Sol 6.1

  1. طالَ ذا اللَّيلُ علينا فاعتَكَر

    وكأَنِّي ناذرُ الصُّبحِ سَمَر

    This night has grown long upon us, and its darkness has thickened.

    As though I had vowed to converse through the night till dawn,

  2. مِن نَجِيِّ الهَمِّ عندي ثاوِياً

    بينَ ما أُعلِنُ منهُ وأُسِرّ

    with sorrow, my whispering companion, dwelling beside me,

    between what I reveal of it and what I conceal.

  3. وكأَنَّ اللَّيلَ فيه مِثلُهُ

    وَلَقِدماً ظُنَّ باللَّيلِ القِصَر

    As though the night held another like itself within it;

    yet long ago the night was thought to be short.

  4. لَم أُغَمِّض طولَهُ حتَّى انقَضَى

    أَتَمَنَّى لَو أَرَى الصُّبحَ جَشَر

    I did not close my eyes throughout it, until it ended,

    wishing I might see the dawn break.

  5. شَئِزٌ جَنبِي كأَنِّي مُهدأُ

    جَعَلَ القَينُ على الدَّفِّ إبَر

    My side is restless, as though I were laid to rest

    with needles set against my flank by a smith.

  6. غيرَ ما عِشقٍ ولَكِن طارِقٌ

    خَلَسَ النَّومَ وأَجداني السَّهَر

    Not from love, but from a night visitor

    who stole sleep away and gave me wakefulness,

  7. إذ أتاني نَبَأُ مشن مُنعِمٍ

    لَم أَخُنهُ والَّذي أَعطَى الخَبَر

    when news came to me from a benefactor

    whom I had not betrayed—by Him who gave the news.

  8. قِيلَ حتَّى جاءَني مَصدَقُهُ

    ولقد يُلفَى معَ الصَّفوِ الكَدَر

    It was said, until its confirmation came to me;

    indeed, the turbid is found alongside the clear.

  9. هَل تَرَى مِن ظُعُنٍ باكِرَةٍ

    يَتَطَلَّعنَ مِنَ النَّجدِ أُسَر

    Do you see women in litters, setting out early,

    coming into view from Najd in groups?

  10. كخَلاَفِ البَحرِ تَعلُو غَمرَةً

    إذ سَجَا التَّيَّارُ منه واسبَكَر

    Like willows by the sea, rising above deep water,

    when its current grew still and stretched out.

  11. وتَرَى مِن كلِّ شَيءٍ أَشبُهاً

    كلُّ رُوحٍ وقِرامٍ مُختَدَر

    And you see likenesses of everything—

    every living soul, screened behind a patterned curtain.

  12. وعَلَى الأَحداجِ أَلوانُ القَنا

    وخُزامَى الرَّوضِ يَعلُوهُ الزَّهَر

    Upon the litters are the hues of spear-shafts,

    and meadow lavender, crowned with blossoms.

  13. سَبَكَت في كلِّ عامٍ وَدقضهُ

    فَظباءُ الرَّوضِ يَقرِ منَ الثَّمَر

    Each year it has poured down its rain,

    so the meadow's gazelles feed upon the fruit.

  14. أَبلغِ النُّعمانَ عنِّي مَألُكاً

    قَولَ مَن خافَ أظطِناناً فاعتَذَر

    Carry a message from me to al-Nu'man,

    the words of one who feared suspicion and offered his defense.

  15. إِنَّني والله فاقبَل حَلفَتي

    لأَ بيلٌ كلَّما صَلَّى جَأَر

    I am, by God—accept my oath—

    indeed a monk who cries aloud whenever he prays,

  16. مُرعَدٌ أَحشاؤُهُ في هَيكَلٍ

    حَسَنٌ لِمَّته وافي الشَّعَر

    his inward parts trembling within a temple,

    with handsome locks and abundant hair,

  17. مُؤمِنُ الصَّدرِ يُرَجِّي عِتقَهُ

    يومَ لا يُكَفرُ عَبدٌ ما أدَّخَر

    faithful of heart, hoping for his deliverance

    on the day when no servant is denied reward for what he stored up.

  18. ما حَمَلنَا الغلَّ من أعدائكُم

    ولَدَى اللهِ مِنَ العُذرِ الُمسَر

    We have taken up no rancor from your enemies,

    and with God lies the unspoken part of our defense.

  19. حَولَنا الأَعداءُ ما يَنصُرنُا

    غيرُ عَونٍ اللهِ واللهُ نَصَر

    Enemies surround us; nothing helps us

    except God's aid—and God has helped.

  20. لا تَكُونَنَّ كآسي عَظمِه

    بأَسَىً حتَّى إذا العَظمُ جَبَر

    Do not be like one who treats his own bone

    with remedies until, when the bone has mended,

  21. عادَ بعدَ الَجبرِ يَبغي وَهيَةً

    يَنحُوَنَّ الَمشيَ منهُ فانكَسَر

    he returns after the mending, seeking to weaken it,

    attempting to walk on it, and so it breaks.

  22. وأذكُرِ النُّعمَى الَّتي لَم أَنسَهَا

    لكَ في السَّعيِ إذا العبَدُ كَفَر

    And remember the favor that I did not forget

    in striving for you, when the servant was ungrateful,

  23. إذ جَعَلناهُم تَباذِيرَ كَمَا

    فَرَّقَ القابِسُ في اللَّيلِ الشَّرَر

    when we made them scattered fragments, just as

    a fire-kindler scatters sparks in the night.

  24. فاكتَنِت لا تَكُ عَبداً طائراً

    واحذَرِ الأَقتالَ مِنَّا والثَّوَر

    So keep under cover; do not be a flighty servant,

    and beware of rivals among us, and of revolt.

  25. إنمَّا قد قَدَّمَت مَسعاتُنا

    نعَماً تَرفَعُ منَّا مَن عَثرَ

    Our endeavors have already brought forth

    favors that lift up those of us who stumble.

  26. ولَنَا مَجدٌ ورَبٌّ مُفِضَلٌ

    بِيَدَيهِ الَخيرُ ما شاءَ أَمَر

    We have glory and a bountiful lord,

    in whose hands is goodness; whatever he wills, he commands.

  27. مِنهُ فَضلٌ ولَدَيهِ سِعَةٌ

    إنَّما يُرجَى لِمَا فاتَ الغِيرَ

    From him comes bounty, and with him is abundance;

    he alone is looked to for what has eluded others.

  28. وشَفيعٍ مُنجحِ يَنظُرُنا

    بِيَديهِ اليَومَ تَيسِيرُ العُسُر

    And a successful intercessor watches over us;

    in his hands today is the easing of hardship.

  29. لَم تَضِق أَذرُعُنا في خَلَّةٍ

    وعَلاَ ذُو الَخصمِ مشنَّا وظَهَر

    Our arms did not falter in a time of need,

    and the contender among us rose high and prevailed,

  30. إذ جَعَلناهُم بِضيقِ مَأزِقٍ

    ثُمَّ نِلنا السَّعيَ مِنهُم والظَّفَر

    when we forced them into a narrow defile;

    then we gained success over them, and victory.