Sol 6.1

  1. يا مَن لِقَلبٍ شَديدِ الهَمِّ مَعمُودِ

    وَنَومِ عَينٍ إِذا أَمسَيتُ مَحدُودِ

    O who will help a heart heavy with care and sorely stricken,

    And an eye's sleep, so scant when evening finds me?

  2. مُوَكَّلٍ بِالصِبا يَعصي عَواذِلَهُ

    لَهُ حُمَيدَةُ رَهنٌ غَيرُ مَردُودِ

    Given over to youthful passion, defying its reproachers,

    Humayda is its pledge, never to be returned,

  3. بِحاجَةٍ ما دَعَت شَجواً مُطَوَّقَةٌ

    في أَيكَةٍ بَينَ أَغصانٍ بِتَغريدِ

    In longing, as long as a collared dove calls mournfully,

    In a grove, among the branches, warbling.

  4. إِذا دَعَت هاجَ ذا الأَشجانِ مَنطِقُها

    كَأَنَّها قَينَةٌ غَنَّت عَلى عُودِ

    Whenever she calls, her voice stirs the sorrowful,

    As though she were a songstress singing to a lute.

  5. أَقُولُ لَمّا التَقَينا وَهِيَ مُعرِضَةٌ

    تَشكو الجَفاءَ وَإِخلافَ المَواعيدِ

    I say, when we met and she was turning away,

    Complaining of coldness and broken promises,

  6. مِنّي إِلَيَّ وَتَنسى ذَنبَ رَبَّتِها

    إِذا بَرَّحَت بِمُصابِ القَلبِ مَعمُودِ

    On my part, to me, forgetting her mistress's fault,

    When she torments one heart-stricken and sorely afflicted.

  7. وَقَد أُرى أَنَّها في القَولِ قَد أُمِرَت

    إِذا التَقَينا بِتَغليظٍ وَتَشديدِ

    And I suspect she has already been instructed in her speech,

    Whenever we meet, to be harsh and severe.

  8. قُلت اِسمَعي جَعَلت نَفسي الفِداء لَكُم

    مِنّي ولا تُجمِعي لَومي وَتَصريدي

    I said: Listen—I have made myself your ransom—

    To me; do not join blaming me with spurning me,

  9. لِحلفَةٍ بَرَّةٍ اللَهُ يَعلَمُها

    وَهَل عَلَيَّ سَبيلٌ بَعدَ مَجهُودي

    For a truthful oath, which God knows.

    And can I be blamed after doing my utmost?

  10. أَو سائلي تُخبَري إِن كُنتِ جاهِلَةً

    هَل يَنقُضُ الحُرُّ عَهداً بَعدَ تَوكِيدِ

    Or ask, and you will be told, if you do not know:

    Does a freeborn man break a pledge once it is confirmed?

  11. أَحلِفُ بِاللَهِ أَيماناً مُضاعَفَةً

    في كُلِّ يَومٍ مِن الأَيامِ مَشهُودِ

    I swear by God with redoubled oaths,

    On every day that draws a gathering,

  12. رَبِّ الحَجيجِ وَرَبِّ البُدنِ قَد وَجَبَت

    وَأَشعَرُها بِتَحليلٍ وَتَقليدِ

    Lord of the pilgrims and the sacrificial camels now fallen slain,

    And marked as lawful offerings and hung with garlands:

  13. ما عُمرَةٌ نَهَزتنا نَحُوَ أَرضِكُمُ

    وَلا هَوى غَيرِكُم يا أُمَّ داوُدِ

    No ʿumrah pilgrimage drove us toward your land,

    Nor love for anyone but you, O Umm Dawud.

  14. لَولا هَواي وَسَعيي في مَسَّرتِكُم

    لَقَلّ بِالغَورِ تَشريعي وَتَصعيدي

    But for my love and my striving to bring you joy,

    My descents to water and uphill journeys in al-Ghawr would be few;

  15. وَلا جَشِمتُ وَلا كَلَّفتُ راحِلَتي

    أَجواز طامِسَةٍ أَعلامُها بِيدِ

    Nor would I have braved, or forced my mount to cross,

    The inner reaches of deserts whose landmarks are effaced.

  16. إِذا سَرى الرَكبُ فيها لَم يَدُلَّهُمُ

    بَعدَ الإِلهِ سِوى أَمٍ وَتَسديدِ

    When the caravan travels there by night, nothing guides them,

    After God, except a fixed aim and a sure bearing.

  17. يَضِلُّ فيها القَطا الكُدري مَشرَبَهُ

    ما ماؤُها أَبَداً لَيلاً بِمُورُودِ

    There the dusky sandgrouse loses the way to its drinking place;

    Their water is never approached by night.

  18. مَرابِعُ العِينِ وَالآرامِ يَخلُطُها

    خِيطا نَعامٍ بِهِ كَالمَأتَمِ السُودِ

    Spring pastures of wide-eyed wild cattle and white gazelles, mingled with

    Two flocks of ostriches there, like black-clad mourners.

  19. إِذا بَدَت لِجَبانِ القَومِ سَيءَ بِها

    قَلبُ الجَبانِ وَما رى بَعدَ تَبلِيدِ

    When they appear before the coward of the band, they trouble

    The coward's heart; after standing dazed, he sees nothing.

  20. كَأَنَّها صُلُبٌ بِالشامِ في بِيَعٍ

    قَد أَخرَجَتها نَصارى الرُومِ لِلعيدِ

    As though they were crosses in churches in al-Sham,

    Which the Christians of Rum have brought out for the feast.