Sol 6

  1. لِلحُبِّ في تِلكَ القِبابِ مَرادُ

    لَو ساعَفَ الكَلِفَ المَشوقَ مُرادُ

    Love has a desire in those domed tents,

    If Murad would favor the lovesick, yearning one.

  2. لِيَغُر هَواكَ فَقَد أَجَدَّ حِمايَةً

    لِفَتاةِ نَجدٍ فِتيَةٌ أَنجادُ

    Let your passion beguile you; brave young men

    Have renewed their protection of a girl of Najd.

  3. كَم ذا التَجَلُّدُ لَن يُساعِفَكَ الهَوى

    بِالوَصلِ إِلّا أَن يَطولَ نِجادُ

    How long will you keep up this show of endurance? Love will grant you

    Union only when your sword belt has grown long.

  4. أَعَقيلَةَ السَربِ المُباحَ لِوِردِها

    صَفوُ الهَوى إِذ حُلِّىءَ الوُرّادُ

    O noble doe of the herd, whose clear spring of love

    Is open for her to drink while other drinkers are kept away!

  5. ما لِلمَصايِدِ لَم تَنَلكِ بِحيلَةٍ

    إِنَّ الظِباءَ لَتُدَرّى فَتُصادُ

    Why have the hunters failed to catch you by a trick?

    Gazelles are coaxed, then caught.

  6. إِن يَعدُ عَن سَمُراتِ جِزعِكَ سامِرٌ

    في كُلِّ مُطَلَّعٍ لَهُم إِرعادُ

    If a night companion leaves the acacias of your valley,

    At every lookout they have a trembling fear.

  7. فَبِما تَرَقرَقَ لِلمُتَيَّمِ بَينَها

    غَلَلٌ شَفى حَرَّ الغَليلِ بُرادُ

    Yet amid them there shimmered for the lover

    A cooling draught that soothed his burning thirst.

  8. أَنا حينَ أُطرِقُ لَيسَ يَفتَأُ طارِقي

    شَوقٌ كَما طَرَقَ السَليمَ عِدادُ

    Whenever I lower my head, my visitor never ceases:

    Longing returns as a fever returns to one bitten by a snake.

  9. يَنهى جَفاؤُكِ عَن زِيارَتِيَ الكَرى

    كَيلا يَزورَ خَيالُكِ المُعتادُ

    Your coldness keeps sleep from visiting me,

    So that your familiar image cannot visit me.

  10. لا تَقطَعي صِلَةَ الخَيالِ تَجِنُّباً

    إِذ فيهِ مِن عَوَزِ الوِصالِ سِدادُ

    Do not sever the bond of dreams in avoidance;

    In them lies some relief for the want of union.

  11. ما ضَرَّ أَنَّكِ بِالسَلامِ ضَنينَةٌ

    أَيّامَ طَيفُكِ بِالعِناقِ جَوادُ

    What harm if you are sparing even with a greeting,

    When your phantom was once generous with embraces?

  12. هَلّا حَمَلتِ السُقمَ عَن جِسمٍ لَهُ

    في كِلَّةٍ زُرَّت عَليكِ فُؤادُ

    Why not take the sickness from a body whose heart

    Was enclosed with you beneath a bed curtain?

  13. أَو عُدتِ مِن سَقَمِ الهَوى إِنَّ الهَوى

    مِمّا يُطيلُ ضَنى الفَتى فَيُعادُ

    Or visit me in love's illness? For love

    Prolongs a young man's wasting, and he must be visited.

  14. إيهاً فَلَولا أَن أَروعَكِ بِالسَرى

    لَدَنا وِسادٌ أَو لَطالَ سُوادُ

    Enough! If I did not fear startling you by coming at night,

    My pillow would lie nearer, or my nighttime stay grow longer.

  15. لَغَشيتُ سَجفَكِ في مُلاءَةِ نَثرَةٍ

    فُضُلٍ سِوى أَنَّ العِطافَ نِجادُ

    I would reach your curtain wearing loose mail,

    With no cloak besides a sword slung across me,

  16. لَأَميلَ في سُكرِ اللَمى فَيَبيتَ لي

    مِمّا حَوى ذاكَ السِوارُ وِسادُ

    And sway, drunk on the sweetness of your lips, till I had

    A pillow in what that bracelet encloses.

