Sol 6.1

  1. سَل عَن فَضائِلِكَ الزَمانَ لِتُخبَرا

    فَنَظيرُ مَجدِكَ ما رَآهُ وَلا يَرا

    Ask Time about your virtues, that you may be told:

    the like of your glory it has never seen, nor will it see.

  2. أَو لا فَدَعهُ وَاِدَّعِ الشَرَفَ الَّذي

    أَعيا الأَنامَ فَلَستَ تَلقى مُنكِرا

    Or else, leave it, and claim the honor that

    has eluded mankind; you will encounter no denier.

  3. ما اِحتاجَ يَوماً أَن يُقامَ بِشاهِدٍ

    حَقٌّ أَزالَ الشَكَّ وَاِجتاحَ المِرا

    Never has a witness been needed to establish

    a truth that banished doubt and swept dispute away.

  4. وَلَقَد جَمَعتَ مَناقِباً ما اِستَجمَعَت

    مَشهورَةً ما اِستَعجَمَت فَتُفَسَّرا

    You have gathered merits never before united,

    renowned, never obscure and needing explanation.

  5. وَمَلَكتَ أَهواءَ النُفوسِ بِأَنعُمٍ

    عَمَّت فَأَيسَرُ حَقِّها أَن تُشكَرا

    You have won the affections of souls through favors

    that reached all; their least due is that you be thanked.

  6. مَنٌّ يَلوحُ عَلى الجِباهِ مُسَطَّرا

    وَهَوىً يَظَلُّ عَلى القُلوبِ مُسَيطِرا

    Bounty shines, inscribed upon foreheads,

    and love remains sovereign over hearts.

  7. لَو لَم تُمَلِّككَ الأُمورُ قِيادَها

    ضَعُفَت قُوىً مِمّا عَرا وَوَهَت عُرى

    Had affairs not placed their reins in your hands,

    strengths would have weakened under calamity, and bonds grown frail.

  8. فَطُلِ الكِرامَ فَأَنتَ أَثبَتُهُم قَرا

    في حَملِ نائِبَةٍ وَأَعجَلُهُم قِرى

    Surpass the noble: yours is the firmest backbone

    in bearing misfortune, and you are quickest to offer hospitality.

  9. لَسَهِرتَ في حِفظِ الذِمارِ وَإِنَّهُ

    مَجدٌ لَدُنَّكَ أَن يَنامَ وَتَسهَرا

    You have surely kept vigil guarding your charge, and it is

    your glory that it sleeps while you keep watch.

  10. فَالسِلمُ مِثلُ الحَربِ مُنذُ تُخُوِّفَت

    وَثَباتُ بَأسِكَ وَالإِقامَةُ كَالسُرى

    Peace is like war since men came to fear

    the onslaughts of your might, and rest is like marching by night.

  11. ما كانَ هَذا الأَمرُ مَظنوناً وَلا

    مُتَوَهَّماً فَجَعَلتَهُ مُستَشعَرا

    This state of things had never been supposed, nor

    imagined, until you made it keenly felt.

  12. قَد فاقَ جَدُّكَ جَدَّ عَمِّكَ وَهوَ مَن

    ذَلَّت لِسَطوَةِ عِزِّهِ أُسدُ الشَرى

    Your fortune has surpassed your uncle's, though he is one

    to whose mighty power even the lions of al-Shara bowed.

  13. إِن كانَ هَذا الجَدُّ أَردى تُبَّعاً

    خَوفاً وَذاكَ الجِدُّ رَوَّعَ قَيصَرا

    If this fortune slew Tubba

    with fear, that resolve terrified Caesar.

  14. فَاِفخَر فَأَنتَ السَيفُ يَفري مُغمَدا

    قِمَمَ العِدى وَاللَيثُ يَفرِسُ مُخدِرا

    Then boast: you are the sword that, still sheathed, cleaves

    the heads of foes, and the lion that hunts from its lair.

