The Book of Travels. Hannā Diyāb

the abbot, and ordered one of the monks to fetch the man’s prayer book, walking stick, and outer robe. He gave them to Brother Mūsā, blessed him, and sent him off. The abbot turned to us and sighed.

      “My sons, I yearn to see the blind obedience of this monk in all of you,” he said. “Did you notice that he made not a single excuse? He didn’t say, ‘Oh Father, I don’t have the strength to walk!’ No, he set off immediately, obeying my orders without any doubt that he was able to walk.”

      The abbot continued to preach to us on this subject for the next half hour, which was supposed to be spent strolling outdoors.

١٧،١1.17

      والفقير رايت اشيا كثيره في هل رهبنة المقدسه ومن الرهبان الذين سيرتهم سيره ملايكيه وهذا دكرته وهو القليل من الكثير بل انما ذكرته خجلًا لي وتنبيه لغيري ليلا يروح الي الرهبنه بغير استعداد لهذه الدرجة المقدسه وخصوصًا وقبل كل شي يستقيم مده مديده يطلب من الله بان يرويه دعوته ويتدبر علي يد مرشد فهيم عامل ومعلم. حيندٍ بيكون بامان من قبل دعوته.

      I saw quite a few things in this sacred order and among the monks, whose conduct is truly angelic. What I’ve recounted here are just a few stories. Even though they may reflect poorly on me, I’ve told these stories in order to warn others not to pursue the path of monasticism without being prepared for such a saintly vocation. Specifically, before doing anything else, you should spend a good long while asking God to reveal His calling to you. And you should train at the hand of a learned and practical guide. Then and only then will you be certain that you have indeed been called.

      ١٨،١1.18

      اخيرًا بعد دخولي للتجربه بقليل من الزمان وقعت في مرض ثقيل واستقمت مريض مدة شهرين وشهر اخر ما بين مريض وطيب وفي ذلك الشهر رفع عني الريس قانون الرهبنه وصار يرسلني مع الرهبان برات الدير لما يخرجوا في اشغال الدير فكنت اروح اتنزه صحبتهم.

      Shortly after I began my novitiate, I became very ill. I was ill for two months, and spent another month recuperating. During that month, the abbot freed me from the monastic rule and would send me out with the monks whenever they went to take care of the monastery’s business. I’d join them and take in a walk.

      ١٩،١1.19

      فيوم من ذات الايام راحوا اثنين من الرهبان الي الطاحون حتي يطحنوا قمح للدير فامرهم الريس بان ياخدوني معهم للطاحون حتي اتنزه فمضيت معهم الي مكان يسما راس النهر حيث كانت الطاحون فلما وصلنا ونزلوا القمح عن ظهر الحمير فارءوا بان ما لهم ضور للطحن لان كان قبلهم وصلوا كثيرين حتي يطحنوا فالتزموا بانهم يناموا هناك الي ان يجيهم دور. حيندٍ قالوا لي الرهبان قوم روح يا اخونا للدير وخد معك الاتان واحكي للريس سبب رقادنا في الطاحون حتي لا يبقا باله.

      One day, two monks set off for the flour mill to grind some wheat for the monastery. The abbot ordered them to take me along so I could have a walk. We headed out to a place called Rās al-Nahr, where the mill was located.¹³ When we arrived and unloaded the wheat from the donkeys, the monks realized that they wouldn’t be able to grind the wheat right away, as many other people had arrived ahead of them. They’d be compelled to spend the night there, waiting their turn.

      “Brother, go back to the monastery and take the donkey with you,” the monks told me. “Explain to the abbot why we’ve stayed over at the mill, so he won’t be worried.”

      ٢٠،١1.20

      فنهضت وسقت الاتان امامي وسرت حتي وصلت الي الوادي وبدينا في النزول من ذلك العلو فنزل الاتان امامي وفي نزوله رايت كانه تهور الي الاسفل فلحقت ومسكت ديله ليلا يتهور فنترني معه وانا ماسك ديله. اخيرًا فلت مني وطلع يركد وانا صرت اتدركل من فوق الي تحت حتي اتكسرت اضلاعي وبعد قليل فقت من غموتي واوعيت علي حالي فما رايت الاتان. وقتيدٍ قلت في بالي بان احد الحميديه اخد الاتان وراح فيه وايش عدت ارد جواب للريس وصرت في فكارات ونسيت اوجاعي وصرت ادور في الوادي وافتش علي الاتان فما رايت له خبر ولا جنيت اثر فحزنت وبقيت في حيره وقطعت^١ الاياس من الاتان. اخيرًا توجهت الي الدير وانا ماشي رويدًا رويدًا الي ان وصلت الي الدير.

      ١ الأصل: قطت.

      I headed out, driving the donkey ahead of me. We began to descend when we reached the valley, the donkey leading the way. As it clambered down the slope, it seemed to me as though the beast was about to slide down to the bottom! So I raced after it, grasping its tail to hold it back, but it yanked me forward, slipped loose, and galloped off while I tumbled all the way down, battering my ribs. As I recovered from my daze a moment later, I looked around. The donkey was nowhere to be seen.

      My first thought was that a member of the Ḥamādah tribe must have taken the donkey and made off with it.¹⁴ What was I going to tell the abbot? In my desperation, I forgot my aches and pains and set about searching for the donkey in the valley, but it had vanished without a trace! My heart sank. Unsure what to do next, I gave up the search and trudged all the way back to the monastery.

      ٢١،١1.21

      فاتفق ذلك اليوم بان كام واحد من المبتدين الحلبيه الذي مر ذكرهم كانوا متقلقلين وطلبوا الخروج من الدير وبهذا صعب علي الريس كثير فزعًا علي غيرهم من المبتدين ليلا يرتخي عزمهم فصار يدعي واحد بعد واحد ويفحصه هل هو ثابت ام لا. اخيرًا ارسل دعاني فقالوا له الرهبان بان اخونا راح مع الرهبان للطاحون كما امرت فقلهم لما بيرجع