  17. فَعِدي المُنى فَوَعيدُ قَومَكِ لَم يَكُن

    لِيَعوقَ عَن أَن يُقتَضى الميعادُ

    So promise me my wish; your people's threats cannot

    Prevent the promised meeting from being claimed.

  18. أَصبو إِلى وَردِ الخُدودِ إِذا عَدَت

    جُردٌ تُبَلِّغُني جَناهُ وِرادُ

    I yearn for the roses of your cheeks when swift, sleek horses

    Carry me to pluck them, coming to your spring.

  19. وَأَراحُ لِلعِطرِ السَطوعِ أَريجُهُ

    إِن شيبَ بِالجَسَدِ العَطيرِ جِسادُ

    And I delight in the perfume whose scent rises

    When saffron is mixed with your fragrant body.

  20. عَزمٌ إِذا قَصَدَ الحِمى لَم يَثنِهِ

    أَنَّ القَنا مِن دينِها أَقصادُ

    Resolve, once it sets out for the protected dwelling, is not turned back

    By spears whose way is to strike straight.

  21. مِن كانَ يَجهَلُ ما البَليدُ فَإِنَّهُ

    مَن تَطِّبيهِ عَنِ الحُظوظِ بِلادُ

    Whoever does not know what a dullard is should know:

    It is one whom his homeland lulls away from opportunity.

  22. وَفَتى الشَهامَةِ مَن إِذا أَمَلٌ سَما

    نَفَذَت بِهِ شورى أَو اِستِبدادُ

    A gallant youth is one who, when hope rises high,

    Carries it through, whether by counsel or his own decision.

  23. مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي الأَحِبَّةَ إِذ أَبَت

    ذِكراهُمُ أَن يَطمَئِنَّ مِهادُ

    Who will carry word from me to my loved ones, since

    Remembering them will not let my bed grow still?

  24. لا يَأسَ رُبَّ دُنوِّ دارٍ جامِعٍ

    لِلشَملِ قَد أَدّى إِلَيهِ بِعادُ

    Do not despair: distance has sometimes led

    To a nearby home that gathers loved ones together.

  25. إِن أَغتَرِب فَمَواقِعَ الكَرَمِ الَّذي

    في الغَربِ شِمتُ بُروقَهُ أَرتادُ

    If I live abroad, I seek the places of generosity

    Whose lightning I glimpsed in the west.

  26. أَو أَنأَ عَن صَيدِ المُلوكِ بِجانِبي

    فَهُمُ العَبيدُ مَليكُهُم عَبّادُ

    And if I keep my distance from the nobles of kings,

    They are servants; their king is Abbad.

  27. المَجدُ عُذرٌ في الفِراقِ لِمَن نَأى

    لِيَرى المَصانِعَ مِنهُ كَيفَ تُشادُ

    Glory excuses the parting of one who has gone away

    To see how its great works are built.

  28. يا هَل أَتى مَن ظَنَّ بي فَظُنونُهُ

    شَتّى تَرَجَّعُ بَينَها الأَضدادُ

    Has word reached the one who formed such varied suspicions of me,

    With contrary guesses echoing among them,

  29. أَنّي رَأَيتُ المُنذِرَينِ كِلَيهِما

    في كَونِ مُلكٍ لَم يُحِلهُ فَسادُ

    That I saw both Mundhirs

    In a kingdom whose being corruption had not changed?

  30. وَبَصُرتُ بِالبُردَينِ إِرثِ مُحَرِّقٍ

    لَم تَخلُقا إِذ تَخلُقُ الأَبرادُ

    I saw too the two cloaks inherited from Muharriq,

    Still unworn while other cloaks wear out.

  31. وَعَرَفتُ مِن ذي الطَوقِ عَمرٍ ثَأرَهُ

    لِجَذيمَةَ الوَضّاحِ حينَ يُكادُ

    And in Amr of the Collar I recognized his vengeance

    For the fair Jadhima when he was deceived.

  32. وَأَتى بِيَ النُعمانَ يَومَ نَعيمِهِ

    نَجمٌ تَلَقّى سَعدَهُ الميلادُ

    And a star brought me to Numan in his day of delight,

    A star whose good fortune his birth had met.

