The Epic of Umar ibn Al-Khattab

ملحمة عمر بن الخطاب 

The Epic of Umar ibn Al-Khattab

Imad Darouich — New York

في زمنٍ كانت فيه الصحراء تتكلم بصوت السيوف

In a time when the desert spoke with the sound of swords

وُلد رجل سيغيّر وجه التاريخ.

A man was born who would change the face of history.

لم يكن ملكًا.

He was not a king.

ولا ابن ملك.

Nor the son of a king.

بل رجلًا

But a man

خرج من قلب الصحراء.

Who emerged from the heart of the desert.

اسمه

His name

عمر.

Umar.

كان طويل القامة

He was tall

كأن الريح صنعت قامته.

As if the wind had shaped his stature.

وقوي الصوت

His voice was powerful

كأن الصحراء تسكن في صدره.

As if the desert lived within his chest.

في شبابه

In his youth

كان شديدًا.

He was fierce.

شديدًا كالصخر.

As hard as rock.

حتى جاء يوم

Until one day

غيّر كل شيء.

Everything changed.

يوم سمع كلمات

The day he heard words

لم تكن مثل كلام البشر.

Unlike the speech of men.

كلمات

Words

من القرآن.

From the Qur’an.

في تلك اللحظة

In that moment

انكسر شيء في داخله.

Something inside him broke.

وُلِد عمر جديد.

A new Umar was born.

عمر

Umar

لم يعد يقاتل الحقيقة.

No longer fought the truth.

بل صار

But became

حارسها.

Its guardian.

مرت السنوات.

Years passed.

ومات النبي.

The Prophet passed away.

وبقيت الأمة

And the nation remained

تبحث عن رجل

Searching for a man

يحمل ثقلها.

To carry its weight.

فكان عمر.

And it was Umar.

جلس على الحكم

He took the leadership

لكن قلبه

Yet his heart

لم يجلس على العرش.

Never sat upon a throne.

كان يمشي في الليل

He walked in the night

وحده.

Alone.

يسمع بكاء الأطفال.

Hearing the cries of children.

ويقول جملة

And he said a sentence

لم يقلها ملك قبله.

No king had said before.

لو عثرت بغلة في العراق

If a mule stumbled in Iraq

لسألني الله عنها

God would ask me about it

يا عمر.

O Umar.

لم يكن يخاف الجيوش.

He did not fear armies.

بل كان يخاف

But he feared

العدل.

Justice.

فتح المدن

He opened cities

لكن قلبه

But his heart

بقي بسيطًا.

Remained simple.

كان ينام

He slept

تحت شجرة.

Under a tree.

لا حراس حوله.

With no guards around him.

فقال أحدهم

And someone said

جملة خالدة:

A timeless sentence:

حكمت فعدلت فأمنت فنمت.

You ruled with justice, so you were safe and slept.

وفي صباحٍ هادئ

And on a quiet morning

دخل رجل

A man entered

يحمل خنجرًا.

Carrying a dagger.

وفي لحظة

In a moment

سقط عمر.

Umar fell.

لكن التاريخ

But history

لم يسقط معه.

Did not fall with him.

لأن بعض الرجال

For some men

حين يموتون

When they die

يصبحون

They become

فكرة.

An idea.

وعمر

And Umar

لم يكن مجرد رجل.

Was never just a man.

كان ميزانًا.

He was a scale.

ميزان

A scale

يقيس العدل في التاريخ.

Measuring justice in history.