Sol 6.1

  1. وَمَولىً جَفَت عَنهُ المَوالِي كَأَنَّما

    يُرى وَهُوَ مَطليُّ بِهِ القارُ أَجرَبُ

    And a kinsman whom his kinsmen shunned, as though

    he were a mangy creature, seen smeared with tar.

  2. رَثِمتُ إِذا لَم تَرأَمِ البازِلُ إِبنَها

    وَلَم يَكُ فيها لِلمُبِسِّينَ مَحلَبُ

    I aided him when the mature she-camel would not mother her calf,

    and had no milk for those who coaxed her to yield.

  3. وَصَهباءَ لا تُخفي القَذى وَهيَ دُونَهُ

    تُصَفَّقُ في رَاوُوقِها ثُمَّ تُقطَبُ

    And tawny wine that hides no speck beneath it,

    poured through its strainer, then mixed with water.

  4. شَرِبتُ بِها وَالديكُ يَدعو صَباحَهُ

    إِذا ما بَنُو نَعشٍ دَنوا فَتَصَوَّبوا

    I drank of it while the cock summoned his dawn,

    when the Sons of Naʿsh drew near and dipped.

  5. وَبَيضاءَ مثلِ الرّئمِ لَو شِئتُ قَد صَبَت

    إِليَّ وَفيها لِلمُحَاضِرِ مَلعَبُ

    And a fair woman like a white gazelle—had I wished, she would have turned

    toward me; in her a courting companion had room to play.

  6. تجنَّبتُها إِنِّي اِمرؤٌ في شَبِيبتي

    وَتِلعابَتي عَن رَيبَةِ الجارِ أَنكَبُ

    I avoided her: I am a man who, in my youth

    and playfulness, keeps clear of arousing a neighbor's suspicion.

  7. وَخَرقِ مَرُوراةٍ يَحارُ بِها القَطا

    تُرَدِّدُ فِيهِ هَمَّهُ أَينَ يَذهَبُ

    And a vast, waterless waste where the sandgrouse is bewildered,

    turning over its worry there: where should it go?

  8. قَطَعتُ بِهَوجاءِ النَجاءِ كَأَنَّها

    مَهاةٌ يُراعِيهَا بِحَربَةِ رَبَربُ

    I crossed it on a headlong, swift she-camel, as though she were

    an oryx doe watched over by a herd at Ḥarbah.

  9. تَحُلُّ بِأَطرافِ الوِحافِ وَدارُها

    حَوِيلٌ فَرَيطاتٌ فَرَعمٌ فأَخرَبُ

    She dwells at the edges of al-Wiḥāf; her home is

    Ḥawīl, then Rayṭāt, then Raʿm, then Akhrab;

  10. فَساقانِ فَالحرّانِ فَالصِنِعُ فَالرَجا

    فَجَنبَي حِمىً فَالخانِقانِ فَجَبجَبُ

    then Sāqān, then al-Ḥarrān, then al-Ṣiniʿ, then al-Rajā;

    then both flanks of Ḥimā, then al-Khāniqān, then Jabjab.

  11. وَداهِيَةٍ عَمياءَ صَمّاءَ مُذكِرٍ

    تُدِرُّ بِسُمًّ مِن دَمٍ يَتَحلَّبُ

    And a blind, deaf, formidable calamity,

    pouring out venom of oozing blood.

  12. وَنُؤيٍ كأَخلاقِ النَضيحِ تَعاوَنَت

    عَلَيهِ القِيانُ بِالسَاخِينِ يُضرَبُ

    And a camp ditch like a watering trough's worn remains, worked on together

    by craftsmen, beaten with spades.

  13. أَقامَت بِهِ ما كانَ في الدّارِ أَهلُها

    وَكانُوا أُناساً مِن شَعُوبَ فَأَشعَبُوا

    They stayed there as long as the dwelling's people remained;

    and they were a people; through Death they passed away.

  14. تَحَمَّلَ مَن أَمسى بِها فَتَفَرَّقُوا

    فَرِيقَينِ مِنهُم مُصعِدٌ وَمُصَوِّبُ

    Those who had spent the evening there packed up and scattered,

    in two bands, some going upland, others downward.

  15. فَمَن راكبٌ يأَتي إِبنَ هِندَ بِحاجَتي

    عَلى النّأيِ وَالأَنباءُ تُنمي وَتُجلَبُ

    Who will ride to Ibn Hind with my request,

    despite the distance—for tidings spread and are carried—

  16. وَيخبرُ عَنّي ما أَقُولُ إِبنَ عامرٍ

    وَنِعمَ الفَتَى يأََوي إِِليهِ المُعَصَّبُ

    and tell Ibn ʿĀmir, on my behalf, what I say?

    And a fine young man he is, to whom the famished turn for refuge.