  33. قَد أُلِّفَت أَشتاتُهُم في واحِدٍ

    إِلّا يَكُنهُم أُمَّةً فَيَكادُ

    Their scattered qualities have been joined in one man:

    If he is not all of them together, he nearly is.

  34. فَكَأَنَّني طالَعتُهُم بِوِفادَةٍ

    لَم يَستَطِعها عُروَةُ الوَفّادُ

    It was as though I had seen them by making a visit

    That even Urwa, famed for visits, could not make,

  35. في قَصرِ مَلكٍ كَالسَديرِ أَو الَّذي

    ناطَت بِهِ شُرُفاتِها سِندادُ

    In a king's palace like al-Sadir, or like the one

    On which Sindad set its battlements.

  36. تَتَوَهَّمُ الشَهباءَ فيهِ كَتيبَةً

    بِفِناءٍ اليَحمومُ فيهِ جَوادُ

    There you would imagine the gray horse to be a troop,

    In a courtyard where al-Yahmum is a steed.

  37. يَختالُ مِن سَيرِ الأَشاهِبِ وَسطَهُ

    بيضٌ كَمُرهَفَةِ السُيوفِ جِعادُ

    Amid the prancing of dapple-gray horses there move

    White steeds, curled like keen-edged swords.

  38. في آلِ عَبّادٍ حَطَطتُ فَأَعصَمَت

    هِمَمي بِحَيثُ أَنافَتِ الأَطوادُ

    With the house of Abbad I made my stay, and my ambitions rose

    Securely above the towering mountains.

  39. أَهلُ المَناذِرَةِ الَّذينَ هُمُ الرُبى

    فَوقَ المُلوكِ إِذِ المُلوكُ وِهادُ

    They are the people of the Mundhirs, heights

    Above other kings, who are valleys beside them.

  40. قَومٌ إِذا عَدَّت مَعَدُّ عَقيلَةً

    ماءَ السَماءِ فَهُم لَها أَولادُ

    A people whom, when Maadd counts a noble ancestress,

    It names Ma al-Sama; they are her children.

  41. بَيتٌ تَوَّدُ الشُهبُ في أَفلاكِها

    لَو أَنَّها لِبِنائِهِ أَوتادُ

    A house for which the stars in their orbits would wish

    To serve as pegs in its construction.

  42. مَمدودَةٌ بِلُهى النَدى أَطنابُهُ

    مَرفوعَةٌ بِالبيضِ مِنهُ عِمادُ

    Its tent ropes stretch with the gifts of hospitality;

    Its pillars stand raised by bright swords.

  43. مُتَقادِمٌ إِلّا تَكُن شَمسُ الضُحى

    لِدَةٌ لَهُ فَنُجومُها أَرآدُ

    It is ancient: if the morning sun is not

    Its contemporary, then her stars are its peers.

  44. نيطَت بِعَبّادٍ لَآلِىءُ مَجدِهِم

    فَتَلَألَأَت في تومِها الأَفرادُ

    The pearls of their glory were strung upon Abbad,

    And the single gems shone among their beads.

  45. مَلِكٌ إِذا اِفتَنَّت صِفاتُ جَلالِهِ

    فَتَقاصَرَت عَن بَعضِها الأَعدادُ

    A king whose majestic qualities are so varied

    That numbers fall short of counting some of them.

  46. نَسِيَت زَبيدٌ عَمرَها بَل أَعرَضَت

    عَن وَصفِ كَعبٍ بِالسَماحِ إِيادُ

    Zabid has forgotten its Amr; indeed, Iyad

    Has turned from praising Kab for generosity.

  47. فَضَحَ الدُهاةَ فَلَو تَقَدَمَ عَهدُهُ

    لَعَنا المُغيرَةُ أَو أَقَرَّ زِيادُ

    He outdid the shrewd; had he lived before them,

    Al-Mughira would have yielded, or Ziyad conceded.

  48. لا يَأمَنُ الأَعداءُ رَجمَ ظُنونِهِ

    إِنَّ الغُيوبَ وَراءَها إِمدادُ

    His enemies cannot feel safe from his guesses,

    For unseen knowledge comes to their aid.

  49. مَلِكٌ إِذا ما اِختالَ غُرَّةُ فَيلَقٍ

    قَد أُمطِيَت عِقبانَهُ الآسادُ

    A king: when the vanguard of an army prances forth,

    Its eagles are borne by lions.

