Sol 6.1

  1. لَكَ السَعيُ ما يَنفَكُّ يَخدِمُهُ السَعدُ

    وَذا العِزُّ ما أَمطاكَهُ الجِدُّ وَالجِدُّ

    Yours is the striving that good fortune never ceases to serve.

    And this glory is what earnestness and diligence mounted you upon.

  2. بِهِمَّتِكَ الطولى بَلَغتَ إِلى المُنى

    وَذو الهِمَّةِ القُصرى يَروحُ كَما يَغدو

    Through your loftiest ambition you reached your desired goals,

    While he of lesser ambition returns in the evening as he set out in the morning.

  3. لَقَد أَظهَرَت مُذ غِبتَ عَنها كَآبَةً

    دِمَشقُ كَأَن لَم يَخلُ مِن صارِمٍ غِمدُ

    Indeed, since you left her, she has shown gloom—

    Damascus—as though no sheath were empty of a keen blade.

  4. مَضَيتَ كَما تَمضي الصَوارِمُ في الطُلى

    وَعُدتَ كَما عادَت إِلى الأَجَمِ الأُسدُ

    You went forth as keen swords pass through necks,

    And returned as lions return to their thickets.

  5. وَشَحطُ النَوى أَبدى سَرائِرَ أَهلِها

    وَقَد يُعرَفُ الشَيءُ الخَفِيُّ بِما يَبدو

    The great distance of separation revealed her people's hidden feelings;

    A hidden thing may be known through what appears.

  6. لَئِن مُنِعوا بِالهَمِّ في بُعدِكَ الكَرى

    لَقَد مَنَعَ الأَيّامَ قُربُكَ أَن تَعدو

    If sorrow denied them sleep during your absence,

    Your presence certainly kept the days from assailing them.

  7. وَما إِن أَرَوا خَمساً لَها الشامُ مَطلَعٌ

    سِواكَ وَلا غَيثاً تَخُبُّ بِهِ الجُردُ

    They have seen no [sun] whose rising-place is Syria,

    Other than you, nor rain borne along by trotting, sleek steeds.

  8. سَحابٌ حَياهُ الجودُ وَالبِشرُ بَرقُهُ

    وَوَقعُ العِتاقِ المُقرَباتِ لَهُ رَعدُ

    A cloud whose rain is generosity and whose lightning is cheerfulness,

    And whose thunder is the hoofbeat of prized thoroughbreds.

  9. أَحاطوا بِها رَجلى لِأَنَّ غُبارَها

    تَداوى بِهِ مِن دائِها الأَعيُنُ الرُمدُ

    They surrounded the steeds on foot, for their dust

    Heals inflamed eyes of their ailment.

  10. وَلَستَ مُوَفّىً بَعضَ ما تَستَحِقُّهُ

    إِذا لَم يَنُب عَن كُلِّ رِجلٍ مَشَت خَدُّ

    You are not paid even part of what you deserve

    Unless a cheek replaces every foot that walked.

  11. حَضَرتَ فَوَجهُ الدَهرِ أَبلَجُ ناضِرٌ

    وَإِن غِبتَ حيناً فَهوَ أَكلَفُ مُربَدُّ

    You are present, and time's face is radiant and fresh;

    But if you are gone awhile, it is blotched and ashen.

  12. فَلا تَتَحَدَّوهُ بِذَمٍّ فَإِن تَكُن

    إِساءَتُهُ سَهواً فَإِحسانُهُ عَمدُ

    So do not assail it with blame; for if

    Its harm is inadvertent, its kindness is deliberate.

  13. وَإِنَّ أَلَذَّ القُربِ ما قَبلَهُ نَوىً

    وَأَحلى الوِصالِ ما تَقَدَّمَهُ صَدُّ

    Indeed, the most delightful nearness is that preceded by separation,

    And the sweetest union is that preceded by rejection.

  14. ظَعَنتَ فَلَم تَظعَن رِعايَتُكَ الَّتي

    حَمَتهُم فَما ريعوا وَأَجدَت فَلَم يُكدوا

    You departed, but your care did not depart—the care that

    Protected them from fear and enriched them, so they never went empty-handed.

