Sol 6.1

  1. خفّفِ السّيْرَ واتّئِدْ يا حادي

    إنّما أنتَ سائقٌ بفُؤادي

    Ease the pace and go gently, camel-driver;

    it is my heart that you are driving.

  2. ما تَرى العِيسَ بينَ سَوقٍ وشَوْقٍ

    لرَبيعِ الرُّبوعِ غرْثَى صوادي

    Do you not see the pale camels, between urging and yearning,

    hungry and parched for the spring pastures of those dwellings?

  3. لم تُبَقّي لها المَهامِهُ جِسْماً

    غيرَ جِلْدٍ على عظامٍ بَوادي

    The trackless wastes have left them no flesh,

    only skin upon jutting bones.

  4. وتحَفّتْ أخْفَافُها فَهيَ تمشي

    مِن وَجاها في مِثل جَمْرِ الرّمادِ

    Their footpads have worn bare, so they walk,

    from their soreness, as though on embers in the ash.

  5. وبَراها الوَنَى فحَلّ بُراها

    خَلّهَا تَرْتَوِي ثِمَادَ الوِهادِ

    Weariness has wasted them: loosen their nose-rings;

    let them drink their fill from the lowlands' scant pools.

  6. شَفّها الوَجْدُ إن عَدِمتَ رِواها

    فاسقِها الوخْدَ من جِفارِ المِهادِ

    Longing has wasted them; if you lack water for them,

    then water them with swift pacing from the plains' wide wells.

  7. واسْتَبِقْهَا واستَبْقِهَا فهيَ ممّا

    تترامَى به إلى خَيْرِ وادِ

    Hasten them, yet preserve them, for they are the means

    by which you speed toward the best of valleys.

  8. عَمْرُكَ اللَّه إن مرَرتَ بوادي

    ينْبُعٍ فالدُّهَينا فبدرٍ فغادي

    I adjure you by God: if you pass through the valley

    of Yanbuʿ, then al-Duhayna, then Badr, then Ghadi,

  9. وسَلَكْتَ النّقا فَأَوْدانَ وَدّا

    ن إلى رَابغِ الرّويّ الثّمادِ

    and follow al-Naqa, then the valleys of Waddan,

    toward Rabigh, with its brimming shallow pools;

  10. وقَطَعْتَ الحِرَارَ عَمداً لخَيما

    تِ قُدَيدٍ مَواطنِ الأمجادِ

    and cross the lava fields, intent upon the tents

    of Qudayd, abodes of the noble;

  11. وتَدَانَيتَ منْ خُلَيْصٍ فعُسْفا

    نَ فمَرِّ الظَّهرانِ ملْقَى البوادي

    and draw near Khulays, then ʿUsfan,

    then Marr al-Zahran, meeting-place of the desert folk;

  12. وَوَرَدتَ الجمومَ فالقَصْرَ فالدّكْ

    ناء طُرّاً مناهلَ الوُرّادِ

    and reach al-Jumum, then al-Qasr, then al-Daknaʾ,

    all watering-places for those who come to drink;

  13. وأَتَيْتَ التّنعيمَ فالزّاهرَ الزّا

    هِرَ نَوراً إلى ذُرى الأطوادِ

    and come to al-Tanʿim, then al-Zahir, blooming

    with flowers up to the mountains' crests;

  14. وعَبَرْتَ الحُجون واجتَزْتَ فاخترْ

    تَ ازدياداً مشاهدَ الأوتادِ

    and cross al-Hajun, pass onward, and choose

    for further gain the shrines of the spiritual Pegs;

  15. وبَلَغْتَ الخيامَ فأبلِغْ سلامي

    عنْ حفاظٍ عُرَيْب ذاك النّادي

    and reach the tents, then convey my greetings,

    out of loyalty, to the dear Arab folk of that gathering.

  16. وتَلَطّفْ واذكُرْ لهُمْ بعض ما بي

    من غرامٍ ما إنْ لَه من نَفادِ

    Be gentle, and tell them something of what I suffer

    of a passion that knows no end.

  17. يا أَخِلّايَ هَلْ يَعودُ التّداني

    منكُمُ بالحِمَى بعَوْد رفادي

    O my dear friends, will closeness return

    with you in the sanctuary, with my solace restored?

  18. مَا أَمَرّ الفراقَ يا جيرَة الحي

    يِ وأحْلَى التّلاقِ بعدَ انفرادِ

    How bitter is parting, O neighbors of the encampment,

    and how sweet reunion after solitude!