  17. فَإِن تَأخُذُوا أَهلي وَمالي بِظِنَّةٍ

    فإِنِّي لَجرّابُ الرِجالِ مُجَرَّبُ

    If you seize my family and property on suspicion,

    I am indeed a seasoned tester of men, myself well tested:

  18. صَبورٌ عَلى ما يَكرَهُ المَرءُ كُلَّهُ

    سِوَى الظُلمِ إِنّي إِن ظُلِمتُ سَأَغضَبُ

    patient with all that a man dislikes,

    except injustice; if wronged, I shall indeed grow angry.

  19. أُصيِبَ إِبنُ عَفّانَ الإِمامُ فَلَم يَكُن

    لِذِي حَسَبٍ بَعدَ إِبنِ عَفّانَ مَغضَبُ

    The imam Ibn ʿAffān was struck down, and there was no

    cause for a man of lineage to rage after Ibn ʿAffān,

  20. مَقامَ زيادٍ عِندَ بابِ إِبنِ هاشِمٍ

    يُرِيدُ صِلاحاً بَينَكُم وَيُقَرِّبُ

    when Ziyād stood at Ibn Hāshim's gate,

    seeking concord among you and drawing you together.

  21. ولَّما رَأَينا أَنَّكُم قَد كَثُرتُمُ

    وَخَبَّ إِليكُم كُلُّ حَيًّ وَأَجلَبُوا

    And when we saw that you had grown numerous,

    and every tribe hastened to you and mustered in force,

  22. عَرانا حِفاظٌ وَالحِفاظُ مَهالِكٌ

    إِذا لَم يَكُن مِن وِردِهِ مُتَنَكَّبُ

    zeal for honor seized us—and such zeal is deadly,

    when there is no turning aside from its watering-place.

  23. فَجِئنا إِلى الموتِ الصُهابيّ بَعدَما

    تَجَرَّدَ عُريانٌ مِنَ الشَّرِّ أَخدَبُ

    So we came to tawny death, after

    a huge, naked evil had bared itself.

  24. فلَمّا قَضَيتُم كُلَّ وِترٍ وَدِمنَةٍ

    وَأَدرَكَكُم نَصرٌ مِن اللَهِ مُعجِبُ

    Then, when you had satisfied every vengeance and old grudge,

    and wondrous victory from God had reached you,

  25. وأَدرَكتُمُ مُلكاً خَلَعتُم عِذارَنا

    كَما خَلَعَ الطِّرفُ الجَوادُ المُجرَّبُ

    and you had gained dominion, you cast off our bridle,

    as does a highbred, fleet, seasoned steed.

  26. وَمالَ الوَلاءُ بِالبَلاءِ فَمِلتُمُ

    عَلَينا وَكانَ الحَقُّ أَن تَتَقَرَّبُوا

    Loyalty swayed under trial, and you turned

    against us, though right required you to draw near.

  27. وَلاَ تَأمَنُوا الدَهرَ الخَؤُونَ فإِنَّهُ

    عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ بِالوَرى يَتَقَلَّبُ

    Do not trust treacherous time, for it

    in every circumstance, shifts the fortunes of mankind.

  28. وَهاجَت لَكَ الأَحزانَ دارٌ كأَنَّها

    بِذي بَقَرٍ أَو بِالعَنانَةِ مَذهَبُ

    And a dwelling stirred your sorrows, as though it were

    goldwork at Dhū Baqar or al-ʿAnānah.

  29. بِأَخضَرَ كالقَهقَرِّ يَنفُضُ رَأسَهُ

    أَمام رِعالِ الخَيلِ وَهي تُقَرِّبُ

    On a dark steed like a massive camel, tossing his head

    ahead of squadrons of horses as they canter.

  30. فلَمّا جَرى الماءُ الحَمِيمُ وأُدرِكَت

    هَزِيمَتُهُ الأُولى التّي كُنتُ أَطلُبُ

    Then, when the hot sweat flowed and there came

    his first yielding, which I had sought—

  31. قُرَيشٌ جِهازُ الناسِ حَيّاً وَمَيّتاً

    فَمَن قالَ كَلاَّ فالمُكَذِّبُ أَكذَبُ

    Quraysh are mankind's provision, in life and death;

    whoever says 'No'—that denier is the greater liar.

  32. وَأَعلمُ أَنَّ الخَيرَ لَيسَ بِدائمٍ

    عَلَينا وَأَنَّ الشَّرَّ لا هُوَ يَرتُبُ

    And I know that good fortune does not last

    for us, nor does ill fortune remain fixed.

  33. أَوارِيُّ خَيلٍ قَد عَفَت وَمَنازِلٌ

    أَراحَ بِها حَيُّ كِرامٌ وَأَعزَبوا

    Horse-tethering posts have vanished, and dwellings

    where a noble clan rested at dusk, then departed afar.