  15. فَلَو لَم تَكُن رُؤياكَ شَيئاً مُحَبَّباً

    إِلى كُلِّ عَينٍ لَاِستَوى القُربُ وَالبُعدُ

    Were the sight of you not something dear

    To every eye, nearness and distance would be the same.

  16. وَهَل حَلَبٌ إِلّا السُهى مُنذُ أَصبَحَت

    لِأَروَعَ أَيامُ الزَمانِ لَهُ جُندُ

    What is Aleppo but al-Suha, since it came to belong

    To a formidable man whose troops are the days of time?

  17. لِذي البيضِ لَم تَجفُ الطُلى شَفَراتُها

    وَجُردِ المَذاكي ما يَجِفُّ لَها لِبدُ

    A lord of bright swords whose edges never shunned necks,

    And sleek, seasoned steeds whose saddle-felts never dry.

  18. إِذا قَصَدَت أَرضَ العَدوِّ فَسَيرُها

    لَعَمرُكَ تَقريبٌ وَتَقريبُها شَدُّ

    When they head for the enemy's land, their march

    Is, by your life, a canter, and their canter a gallop.

  19. وَلَمّا دَعَت مِنكَ العَواصِمُ غَوثَها

    أَجَبتَ بِلاداً قَد تَمادى بِها الجَهدُ

    And when al-Awasim called for your aid,

    You answered lands where distress had long endured.

  20. فَأَسهَرتَ أَجفاناً تَطاوَلَ نَومُها

    لِتَرقُدَ أُخرى ما لَها بِالكَرى عَهدُ

    You kept awake eyelids whose sleep had stretched too long,

    So others, strangers to sleep, could rest.

  21. نَهَضتَ وَقَد مادَت حِذاراً بِأَهلِها

    وَعاوَدتَ عَنها وَهيَ مِن أَمنِها مَهدُ

    You rose when the land swayed with its people in fear,

    And returned from it when its safety had made it a cradle.

  22. فَلا تَرفُ ذي فَتكٍ إِلى الفَتكِ يَعتَلي

    وَلا يَدُ ذي جَورٍ إِلى الجَورِ تَمتَدُّ

    No ruthless man's [gaze] rises toward violence,

    Nor does an oppressor's hand stretch toward oppression.

  23. وَلَمّا طَغى نَصرٌ أَطَحتَ لَهُ الرَدى

    فَلَم يَحمِهِ الجَمعُ الصَريحُ وَلا الحَشدُ

    And when Nasr grew tyrannical, you brought death down upon him;

    Neither his pure-blooded host nor his mustered throng protected him.

  24. أَبَت أَن يَحيدَ الحَقُّ عَن مُستَقَرِّهِ

    خُصومٌ مِنَ المُلدِ الَّتي أُشرِعَت لُدُّ

    They refused to let right depart from its proper place—

    Implacable adversaries: the pliant spears that were leveled.

  25. فَخَلَّوا لِأَطرافِ القَنا عَن مَمالِكٍ

    بِها أَخَذوها عَنوَةً وَبِها رَدّوا

    So they yielded kingdoms to the spear-points;

    By spears they seized them by force, and by spears gave them back.

  26. أَباحَكَ مُلكُ العُربِ ماضي سِلاحِها

    سَيُصفيكَ مُلكُ الهِندِ ماطَبَعَ الهِندُ

    The keen edge of Arab weaponry granted you Arab dominion;

    What India forged will bestow India's dominion on you.

  27. فَكَم خُضتَ أَهوالاً نَتيجَتُها عُلاً

    وَلاقَيتَ أَوصاباً جَنى صابِها شَهدُ

    How often you braved terrors that led to exaltation,

    And faced afflictions whose bitter sap yielded honey.

  28. تَفَرَّد بِمُلكِ الأَرضِ وَاِسلَم لِأَهلِها

    فَإِنَّكَ فيهِم وَالأَلى قَبلَهُم فَردُ

    Hold sole dominion over the earth, and remain safe for its people;

    For among them and those before them you are without peer.

  29. وَلا تُخلِ قَلباً في الوَرى مِن مَخافَةٍ

    فَلولا حَياةُ الخَوفِ لَم يَمُتِ الحِقدُ

    Leave no heart among mankind free from fear;

    Were fear not alive, rancor would not die.

