Sol 6.1

  1. بدت ورنت لواحظه دلالاً

    فما أبهى الغزالة والغزالا

    His eyes appeared and gazed with coy allure.

    How lovely the sun and the gazelle!

  2. وأسفرَ عن سنا قمرٍ منيرٍ

    ولكني وجدتُ بهِ الضَّلالا

    And he unveiled the radiance of a shining moon,

    but in him I found bewilderment.

  3. صقيل الخدِّ أبصر من رآه

    سواد العين فيه فخال خالا

    His cheek is polished: whoever saw him saw

    the black of his own eye in it, and took it for a mole.

  4. وممنوع الوصال إذا تبدَّى

    وجدت له من الألفاظِ لالا

    And when he, with whom union is denied, appears,

    I find among his words, 'No, no.'

  5. وأعجب إذا وضعتُ سلاح صبري

    لمنظرِهِ وما رفع القتالا

    And I marvel when I lay down my patience's weapon

    at the sight of him, yet he does not cease the fight.

  6. عجبتُ لثغره البسَّام أهدى

    لنا درًّا وقد سكن الزّلالا

    I marveled at his smiling mouth, which offered

    us pearls, though they had dwelt in sweet, clear water.

  7. شهدتُ بشهدِ ريقته لأنِّي

    رأيت على سوالفهُ نمالا

    I testified to the honey of his saliva, for I

    saw ants along the sides of his face.

  8. وأشهد أنَّ في خدَّيه جمراً

    لأنَّ بمهجتي منه اشْتعالا

    And I testify that embers lie in his cheeks,

    for in my heart there burns a flame from him.

  9. فيا لنعيم جسمٍ قد حواه

    وقد أهدى إلى قلبي الوبالا

    Ah, the bliss of a body that enfolds him,

    though he has brought calamity upon my heart!

  10. سأشكو الحزنَ ما بقيت حياتي

    وأشكر في صنائعه الجمالا

    I shall lament sorrow as long as I live,

    and give thanks for the beauty in his favors.

  11. على حمدِ ابن محمود اسْتقرَّت

    عقول العالمين ولا جدالا

    On the praise of Ibn Mahmud rest

    the minds of all people, without dispute.

  12. رئيس للعلى طالت يداه

    ولم يفخر بذاك ولا اسْتطالا

    A leader whose hands reach high toward glory,

    yet he neither boasts of that nor grows haughty.

  13. بديهيّ المواهب يوم جود

    إذا روَّى الورَى وهَبَ ارْتجالا

    Spontaneous in his gifts on a day of bounty,

    when he slakes mankind's thirst, he gives spontaneously.

  14. ونحويِّ العوارف يوم جاهٍ

    فكم نصبت على التَّمييز حالا

    And a grammarian of favors on a day of influence:

    how many a state you have raised through discernment!

  15. وكم عطفت لذا من بعد هذا

    وكانَ العطف والبذل اشْتمالا

    And how often you have turned to this one after that one,

    and your kindness and giving were all-embracing.

  16. لقد زهت العواصم يوم وافى

    وأمست عصمة وغدت ثمالا

    The strongholds shone with pride the day he came,

    and became a shield by evening, a refuge by dawn.

  17. وصحَّ حمى الشمال بيمن رأيٍ

    أنالَ من السعادةِ ما أنالا

    And the northern realm grew sound through auspicious counsel

    that bestowed such happiness as it did.

  18. فما يشكو سوى لحظ الغواني

    ونشر الروض سقماً واعْتدالا

    Now none complains but the glances of beauties

    and the garden's fragrance—of sickness and mildness.

  19. وكيفَ وقد تولَّى في حماه

    عليّ القدر ذو كرم توالى

    And how could it, when within its bounds there rules

    one exalted in rank, whose bounty is unceasing?

  20. حكى السبع الشداد علاً وحاكت

    عليه مدائحي السبع الطّوالا

    He matched the seven mighty heavens in height; and likewise,

    my praises of him matched the seven long odes.

  21. أعاذله على المعروفِ دعهُ

    فإنَّ له به عنك اشْتغالا

    O you who chide him for doing good, leave him,

    for he is too occupied with it to heed you.

  22. وطالب شأوه في المجدِ أقصرْ

    ودعْ ليث العرينة يا ثعالى

    And you who seek his stature in glory, desist;

    and leave the lion in his den alone, O fox!

  23. له قلمٌ يكفُّ الخطب كفًّا

    وينهمل الندَى منه انْهمالا

    He has a pen that firmly checks disaster,

    and bounty pours from it in torrents.

  24. إذا جلى الحروف فلست أرضى

    سنا ابن هلال ثمَّ ولا الهلالا

    When it makes letters shine, I am not content with

    the radiance of Ibn Hilal then, nor even the crescent moon.

  25. تجانسَ صنعه فترى سجلاًّ

    يروق وفي النوال ترى سجالا

    His works are harmonious: you see a scroll

    that delights, and in his giving you see brimming buckets.

  26. براحةِ منعم تعبت فسادت

    وحاولَ طوله العليا فطالا

    By a benefactor's palm, which toiled and became supreme;

    and his bounty strove for the heights and surpassed them.

  27. وثقت بجودِهِ فرأيتُ مالا

    أرى من غيره وكنزت مالا

    I trusted in his bounty, and saw what I do not

    see from anyone else, and laid up wealth.

  28. ألم ترَ أنني في كلِّ عامٍ

    إلى طلب العلى أبغي الشمالا

    Have you not seen that I, each year,

    seek the North in pursuit of greatness?

  29. بإسماعيل ابْتدئ الأيادي

    وإبراهيم اخْتتم النوالا

    I begin with Ismail's favors,

    and conclude with Ibrahim's bounty.

  30. لقد رفعا قواعد بيت جودٍ

    دعا حجّ المقاصد واسْتمالا

    They raised the foundations of a house of generosity

    that called seekers on pilgrimage and drew them close.

  31. ولا والله لا أزجي ركاباً

    لغيرهما ولا أنهي سؤالا

    No, by God, I shall drive no riding camels

    to any but those two, nor send a petition elsewhere.

  32. إليك جمال الدين الله قصداً

    تعوَّد منك عزماً واحْتفالا

    To you, Jamal al-Din—by God—comes a quest

    accustomed to your resolve and attentive care.

  33. وكنت بلوت برّك من قديمٍ

    فلم أصرف لغير حماكَ بالا

    And I had known your kindness long before,

    so I gave no thought to any sanctuary but yours.

  34. رعاكَ الله ما دعيَ ابن غيث

    وزادَ ندى يديك ولا أزالا

    May God guard you as long as Ibn Ghayth is called upon,

    and increase your hands' bounty, never taking it away.

  35. لقد حسنت فعالك في البرايا

    فحسَّن فيكَ مادحك المقالا

    Your deeds among mankind have indeed been beautiful,

    so your praiser has beautified his words about you.