  50. أُسدٌ فَرائِسُها الفَوارِسُ في الوَغى

    لَكِن بَراثِنُها هُناكَ صِعادُ

    Lions whose prey in battle are horsemen,

    But whose claws there are spears.

  51. خِلتُ اللِواءَ غَمامَةً في ظِلِّها

    قَمَرٌ بِغُرَّتِهِ السَنا الوَقّادُ

    I thought the banner a cloud beneath whose shade

    Stood a moon, its bright face blazing with light:

  52. شَيحانُ مُنغَمِسُ السِنانِ مِنَ العِدا

    في النَقعِ حَيثُ تَغَلغَلُ الأَحقادُ

    A bold one whose spearhead plunges into the enemy

    Amid battle dust where grudges run deep.

  53. تَشكو إِلَيهِ الشَمسُ نَقعَ كَتيبَةٍ

    ما زالَ مِنهُ لِعَينِها إِرمادُ

    The sun complains to him of his troop's dust,

    Which has kept her eye inflamed.

  54. جَيشٌ إِذا ما الأُفقُ سافَرَ طَيرُهُ

    مَعَهُ فَفي ذِمَمِ الصَوارِمِ زادُ

    An army whose birds range across the horizon

    With it, their provision pledged by keen swords.

  55. مُستَطرِفٌ لِلمَجدِ لَم يَكُ حَسبُهُ

    مَجدٌ يَدورُ مَعَ الزَمانِ تِلادُ

    He seeks fresh glory; inherited glory

    That passes down through time is not enough for him.

  56. ما كانَ مِنهُ إِلى رَفاهَةِ راحَةٍ

    حَتّى يُخَلِّدَ مِثلَهُ إِخلادُ

    He would not turn to comfortable ease

    Until he had made another like himself immortal.

  57. أَرِجُ النَدِيَّ مَتى تَفُز بِجِوارِهِ

    يَطِبِ الحَديثُ وَيَعبَقِ الإِنشادُ

    His gathering is fragrant; whenever you gain his company,

    Conversation grows sweet and recitation gives off perfume.

  58. لَو أَنَّ خاطِرَهُ الجَميعَ مُفَرَّقٌ

    في الخَلقِ أَوشَكَ أَن يُحَسَّ جَمادُ

    If his encompassing mind were divided

    Among creation, even stone might nearly be felt to think.

  59. نَفسي فِداؤُكَ أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي

    زُهرُ النُجومِ لِوَجهِهِ حُسّادُ

    My life be your ransom, O king whose face

    The bright stars envy.

  60. تَبدو عَلَيكَ مِنَ الوَسامَةِ حُلَّةٌ

    يَهفو إِلَيها بِالنُفوسِ وِدادُ

    You wear a mantle of beauty

    Toward which affection draws people's souls.

  61. لَم يَشفِ مِنكَ العَينَ أَوَّلُ نَظرَةٍ

    لَولا المَهابَةُ راجَعَت تَزدادُ

    A first glance at you does not satisfy the eye;

    Were it not for awe, it would look again and again.

  62. ما كانَ مِن خَلَلٍ فَأَنتَ سِدادُهُ

    في الدَهرِ أَو أَوَدٍ فَأَنتَ سَدادُ

    Whenever there is a breach, you close it,

    Or a crookedness in time, you set it straight.

  63. الدينُ وَجهٌ أَنتَ فيهِ غُرَّةٌ

    وَالمُلكُ جَفنٌ أَنتَ فيهِ سَوادُ

    Religion is a face, and you are its bright brow;

    Kingship is an eyelid, and you are its pupil.

  64. لِلَّهِ مِنكَ يَدٌ عَلَت تولي بِها

    صَفَداً فَيُحمَدُ أَو يُفَكَّ صِفادُ

    God has given you a hand raised high, with which you grant

    A gift that wins praise or release a captive's bonds.

  65. لَو أَنَّ أَفواهَ المُلوكِ تَوافَقَت

    فيها لَوافَقَ حَظَّها الإِسعادُ

    If the mouths of kings could agree

    In praising it, good fortune would agree with their lot.

  66. نَفَعَ العُداةَ اليَأسُ مِنكَ لِأَنَّهُ

    بَرَدَت عَلَيهِ مِنهُمُ الأَكبادُ

    Despair of you has helped your enemies, for

    It has cooled the burning in their hearts.