  30. فَلَو لَم يَكُن بَأسُ المُهَلَّبِ كاسِباً

    لَهُ العِزَّ ما أَعطَتهُ طاعَتَها الأَزدُ

    Had al-Muhallab's valor not won

    Glory for him, al-Azd would not have yielded him its obedience.

  31. تَكَفَّلَ هَذا العَزمُ أَنَّكَ ظافِرٌ

    بِما لَم تُحَدِّثكَ الظُنونُ بِهِ بَعدُ

    This resolve guarantees that you will win

    What your imaginings have not yet whispered to you.

  32. أَمانيُّ قَد أَخلَت لَها طُرُقَ الظُبى

    وَلا صَدَرٌ يُحمى عَلَيهِ وَلا وِردُ

    Aspirations for which sword-edges have cleared the paths:

    No departure from water is barred to him, nor any approach.

  33. لِسائِرِ ما يَأتي بِهِ الدَهرُ غايَةٌ

    وَما لِمَعاليكَ اِنتِهاءٌ وَلا حَدُّ

    Everything time brings has an end;

    But your lofty achievements have no end or limit.

  34. إِذا سَلَبَ الأَعداءُ شَيئاً رَدَدتَهُ

    وَإِن سَلَبَتهُم ذي السُيوفُ فَلا رَدُّ

    When enemies seize something, you restore it;

    But when these swords rob them, there is no return.

  35. قَواطِعُ مُذ أَذكَت بِمُذكينَ نارَها

    فَبَينَ ضُلوعِ الرومِ نارٌ لَها وَقدُ

    Cleaving blades: since they kindled their fire with seasoned steeds,

    A blazing fire burns between the Romans' ribs.

  36. وَمُنذُ دَنَت دارُ المُبيرِ مُبيرِهِم

    فَأَمنُهُمُ جَزوٌ وَخَوفُهُمُ مَدُّ

    And since the abode of the destroyer—their destroyer—drew near,

    Their safety is an ebb, and their fear a rising tide.

  37. يَقولُ لَهُم في كُلِّ يَومٍ مَليكُهُم

    كَذافَاِحمَدوا رَأيِي لِما أَكَّدَ العَقدُ

    Their king says to them every day:

    "Thus, praise my judgment for what the pact has secured."

  38. لَعَمري لَقَد غُرّوا بِإِبعادِ عُصبَةٍ

    نَحَت غَيَّها مِن بَعدِما وَضَحَ الرُشدُ

    By my life, they were deluded in banishing a band

    That pursued its error after right guidance had become clear.

  39. وَلَيسَت لِهَذا المُلكِ أُولى طَريدَةٍ

    غَدا حَظَّها مِمَّن بَغَت نَصرَها الطَردُ

    Nor is this the first banished band from this kingdom

    Whose portion from those whose aid it sought was expulsion.

  40. فَلا تَحسَبوا ماءَ الفُراتِ كَعَهدِهِم

    فَقَد حالَ دونَ الوِردِ ذا الأَسَدُ الوَردُ

    Do not suppose the Euphrates' water is as they once knew it;

    This tawny lion has barred the way to drink.

  41. لَقَد ضاقَ ذو القَرنينِ ذَرعاً بِسَدِّهِ

    فَقالَ أَعينوني فَقَد نَفِدَ الجُهدُ

    Indeed, Dhu al-Qarnayn was overwhelmed by his barrier,

    And said, "Help me, for my strength is spent."

  42. وَأَنتَ الَّذي لَم يَستَعِن غَيرَ عَزمِهِ

    وَكَم دونَ ما قَد بِتَّ تَكلَؤُهُ سَدُّ

    Yet you sought no help but your own resolve;

    How many a barrier falls short of what you have spent the night guarding!

  43. بِإِقدامِكَ الإِسلامُ بِالعِزِّ مُرتَدٍ

    وَجاحِدُ ما أَولَيتَهُ عَنهُ مُرتَدُّ

    Through your courage, Islam is robed in might;

    And whoever denies what you bestowed on it is an apostate from it.