  15. جَرَّدتَ رَأيَكَ وَالسُيوفُ مُقَرَّةٌ

    بِغُمودِها فَكَفَيتَها أَن تُشهَرا

    You unsheathed your judgment while the swords remained

    in their scabbards; you spared them being drawn.

  16. وَلَوِ الوَغى شُبَّت كَفَيتَ مُصالِتاً

    كَيدَ الطُغاةِ كَما كَفَيتَ مُدَبِّرا

    And had war flared, you would have thwarted, sword drawn,

    the tyrants' schemes, just as you thwarted them through planning.

  17. لِمَ لا تَعِزُّ وَأَنتَ غُرَّةُ أُسرَةٍ

    ضَمِنَت لَها النَخَواتُ أَلّا تُقهَرا

    Why should you not be mighty, the shining brow of a house

    whose proud spirits guarantee it shall not be conquered?

  18. قَد أَصبَحَ اِسمُكَ عَن قِراعِكَ نائِباً

    وَكَفى العَدُوَّ مُرَوِّعاً أَن تُذكَرا

    Your name has come to stand in place of your swordplay;

    mere mention of you is enough to terrify the foe.

  19. لِلدَولَةِ الغَرّاءِ مِنكَ ذَخيرَةٌ

    جَلَّت فَحُقَّ لِمِثلِها أَن يُذخَرا

    The radiant state has in you a treasure

    so great that its like deserves to be treasured.

  20. يا سَيفَها الماضي وَناصِرَها اِفتَخِر

    بِمَكانِكَ الأَعلى عَلى كُلِّ الوَرى

    O its keen sword and champion, take pride

    in your highest station above all mankind.

  21. إِنَّ الخَلائِفَ مُذ بَلَوكَ نَصاحَةً

    جَعَلوا لَكَ الشَرَفَ الرَفيعَ مُقَرَّرا

    The caliphs, since they tested your loyal counsel,

    have firmly established exalted honor for you.

  22. وَصّى بِذاكَ الحاكِمُ العَدلُ اِبنَهُ

    قِدماً وَأَوصى الظاهِرُ المُستَنصِرا

    The just al-Hakim instructed his son in that

    long ago, and al-Zahir instructed al-Mustansir,

  23. ضَنّاً بِمَن يَغشى الوَغى مُتَبَرِّجاً

    غِرّاً وإِن وَهَبَ الجَزيلَ تَسَتَّرا

    out of fond regard for one who enters battle in full view,

    guileless, yet conceals himself when he gives lavishly.

  24. مَحضُ الإِباءِ مِنَ النَزاهَةِ كُوِّنَت

    أَفعالُهُ وَمِنَ النَباهَةِ صُوِّرا

    Unalloyed pride: from integrity were formed

    his deeds, and from distinction he was fashioned.

  25. قَلبٌ لَها بِالنُسكِ عَن ذِكرِ الخَنا

    وَلُهىً أُبَت لِلوَفرِ أَن تَتَوَفَّرا

    A heart diverted by devotion from mention of foulness,

    and gifts that refused to let wealth accumulate.

  26. لَو لَم يَفِض ذَهَبَ الثَناءُ إِضاعَةً

    أَو لا فَكانَ بِضاعَةً لا تُشتَرى

    Had he not overflowed with bounty, praise would have been wasted,

    or else become a commodity none would buy.

  27. يا اِبنَ الأُلى قالَت لَهُم أَفعالُهُم

    لا يَستَحِقُّ سِواكُمُ أَن يَفخَرا

    O son of those whose deeds told them,

    'None but you deserve to boast,'

  28. العارِضينَ إِذا الكَريهَةُ عارَضَت

    فَوقَ المَعارِفِ كُلَّ لَدنٍ أَسمَرا

    those who, when grim battle confronts them, present

    above the horses' manes every supple, brown spear.

  29. بَينَ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالأَعِنَّةِ ذُبَّلٌ

    لا تَكسِرُ الأَعداءَ حَتّى تُكسَرا

    Between spearheads and reins lie slender shafts

    that do not break their enemies until they themselves break.

