قَالَHe saidبِنَبْرَةٍin a toneهَادِئَةٍcalm
He said in a calm tone:
لَقَدْ'Indeedفَعَلْنَاwe didمَاwhatفِيwas inوُسْعِنَاour capacityيَاOجِنْرَالُ.General.'
'Indeed, we did what was in our capacity, O General.'
صَاحَshoutedالضَّابِطُthe officer
The officer shouted:
مَا'Whatفِيis inوُسْعِكُمْ؟your power?لَمْdid notيَكُنْbeهَذَاthisكَافِيًا،enough,أَلَيْسَisn't thatكَذَلِكَ؟so?كَانَIt wasيُفْتَرَضُsupposedبِكُمْby youأَنْtoتَلْفِتُواattractانْتِبَاهَthe attention ofالْعَدُوِّ،the enemy,لَكِنَّكُمْbut youأَخْفَقْتُمْfailedتَمَامًا.completely.'
'What is in your power? This was not enough, isn't that so? You were supposed to attract the enemy's attention, but you completely failed.'
ثُمَّThenاسْتَدَارَhe turnedبِجَوَادِهِ،with his horse,وَانْطَلَقَand set offبَعِيدًا.far away.
Then he turned with his horse and set off far away.
غَمْغَمَMumbledقَائِدُthe leader ofالْكَتِيبَةِthe regimentبِكَلِمَاتٍwith wordsغَاضِبَةٍangry,
The leader of the regiment mumbled angry words.
وَرَفَعَand raisedالْمُلَازِمُthe lieutenant——الَّذِيwhoكَانَwasيَسْتَمِعُlisteningلِحَدِيثِto the talk ofالْجِنْرَالِthe generalفِيinغَضَبٍangerشَدِيدٍintense——صَوْتَهُhis voiceوَقَالَand said
And the lieutenant — who was listening to the talk of the general in intense anger — raised his voice and said:
أَيًّا'Whateverكَانَتْwasصِفَةُthe description ofالرَّجُلِthe man...سَوَاءٌwhetherأَكَانَhe wasجِنْرَالًاa generalأَوْorغَيْرَother thanذَلِكَ؛that;لَوْifقَالَhe saidإِنَّthatهَؤُلَاءِtheseالْفِتْيَانَyouthsلَمْdid notيُبْلُواperformبَلَاءًa performanceحَسَنًا،well,فَهُوَthen he isأَحْمَقُ.foolish.'
“Whatever the description of the man… whether he was a general or other than that; if he said that these youths did not perform well, then he is foolish.”
الْفَصْلُThe Chapterالسَّادِسُthe Sixthوَالْعِشْرُونَand Twentieth
The Twenty-Sixth Chapter
الْجِنْرَالَاتُThe Generals
The Generals
انْتَشَرَتِSpreadالْأَنْبَاءُthe newsبَيْنَamongالْجُنُودِthe soldiersبِأَنَّthatأَفْرَادَthe members ofالْكَتِيبَةِthe battalionنُعِتُواwere labeledبِالْفَشَلِ.with failure.
The news spread among the soldiers that the members of the battalion were labeled with failure.
أَكَّدَتْConfirmedكُلُّallالْكَتَائِبِthe brigadesالْأُخْرَىotherأَنَّthatالْجِنْرَالَthe generalقَدِhadارْتَكَبَcommittedخَطَأًa mistakeفَادِحًا.serious.
All the other brigades confirmed that the general had committed a serious mistake.
لَاحَظَNoticedهِنْرِيHenryأَنَّthatأَصْدِقَاءَهُhis friendsبَدَوْاseemedكَالْحَيَوَانَاتِlike animalsالْمُنْهَزِمَةِ.the defeated.
Henry noticed that his friends seemed like defeated animals.
نَظَرَLookedوِيلْسُونُWilsonإِلَيْهِat himوَقَالَand said
Wilson looked at him and said:
أَتَسَاءَلُ'I wonderمَاذَاwhatيُرِيدُhe wantsمِنَّا؟from us?لَاThere is noبُدَّdoubtأَنَّهُthat heيَظُنُّthinksأَنَّنَاthat weذَهَبْنَاwentهُنَاكَthereنَلْعَبُ!to play!'
"I wonder what he wants from us. Surely he thinks that we went there to play!"
وَمَعَAnd althoughأَنَّthatهِنْرِيHenryكَانَwasغَاضِبًا،angry,فَإِنَّهُheقَرَّرَdecidedأَنْtoيُحَافِظَmaintainعَلَىonهُدُوئِهِ.his calmness.
And although Henry was angry, he decided to maintain his calmness.
قَالَHe said:عَلَى'Mostالْأَرْجَحِlikely,لَمْdid notيَرَseeالْجِنْرَالُthe generalشَيْئًاanythingمِنَofالْمَعْرَكَةِ.the battle.'
He said: 'Most likely, the general did not see anything of the battle.'