  44. وُقيتَ بِرَغمِ الحاسِدينَ فَما زَكا

    لِقائِلِهِم قَولٌ وَلا كانَ ما وَدّوا

    You were protected despite the envious; no utterance flourished

    For their spokesman, nor did their wishes come to pass.

  45. فَلاكَهُمُ السَيفُ الَّذي الحَقُّ ضارِبٌ

    بِهِ مَن طَغى بَغياً وَلا خَوِرَ العَضدُ

    So the sword chewed them—the sword wielded by Truth

    Against those who rebel unjustly; may the arm never weaken.

  46. فَهُم بَينَ مَيتٍ ظَلَّ يَلفِظُهُ الثَرى

    وَحَيٍّ لَهُ مِن بَيتِهِ أَبَداً لَحدُ

    They are either dead, continually spat out by the soil,

    Or alive, with their own houses forever graves.

  47. وَإِنَّ رِجالاً فيكَ شَكَّت قُلوبُهُم

    أُلئِكَ قَومٌ عَن سَبيلِ الهُدى صَدّوا

    And indeed, men whose hearts doubted you—

    Those are people who turned away from the path of guidance.

  48. وَلَستُ عَنِ النُصحِ الصَريحِ مُدافَعاً

    إِذا وَضَحَ الإِحسانُ لَم يُمكِنِ الجَحدُ

    I cannot be deterred from frank counsel;

    When beneficence is plain, denial is impossible.

  49. كَفَيتَ بِذا السَيفِ الأَئِمَّةَ ماعَرا

    فَمِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ ما عَداكَ لَهُم بُدُّ

    With this sword you spared the imams whatever befell them;

    They can dispense with everything except you.

  50. فَلا غَروَ أَن شَدّوا عَلَيكَ أَكُفَّهُم

    بِذَلِكَ وَصّى اِبناً أَبٌّ وَأَباً جَدُّ

    No wonder they held fast to you with their hands;

    So a father counseled a son, and a grandfather a father.

  51. وَمُذ شاعَ في مِصرٍ وُصولُكَ سالِماً

    فَفيها لِمَن يَحتَلُّها عيشَةٌ رَغدُ

    Since news of your safe arrival spread in Egypt,

    Everyone dwelling there has a life of ease.

  52. وَقَد لَبِسَت أَبهى الكُسى وَتَعَطَّرَت

    بِما حَمَلَت مِن طيبِ أَخبارِكَ البُردُ

    It has donned its finest garments and perfumed itself

    With the fragrance of your tidings carried by couriers.

  53. بِكَ اِنذَعَرَت رُبدُ الحَوادِثِ رَهبَةً

    كَما اِنذَعَرَت مِن خيفَةِ القانِصِ الرُبدُ

    Before you dark calamities fled in terror,

    As gray ostriches flee in fear of the hunter.

  54. وَحَيثُ ثَوى هَذا الهُمامُ فَقَصرُهُ

    بِأَرجائِهِ مِن كُلِّ مَملَكَةٍ وَفدُ

    Wherever this noble hero resides, his palace

    Has in its precincts a delegation from every kingdom,

  55. تَرومُ لَدَيهِ الجودَ إِن أَخلَفَ الحَيا

    وَتَجديدَ عَهدِ السِلمِ إِن أَخلَقَ العَهدُ

    Seeking his bounty if the rain fails,

    And renewal of the covenant of peace if the covenant wears thin.

  56. وَعَدتَ الهُدى عِزّاً بِإِيعادِكَ العِدى

    فَلَمّا زَكا فيها الوَعيدُ زَكا الوَعدُ

    You promised guidance glory by threatening the enemies;

    When the threat bore fruit among them, the promise bore fruit.

  57. وَجَمَّعتَ بِالإِحسانِ شَتّى قَبائِلٍ

    فَنابَ عَنِ القُربى التَوازُرُ وَالوُدُّ

    Through kindness you gathered disparate tribes;

    Mutual support and affection took kinship's place.

  58. وَلَو لَم تُزِل بِالمَنعِ غِلَّ صُدورِهِم

    وَبِالبَذلِ لَم يَركَن إِلى ضِدِّهِ الضِدُّ

    Had you not removed their hearts' rancor through protection

    And giving, no foe would have leaned toward his foe.

