Sol 6.1

  1. خَلِّياني مِن وِطاءٍ وَوِسادِ

    لا أَرى النَومَ عَلى شَوكِ القَتادِ

    Leave me without bedding or pillow;

    I find no sleep upon the qatad's thorns.

  2. واِرحَلا مِن قَبلِ أَن لا تَرحَلا

    فَالبَلايا كُلَّ يَومٍ في اِزديادِ

    And depart before you can no longer depart;

    for afflictions increase with every day.

  3. وَاِترُكاني مِن أَباطيلِ المُنى

    فَهوَ بَحرٌ لَيسَ يروى مِنهُ صادِ

    And spare me the falsehoods of wishful hopes;

    for it is a sea that quenches no thirsty soul.

  4. وَاِبذُلا في العِزِّ مَجهودَكُما

    لا يُلامُ المَرءُ بَعدَ الاِجتِهادِ

    And exert your utmost efforts for honor;

    a man is not blamed after striving.

  5. إِنَّما تُدرَك غاياتُ المُنى

    بِمَسيرٍ أَو طِعانٍ أَو جِلادِ

    The goals of desire are attained only

    by marching, lance-thrusts, or swordplay.

  6. مَن نَصيري مِن زَمانٍ فاسِدٍ

    جَعلَ الأَمرَ إِلى أَهلِ الفَسادِ

    Who will defend me against a corrupt age

    that has handed authority to the corrupt?

  7. كُلَّما قُلتُ لَهُ ذا سَرَفٌ

    في التَّعدّي قالَ لي هَذا اِقتِصادي

    Whenever I tell it, 'This is excess

    in oppression,' it says, 'This is my moderation.'

  8. كُنتُ قَبلَ اليَومَ أَبكي بِشَجىً

    هَمَّ نَفسي وَطَريفي وَتِلادي

    Before today, I used to weep in grief

    over my own troubles, my acquired wealth and my inheritance.

  9. ثُمَّ قَد أَصبَحتُ أَبكي ناسياً

    شَجوَ إِخواني وَرَهطي وَبِلادي

    Then I came to weep, forgetting my own woes,

    for the sorrow of my brothers, my clan, and my land.

  10. زَوبَعَت في جَوِّها عاصِفَةٌ

    ذاتُ إِعصارٍ تُضاهي ريحَ عادِ

    A tempest swirled through its skies,

    bearing a whirlwind like the wind of ʿAd.

  11. ما نَجا مِن نارِها غَيرُ اِمرِئٍ

    عادَ مِنها بِمُضِلٍّ غَيرِ هادِ

    None escaped its fire except a man

    who returned from it with a misleader, not a guide.

  12. ترَكَت عالِيَها سافِلَها

    وَالرِعانَ القودَ بَغلاً لِلوِهادِ

    It brought its heights down to its depths,

    and made the towering peaks a mule for the lowlands.

  13. يا لَقومي ما أَراكُم حسَناً

    بَيعَنا بِالبَخسِ في سوقِ الكَسادِ

    O my people, what made you deem it good

    to sell us for a pittance in a stagnant market?

  14. أَعَمىً غالَكُمُ أَم ناصِحٌ

    مُضمِرُ البَغضاءِ مُبدٍ لِلوِدادِ

    Was it blindness that undid you, or a counselor

    harboring hatred while displaying affection?

  15. عَجباً مِنكُم وَمِن تَصديقِكُم

    مَن يُمَنّيكُم بِنارٍ مِن رِمادِ

    I marvel at you and at your belief

    in one who promises you fire from ashes!

  16. فَهَبوا ناصِحَكُم رامَ الوَفا

    هَل يُلاقي اللَيثَ سَرحٌ مِن نِقادِ

    Suppose, then, your counselor sought fidelity:

    can a flock of small sheep confront a lion?

  17. وَاللَّبيبُ الحُرُّ لا يَخدَعُهُ

    لمَعانُ الآلِ عَن حِفظِ المَزادِ

    And the discerning, freeborn man is not lured

    by a mirage's gleam away from guarding his waterskins.

  18. وَالقَديمُ العِتق لا يُوفي بِهِ

    باسِلُ الغارِبُ مِن نَسلِ الكُدادِ

    And ancient noble stock cannot be matched

    by a fierce-backed beast of drudging descent.

  19. آهِ واشقوَةَ أَربابِ العُلى

    هَلَكَ المَجدُ إِلى يَومِ التَنادِ

    Ah, the misery of the lords of greatness!

    Glory has perished until the Day of Calling.