  19. كيف يَلتَذّ بالحياة مُعَنّىً

    بَين أحشائه كَوَرْيِ الزّنادِ

    How can a tormented man delight in life,

    with sparks as from fire-sticks within his breast?

  20. عُمْرُهُ واصطبَارُهُ في انتِقَاصٍ

    وجَواهُ ووَجْدُهُ في ازديادِ

    His life and his endurance dwindle,

    while his burning anguish and longing grow.

  21. في قُرى مصرَ جسمُهُ والأُصَيْحَا

    بُ شآماً والقلبُ في أجيادِ

    His body is in Egypt's villages, his dear companions

    in Syria, and his heart in Ajyad.

  22. إنْ تَعُدْ وَقْفَةٌ فُوَيْق الصُّحَيْرَا

    ت رَواحاً سَعدتُ بَعد بعادي

    If I may halt again just above al-Suhayrat

    at evening, I shall rejoice after my absence.

  23. يا رعَى اللَّهُ يومنا بالمصَلّى

    حيثُ نُدْعى إلى سبيل الرّشادِ

    Ah, may God cherish our day at al-Musalla,

    where we are called to the path of right guidance,

  24. وقِبابُ الركابِ بَينَ العُلَيْمَيْ

    نِ سِراعاً للمأزِمَيْنِ غوادي

    while the camels' domed litters, between al-ʿUlaymayn,

    hastened swiftly at dawn toward al-Maʾzimayn.

  25. وسقَى جَمْعَنا بجَمْعٍ مُلِثّاً

    ولُيَيْلاَتِ الخَيْفِ صَوْبُ عِهادِ

    And may our gathering at Jamʿ be watered unceasingly,

    and those dear nights at al-Khayf, by downpours of recurring rain.

  26. مَنْ تَمَنّى مالاً وحُسْنَ مآلٍ

    فَمُنائي مِنىً وأقصى مُرادي

    Whoever may wish for wealth and a happy end—

    my wish is Mina, my utmost desire.

  27. يا أُهَيْلَ الحِجَازِ إنْ حَكَم الدّهْ

    رُ بِبَيْنٍ قضاءَ حَتمٍ إرادي

    O dear people of the Hijaz, if Time decrees

    a parting by a binding and deliberate decree,

  28. فغَرامي القديمُ فيكُمْ غرامي

    ووِدادي كما عَهِدْتُمْ وِدَادِي

    then my old passion for you is still my passion,

    and my love, as you have known it, remains my love.

  29. قد سَكَنْتُمْ منَ الفُؤادِ سُوَيْدَا

    هُ ومنْ مُقْلَتي سواءَ السّوادِ

    You have dwelt in the dark core of my heart,

    and at the very center of my eye's black pupil.

  30. يا سميري رَوّحْ بمَكّةَ رُوحي

    شادِياً إنْ رَغِبْتَ في إسعادي

    O my night-companion, refresh my soul with Mecca,

    singing, if you wish to gladden me.

  31. فذُراها سِرْبي وطيبي ثَراها

    وسبيلُ المَسِيلِ وِرْدِي وزادي

    For its heights are my refuge, and its soil my perfume,

    and the stream's course is my drink and my sustenance.

  32. كان فيها أُنسي ومِعْراجُ قُدْسِي

    ومُقامي المَقامُ والفتحُ بادِ

    There were my solace and my ascent to holiness,

    and my dwelling was the Station, and illumination was manifest.

  33. نقلَتني عنها الحُظُوظُ فجُذّتْ

    وارِدَاتي ولمْ تَدُمْ أوْرَادي

    Worldly fortunes carried me away from it, cutting off

    my inward inspirations; my daily devotions did not endure.

  34. آهِ لو يَسْمَحُ الزَّمانُ بعَوْدٍ

    فعسَى أن تعودَ لي أعْيادي

    Ah, if only Time would allow a return,

    then perhaps my feast days would return to me.

  35. قَسَماً بالحطيم والرُّكنِ والأسْ

    تَارِ والمَرْوَتَيْنِ مَسْعَى العِبَادِ

    I swear by al-Hatim, the Corner, and the curtains,

    and Safa and Marwa, the worshippers' course,

  36. وظِلاَلِ الجنابِ والحِجرِ والميْ

    زابِ والمُسْتَجَاب للقُصّادِ

    and the precinct's shade, the Hijr, and the waterspout,

    and the place of answered prayer for those who come seeking:

  37. ما شَمِمْتُ البَشامَ إلّا وأهدَى

    لِفؤادي تحيّةً من سعادِ

    never have I smelled balsam without its bringing

    to my heart a greeting from Suʿad.