Sol 6.1

  1. إِذا الغَمامُ حَداهُ البارِقُ الساري

    وَاِنهَلَّ مِن ديمَةٍ وَطفاءَ مِدرارِ

    When the cloud is urged on by night-roaming lightning,

    And pours from a dark cloud of steady, abundant rain,

  2. وَحاكَ إِشراقُهُ طَوراً وَظُلمَتُهُ

    ما حاكَ مِن نَمَطَي رَوضٍ وَأَنوارِ

    And its brightness, at times, and its darkness weave

    What they weave from two patterns of meadow and blossoms,

  3. فَجادَ أَرضَكِ في غَربِ السَماوَةِ مِن

    أَرضٍ وَدارَكِ بِالعَلياءِ مِن دارِ

    Then may it drench your land in western al-Samawah, among

    Lands, and your dwelling at al-Alya, among dwellings.

  4. وَإِن بَخِلتِ فَلا وَصلٌ وَلا صِلَةٌ

    إِلّا اِهتِداءَ خَيالٍ مِنكِ زَوّارِ

    And though you are miserly, there is neither union nor a gift,

    Save an oft-visiting phantom of you finding its way to me.

  5. لَأَشكَلَ القَمَرُ الساري عَلَيَّ فَما

    بَيَّنتُ طَلعَتَهُ مِن طَيفِكِ الساري

    Indeed, the night-roaming moon baffled me, so I could not

    Distinguish its face from your night-roaming phantom.

  6. إِذ ضارَعَ البَدرَ في حُسنٍ وَفي صِفَةٍ

    وَطالَعَ البَدرَ في وَقتٍ وَمِقدارِ

    For it rivaled the full moon in beauty and in form,

    And rose beside the full moon, matching its time and size.

  7. لَيلٌ تَقَضّى وَما أَدرَكتُ مَأرُبَتي

    مِنَ اللِقاءِ وَلا قَضَّيتُ أَوطاري

    A night passed, and I did not attain my wish

    For a meeting, nor did I fulfill my desires.

  8. إِمّا اِطَّرَفتُ إِلى حُبّيكَ فَرطَ هَوىً

    ثانٍ يُكَثِّرَ مِن وَجدي وَتَذكاري

    If I have newly added to my twofold love for you a surge of passion,

    A second passion that increases my yearning and remembrance,

  9. فَطالَما اِمتَدَّ في غَيِّ الصِبا سَنَني

    وَاِشتَدَّ في الحُبِّ تَغريري وَإِخطاري

    For long has my course run through youth's waywardness,

    And my recklessness and risk-taking in love have grown fierce.

  10. هَوىً أُعَفّي عَلى آثارِهِ بِهَوىً

    كَمُطفِئٍ مِن لَهيبِ النارِ بِالنارِ

    A passion whose traces I erase with another passion,

    Like one quenching the blaze of fire with fire.

  11. قَد ضاعَفَ اللَهُ لِلدُنيا مَحاسِنَها

    بِمُلكِ مُنتَخَبٍ لِلمُلكِ مُختارِ

    God has indeed doubled the world's beauties

    Through the rule of one selected, chosen for kingship,

  12. مُقابَلٍ في بَني العَبّاسِ إِن نُسِبوا

    في أَنجُمٍ شُهِرَت مِنهُم وَأَقمارِ

    Noble on both sides among the sons of al-Abbas, when their lineage is traced

    Among stars and moons renowned among them.

  13. يُريكَ شَمسَ الضُحى لَألاءُ غُرَّتِهِ

    إِذا تَبَلَّجَ في بِشرٍ وَإِسفارِ

    The radiance of his brow shows you the morning sun

    When he shines forth in cheerfulness and brightness.

  14. أَولى الرَعِيَّةَ نُعمى بَعدَ مَبأَسَةٍ

    تَمَّت عَلَيهِم وَيُسراً بَعدَ إِعسارِ

    He granted his subjects bliss after misery

    That had engulfed them, and ease after hardship.

  15. أَنقَذتَهُم يا أَمينَ اللَهِ مُفتَلِتاً

    وَهُم عَلى جُرُفٍ مِن أَمرِهِم هارِ

    You rescued them, O God's trusted one, snatching them away,

    While they stood on the crumbling brink of their affairs.

  16. أَعطَينَهُم بِبنِ يَزدادَ الرِضا فَأَوَوا

    مِنهُ إِلى قائِمٍ بِالعَدلِ أَمّارِ

    They granted them contentment through Ibn Yazdad, so they took refuge

    In him, a champion of justice, firm in command.

  17. رَدَّ المَظالِمَ فَاِنتاشَ الضَعيفَ وَقَد

    غَصَّت بِهِ لَهَواتُ الضَيغَمِ الضاري

    He restored what was wrongfully taken and plucked the weak to safety, though

    The ravening lion's gullet was already choking on him.

  18. يَأسو الجِراحَةَ مِن قَومٍ وَقَد دَمِيَت

    مِنهُم غَواشِمُ أَنيابٍ وَأَظفارِ

    He heals the wound inflicted by men; already bloodied are

    Their savage fangs and claws.

  19. يُرضيكَ والِيَ تَدبيرٍ وَمُبتَغِياً

    نُصحاً وَمُعجِلَ إيرادٍ وَإِصدارِ

    He pleases you as steward of affairs, seeking

    Sincere service, and swift in receiving and dispatching.

  20. فَاللَهُ يَحفَظُ عَبدَ اللَهِ إِنَّ لَهُ

    فَضلَ السَماحِ وَزَندَ السُؤدَدِ الواري

    So may God preserve Abd Allah; his are

    Preeminence in generosity and nobility's spark-kindling firestick.

  21. زَكَت صَنائِعُهُ عِندي وَأَنعُمُهُ

    كَما زَكَت مِدَحي فيهِ وَأَشعاري

    His benefactions and favors toward me have flourished,

    Just as my praises and poems in his honor have flourished.

  22. إيهاً أَبا صالِحٍ وَالبَحرُ مُنتَسِبٌ

    إِلى نَوالِكَ في سيحٍ وَإِغزارِ

    Enough, Abu Salih! The sea traces its descent

    To your bounty in flow and abundance.

  23. حَكى عَطاؤُكَ جَدواهُ وَجَمَّتَهُ

    فَيضاً بِفَيضٍ وَتَيّاراً بِتَيّارِ

    Your giving mirrors its bounty and its brimming waters,

    Flood for flood, and torrent for torrent.

  24. أَأَرهَبُ الدَهرَ أَو أَخشى تَصَرُّفَهُ

    وَالمُستَعينُ مُعيني فيهِ أَو جاري

    Should I dread time or fear its changes,

    When al-Musta'in is my helper through it, or my protecting neighbor?

  25. وَأَنتَ ما أَنتَ في رِفدي وَحَيِّطَتي

    قِدماً وَإيجابِ تَقديمي وَإيثاري

    And you are who you are in supporting and protecting me,

    Long since, and in insisting on my advancement and preferment.

  26. فَكَيفَ تُمهِلُ أَسبابي وَتَغفُلُ عَن

    حَظّي وَتَرضى بِإِسلامي وَإِخفاري

    Then how can you delay my affairs and be heedless of

    My share, and consent to abandon me and break your pledge of protection?

  27. تَأَتَّ في رَسمِيَ الجاري بِعارِفَةٍ

    كَما تَأَتَّيتَ لي في رِزقِيَ الجارِ

    Arrange my current allowance as a favor,

    As you arranged my continuing stipend for me.