Sol 6.1

  1. لَم يَبقَ في تِلكَ الرُسومِ بِمَنعِجِ

    إِمّا سَأَلتَ مُعَرَّجٌ لِمُعَرَّجِ

    Nothing remains among those traces at Man'ij—

    if you ask—no halting-place for one who turns aside.

  2. آثارُ نُؤيٍ بِالفَناءِ مُثَلَّمٍ

    وَرِمامُ أَشعَثَ بِالعَراءِ مُشَجَّجِ

    Traces of a breached trench in the courtyard,

    and crumbling remnants of a frayed, battered tent-peg in the open.

  3. دِمَنٌ كَمِثلِ طَرائِقِ الوَشيِ اِنجَلَت

    لَمَعاتُهُنَّ مِنَ الرِداءِ المُنهَجِ

    Camp traces, like embroidered patterns whose

    gleams have faded from a threadbare cloak.

  4. يَضعُفنَ عَن إِذكارِنا عَهدَ الصَبا

    أَو أَن يَهِجنَ صَبابَةً لَم تَهتَجِ

    Too faint to remind us of the days of youth,

    or to stir a yearning not yet stirred.

  5. وَلَرُبَّ عَيشٍ قَد تَبَسَّمَ ضاحِكاً

    عَن طُرَّتي زَمَنٍ بِهِنَّ مُدَبَّجِ

    And many a happy time once smiled in laughter,

    revealing the twin borders of a time brocaded there,

  6. مِن قَبلِ داعِيَةِ الفِراقِ وَرِحلَةٍ

    مَنَعَت مُغازَلَةَ الغَزالِ الأَدعَجِ

    before the summons of parting, and a journey

    that forbade courtship of the dark-eyed gazelle.

  7. رَفَعوا الهَوادِجَ مُعتِمينَ فَما تَرى

    إِلّا تَلَألُؤَ كَوكَبٍ في هَودَجِ

    They raised the howdahs at nightfall; you could see

    only a star's glitter in a howdah.

  8. أَمثالُ بَيضاتِ النَعامِ يَهُزُّها

    لِلبُعدِ أَمثالُ النَعامِ الهُدَّجِ

    Women like ostrich eggs were rocked

    into the distance by mounts like swaying ostriches.

  9. لَأُكَلِّفَنَّ العيسَ أَبعَدَ غايَةِ

    يَجري إِلَيها خائِفٌ أَو مُرتَجِ

    I shall surely drive the pale camels toward the farthest goal

    to which a fearful man or a hopeful one may race,

  10. وَإِلى سَراةِ بَني حُمَيدٍ إِنَّهُم

    أَمسَوا كَواكِبَ مَذحِجِ اِبنَةِ مَذحِجِ

    and toward the chiefs of Banu Humayd, for they

    have become the stars of Madhhij, daughter of Madhhij.

  11. آسادُ حَربٍ فَالعَدُوُّ بِهِم رَدٍ

    وَبَناةُ مَجدٍ فَالحَسودُ بِهِم شَجي

    Lions of war: through them the enemy is ruined;

    builders of glory: through them the envious choke with grief.

  12. لا يَحسِبونَ قُبورَهُم في غُربَةٍ

    وَلَوَ انَّها مَضروحَةٌ بِالزَأبَجِ

    They do not reckon their graves to be in a foreign land,

    even were they dug in al-Za'baj.

  13. ضَرَبوا بِقارِعَةِ الثَناءِ قِبابَهُم

    فَغَدَت عَلَيهِم وَهيَ أَسهَلُ مَنهَجِ

    They pitched their tents on praise's broad highway,

    and it became the easiest road to reach them.

  14. سادوا وَسادَهُمُ الأَغَرُّ مُحَمَّدٌ

    بِخِلالِ أَبلَخَ في الهَزاهِزِ أَبلَجِ

    They became lords, and illustrious Muhammad their lord,

    through the virtues of a proud man, radiant amid battle's shocks.

  15. بَكَروا وَأَدلَجَ طالِبي مَجدٍ وَهَل

    يَتَعَلَّقُ الغادي بِشَأوِ المُدلِجِ

    They set out at dawn, he by night, all seeking glory; can

    the morning traveler catch the night-traveler's lead?