الْأَرْجَحُ'Most likelyأَنَّهُthat heشَعَرَfeltبِالْغَضَبِ،angry,وَقَرَّرَand decidedأَنَّنَاthat weكُنَّاwereقَطِيعًاa flockمِنَofالْغَنَمِsheepلِأَنَّنَاbecause weلَمْdid notنَفْعَلْdoمَاwhatأَرَادَهُhe wantedتَحْدِيدًا.precisely.إِنَّهُIt isسُوءُbadحَظٍّluckلَاand notأَكْثَرَ!»more!'
'Most likely that he felt angry, and decided that we were a flock of sheep because we did not do what he wanted precisely. It is bad luck and not more!'
رَدَّRespondedصَدِيقُهُhis friendوَقَدْand indeedبَدَاit appearedأَنَّهُthat heيَشْعُرُfeelsبِإِهَانَةٍhumiliationبَالِغَةٍprofound:
His friend responded, and it appeared that he feels profound humiliation:
عَلَيَّ'It is upon meالْإِقْرَارُto acknowledgeبِذَلِكَ؛that;لَاthere is noجَدْوَىbenefitمِنْinأَنْthat youتُحَارِبَfightمِنْforأَجْلِthe sake ofالْآخَرِينَothersعِنْدَمَاwhenيَكُونُisكُلُّallمَاwhatتَفْعَلُهُyou doخَاطِئًا.wrong.
'It is upon me to acknowledge that; there is no benefit in fighting for the sake of others when all what you do is wrong.
أَكَادُI almostأَتَمَنَّىwishأَلَّاnotأُشَارِكَto participateفِيinالْقِتَالِthe fightالْمَرَّةَthe timeالْقَادِمَةَ؛coming;دَعْهُمْlet themيَتَحَمَّلُواbearالْمَسْئُولِيَّةَthe responsibilityوَيُقَابِلُواand faceالْعَدُوَّthe enemyوَحْدَهُمْ.alone.'
I almost wish not to participate in the coming fight; let them bear the responsibility and face the enemy alone.'
عِنْدَهَاAt that momentجَاءَcameعَدَدٌa numberكَبِيرٌlargeمِنَofالْجُنُودِthe soldiersمُسْرِعِينَ.rushing.
At that moment a large number of soldiers came rushing.
صَاحَShoutedأَحَدُهُمْone of them:عَلَيْكَ'You mustأَنْtoتَسْمَعَhearهَذَاthisيَاOفْلِيمِنْجَ!Fleming!'
One of them shouted: 'You must hear this, O Fleming!'
سَأَلَAskedهِنْرِيHenry:«أَسْمَعُ'I hearمَاذَا؟»what?'
Henry asked: "I hear what?"
رَدَّRepliedالْجُنْدِيُّthe soldier:الْتَقَى'Metقَائِدُthe leader ofالْكَتِيبَةِthe battalionبِمُلَازِمِكَwith your lieutenantفِيinمَكَانٍa placeقَرِيبٍnearمِنَّا،to us,وَقَالَ:and he said:مَنْ'Who isذَلِكَthatالْجُنْدِيُّsoldierالَّذِيwhoكَانَwasيَحْمِلُholdingالرَّايَةَ؟'the flag?'فَأَجَابَهُThen answered himالْمُلَازِمُ:the lieutenant:«إِنَّهُ'Indeed, it isهِنْرِيHenryفْلِيمِنْجَ.Fleming.
The soldier replied: 'The leader of the battalion met with your lieutenant in a place near us, and he said: 'Who is that soldier who was holding the flag?' Then the lieutenant answered him: 'Indeed, it is Henry Fleming.
إِنَّهُIndeed, heفَتًىis a youthقَوِيٌّ.»strong.' هَكَذَاThusقَالَsaidبِالْحَرْفِ.literally.
Indeed, he is a strong youth.' Thus he said literally.
ثُمَّThenقَالَsaidالْقَائِدُ:the leader:«إِنَّهُ'Indeed, heحَقًّاtrulyكَذَلِكَ.is like this.إِنَّهُIndeed, heمُحَارِبٌis a warriorجَيِّدٌ.good.لَقَدْIndeed, Iرَأَيْتُهُsaw himبِنَفْسِيmyselfيُبْقِيkeepingالرَّايَةَthe flagعَالِيَةًhighعِنْدَatالْجَبْهَةِ.the front.إِنَّهُIndeed, heجُنْدِيٌّis a soldierشُجَاعٌ.»brave.'
Then the leader said: 'Indeed, he truly is like this. Indeed, he is a good warrior. Indeed, I saw him myself keeping the flag high at the front. Indeed, he is a brave soldier.'
ثُمَّThenقَالَsaidالْمُلَازِمُ:the lieutenant:«أَنْتَ'You areمُحِقٌّ.right.هُوَHeوَصَدِيقُهُand his friendوِيلْسُونُWilsonكَانَاwereفِيinالْمُقَدِّمَةِthe front lineطِيلَةَallالْوَقْتِ.»the time.'
Then the lieutenant said: 'You are right. He and his friend Wilson were in the front line all the time.'
ثُمَّThenقَالَsaidالْقَائِدُ:the leader:«كِلَاهُمَا'Both of themيَسْتَحِقُّdeserveأَنْtoيَكُونَbeجِنْرَالًاa generalفِيinالْجَيْشِ.»the army.'
Then the leader said: 'Both of them deserve to be a general in the army.'