  20. يا بُغاثَ الطَير طيري وَاِنظُري

    هَرَبَ البازِيِّ مِن كَلبِ الجَرادِ

    O weakling birds, fly and behold:

    the hawk has fled from the locust-dog.

  21. وَاِرتَعي يا بَقَرَ الحَرثِ فَقَد

    لَعِبَ الضّيْوَنُ بالأُسدِ الوِرادِ

    And graze, you plow-cattle, for already

    the tomcat has toyed with lions coming to water.

  22. وَكَذا نُودي لإِخوانِكُم

    بِعُلُوِّ الأَمرِ في كُلِّ البِلادِ

    And likewise it was proclaimed for your brethren

    that they held supreme power in every land.

  23. جئتَ يا مَوت فَإِن شِئتَ فَذَر

    لَيسَ عَيشُ الذُلِّ يَوماً مِن مُرادي

    You have come, O Death; leave me if you wish;

    a life of humiliation was never my desire.

  24. قَبَّحَ اللَهُ حَياةً قُرِنَت

    بِشقا الضَيمِ وَإِشماتِ الأَعادي

    May God disgrace a life coupled

    with oppression's misery and enemies' gloating.

  25. غَيرُ مُخطٍ لَو تَمَنَّيتُ الرَدى

    دَولَةَ الأَوباشِ مِن سُقمِ الفُؤادِ

    I would not err if I wished for death

    during the rabble's reign, from sickness of heart.

  26. كَم تقاضاني المَعالي عَزمَةً

    يهتِفُ الشادي بِها في كُلِّ نادِ

    How often lofty aims have demanded of me a resolve

    that a singer would proclaim in every gathering!

  27. فَإِذا رُمتُ نُهوضاً قَعَدَت

    بي أُمورٌ أَنا مِنها في جِهادِ

    But whenever I attempt to rise, I am held down

    by matters against which I struggle:

  28. قِلّةُ المالِ وَكُثرٌ في العِدى

    وَاِبنُ عَمٍّ رَأيُهُ غَيرُ السَدادِ

    scant wealth, a multitude of foes,

    and a cousin whose judgment is unsound.

  29. لا مُعينٌ لِيَ مِن قَومي وَلا

    جِدَّتي تَحمِلُ جِدّي وَاِجتِهادي

    I have no helper among my people, nor

    can my wealth sustain my determination and striving.

  30. وَإِذا قُربُكَ لَم تَنفَع بِهِ

    في حِمى قَومِكَ فَأذَن بِبِعادِ

    And if your nearness brings no benefit

    within your people's sanctuary, then be ready for departure.

  31. يا نَديميَّ اِترُكاني وَاِذهَبا

    لَيسَ وادي الذُلِّ لِلحُرِّ بِوادِ

    O my two boon companions, leave me and go;

    the valley of humiliation is no valley for a freeborn man.

  32. أَينَ عَزمي وَأَنا المانِعُها

    يَومَ تَأتي مُشرَئِبّات الهَوادي

    Where is my resolve, when I am he who repels them

    on the day they come with necks stretched high,

  33. تَعثُرُ العِقبانُ في عِثيَرها

    وَتَظَلُّ الشَمسُ مِنها في حِدادِ

    when eagles stumble in their dust,

    and the sun is left in mourning because of them,

  34. حامِلاتٍ لِلوَغى كُلَّ فَتىً

    مُخضَدِ النَجدَةِ مُستَرخي النِّجادِ

    bearing into battle every young warrior,

    his valor broken, his sword-belt hanging slack?

  35. طالَ لُبثي بَينَ مَولىً خاذِلٍ

    وَمُعادٍ وَصَديقٍ كَالمُعادي

    Long have I lingered among a patron who forsakes me,

    an enemy, and a friend like an enemy.

  36. تَمضُغُ الأَيّامُ لَحمي عَبَثاً

    لَيسَ بَعدَ المَضغِ غَيرُ الإِزدِرادِ

    The days chew my flesh for sport;

    after chewing comes only swallowing.

  37. لا حَياتي تَمنَعُ الجارَ وَلا

    نائِلي يُرجى وَلا يُخشى عِنادي

    My life protects no neighbor, nor

    is my bounty hoped for, nor my defiance feared.

  38. أَحذارَ المَوتِ أَبقى هَكَذا

    لا وَمُجري الماءِ رِزقاً لِلعبادِ

    Do I remain like this for fear of death?

    No, by Him who makes water flow as sustenance for His servants!

