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In this time and age, when it comes to intellectual pursuits and goals of life, the gifted man feels more and more like a soldier of fortune: he finds in himself the ability to do many great and noble deeds, yet he looks around and finds nothing great nor noble. For such a man, the belief in a monumentum aere perennius¹ is eroded, and there is no cause or belief captivating enough; alluring enough, for him to commit to. A soldier of fortune is a man of prowess and potential, yet lacking in purpose. He roams the land in search of a worthy pursuit and a great adventure. He is a man sick of squandering his strength in petty battles and rusting his sword in idleness. He has found no lord greater than himself and no imperative captivating him enough to sacrifice his freedom and life on its altar. He is a man weary of himself, thus he "beats himself against the bars of his cage" to use Nietzsche's words. A man like this seems to answer to no master, follow no leader, and abide by no rule, not out of defiance, but disappointment, for he found nothing worthy of him. This sentiment reminds me of a similar one. I remember reading an orphan line that says «what will happen to us, we who want to believe but cannot?». In a similar vein: what will happen to us, we who sought greatness but found none? In this barren desert, it seems that men find the aimless wander either a reason to sulk, or to laugh. --------------- ¹A memorial lasting longer than bronze

Soldier of Fortune (n.) One who follows a military career wherever there is promise of profit, adventure, or pleasure

ويُقالُ إذا أَقْبَلَ اللَّيلُ: اِسْتَأْنَسَ كُلُّ وَحْشِيٍّ، وَاِسْتَوْحَشَ كُلُّ إِنْسِيٍّ. ـــــــــــــــــــــــــ ❨❨ المَقاييس 6: 91 ❩❩.

مَا كَانَ فَهُوَ مَا يَكُونُ، وَالَّذِي صُنِعَ فَهُوَ الَّذِي يُصنَعُ، فَلَيسَ تَحتَ الشَّمسِ جَدِيدٌ [سِفر الجامعة 1:9]

The wise of all ages have always said the same, and the fools, always in the majority, have always done the opposite; and so it will continue. — Arthur Schopenhauer

أما أبياته اللي يصلي بيها باتجاه بيت ليلى مو عالقبلة، فهاي على كولة تميم: الذَّنبُ ذَنبُ الهَوَى لا ذَنبُ شيعَتِهِ له الإمامةُ فهو الآمِرُ النّاهي

ورة "وإلّا فَبَغِّضها" مباشرةً يكول: على مِثلِ لَيلى يَقتُلُ المَرءُ نَفسَهُ

— قيس بن الملوح

فَيا رَبِّ إِذ صَيَّرتَ لَيلى هِيَ المُنى فَزِنّي بِعَينَيها كَما زِنتَها لِيا وَإِلّا فَبَغِّضها إِلَيَّ وَأَهلَها فَإِنّي بِلَيلى قَد لَقيتُ الدَواهِيا

وَتُجرِمُ لَيلى ثُمَّ تَزعُمُ أَنَّني سَلوتُ وَلا يَخفى عَلى الناسِ ما بِيا فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَينا خَليلَي صَبابَةٍ أَشَدَّ عَلى رَغمِ الأَعادي تَصافِيا فَأَنتِ الَّتي إِن شِئتِ أَشقَيتِ عِيشَتي وَأَنتِ الَّتي إِن شِئتِ أَنعَمتِ بالِيا وَأَنتِ الَّتي ما مِن صَديقٍ وَلا عِدًا يَرى نِضوَ ما أَبقَيتِ إِلّا رَثى لِيا

فَإِنْ تَمنَعوا لَيلى وَتَحموا بِلادَها عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ تَحموا عَلَيَّ القَوافِيا

فَمَا أُشرِفُ الأَبقَاعَ إِلّا صَبابَةً وَلا أُنْشِدُ الأَشعارَ إِلّا تَداوِيا

فَإِنْ تَمنَعوا لَيلى وَتَحموا بِلادَها عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ تَحموا عَلَيَّ القَوافِيا

فَمَا أُشرِفُ الأَبقَاعَ إِلّا صَبابَةً وَلا أُنْشِدُ الأَشعارَ إِلّا تَداوِيا — قيس بن الملوح

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