Sol 6.1

  1. سَلِ الرَّكْبَ يا ذَوّادُ عنْ آلِ جَسّاسِ

    هلِ ارْتَبَعوا بعْدَ النُقَيْبِ بأوْطاسِ

    Ask the riders, O Dhawwad, about the clan of Jassas:

    Did they settle for spring at Awtas after al-Nuqayb?

  2. فإني أرى النّيرانَ تَهْفو فُروعُها

    على عَذَبِ الوادي بمَيْثاءَ مِيعاسِ

    For I see the fires, their branches flickering

    on the valley's edge, on soft, yielding ground.

  3. تنَوَّرْ سَناها منْ بَعيدٍ ولا تُرَعْ

    فليس على مَنْ آنَسَ النّارَ منْ باسِ

    Watch their glow from afar, and do not be afraid;

    for there is no danger to whoever sights the fire.

  4. ومنْ مُوقِديها غادَةٌ دونَها الظُّبا

    تَلوحُ بأيْدي غِلْمَةٍ غيرِ أنْكاسِ

    And among its kindlers is a graceful maiden, guarded by blades

    flashing in the hands of youths who are no cowards.

  5. وكُلُّ رُدَيْنيٍّ كأنّ سِنانَهُ

    يَعُطُّ رِداءَ الليْلِ عنهُمْ بنِبْراسِ

    And every Rudayni spear—its point seems

    to rend night's cloak from them with a lamp.

  6. مُهَفْهَفَةٌ غَرْثَى الوِشاحَيْنِ دونَها

    تَحَرُّشُ عُذّالٍ ورِقْبَةُ حُرّاسِ

    Slender, lean beneath her twin sashes, she is screened by

    the harassment of reprovers and the vigilance of guards.

  7. يضيءُ لها وَجْهٌ يرِقُّ أديمُهُ

    فما ضَرّها لو رَقَّ لي قَلْبُها القاسي

    Her face shines, its skin delicate;

    what harm would it do her if her hard heart softened toward me?

  8. وفي المِرْطِ دِعْصٌ رشَّهُ الطَّلُّ أُزِّرَتْ

    بهِ تحتَ غُصْنٍ فوقَهُ البَدْرُ ميّاسِ

    Within her wrap is a dew-sprinkled dune; she is girt

    with it beneath a swaying bough, above which is the full moon.

  9. سمَوْتُ لَها والليلُ حارَتْ نُجومُه

    على أُفُقٍ عارٍ بظِلِّ الدُّجى كاسِ

    I made my way to her while night's stars were bewildered

    over a horizon bare, yet clad in darkness's shade.

  10. فهبَّتْ كما ارْتاعَ الغَزالُ وأوْجَسَتْ

    مِن ابْنِ أبيها خِيفَةً أيَّ إيجاسِ

    She sprang up like a startled gazelle, and felt

    dread of her father's son—such dread!

  11. تُشيرُ إِلى مُهْري حِذارَ صَهيلِهِ

    وتَسْتَكْتِمُ الأرْضَ الخُطا خَشْيَةَ النّاسِ

    She gestures toward my colt, fearing his neigh,

    and asks the earth to keep our footsteps secret, for fear of people.

  12. فقلْتُ لها لا تَفْرَقي وتشبّثي

    بنهّاسِ أقْرانٍ ومنّاعِ أخْياسِ

    So I said to her, 'Do not be afraid; hold fast

    to a fierce biter of rivals, a staunch defender of lairs.

  13. تَرُدُّ يَدَيْهِ عنْ وِشاحِكِ عِفّةٌ

    وعِرْضٌ صَقيلٌ لا يُزَنُّ بأدْناسِ

    His hands are held back from your sash by chastity

    and polished honor never suspected of defilement.'

  14. وطوَّقْتُها يُمْنى يَديَّ وصارِمي

    بيُسْرايَ فارْتاحَتْ قَليلاً لإيناسي

    And I encircled her with my right hand, my keen sword

    in my left; she relaxed a little at my reassurance.

  15. وذُقْتُ عَفا عَنّا الإلهُ وعَنكُمُ

    جَني ريقَةٍ تُلهي أخاكُمْ عنِ الكاسِ

    And I tasted—may God pardon us and you—

    the fruit of her saliva, distracting your brother from the cup.

  16. فلمّا اسْتَطارَ الفَجْرُ مالَ بعِطْفِها

    وداعي كما هزَّ الصَّبا قُضُبَ الآسى

    When dawn spread, her body was swayed by

    my farewell, as the east wind shakes the boughs of myrtle.

  17. وكَمْ عَبْرَةٍ بلَّتْ وِشاحاً ومِحْمَلاً

    بِها زَفْرَةٌ أدْمَتْ مَسالِكَ أنْفاسي

    And many a tear drenched a sash and a sword-belt,

    with a sigh that bloodied the passages of my breath!

  18. ولاحَتْ تَباشيرُ الصّباحِ كأنّها

    سَنا المُقْتَدي باللهِ في آلِ عَبّاسِ

    And the first signs of morning appeared, as though they were

    the radiance of al-Muqtadi bi-Allah among the house of Abbas.

  19. حَمى بَيضَةَ الإسلامِ فاسْتَحْكَمَتْ بهِ

    عُراهُ وقد شُدَّتْ لَديهِ بأمْراسِ

    He guarded Islam's stronghold, and through him grew firm

    its bonds, drawn tight in his presence with ropes.

  20. يَلوذُ الرّعايا آمِنينَ بعِزِّهِ

    لِياذَ عِتاقِ الطّيْرِ بالجَبلِ الرّاسي

    The subjects seek refuge in his might, secure,

    as noble birds take shelter in a steadfast mountain.

  21. ويُلْحِفُهُمْ ظِلاً منَ العَدْلِ وارِفاً

    ويَرْعاهُمُ بالنّائِلِ الغَمْرِ والباسِ

    And he cloaks them in justice's ample shade,

    and tends them with abundant bounty and might.

  22. إليكَ أميرَ المؤمِنينَ رَمَتْ بِنا

    عُلاً تَنْتَهي أعْراقُهُنَّ إِلى الياسِ

    To you, Commander of the Faithful, we were borne by

    lofty virtues whose roots reach back to Ilyas.

  23. ولما اسْتَقَلّتْ بي إِلى العِزِّ هِمّتي

    نَفَضْتُ بوادِيكَ المُقَدَّسِ أحْلاسي

    And when my ambition bore me toward glory,

    I shook out my saddlecloths in your sacred valley.

  24. فأقْلَعَتِ الأيّامُ عني ورُبّما

    أطَلَّتْ بأنْيابٍ عليَّ وأضْراسِ

    So the days ceased tormenting me, though often

    they had loomed over me with fangs and molars.

  25. ولولاكَ لمْ أسْتَوْهِبِ العِيسَ هَبَّةً

    على طُرُقٍ تُغْوي الأدِلاّءَ أدراسِ

    But for you, I would not have begged the pale camels for a burst of speed

    along effaced roads that lead the guides astray.

  26. طَوَيْتُ إِلى ناديكَ كُلَّ مُبَخَّلٍ

    أبَتْ شَوْلُهُ أن تُسْتَدَرَّ بإبْساسِ

    I passed by every miser on my way to your gathering,

    whose dry she-camels refused to yield milk to coaxing calls.

  27. وكُنتُ أرَجّي الناسَ قبلَ لِقائِكُمْ

    فها أنا بِعْتُ الزِّبْرِقانَ بشَمّاسِ

    And I used to put my hopes in people before meeting you;

    so here I am: I have traded al-Zibriqan for Shammas.