  16. فَسَما لِأَعلى رُتبَةٍ فَاِحتَلَّها

    سَبقاً وَبُرجُ الشَمسِ أَعلى الأَبرُجِ

    So he rose to the highest rank and took his place there,

    first in the race; the sun's tower is the highest of towers.

  17. جِئناهُ إِذ لا التُربُ في أَفيائِهِ

    يَبَسٌ وَلا بابُ العَطاءِ بِمُرتَجِ

    We came to him when neither the earth beneath his shade

    was dry, nor the gate of giving shut.

  18. وَالبَيتُ لَولا أَنَّ فيهِ فَضيلَةً

    يَعلو البُيوتَ بِفَضلِها لَم يُحجَجِ

    The House, were it not endowed with an excellence

    that raises it above other houses, would not be sought in pilgrimage.

  19. بَطَلٌ يَخوضُ الخَيلَ وَهيَ شَوائِلٌ

    خَلفَ الأَسِنَّةِ وَهوَ غَيرُ مُدَجَّجِ

    A hero who plunges among horses, their tails raised,

    behind the spearheads, himself not encased in armor.

  20. وَإِذا اِحتَبى في أَسوَدانَ لِسُؤدُدٍ

    أَعطاكَ حَبوَةَ حاتِمٍ في الحَشرَجِ

    And when he sits, knees drawn up, in Aswadan to preside,

    he grants you Hatim's gift at al-Hashraj.

  21. مُتَخَلِّقٌ مِن حُسنِ كُلِّ خَليقَةٍ

    كَعُطارِدٍ في طَبعِهِ المُتَمَزِّجِ

    He embodies the beauty of every virtue,

    like Mercury in its mingled nature.

  22. تَاللَهِ أَيَّتُما يَدٍ لَكَ مَن يَرُم

    ضَحضاحَ نائِلُها الجَزيلِ يُلَجِّجِ

    By God, what a hand is yours! Whoever seeks

    the shallows of its lavish bounty plunges into the deep.

  23. أَزِفَ الفِراقُ فَنَحنُ سَفرٌ في غَدٍ

    بِالَهَجرِ مِن دَعوى التَرَحُّلِ نَنتَجي

    Parting draws near: tomorrow we are travelers,

    conferring secretly on separation, prompted by talk of departure.

  24. وَهُوَ المَسيرُ إِلى الخَليجِ لِنِيَّةٍ

    لَولا اِبنُ يوسُفَ لَم تَشِطَّ فَتَخلَجِ

    It is the march to the Gulf, toward a destination

    that, but for Ibn Yusuf, would not lie so far away and draw us off.

  25. مُتَكَلِّفاً أَجبالَ صاغِرَةٍ بِنا

    عَجِلاً يُكَلِّفُنا طِعانَ الأَعلُجِ

    Tackling Saghirah's mountains with us,

    in haste, he sets us to spear-fighting with foreign warriors.

  26. فَأَعِن عَلى غَزوِ العَدُوِّ بِمُنطَوٍ

    أَحشاؤُهُ طَيَّ الكِتابِ المُدرَجِ

    So aid my raid upon the foe with a lean steed,

    its belly folded tight as a rolled-up scroll:

  27. إِمّا بِأَشقَرَ ساطِعٍ أَغشى الوَغى

    مِنهُ بِمِثلِ الكَوكَبِ المُتَأَجِّجِ

    either a radiant chestnut, on which I enter the fray

    as though upon a blazing star,

  28. مُتَسَربِلٍ شِيَةً طَلَت أَعطافَهُ

    بِدَمٍ فَما تَلقاهُ غَيرَ مُضَرَّجِ

    clad in a coat that has painted its flanks

    with blood, so you never see it but blood-red;

  29. أَو أَدهَمٍ صافي السَوادِ كَأَنَّهُ

    تَحتَ الكَمِيِّ مُظَهَّرٌ بِيَرَندَجِ

    or a black horse, pure in its blackness, as though

    beneath the armored warrior it were clad in black leather.

  30. ضَرِمٌ يَهيجُ السَوطُ مِن شُؤبوبِهِ

    هَيجَ الجَنائِبِ مِن حَريقِ العَرفَجِ

    Fiery—the whip stirs its headlong rush

    as southern winds stir a blaze of arfaj brush.

