Sol 6.1

  1. جَرَى الأضحى رَسِيل المِهرجانِ

    كأنهما مَعاً فرسا رِهانِ

    Eid al-Adha ran as Mihrajan's racing companion,

    as though together they were two horses racing for a wager.

  2. فجاءا ليس بينهما انتظارٌ

    جوادا حلبةٍ متتابعان

    So they came with no waiting between them,

    two fine steeds on the course, one following the other.

  3. ولم يتتابعِ العيدانِ إلا

    تنافُسَ رؤيةِ الملكِ الهجان

    The two festivals followed one another only

    in rivalry to behold the noble-blooded king,

  4. عُبَيْدِ الله قَرْمِ بني زُرَيْقٍ

    وما أدراك ما يتنافسان

    Ubayd Allah, chief of the sons of Zurayq.

    And what can tell you what the two are vying for!

  5. سلوا الكُبراءَ عن عيدَيْن شتَّى

    متى كانا كذا يتجاوران

    Ask the elders about two disparate festivals:

    when have they ever stood so close together?

  6. أعيدُ النُسكِ جاور عيدَ لَهْوٍ

    لأمرٍ أُلِّفَ المتنافرانِ

    Has the feast of sacred rites come beside a feast of revelry?

    For a purpose the two opposites were joined.

  7. بِبِرِّ أميرِنا في كل عيدٍ

    تواصَلَ منهما المتقاطعان

    Through our prince's bounty at every feast,

    those two, once estranged, have come together.

  8. فلا عدِماه حتى يَسْتديرا

    فيقترنا كهذا الاقتران

    So may neither lose him until they come full circle,

    and meet again in just such a conjunction.

  9. غدا معروفُهُ نسباً قريباً

    يُؤَلِّفُ بينَ أشتاتِ الزَّمان

    His kindness has become a bond of close kinship,

    uniting the scattered fragments of time.

  10. فقولا للأميرِ وقتهُ نَفْسِي

    صروفَ الحادثاتِ وإن جفاني

    So tell the prince, you two (may my soul shield him

    from the turns of misfortune, even if he shuns me):

  11. تفيَّأْنا السعادةَ إذْ نظرْنا

    إلى الأضحى أمام المهرجان

    We sheltered in happiness's shade when we looked

    upon Eid al-Adha ahead of Mihrajan.

  12. تقدَّمَ في المُقَدَّمِ منك نُسْكٌ

    وبرٌّ بالأباعِدِ والأداني

    In the earlier one, your worship led the way,

    and kindness to those far and near.

  13. وأعقبَ في أخيرِهما نعيمٌ

    ولَهوٌ منك بالنِّعم الحسان

    And in the latter of the two, bliss followed,

    and revelry from you amid fair blessings.

  14. فدلّانا على عملٍ ذكيٍّ

    بعقباهُ نعيمك في الجنان

    Thus both have shown us a wise deed,

    whose sequel is your bliss in the Gardens.

  15. وذاك إذا قطعت مدى اللَّيالي

    ونلتَ وحُزتَ غاياتِ الأماني

    And that, once you have traversed the nights' full span

    and attained and won the utmost of your hopes,

  16. حليفَ سلامةٍ وصحاح جِسْم

    وشرخٍ من شبابٍ غير فاني

    allied with well-being and soundness of body,

    and the prime of never-fading youth.

  17. تُبَشِّرُني الظنون بصوْت غيثٍ

    مُغيثٍ منك في هذا الأوان

    My expectations bring me glad tidings of the sound of rain,

    bringing relief from you in this season.

  18. وقد حان الوليُّ فلا تَجُزْني

    كوسْمِيٍّ عداني ما عداني

    Now the second rain is due; do not pass me by

    as the first autumn rain did, whatever kept me from it.

  19. أتحرمُني وقد أُعطيتَ كُلّاً

    عطا مُفْضِل خَضِل البنان

    Will you deny me—though you have been given everything—

    the gift of a generous giver, his fingers dripping with bounty?

  20. عطايا لا يجمجمها كفور

    ولا للشاكرين بها يدان

    Gifts that no ingrate can conceal,

    nor do the thankful have hands enough to repay them;

  21. عطايا بين بِشْرٍ واعتذارٍ

    وليست بين عبس وامتنان

    gifts offered with smiles and apologies,

    not with frowns and reminders of favors.