  39. إِن تَرى شَخصي لِأَمرٍ ساكِناً

    فَلَعَمري إِنَّ قَلبي في طِرادِ

    If you see my body motionless for some reason,

    then, by my life, my heart is charging.

  40. رُبَّ ذِي هَمٍّ تَراهُ مُطرِقاً

    وَهوَ في إِطراقِهِ حَيَّةُ وادِ

    Many a worried man you see with bowed head,

    yet with his head bowed he is a valley serpent.

  41. كَيفَ أَرضى هَذِهِ الحالَ وَلَم

    تَقَعِ الأَوطامُ مِن وَقعِ الجِيادِ

    How can I accept this condition, when

    the fortresses have not fallen to the pounding of steeds?

  42. ما اِنتِظاري بِرؤُوسٍ أَينَعَت

    لَيسَ هَذا اليَنعُ إِلّا لِلحَصادِ

    Why do I wait over heads that have ripened?

    This ripeness is only for the harvest.

  43. يا جُفوني طَلِّقي عَنكِ الكَرى

    إِنَّما طيبُ الكَرى بَعدَ السُهادِ

    O my eyelids, divorce sleep from yourselves;

    sleep is sweet only after sleeplessness.

  44. ما الَّذي يُقعِدُني عَن همَّتي

    وَالمَنايا رائِحاتٌ وَغَوادِ

    What holds me back from my ambition,

    while deaths go forth at evening and at dawn?

  45. لَأُقيمَنَّ لِأَبناءِ الوَغى

    سوقَ إِقدامٍ وَطَعنٍ وَجِلادِ

    I shall surely establish for the sons of battle

    a market of bold assault, lance-thrusts, and swordplay.

  46. إِن يَكُن عِزّاً وَإِلّا فَرَدىً

    لَستُ مِن دونِ شَبيبٍ وَمَصادِ

    If it is honor, so be it; otherwise, death:

    I am no less than Shabib and Masad.

  47. لا يَطيبُ العِزُّ ما لَم تَجنِهِ

    بِاللِدانِ السُمرِ وَالبيضِ الحِدادِ

    Honor is not sweet unless you reap it

    with supple brown lances and sharp white swords.

  48. ما اِعتِذاري وَالوَغى تَعرِفُني

    وَالعَوالي وَالمَواضي وَالهَوادي

    What excuse have I, when battle knows me,

    as do the tall lances, the keen blades, and the steeds' necks?

  49. قَد تَساوى في مَضاءٍ صارِمي

    وَسِناني وَلِساني وَفُؤادي

    My sword is equal in keenness

    to my spear-point, my tongue, and my heart.

  50. فَاِرمِ بِي ما شِئتَ وَاِعلَم أَنَّني

    لَيثُ غابٍ وَشِهابٌ ذُو اِتِّقادِ

    So cast me where you will, and know that I am

    a lion of the thicket and a blazing firebrand.

  51. لَستُ بِالتَرعِيَّةِ الغمرِ وَلا

    واهِنَ العَزمِ وَلا كابي الزِنادِ

    I am no inexperienced herdsman, nor

    weak in resolve, nor one whose flints fail to spark.

  52. مَنصِبي في المَجدِ أَعلى مَنصِبٍ

    وَعِمادي في العُلى أَوفى عِمادِ

    My station in glory is the highest station;

    and my pillar in high honor is the surest pillar.

  53. وَأَنا اِبنُ السادَةِ الغُرِّ الأُلى

    وَرِثوا المَجدَ جَواداً عَن جَوادِ

    And I am the son of the illustrious lords who

    inherited glory, generous man from generous man.

  54. لَم يَزل فينا رَبيعٌ مُربِعٌ

    وَحِمىً حامٍ وَهادٍ لِرَشادِ

    Among us there has always been a spring of rich pasture,

    a protecting sanctuary and a guide to right conduct,

  55. يَنزَعُ الشَوّى إِذا البَزلُ غَدَت

    لَيسَ فيها قوتُ يَومٍ لِلقُرادِ

    who tears away limbs when the mature camels have become

    too lean to give a tick a day's sustenance;

  56. وَيَصُكُّ البيضَ بِالبيضِ إِذا

    حُطِّمَت في الصيدِ أَطرافُ الصِعادِ

    and strikes helmets with white swords when

    the lance-tips have shattered against proud chieftains.

  57. وَلَنا فَضلُ حُلومٍ ما اِدَّعى

    مِثلَها قَيسٌ وَلا قسُّ إِيادِ

    And ours is surpassing wisdom, whose like

    neither Qays nor Quss of Iyad has claimed.