بهاء هبوطها * عن ميم مركزها بذات الأجرعِ
علقت بها ثاء الثقيل فأصبحتْ * بين المعالم والطلول الخضـعِ
1/ https://twitter.com/AmericanMaghreb/status/1329537419067097088
‘Forgetting, I think, her old haunts: sacred meadows
and dwellings, unhappy to have been left behind.
When joined to the D of Descent from the S
of her Station in Dhāt al-Ajraʿ,
She adhered to the H of Heavy and came to stay
among waymarks and humble vestigial abodes.’
2/
and dwellings, unhappy to have been left behind.
When joined to the D of Descent from the S
of her Station in Dhāt al-Ajraʿ,
She adhered to the H of Heavy and came to stay
among waymarks and humble vestigial abodes.’
2/
Translation by Geert Jan van Gelder. Note the play on Arabic letters depicting the dove’s journey to captivity (= soul’s descent from the heavens):‘D of Descent’ (hāʾ hubūṭihā)
‘S of her Station’ (mīm markazihā)
‘H of Heavy’ (thāʾ al-thaqīl)
3/
Now here’s a Syriac interpretation of Ibn Sīnā’s poem by John bar Maʿdanī (d. 1263):
ܐܫܝܗ̇ ܚܫܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܘܝܪܐ ܕܛܘܒܬܢܘܬܐ
ܥܕܡܐ ܕܛܥܬ ܝܬܗ̇ ܘܐܬܪܐ ܐܝܟ ܫܢܝܬܐ
ܠܡܝܡ ܡܪܟܒܬܗ̇ ܥܦܩܬ ܡܢܫܠܝ ܡܝܡ ܡܦܘܠܬܐ
ܗ̇ܝ ܕܡܥܕܐ ܬܥܦܩ ܝܬܗ̇ ܒܐܡܝܢܘܬܐ
….
4/
ܐܫܝܗ̇ ܚܫܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܘܝܪܐ ܕܛܘܒܬܢܘܬܐ
ܥܕܡܐ ܕܛܥܬ ܝܬܗ̇ ܘܐܬܪܐ ܐܝܟ ܫܢܝܬܐ
ܠܡܝܡ ܡܪܟܒܬܗ̇ ܥܦܩܬ ܡܢܫܠܝ ܡܝܡ ܡܦܘܠܬܐ
ܗ̇ܝ ܕܡܥܕܐ ܬܥܦܩ ܝܬܗ̇ ܒܐܡܝܢܘܬܐ
….
4/
ܡܢ ܒܝܢܬܗܝܢ ܫܘܪܬ ܣܒܟܬ ܝܘܕ ܝܩܝܪܬܐ
ܘܢܓܕܬ ܓܦܗ̇ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܚ̈ܙܐ ܕܣܚܝܦܘܬܐ
ܠܕܘܘܢ ܕܠܬ ܡܢ ܪܫ ܪܘܡܗ̇ ܐܬܬ ܕܘܝܬܐ
Editions by Yāwsep d-Qellāytā (1928) and Yūḥannā Dūlābānī (1928, 2nd ed. 1980)
5/
ܘܢܓܕܬ ܓܦܗ̇ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܚ̈ܙܐ ܕܣܚܝܦܘܬܐ
ܠܕܘܘܢ ܕܠܬ ܡܢ ܪܫ ܪܘܡܗ̇ ܐܬܬ ܕܘܝܬܐ
Editions by Yāwsep d-Qellāytā (1928) and Yūḥannā Dūlābānī (1928, 2nd ed. 1980)
5/
‘Passion made her forget that blessed abode
Until, like a lunatic, she forgot herself & region.
To the C of her Chariot she clings, then suddenly to the F of Fall,
She who is wont to cling to herself.
...
6/
Until, like a lunatic, she forgot herself & region.
To the C of her Chariot she clings, then suddenly to the F of Fall,
She who is wont to cling to herself.
...
6/
Between them she leaps & grasps the H of Heavy,
And beats her wings till the depths of destruction.
From the S of her Summit to the Despair of D, the wretch arrives.’
7/
And beats her wings till the depths of destruction.
From the S of her Summit to the Despair of D, the wretch arrives.’
7/
Now compare Bar Maʿdanī's play on Syriac letters:
‘C of her Chariot’ (mīm markaḇṯāh)
‘F of Fall’ (mīm mappultā)
‘H of Heavy’ (yōḏ yaqqīrtā)
‘To the Despair of D’ (l-ḏuwwān dālaṯ)
‘S of her Summit’ (rēš rawmāh)
8/
‘C of her Chariot’ (mīm markaḇṯāh)
‘F of Fall’ (mīm mappultā)
‘H of Heavy’ (yōḏ yaqqīrtā)
‘To the Despair of D’ (l-ḏuwwān dālaṯ)
‘S of her Summit’ (rēš rawmāh)
8/
Take away: knowledge can migrate between religious & linguistic communities in the most creative ways!
9/
9/