  67. يَنصاعُ مَن جاراكَ مَقبوضَ الخُطا

    فَكَأَنَّما عَضَّت بِهِ الأَقيادُ

    Anyone who vies with you withdraws with his steps constrained,

    As though shackles had bitten into him.

  68. قَد قُلتُ لِلتالي ثَناءَكَ سورَةً

    ما لِلوَرى في نَصِّها إِلحادُ

    I have told the reciter your praises as a chapter

    Whose text leaves people no room to dissent.

  69. أَعِدِ الحَديثَ عَنِ السِيادَةِ إِنَّهُ

    لَيسَ الحَديثُ يُمَلُّ حينَ يُعادُ

    Repeat the account of sovereignty:

    Such a tale does not weary when retold.

  70. كَرَمٌ كَماءِ المُزنِ راقَ خِلالَهُ

    أَدَبٌ كَرَوضِ الحَزنِ باتَ يُجادُ

    Generosity like rainwater, through which shines

    Courtesy like a meadow on high ground, richly watered;

  71. وَمَحاسِنٌ زَهَرَ الزَمانُ بِزُهرِها

    فَكَأَنَّما أَيّامُهُ أَعيادُ

    And fine qualities whose flowers make time bloom,

    So that its days seem festivals.

  72. يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي في ظِلِّهِ

    ريضَ الزَمانُ فَذَلَّ مِنهُ قِيادُ

    O king beneath whose shade

    Time is trained and its reins made compliant,

  73. يا خَيرَ مُعتَضِدٍ بِمَن أَقدارُهُ

    في كُلِّ مُعضِلَةٍ لَهُ أَعضادُ

    O best of those supported by one whose decrees

    Are his arms in every difficulty:

  74. لَمّا وَرَدتُ بِوِردِ حَضرَتِكَ المُنى

    فَهِقَت لَدَيَّ جِمامُها الأَعدادُ

    When my hopes came to drink at your court,

    Their pools filled to overflowing for me.

  75. فَاِستَقبَلَتني الشَمسُ تَبسُطُ راحَةً

    لِلبَحرِ مِن نَفَحاتِها اِستِمدادُ

    The sun greeted me with an open palm,

    From whose bounty the sea itself draws sustenance.

  76. فَلَئِن فَخَرتُ بِما بَلَغتُ لَقَلَّ لي

    أَلّا يَكونَ مِنَ النُجومِ عَتادُ

    If I boast of what I have attained, it would be little for me

    Not to have the stars among my provisions.

  77. مَهما اِمتَدَحتُ سِواكَ قَبلُ فَإِنَّما

    مَدحي إِلى مَدحي لَكَ اِستِطرادُ

    Whatever praise I gave another before you

    Was only a digression on the way to praising you.

  78. يَغشى المَيادينَ الفَوارِسُ حِقبَةً

    كَيما يُعَلِّمَها النِزالَ طِرادُ

    Horsemen frequent the parade grounds for a time

    So that pursuit may teach them combat.

  79. فَلِأَسحَبَن ذَيلَ المُنى في ساحَةٍ

    إِلّا أُوَفَّ بِها المُنى فَأُزادُ

    I shall trail the hem of hope across a court

    Where my wishes are fulfilled and increased.

  80. وَلِيَستَفيدَنَّ السَناءَ مَعَ الغِنى

    عَبدٌ يُفيدُ النُصحَ حينَ يُفادُ

    And a servant shall gain distinction along with wealth,

    Giving counsel when gifts are given to him.

  81. وَلَأَنتَ أَنفَسُ شيمَةً مِن أَن يُرى

    لِنَفيسِ أَعلاقي لَدَيكَ كَسادُ

    You are too noble in character to let

    My precious treasures find no welcome with you.

  82. هَيهاتَ قَد ضَمِنَ الصَباحُ لِمَن سَرى

    أَن يَستَتِبَّ لِسَعيِهِ الإِحمادُ

    Far from it: dawn has promised the night traveler

    That his striving will win lasting praise.

  83. لا تَعدَمَنَّ مِنَ الحُظوظِ ذَخيرَةً

    تَبقى فَلا يَتلو البَقاءَ نَفادُ

    May you never lack a store of good fortune

    That remains, with no exhaustion following its endurance.