Sol 6.1

  1. أعدِ التأملَ أيُّها المُرتابُ

    ما هكذا يتَعاتَبُ الأحبابُ

    Reflect again, O doubter.

    This is not how loved ones reproach one another.

  2. أمِنَ الحبيبِ مَلالةٌ وقطيعةٌ

    وعلى المُحِبِّ مَلامةٌ وعِتاب

    Do weariness and estrangement come from the beloved,

    while blame and reproach fall upon the lover?

  3. قُلْ لِلَّذينَ شَهدْتُ وَقفةَ عَتْبهم

    فَرْداً وأنصارُ الرِضا غُيّاب

    Tell those before whose reproach I stood,

    alone, while the champions of goodwill were absent:

  4. يا عاتِبينَ هُمُ جَنوا وهمُ جَفَوا

    هذا لعَمْرُ أبيكمُ إغراب

    O reproachers, who themselves did wrong and turned away!

    This, by your father's life, is strange indeed!

  5. غَضِبوا وتلك من اللُّيوثِ سَجيةٌ

    رِقُ الفرائسِ واللُّيوثُ غِضاب

    They grew angry—such is a trait of lions;

    prey lie in bondage while the lions rage.

  6. وعَدُوا الظِّماءَ الماءَ ثُمَّ تَراجَعوا

    وإذا الشرابُ من الوُعود سَراب

    They promised the thirsty water, then went back on their word,

    and behold, the drink their promises offered was a mirage.

  7. ويُحِبُّهم قلبي وَفَوا أو أَخْلَفوا

    ويَخُصُّهم وُدّي صَفَوا أو شابوا

    And my heart loves them, whether they keep their word or break it;

    and my affection singles them out, whether pure or tainted.

  8. وإذا نظَرْتَ إلى القلوبِ فإنّما

    أربابُها الأحبابُ لا الأرباب

    And when you look into hearts, only

    loved ones are their masters, not lords.

  9. عَتَبٌ أُقلِّبُ فيه طَرْفَ تَرقُّبي

    فعسى يكونُ وراءه إعتاب

    This is a reproach in which I turn my expectant gaze;

    so perhaps beyond it may come appeasement,

  10. وإقامةٌ للعُذْرِ منكم خِيفةً

    أن يَشْمَتَ المُتتَبِّع العَيّاب

    and an excuse offered by you, for fear

    that the prying faultfinder should gloat.

  11. ما في جَفائكم إذا أنا لم أَخُنْ

    سَبَبٌ يُعافُ حديثُهُ ويَعُاب

    In your estrangement, if I have not betrayed you,

    there is no cause whose telling is repugnant and blameworthy.

  12. سَخِطَ النَبيُّ على البريء وما درى

    مِمّا جَناهُ الآفِكُ الكذّاب

    The Prophet grew angry with the innocent, unaware

    of what the lying slanderer had wrought,

  13. حتى استبان له بَوحْيٍ نازلٍ

    أنّ الذّي قال الوُشاةُ كِذاب

    until it became clear to him through revelation sent down

    that what the talebearers said was false.

  14. بل لو ثَبَتَّ عليه بعد تَبَيُّنٍ

    قضَتِ العُقولُ بأنّ ذاكَ عُجاب

    Yet had you persisted in it after clarification,

    reason would have judged that astonishing.

  15. فأمُرْ تُطَعْ فيما أردْت مُحَكَّماً

    في الحالتيْن فما تَراهُ صَواب

    So command: you shall be obeyed in all you wish, as arbiter

    in both cases, for whatever you deem fit is right.

  16. جَدِّدْ عُهودَ مَودةٍ من قبلِ أن

    تَقْضي بوَشْكِ دروسِها الأحقاب

    Renew the pledges of affection before

    the ages decree their swift effacement.

  17. واعْمُرُ فؤاداً أنت نازلُ سِرِّهِ

    فسِواهُ من صَفْوِ الولاء خراب

    And enliven a heart in whose secret depths you dwell;

    for every other heart is barren of pure devotion.

  18. مَيّزْ مُحبَّك من سِواه فإنّما

    يُرجَى لإرغامِ العدا ويَهُاب

    Distinguish your lover from others, for it is only

    to humble enemies that one is looked to and held in awe.

  19. واعِطفْ على قَلْبٍ ذهَبتَ بأنسِه

    فعَساه أن يَعتادَهُ الإطراب

    And be tender to a heart whose solace you carried away;

    so perhaps delight may visit it again.

  20. واجرُرْ ذُيولَ العُمرِ في ربْعِ العُلا

    والمَجْدِ ما جادَ الرِّياضَ سَحاب

    And trail life's hems in the abode of eminence

    and glory, as long as clouds lavish rain on the gardens.