  59. صَنائِعُ قَد عَمَّت نِزاراً وَيَعرُباً

    فَكُلُّهُمُ أَسراكَ وَالنِعَمُ القِدُّ

    Favors have encompassed Nizar and Ya'rub;

    All are your captives, and your gifts the rawhide bonds.

  60. سَأُثني بِنُعماكَ الَّتي مَلَأَت يَدي

    وَإِن فاتَ حَدَّ العَدِّ نائِلُكَ العِدُّ

    I shall praise your bounty, which has filled my hand,

    Though your ever-flowing bounty exceeds the bounds of counting.

  61. رُميتُ بِسَهمِ العيِّ إِن ظَلتُ كاتِماً

    مَواهِبَ لي مِنها الطَوارِفُ وَالتُلدُ

    May the arrow of speechlessness strike me if I keep concealed

    Gifts I possess, both newly gained and long-held.

  62. سَقَتني بِكاساتِ المُنى كُلَّ نُخبَةٍ

    فَها أَنا بِالأَشعارِ مِن طَرَبٍ أَشدو

    They gave me every choice draught from the cups of desire;

    So here I am, singing verses in delight.

  63. عَزيزُ القَوافي لي ذَليلٌ وَصَعبُها

    ذَلولٌ وَحُرُّ القَولِ ما رُمتُهُ عَبدُ

    The proudest rhymes are humble before me, and their unruly ones

    Are tame; freeborn speech, whenever I seek it, is a slave.

  64. أَميرَ الجُيوشِ اِسمَع لَها فَبِمِثلِها

    تَزيدُ العُلى طَولاً وَيَفتَخِرُ المَجدُ

    Commander of the Armies, listen to it, for through its like

    High rank grows in stature, and glory takes pride.

  65. وَما أُنشِدَت إِلّا اِنبَرى كُلُّ عالِمٍ

    يَقولُ لِهَذا الجيدِ يَصلُحُ ذا العِقدُ

    Whenever it is recited, every learned man comes forward,

    Saying, "This necklace suits this neck."

  66. تَجِلُّ إِذا ما جِلَّةُ القَوم أَنصَتوا

    وَتُلغى إِذا أَنضى لِيَ النَقدُ وَالنَقدُ

    It is exalted when the great men listen,

    And dismissed when criticism and coin wear it out for me.

  67. إِذا العُرفِ ما شَرواهُ مُنهَمِرُ الحَيا

    وَذا العَرفِ ما النَدُّ الذَكيُّ لَهُ نِدُّ

    When it comes to bounty, pouring rain is not its equal;

    And this fragrance—fragrant incense is no rival to it.

  68. شُهِرتَ بِإِرغامِ الخُطوبِ وَكَبتِها

    فَما لَكَ إِلّا حِفظُ ما ضَيَّعَت وَكدُ

    You are renowned for subduing calamities and crushing them;

    Your sole concern is preserving what they have neglected.

  69. وَمِنهُ النَدى يَعتادُ في كُلِّ لَحظَةٍ

    وَغيرُكَ بِالأَدنى مِنَ الجودِ يَعتَدُّ

    From him bounty comes anew at every moment,

    While others pride themselves on the least generosity.

  70. فَضائِلُ يُطوى الدَهرُ مِن قَبلِ طَيِّها

    وَتَنعَدُّ أَنفاسُ الوَرى قَبلَ تَنعَدُّ

    Virtues: time will be folded away before they are,

    And mankind's breaths counted before they can be counted.

  71. كَبا كُلُّ مَن يَبغي مَداكَ فَلا كَبا

    لِذا المُلكِ في أَمرٍ تُحاوِلُهُ زَندُ

    All who seek your reach have stumbled; may it never fail to spark—

    This kingdom's fire-stick—in any endeavor you undertake,

  72. لِتَحتازَ آفاقَ الدُنى دونَ أَهلِها

    كَما لَكَ فيها دونَهُم وَحدَكَ الحَمدُ

    So you may possess the worlds' horizons to the exclusion of their people,

    Just as praise within them is yours alone, not theirs.