Sol 6.1

  1. باقانُ باقانُ لا أَلمَّت

    بِكَ السَواري لَها طَشيشُ

    Baqan, Baqan, may there never descend

    upon you night-clouds with their pattering rain.

  2. أَلا ترى كَيفَ حَتى

    فارَقَكَ الراشِنُ الحَريشُ

    Do you not see how even

    the bristly gate-crasher has left you?

  3. فَدَبَّ نَحوَ الشامِ يَسعى

    عَلى اِرتِهاشٍ لَهُ قَشيشُ

    So he crept toward Syria, making his way,

    with a trembling that gave a rustling sound.

  4. أَلَم تَكُن جَلبَهاكَ ضَمّت

    ماءً وَعُشباً مِنهُ يَنوشُ

    Had not your Jalbaha contained

    water and grass that he could reach,

  5. فَيَنضَوي في حِماكَ يَرعى

    حَيثُ اِنضَوَت حَولَكَ الوُحوشُ

    so he might shelter in your sanctuary and graze,

    where the beasts had taken refuge around you?

  6. لَقَد شَكَت جِلَّقٌ عَناها

    مِن رَعشنٍ ما لَهُ بطيشُ

    Jilliq has indeed complained of its suffering

    from a trembling fellow with no vigor.

  7. شَيخٌ قَديم يَروي حَديثاً

    عَن شَيخِ ساسانَ ما يَميشُ

    An ancient old man, recounting a tale

    from the elder of Sasan, never stirring;

  8. هردِبةٌ كَندشُ الجِرشيّ

    خَرّاءُ فِسقٍ مَضغُهُ جَريشُ

    a decrepit dolt, base of soul,

    a shitter of vice, whose chewing is coarse.

  9. يَخالَهُ الغِرُّ في اِزدِرادٍ

    سَعلى رَماها خُبثٌ خَميشُ

    The gullible man imagines him, as he gulps,

    a she-ghoul struck by petty wickedness.

  10. هنته قَوس الكرات قَوساً

    وَهوَ سِهامُ المُنا يَريشُ

    The bow of time's turns has [bent] him into a bow,

    while he feathers the arrows of hope.

  11. يَرقبُ لَيلاً بناتِ نَعشٍ

    حَتّى تُخلّى لَهُ النُعوشُ

    By night he watches the Daughters of the Bier,

    until the biers are left empty for him.

  12. فَينتَحيها عَلى عصاةٍ

    ضمّت لِكَرشٍ فيها خدوشُ

    Then he makes for them, leaning on a staff

    pressed against a paunch covered in scratches.

  13. بِها يَجوبُ الفَلاة دَوماً

    يَبغي مَعاشاً بِهِ يَعيشُ

    With it he always roams the wilderness,

    seeking a livelihood on which to live.

  14. قال خَليلي لَمّا رآهُ

    وَقَد تَلاهُ فرعٌ نَؤُوشُ

    My friend said when he saw him,

    with a grasping scion following him,

  15. يَنسابُ مِن خَلفِهِ كَأَيم

    يَنسابُ ذُعراً لَهُ كَشيشُ

    slithering behind him like a snake,

    slithering in terror, with a hiss:

  16. سَدَّ لَطُعم أَحدَّ ناباً

    مِنَ السَبَندى مَتى يَجيشُ

    [Unclear opening]—for food, sharper of fang

    than the lion whenever it rages;

  17. أَوعى لنَجو شَيخ سَرُوجٍ

    مِنَ اِبنِهِ حينَ يَستَجيشُ

    more attentive to the secrets of the elder of Saruj

    than his son when he seeks aid.

  18. إِن كادَ يُبليكَ صَرفُ دَهرٍ

    سِهامُ مَرماهُ لا تَطيشُ

    If time's vicissitudes have nearly worn you out—

    the arrows it aims never go astray—

  19. فَاِبن بِي زَيدٍ كَبشُ ساسا

    ن بَعدَ أَبيهِ حَزقٌ كَميشُ

    then Abu Zayd's son, the ram of Sasa—

    —n after his father, is tight-fisted and brisk.

  20. وَأَنتَ يا شَيخُ كَم تُعاني

    سورَةَ دَهرٍ لَها كَشيشُ

    And you, old man, how long must you endure

    time's fury, with its hissing?

  21. خَلفتَ تَسعينَ خَلفَ ظَهرٍ

    حَكَته في شَكلِها الرَهيشُ

    You have left ninety years behind your back,

    whose shape the slender bow has copied.

  22. وَعَشَّشَ الهامُ فَوقَ هامٍ

    مِنكَ وَصَرفُ الرَدى يَنوشُ

    And owls have nested atop a head

    of yours, while death's onslaught reaches for you.

  23. إِلى مَتى تُتعِبُ البَرايا

    يا نَسرُ لُقمان كَم تَعيشُ

    How long will you weary all creation,

    O Luqman's vulture, how long will you live?