  30. وَرَدوا بِهِنَّ مِنَ الدُروعِ غَدائِراً

    يَأبى تَحَطُّمُها بِها أَن تَصدُرا

    They led them to drink at pools of armor;

    their shattering there forbids them to come away.

  31. ما ضَرَّ مَن أَصبَحتَ تَكلَأُ شامَهُ

    بِمِضاءِ عَزمِكَ أَن يَغيبَ وَتَحضُرا

    It does not harm one whose Syria you now guard

    with your keen resolve that he be absent while you are present.

  32. ما خَصَّ خالِقُنا بِقُربِكَ بَلدَةً

    إِلّا أَتاحَ لَها الصَلاحَ الأَكبَرا

    Our Creator never favors a town with your presence

    without granting it the greatest well-being.

  33. قَد كُنتَ بِالإِسكَندَرِيَّةِ مَرَّةً

    فَأَرَيتَها مِن عَدلِكَ الإِسكَندَرا

    Once you were in Alexandria,

    and through your justice you showed it Alexander.

  34. يَبغي العِدى إِطفاءَ نارِكَ ضِلَّةً

    فَيَزيدُها هَذا الفَعالُ تَسَعُّرا

    Your foes seek, in error, to quench your fire,

    but this action only makes it blaze more fiercely.

  35. فَتَقَدَّمِ الأُمرَاءَ غَيرَ مُنازَعِ

    فَوَراءَ زِندِكَ كُلُّ زَندٍ قَد وَرى

    Advance before the princes, unchallenged,

    for every firestick that has struck fire trails behind yours.

  36. إِن حاوَلوا إِدراكَ سَعيِكَ خُيِّبوا

    فَليُشبِهوكَ تَصَوُّناً وَتَصَوُّرا

    If they try to match your striving, they are disappointed;

    let them resemble you in self-restraint and form.

  37. ما بَينَ مَجدِكَ وَالمُحاوِلِ نَيلَهُ

    إِلّا كَما بَينَ الثُرَيّا وَالثَرى

    The gap between your glory and one who seeks it

    is as the gap between the Pleiades and the dust.

  38. أَصبَحتَ مُنقَطِعَ القَرينِ فَلَو جَرى

    وَهُمُ المُنافِسِ في مَداكَ تَقَطَّرا

    You have become peerless; if even

    a rival's fancy raced along your course, it would fall headlong.

  39. أَمّا الصِيامُ فَقَد قَضَيتَ فُروضَهُ

    بِقَضِيَّةٍ ما حُلتَ عَنها مُفطِرا

    As for fasting, you have fulfilled its obligations

    through a practice you never abandoned when no longer fasting.

  40. لَمّا أَقامَ لَدَيكَ حَلَّ مُوَقَّرا

    وَقَدِ اِستَقَلَّ بِشُكرِ صُنعِكَ موقَرا

    When it stayed with you, it lodged in honor,

    and it departed laden with thanks for your kindness.

  41. شَهرٌ نَمَت بَرَكاتُهُ فَتَهَنَّهُ

    حَتّى لَقَلَّدَ مِنَّةً لَن تُكفَرا

    A month whose blessings grew: rejoice in it,

    for it has even garlanded you with a favor never to be denied.

  42. شَهرٌ بِهِ نَزَلَ الكِتابُ وَجاءَنا

    فيهِ الكِتابُ بِما يَسُرُّكَ مُخبِرا

    A month in which the Book descended, and there came to us

    within it the letter, reporting what delights you.

  43. خَبَرٌ تَقَدَّمَهُ إِلَينا عَرفُهُ

    حَتّى أَتى قَبلَ البَشيرِ مُبَشِّرا

    News whose fragrance preceded it to us,

    coming before the herald to announce glad tidings.

