Sol 6.1

  1. أَبا مُسلِمٍ ما طُولُ عَيشٍ بِدائِمِ

    وَلا سالِمٌ عَمّا قَليلٍ بِسالِمِ

    O Abu Muslim, no span of life lasts forever.

    Nor will one now safe remain safe for long.

  2. عَلى المَلِكِ الجَبّارِ يَقتَحِمُ الرَدى

    وَيَصرَعُهُ في المَأزِقِ المُتَلاحِمِ

    Death storms upon the tyrannical king,

    and fells him in the close-locked press of battle.

  3. كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَسمَع بِقَتلِ مُتَوَّجٍ

    عَظيمٍ وَلَم تَسمَع بِفَتكِ الأَعاجِمِ

    As though you had not heard of a crowned king's slaying—

    a mighty one's—nor heard of the non-Arabs' treacherous killings.

  4. تَقَسَّمَ كِسرى رَهطُهُ بِسُيوفِهِم

    وَأَمسى أَبو العَبّاسِ أَحلامَ نائِمِ

    His clansmen cut Kisra apart with their swords,

    and Abu al-Abbas became a sleeper's dreams.

  5. وَقَد كانَ لا يَخشى اِنقِلابَ مَكيدَةٍ

    عَلَيهِ وَلا جَريَ النُحوسِ الأَشائِمِ

    And he had not feared a plot's turning

    against him, nor the course of ill-omened misfortunes,

  6. مُقيماً عَلى اللَذّاتِ حَتّى بَدَت لَهُ

    وُجوهُ المَنايا حاسِراتِ العَمائِمِ

    abiding in pleasures, until there appeared to him

    the faces of death, with their turbans cast off.

  7. وَقَد تَرِدُ الأَيّامُ غُرّاً وَرُبَّما

    وَرَدنَ كُلوحاً بادِياتِ الشَكائِمِ

    And days may arrive bright-browed, and sometimes

    they come scowling, their bridle-bits exposed.

  8. وَمَروانُ قَد دارَت عَلى رَأسِهِ الرَحى

    وَكانَ لِما أَجرَمتَ نَزرَ الجَرائِمِ

    And the millstone turned upon Marwan's head,

    though his crimes were few beside what you have committed.

  9. فَأَصبَحَت تَجري سادِراً في طَريقِهِم

    وَلا تَتَّقي أَشباهَ تِلكَ النَقائِمِ

    So you have come to run heedlessly along their path,

    without guarding against the like of those retributions.

  10. تَجَرَّدتَ لِلإِسلامِ تَعفو سَبيلَهُ

    وَتُعري مَطاهُ لِلُّيوثِ الضَراغِمِ

    You set yourself against Islam, effacing its path,

    and lay its back bare to fierce lions.

  11. فَما زِلتَ حَتّى اِستَنصَرَ الدينُ أَهلَهُ

    عَلَيكَ فَعادوا بِالسُيوفِ الصَوارِمِ

    You did not cease until the faith called its people for help

    against you, so they returned with keen-edged swords.

  12. فَرُم وَزَراً يُنجيكَ يا اِبنَ وَشيكَةٍ

    فَلستَ بِناجٍ مِن مُضيمٍ وَضائِمِ

    Then seek a refuge to save you, O son of Washikah,

    for you will not escape those who humiliate and oppress.

  13. لَحى اللَهُ قَوماً رَأَّسوكَ عَلَيهِمُ

    وَما زِلتَ مَرؤوساً خَبيثَ المَطاعِمِ

    May God curse a people who made you their chief,

    though you have always been a subordinate, foul in your fare.

  14. أَقولُ لِبَسّامٍ عَلَيهِ جَلالَةٌ

    غَدا أَريَحِيّاً عاشِقاً لِلمَكارِمِ

    I say to Bassam, upon whom majesty rests,

    who has grown generous-hearted, a lover of noble deeds,

  15. مِنَ الهاشِمِيِّينَ الدُعاةِ إِلى الهُدى

    جِهاراً وَمَن يَهديكَ مَثلُ اِبنِ هاشِمِ

    one of the Hashimites who call to guidance

    openly—and who guides you like a son of Hashim?

  16. سِراجٌ لِعَينِ المُستَضيءِ وَتارَةً

    يَكونُ ظَلاماً لِلعَدُوِّ المُزاحِمِ

    A lamp to the eye of one seeking light, and at times

    he is darkness to the encroaching enemy.

  17. إِذا بَلَغَ الرَأيُ المَشورَةَ فَاِستَعِن

    بِرأيِ نَصيحٍ أَو نَصيحَةِ حازِمِ

    When deliberation reaches the stage of consultation, seek aid

    from a sincere counselor's judgment or a resolute man's advice.

  18. وَلا تَجعَلِ الشُورى عَلَيكَ غَضاضَةً

    مَكانُ الخَوافي قُوَّةٌ لِلقَوادِمِ

    And do not deem consultation a slight upon you;

    the secondary feathers, in their place, strengthen the primaries.

  19. وَما خَيرُ كَفٍّ أَمسَكَ الغُلُّ أُختَها

    وَما خَيرُ سَيفٍ لَم يُؤَيَّد بِقائِمِ

    And what good is a hand when a shackle holds its sister?

    And what good is a sword not strengthened by a hilt?

  20. وَخَلِّ الهُوَينا لِلضَعيفِ وَلا تَكُن

    نَؤوماً فَإِنَّ الحَزمَ لَيسَ بِنائِمِ

    Leave leisurely ease to the weak, and do not be

    a heavy sleeper, for resolve never sleeps.

  21. وَحارِب إِذا لَم تُعطَ إِلّا ظُلامَةً

    شَبا الحَربِ خَيرٌ مِن قَبولُ المَظالِمِ

    And fight if you are given nothing but injustice;

    the sharp edges of war are better than accepting oppression.

  22. وَأَدنِ عَلى القُربى المُقرِّبَ نَفسَهُ

    وَلا تُشهِدِ الشُورى اِمرَأً غَيرَ كاتِمِ

    And draw close, in preference to kin, the man who brings himself near,

    and admit to counsel no man who cannot keep secrets.

  23. فَإِنَّكَ لا تَستَطرِدُ الهَمَّ بِالمُنى

    وَلا تَبلُغُ العَليا بِغَيرِ المَكارِمِ

    For you cannot drive worry away with wishes,

    nor reach the heights without noble deeds.

  24. إِذا كُنتَ فَرداً هَرَّكَ القومُ مُقبِلاً

    وَإِن كُنتَ أَدنى لَم تَفُز بِالعَزائِمِ

    If you stand alone, the people snarl at you as you approach;

    and if you are lesser, you will not prevail through firm resolve.

  25. وَما قَرَعَ الأَقوامَ مِثلُ مُشَيَّعٍ

    أَريبٍ وَلا جَلّى العَمى مِثلُ عالِمِ

    And none has struck peoples like a courageous man

    of keen judgment, nor dispelled blindness like a learned man.