  31. خَفَّت مَواقِعُ وَطئِهِ فَلَوَ اِنَّهُ

    يَجري بِرَملَةِ عالِجٍ لَم يُرهِجِ

    Its footfalls are so light that, were it

    to race across the sands of 'Alij, it would raise no dust.

  32. أَو أَشهَبٍ يَقَقٍ يُضيءُ وَراءَهُ

    مَتنٌ كَمَتنِ اللُجَّةِ المُتَرَجرِجِ

    Or a snow-white gray: behind its rider shines

    a back like the rippling surface of the sea.

  33. تَخفى الحُجولُ وَلَو بَلَغنَ لَبانَهُ

    في أَبيَضٍ مُتَأَلِّقٍ كَالدُملُجِ

    Its white stockings vanish, even if they reach its breast,

    in a white coat gleaming like an armlet.

  34. أَوفى بِعُرفٍ أَسوَدٍ مُتَغَربِبٍ

    فيما يَليهِ وَحافِرٍ فَيروزَجي

    It stands tall with a black mane, raven-dark

    at its roots, and a turquoise-colored hoof.

  35. أَو أَبلَقٍ يَلقى العُيونَ إِذا بَدا

    مِن كُلِّ لَونِ مُعجِبٍ بِنَموذَجِ

    Or a piebald, greeting the eyes when it appears

    with a sample of every lovely color.

  36. جَذلانَ تَحسُدُهُ الجِيادُ إِذا مَشى

    عَنَقاً بِأَحسَنِ حُلَّةٍ لَم تُنسَجِ

    Joyous, envied by fine horses as it walks

    with sweeping strides, in the finest robe never woven.

  37. أَرمي بِهِ شَوكَ القَنا وَأَرُدُّهُ

    كَالسَمعِ أَثَّرَ فيهِ شَوكُ العَوسَجِ

    I hurl it against the thorns of spears and bring it back

    like a wolf-hyena scored by boxthorn spines.

  38. وَأَقَبَّ نَهدٍ لِلصَواهِلِ شَطرُهُ

    يَومَ الفَخارِ وَشَطرَهُ لِلثُحَّجِ

    And a lean-bellied, mighty-chested mule, half kin to neighers

    on the day of boasting, and half to brayers.

  39. خِرقٌ يَتيهُ عَلى أَبيهِ وَيَدَّعي

    عَصَبِيَّةً لِبَني الضُبَيبِ وَأَعوَجِ

    A bold fellow, he lords it over his father and claims

    kinship with Banu al-Dubayb and A'waj.

  40. مِثلُ المُذَرِّعِ جاءَ بَينَ عُمومَةِ

    في غافِقٍ وَخُؤُولَةٍ في الخَزرَجِ

    Like al-Mudharri', whose paternal uncles were

    in Ghafiq, and his maternal uncles in al-Khazraj.

  41. لا دَيزَجٌ يَصِفُ الرَمادَ وَلَم أَجِد

    حالاً تُحَسِّنُ مِن رُواءِ الدَيزَجِ

    Not a dusky gray resembling ash; I have found

    no condition that improves a dusky gray's appearance.

  42. وَعَريضُ أَعلى المَتنِ لَو عَلَّيتَهُ

    بِالزِئبَقِ المُنهالِ لَم يَتَرَجرَجِ

    And broad across the upper back: were you to coat it

    with streaming mercury, it would not quiver.

  43. خاضَت قَوائِمُهُ الوَثيقُ بِناؤُها

    أَمواجَ تَحنيبٍ بِهِنَّ مُدَرَّجِ

    Its firmly built legs have waded

    through waves of arching curves, tiered along them.

  44. وَلَأَنتَ أَبعَدُ في السَماحَةِ هِمَّةً

    مِن أَن تَضَنَّ بِموكَفٍ أَو مُسرَجِ

    And surely your resolve in generosity is far too lofty

    for you to begrudge a pack-saddled or riding-saddled mount.

  45. لا أَنسَيَن زَمَناً لَدَيكَ مُهَذَّباً

    وَظِلالَ عَيشٍ كانَ عِندَكَ سَجسَجِ

    Never shall I forget the untroubled time I spent with you,

    and the shade of a life that, with you, was gently temperate.

  46. في نِعمَةٍ أَوطَنتُها وَأَقَمتُ في

    أَفيائِها فَكَأَنَّني في مَنبِجِ

    In comfort I made my home, and dwelt within

    its shade, as though I were in Manbij.