  44. حَيّاكَ قَبلَ قُدومِهِ بِنَسيمِهِ

    فَكَأَنَّهُ إِذ جاءَ جاءَ مُكَرَّرا

    It greeted you with its breeze before its arrival,

    so that when it came, it seemed to come a second time.

  45. لَو لَم يُفَضَّ عَنِ الكِتابِ خِتامُهُ

    أَغناهُ طَيِّبُ نَشرِهِ أَن يُنشَرا

    Had the letter's seal not been broken,

    its sweet scent would have spared the need to unfold it.

  46. قَدِمَت بِمَقدَمِهِ سَعاداتُ المُنى

    وَبِهِ تَسالَمَتِ النَواظِرُ وَالكَرى

    With its arrival came the joys of fulfilled wishes,

    and through it eyes and slumber made peace.

  47. أَبَداً مَعَدٌّ عِندَ عَدِّ ثِقاتِهِ ال

    مُستَخلِصينَ لَهُ أَعَدَّ الخِنصَرا

    Whenever Maadd counts his trusted men, the

    ones devoted to him, he readies his little finger.

  48. وَاِختارَ مِن تاجِ الرِياسَةِ مَن بِهِ

    فاقَ الأَئِمَّةَ فِكرَةً وَتَخَيُّرا

    He chose from the Crown of Leadership one through whom

    he surpassed the imams in judgment and discernment.

  49. مَن نابَ فَخرُ المُلكِ عَنهُ فَلَم يَزَل

    لِلمُلكِ بِالأَمرِ العَظيمِ مُظَفَّرا

    One represented by Fakhr al-Mulk, who has never ceased

    to be victorious for the realm in weighty affairs.

  50. إِنَّ الوَزارَةَ مُذ تَحَلَّت بِاِسمِهِ

    عَزَّت ذَرىً في ظِلِّهِ وَعَلَت ذُرى

    The vizierate, since adorning itself with his name,

    has gained mighty shelter in his shade and raised its peaks.

  51. أَفضى إِلى المُتَهَلِّلِ العَذبِ الجَنى

    ما فارَقَ المُتَجَبِّرَ المُتَكَبِّرا

    To the beaming man whose fruit is sweet has passed

    what departed from the tyrannical, arrogant man.

  52. شُكراً لِما فَعَلَ الزَمانُ وَمَن لَنا

    لَو كانَ قَدَّمَ مُجمِلاً ما أَخَّرا

    Thanks for what Time has done! If only, for our sake,

    it had graciously brought forward what it delayed!

  53. فَاِسعَد بِعيدٍ يَتبَعُ النَبَأَ الَّذي

    أَطرا لَنا فِعلَ اللَيالي إِذ طَرا

    Rejoice, then, in a feast following the news that

    commended the deeds of the nights to us when it arrived.

  54. وَتَمَلَّ عُمرَ أَبي عَلِيٍّ إِنَّهُ

    فَرعٌ أَنافَ فَجاءَ يَحكي العُنصُرا

    Long enjoy Abu Ali's life, for he is

    a branch that rose high and came to resemble its root.

  55. قَد هَمَّ أَن يَرقى مَحَلَّكَ بَل رَقا

    وَسَعى لِيُحرِزَ مَأثُراتِكَ بَل جَرى

    He intended to rise to your station—indeed, he has risen;

    he strove to attain your glorious deeds—nay, he raced.

  56. هَوِيَ الجَميلَ فَفاقَ مِثلَكَ مَخبَراً

    وَحَوى الجَمالَ فَراقَ مِثلَكَ مَنظَرا

    He loved noble deeds and, like you, excelled in character;

    he possessed beauty and, like you, delighted the eye.

  57. وَمَضَت عَزائِمُهُ وَلَيسَ بِمُنكَرٍ

    لِاِبنِ الغَضَنفَرِ أَن يَكونَ غَضَنفَرا

    His resolves forged ahead; it is no wonder

    that a lion's son should be a lion.

