Sol 6.1

  1. أخلِقْ بغَائبِ رُشدِه أن يَقدَما

    وبواصلٍ من غَيِّه أن يَصرِما

    How fitting for his absent good sense to return,

    And for his lingering waywardness to break off,

  2. وبما تساقطَ من زِنادِ مَشيبِه

    في حالِك الفَوْدَيْنِ أن يَتضرَّما

    And for sparks falling from the firesteel of his gray hair

    Into his jet-black temples to burst into flame.

  3. مثَلَت له مِرآتُه فبكَى وكم

    مَثلَت له مِرآتُه فَتَبَسَّما

    His mirror appeared before him, and he wept—how often

    His mirror had appeared before him, and he had smiled!

  4. لَحَظَ السَّوادَ مُودِّعاً فأنابَه

    نَعَساً ومالَ على البياضِ مُسلِّما

    He cast the black a parting glance, then turned it back

    With a sleepy nod, and bowed toward the white in greeting.

  5. ما كان أوَّلَ مَن رأَى حَرَمَ النُّهى

    فنضَا بهِ بُردَ الحَرامِ وأحرمَا

    He was not the first to see reason's sanctuary

    And there shed sin's mantle and enter consecration.

  6. أمَّا وحَلْيُ العَارضَينِ ثِقافُه

    فلنَحكُمُنَّ عليه أن يتَقوَّما

    Now, since his cheeks' adornment is his straightening rod,

    We shall surely decree that he straighten himself.

  7. كانَ الهَوى صُبحاً بليلِ شَبابه

    فدَجَى بإِصباحِ المَشيبِ وأظلَما

    Love was dawn in the night of his youth,

    Then darkened with gray hair's dawn and turned to night.

  8. والمَرءُ ما وجدَ الشبيبةَ واجدٌ

    مُثرٍ فإن عَدِمَ الشبيبةَ أعدَما

    A man, as long as he has youth, is well endowed,

    Rich; but if he lacks youth, he is destitute.

  9. ما راعَ أفئدةَ الدُمى بصدودِه

    عنهنَّ إلا وهو من أرَبِ الدُّمى

    He never startled the hearts of statue-like beauties by turning

    Away from them unless he was still the beauties' desire.

  10. هذي الخيامُ وذا العقيقُ ولن يُرى

    أبداً بأفنيةِ الخِيامِ مُخيِّما

    Here are the tents, and here al-ʿAqiq; he will not be seen

    Ever encamped in the forecourts of the tents.

  11. ولرُبَّ خيلِ بَطَالةٍ خَلَّيتَها

    تطأُ الملامَة في الهوى واللُّوَّما

    And many a troop of pleasure's horses you have loosed

    To trample reproach and reproachers in love.

  12. ومُعَصفَرِ الخدِّ الأسيلِ صَبحتُه

    بمُعَصفرِ الناجودِ يَنضَحُ عَندَما

    And a smooth, safflower-cheeked beloved I served at dawn

    With safflower-colored wine from a flagon, dripping crimson dye.

  13. وأغنَّ دَافعتُ الهَوى بوصالِه

    وشَقِيتُ في حُبِّيه كيما أنعَما

    And a dulcet-voiced beloved, through whose union I fended off desire;

    I suffered in my love for him so that I might find bliss.

  14. يُنمَى العَفافُ إليَّ مُغترِباً كما

    يُنمَى السماحُ إلى الأمير إذا انتمَى

    Chastity is traced to me, a stranger there, just as

    Generosity is traced to the prince whenever it claims descent.

  15. الآنَ جنَّبني الزمانُ أذاتَه

    وأعاد لي بُؤسي الحوادثَ أَنعُمَا

    Now Time has spared me its harm

    And turned the miseries of events into blessings for me,

  16. بأغرَّ يمنَحُني السَّبيكَ المُقتَني

    كرَماً وأمنحُه الحَبيكَ المُعلَما

    Through a radiant noble who grants me treasured bullion

    Generously, while I grant him finely woven, embroidered verse.

  17. وقَريبِ مَجنَى العُرفِ إلاّ أَنَّه

    تَرمي به الهِمَّاتُ أَبعدَ مُرتمَى

    And one whose bounty's fruit is close at hand, though

    Ambitions hurl him to the farthest reach.

  18. تَعتَدُّ نَجدتَه عَدِيٌّ عُدَّةً

    وتخالُه صِيدُ الأَراقمِ أرقَما

    ʿAdi counts his valor as its defense,

    And al-Araqim's proud chiefs deem him a speckled viper.

  19. كالغَيثِ يُحيي إن هَمى والسيلُ يُر

    دي إن طمَى والدهرُ يُصمي إنَ رمَى

    Like rain, he gives life when it pours; like a torrent, he brings

    Death when it swells; like Time, he slays outright when he shoots.

  20. شَتَّى الخِلالِ يروحُ إما سالباً

    نِعَمَ العِدا قَسراً وإما مُنعِما

    Varied in traits, he goes forth either stripping

    His foes of blessings by force, or bestowing blessings.

  21. مثلُ الشِّهابِ أصابَ فجَّاً معشِباً

    بحريقِه وأضاءَ فجَّاً مُظلِماً

    Like a meteor that strikes a grassy mountain pass

    With its blaze, and lights a darkened pass.

  22. او كالغَمامِ الجَونِ إن بعثَ الحَيا

    احيا وإن بعثَ الصَّواعِقَ أضرَما

    Or like a dark cloud: if it sends forth rain,

    It gives life; if it sends thunderbolts, it sets ablaze.

  23. أو كالحُسام إذا تبسَّمَ مَتنُه

    عَبَسَ الرَّدى في حَدِّهِ فتجهَّما

    Or like a keen sword: when its broad blade smiles,

    Death frowns upon its edge and glowers.

