Sol 6.1

  1. أمنزلَ سعدى بالعذيب سقاكا

    مُلثُّ الحيا حتى يبلّ صداكا

    O dwelling of Saʿda at al-ʿUdhayb, may you be watered

    by unceasing rain until it quenches your thirst.

  2. صدىً كلما أدعو أجابَ كأننا

    خلقنا على أطلالها نتشاكى

    An echo answers whenever I call, as though we

    were created to lament to one another over her ruins.

  3. وربع محا ركض الجنائب رسمه

    وجوم غوادي المرزمين دِرَاكا

    And a dwelling whose traces the racing south winds erased,

    and the successive outpourings of the two Mirzams’ morning clouds—

  4. وقفت أنادي الصبر في جنباته

    ألا أينَ مغناها وأين غناكا

    I stood calling on Patience within its precincts:

    “Ah, where is her dwelling, and where is your aid?”

  5. كأني بكثرِ الهمِّ أختم في الثرى

    رهينة قلبٍ لا يحشّ فكاكا

    As though, from so much grief, I seal within the dust

    a captive of a heart that does not hasten release.

  6. يعزُّ على المشتاق يا طلل النقا

    بلاه على حكم النوى وبلاكا

    Grievous to the longing lover, O ruin of the sandy ridge,

    are his wasting under separation’s decree and your decay.

  7. وما عن رضىً خفَّ القطين ثنيَّة

    فأثبت في جسمي الضنا ومحاكا

    Nor did the dwellers depart over the mountain pass willingly,

    so they fixed wasting in my body and effaced you.

  8. وطيفٌ سرى للشامِ من أرضِ بابل

    لأبعدت يا طيف الحبيب مدَاكا

    And a dream-vision traveled by night to Syria from Babylon’s land—

    far indeed have you ranged, O vision of the beloved!

  9. وذكرتني العهد القديم على الحمى

    رعى الله أيام الحمى ورَعاكا

    And you reminded me of the old pledge at the protected pasture;

    may God guard the days of that pasture, and guard you.

  10. فديتك طيفاً لا يذكر ناسياً

    ولكن يزيد المستهام هلاكا

    I would ransom you—a vision that reminds no forgetful soul,

    but deepens the ruin of one maddened by love.

  11. تصيَّدته والأفق مقتبل الدجى

    تخال النجوم الزهر فيه شباكا

    I hunted it as the horizon welcomed the darkness;

    you would think its radiant stars were nets.

  12. إلى أن تيقَّظنا على أرجٍ كما

    بذكر شهاب الدين يفتح فاكا

    Until we awoke to a fragrance such as

    opens your mouth at the mention of Shihab al-Din.

  13. إمامٌ إذا هزَّ اليراع مفاخراً

    به الدهر قال الدهر لست هناكا

    A master—when he brandishes the reed pen, vying

    with Time through it, Time says, “I am no match.”

  14. وقالت له العليا فداك ذوو العلى

    وإن قلَّ شيء أن يكون فداكا

    And Glory says to him, “May the exalted ransom you,

    though anything is too little to serve as your ransom.”

  15. وقال زماني ما تضرُّ إساءتي

    إذا استغفرت لي في الآثام يداكا

    And my age says, “My wrongdoing does no harm

    when your two hands seek pardon for my sins.”

  16. لكَ الله ما أزكَى وأشرف همَّةً

    وأنجح في كسب العلوم سراكا

    God bless you! How pure and noble your aspiration,

    and how fruitful your night journeys in acquiring knowledge!

  17. علوتَ فأدركتَ النجوم فصغتها

    كلاماً ففقت القائلين بذاكا

    You rose and reached the stars, then fashioned them

    into speech, surpassing the speakers through it.

  18. وحزتَ معاني القول من كلِّ وجهةٍ

    فأبق علينا نبذةً لثناكا

    And you mastered the meanings of speech from every direction;

    so leave us a fragment with which to praise you.

  19. وحكتَ رقيق اللفظ منفرداً به

    وقد قيل إن الروض حاكَ فحاكى

    And you wove delicate diction, alone in its mastery;

    it is said the garden wove—but it merely imitated.

  20. وجاوزت صوب الغيث في حلية الندى

    فعبس لما جزته وتباكى

    And you surpassed the rain’s downpour in bounty’s adornment;

    so it frowned when you outstripped it, and feigned weeping.

  21. ولو لم تكن للجودِ في الناس آية

    لما كانَ منهلّ الغمام تلاكا

    And had you not been a verse of generosity among mankind,

    the pouring clouds would not have recited you.

  22. متى تتميَّز مادحوك ولم تقل

    من الوصفِ إلا ما تقول عداكا

    When can your praisers stand apart, when nothing is said

    in describing you except what your enemies also say?

  23. تجاوزت أشتات المساعي إلى العلى

    وزدت فأعيى الواصفين سناكا

    You surpassed the many endeavors toward eminence,

    and went further, till your radiance baffled those who describe you.

  24. وحقّك ما فوقَ البسيطة لاحقٌ

    فقصر رعاكَ الله بعض خطاكا

    By your honor, no one upon the earth can catch you;

    so shorten some of your strides—may God guard you!

  25. مدحتكَ لا أبغي ثراءً بذلته

    إليَّ ولكن رفعة بثراكا

    I praised you not to seek the wealth you bestowed

    on me, but elevation through your dust.

  26. بعيشك إلا ما تأمَّلت صفو ما

    منحتك من ودِّي بعين رضاكا

    By your life, do consider the purity of what

    I have given you of my affection, with the eye of your favor.

  27. فأقسمُ ما ضمَّت كحبّك أضلعي

    ولا اسْتنشقت روحي كنشر هواكا

    For I swear, my ribs have held nothing like my love for you,

    nor has my soul inhaled a scent like the fragrance of love for you.

  28. أكاد أطيق السيل أدفع صدره

    ولا أدَّعي أني أطيق جفاكا

    I could almost withstand a torrent, repelling its onrush,

    but I do not claim I could withstand your coldness.

  29. ومن ذا الذي يدري حُلا ما أقوله

    سواكَ ومن يدري سوايَ حلاكا

    And who discerns the adornments of what I say

    but you? And who but me discerns your adornments?

  30. تخذتك أنساً حين أوحشتْني الورى

    وقلت لراءي المستقيم هناكا

    I took you for solace when mankind made me lonely,

    and said to my sound judgment, “Joy be yours!”

  31. يجدّد لي ذكرى كمالك نقصهم

    كأنيَ من كلِّ الأنام أراكا

    Their shortcomings renew for me the memory of your perfection,

    as though I see you through all mankind.

  32. فلا وحماكَ الرَّحم لا بتّ مهدياً

    حقائق أمداحِي لغير حماكا

    So no—and may mercy guard you—I shall never pass a night offering

    the true substance of my praises to any sanctuary but yours.

  33. بلى ربَّما آنست في الفكر فترةً

    فجرَّبت فكري في مديحِ سواكا

    Yes, sometimes I have sensed a slackening in thought,

    so I tested my mind by praising someone other than you.