  58. فَليَلحَقِ النُعمانَ في سُلطانِهِ

    بَل فَليَطُلهُ فَقَد عَلَوتَ المُنذِرا

    Let him match al-Numan in sovereignty—

    nay, let him surpass him, for you have surpassed al-Mundhir.

  59. سَهَّلتَ لي نَهجَ الغِنى مَعَ أَنَّني

    لَم أَلقَهُ فيما مَضى مُتَوَعِّرا

    You smoothed the path of wealth for me, although I

    had never found it rugged in days gone by.

  60. لَكِن أَنَلتَ وَدَوحُ حالي مُزهِرٌ

    فَسَقَيتَهُ بِنَداكَ حَتّى أَثمَرا

    But you gave while the great tree of my fortunes was flowering,

    and watered it with your bounty's dew until it bore fruit.

  61. جودٌ كَفى الآمالَ أَوَّلَ وَهلَةٍ

    ما كانَ مُستَقصىً وَلا مُستَقصَرا

    A generosity that fulfilled hopes at first encounter,

    neither pressed for more nor deemed too scant.

  62. إِن راقَكَ السُكرُ الحَلالُ فَإِنَّني

    سَأُديرُ كاساتِ الثَناءِ لِتَسكَرا

    If lawful intoxication pleases you, then I

    shall pass round cups of praise to make you drunk:

  63. سُكراً لَوَ اِنَّ أَبا نُواسٍ ذاقَهُ

    يَوماً لَأَنساهُ سُلافَةَ عُكبَرا

    an intoxication that, had Abu Nuwas tasted it

    one day, would have made him forget Ukbara's finest wine.

  64. مِن بَحرِ فِكري تُقتَنى الدُرَرُ الَتي

    أَعيَت نَظائِرُها عَلى مَن فَكَّرا

    From the sea of my thought are gathered pearls whose

    equals have eluded everyone who pondered.

  65. فَلَأَنظِمَنَّ لِذا العَلاءِ قَلائِداً

    مُتَضَمِّناتٍ ذا الكَلامَ الأَسيَرا

    I shall surely string necklaces for this eminence,

    containing these captive words.

  66. تَبدو لِرائيها فَتُحسَبُ جَوهَرا

    وَتَفوحُ رَيّاها فَتُحسَبُ عَنبَرا

    They appear to their beholder and are taken for jewels,

    their fragrance wafts, and they are taken for ambergris.

  67. شَرُفَت لَدَيكَ مَطالِبي وَمَكاسِبي

    فَغَدَوتُ مِن وَفرٍ وَفَخرٍ مُكثِرا

    My aims and gains have grown noble in your presence,

    so I have become rich in wealth and glory.

  68. وَهَجَرتُ أَملاكَ الزَمانِ مُواصِلاً

    هَذا الجَنابَ وَحُقَّ لي أَن أَهجُرا

    I forsook the kings of the age, keeping close to

    this court; I have every right to forsake them.

  69. لَو رُمتُ نَيلَكَ عِندَهُم لَعَدِمتُهُ

    أَو رُمتُ مِثلَكَ فيهِمُ لَتَعَذَّرا

    Had I sought your bounty among them, I would not have found it;

    had I sought your like among them, it would have been impossible.

  70. ساجِل بِراحَتِكَ البِحارَ فَإِنَّها

    بَحرٌ تَضَمَّنَ مِن بَنانِكَ أَبحُرا

    Vie with the seas through your palm, for it is

    a sea encompassing further seas in your fingertips.

  71. وَاِسلَم لِمَعروفٍ رَفَعتَ مَنارَهُ

    فَفَشا بِأَرضِكَ مُذ قَمَعتَ المُنكَرا

    And live safe for the goodness whose beacon you raised,

    which spread through your land when you quelled evil.

  72. وَاِبجَح بِأَنَّكَ ذو الأَحاديثِ الَّتي

    ظَلَّ الزَمانُ بِنَشرِها مُتَعَطِّرا

    And boast that yours are the tales that

    have kept Time perfumed by their telling.