  24. كَلِفٌ بِدُرِّ الحَمدِ يَبرُمُ سِلكَه

    حتَّى يُرى عِقداً عليه منظَّما

    Enamored of praise's pearls, he twists their thread

    Until they appear as a necklace arrayed upon him.

  25. ويُلِمُّ مِن شَعَثِ العُلى بشَمائلٍ

    أحلَى من اللَّعَسِ المُمنَّع واللَّمَى

    And gathers glory's disheveled strands with qualities

    Sweeter than unattainable dusky lips and their dark tint.

  26. وفصاحةٍ لو أنَّه ناجَى بها

    سَحبانَ أو قُسَّ الفَصاحةِ أفحَما

    And eloquence with which, were he to converse

    With Sahban or Quss the eloquent, he would strike them dumb.

  27. لفظٌ يُريك بديعُه حَلْيَ الدُّمَى

    طَلقاً ونُوَّارَ الرُّبَا مُتبسِّما

    Speech whose artistry shows you the jewels of statue-like beauties,

    Radiant, and the hillside blossoms smiling.

  28. يُصغَى إليه مع الظَّما فكأنَّما

    يُسقَى به صَرفُ المُدامِ على الظَّما

    The thirsty listen to it as though

    Pure wine were being served through it to the thirsty.

  29. كم مطلْبٍ قَصُرَت يدي عن نَيلِه

    فجعلتُه سبباً إليه وسُلَّما

    How many a goal lay beyond my hand's reach,

    So I made him a means and a ladder to it.

  30. لولاه لم أمدُد بعارفةٍ يداً

    تَندَىولم أَفْغَرْ بقافيةٍ فَما

    But for him, I would not have stretched out a hand in kindness,

    Moist with bounty, nor opened a mouth with verse.

  31. لا يَخطُبنَّ إليَّ حَلْيَ مَدائحي

    أَحَدٌ فقد وجَدَ السِّوارُ المِعصمَا

    Let no one court from me the jewels of my praises,

    For the bracelet has found its wrist.

  32. تلكَ المكارِمُ لا أرَى مُتأخِّراً

    أولى بها منه ولا مُتقدِّما

    Such are the noble deeds; I see no later man

    More entitled to them than he, nor any earlier man.

  33. عفوٌ أظلَّ ذوي الجرائمِ ظِلُّه

    حتَّى لقَد حسدَ المُطيعُ المُجرِما

    A pardon whose shade has sheltered the guilty,

    Until the obedient indeed envied the offender.

  34. وندىً إذا استمطرتَ عارضَ مُزنِه

    حنَّ الحَيا الرِّبعيُّ فيه وأَرزَما

    And bounty: when you ask rain of its rain-laden cloud,

    The early spring rain rumbles within it and thunders.

  35. وَلرُبَّ يومٍ لا تزالُ جِيادُه

    تَطأُ الوَشيجَ مُخضَّباً ومُحطَّما

    And many a day whose steeds never cease

    To trample spear-shafts, blood-dyed and shattered.

  36. معقودةٌ غُرَرُ الجيادِ لنَقعِه

    وحُجولُها مما يخوضُ به الدِّما

    The steeds' white blazes are wrapped in its dust,

    And their white stockings in the blood he wades through on them.

  37. يلقاك من وَضَحِ الحديدِ مُوَضَّحاً

    طَوراً ومن رهَجِ السَّنابكِ أدهَما

    It meets you whitened by the gleam of iron

    At times, and blackened by the dust of hooves.

  38. وتُريك في عَبَثِ الصِّبا آياتُه

    طَيراً على أمواجِ بحرٍ حُوَّما

    Its banners, playing in the east wind, appear to you

    As birds circling over the waves of a sea.

  39. أقدمتَ تَفترِسُ الفوارسَ جُرأةً

    فيه وقد هاب الرَّدَى أن يُقدِما

    You charged, boldly preying upon the horsemen

    On that day, when Death itself feared to advance.

  40. والنَّدبُ من لَقِيَ الأسنَّةَ سافراً

    وثَنى الأعنَّةَ بالعَجاجِ مُلَثَّما

    The true hero meets spearpoints with face uncovered,

    And turns the reins, veiled in swirling dust.

  41. إسلَم أبا الهيجاءِ للشرفِ الذي

    نَجَمَت عُلاك به فكانَت أنجُما

    Stay safe, Abu al-Hayja, for the honor through which

    Your glories rose and became stars.

  42. وَالْقَ الهوَى غضَّاً بفِطرِك والمُنى

    مجموعةً لك والسُّرور مُتمَّما

    And meet love fresh at your fast-breaking, and wishes

    Gathered for you, and joy made complete,

  43. حتى تُريك أبا العلاءِ خِلالُه

    كأبي العَلاء نجابةً وتكرُّما

    Until his qualities show you Abu al-ʿAla

    Like Abu al-ʿAla in nobility and generosity.

  44. قد كنتُ ألقَى الدهرَ أعزلَ خاسِراً

    فَلقِيتُه بكَ صائلاً مُستَلئِما

    Once I faced Time unarmed and losing,

    Then through you I faced it, attacking and armored.

  45. ما عُذرُ من بَسطَتْ يمينُك كفَّه

    ألاَّ ينالَ بها السُّها والمِرْزَما

    What excuse has he whose palm your right hand has opened

    For not reaching with it al-Suha and al-Mirzam?

  46. أنتَ السماءُ فَمَن جذبتَ بضَبعِه

    كان الورى أرضاً وكان لهم سَما

    You are the sky; whoever you lift by the upper arm,

    Mankind becomes earth, and he becomes their sky.