Sol 6.1

  1. إِلى مَلِكٍ ما أُمُّهُ مِن مُحارِبٍ

    أَبوها وَلا كانَت كُلَيبٌ تُصاهِرُه

    To a king whose mother is not of Muharib

    through her father, nor did Kulayb ever intermarry with him.

  2. وَلَكِن أَبوها مِن رَواحَةَ تَرتَقي

    بِأَيّامِهِ قَيسٌ عَلى مَن تُفاخِرُه

    But her father is of Rawaha; higher rises

    Qays, through his battle-days, above those it vies with in glory.

  3. زُهَيرٌ وَمَروانُ الحِجازِ كِلاهُما

    أَبوها لَها أَيّامُهُ وَمَآثِرُه

    Zuhayr and Marwan of the Hijaz—each

    is her forefather; his battle-days and glorious deeds are hers.

  4. بِهِم تَخفِضُ الأَذيالَ بَعدَ اِرتِفاعِها

    مِنَ الفَزَعِ الساعِ نَهاراً حَرائِرُه

    Through them, hems are lowered after being raised

    in terror sweeping by day, by his freeborn women.

  5. وَقَد خُفتُ حَتّى لَو أَرى المَوتَ مُقبِلاً

    لِيَأخُذَني وَالمَوتُ يُكرَهُ زائِرُه

    And I have feared so much that, were I to see Death approaching

    to take me—though Death's visitor is hated—

  6. لَكانَ مِنَ الحَجّاجِ أَهوَنَ رَوعَةً

    إِذا هُوَ أَغضى وَهوَ سامٍ نَواظِرُه

    it would be less terrifying than al-Hajjaj,

    when he lowers his eyelids yet raises his gaze.

  7. أَدِبُّ وَدوني سَيرُ شَهرٍ كَأَنَّني

    أَراكَ وَلَيلٌ مُستَحيرٌ عَساكِرُه

    I creep, a month's journey between us, as though

    I see you, while night's armies stand massed.

  8. ذَكَرتُ الَّذي بَيني وَبَينَكَ بَعدَما

    رَمى بِيَ مِن نَجدَي تِهامَةَ غائِرُه

    I recalled what lies between me and you, after

    its lowland had hurled me from Tihama's two uplands.

  9. فَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي إِن رَأَيتُكَ لَم يَرِد

    بِيَ النَأيُ إِلّا كُلَّ شَيءٍ أُحاذِرُه

    So I knew for certain that, if I saw you, distance had led

    me only to everything I dread,

  10. وَأَن لَو رَكِبتَ الريحِ ثُمَّ طَلَبتَني

    لَكُنتُ كَشَيءٍ أَدرَكَتهُ مَقادِرُه

    and that, if you rode the wind and then pursued me,

    I would be like a thing overtaken by its allotted fate.

  11. فَلَم أَرَ شَيئاً غَيرَ إِقبالِ ناقَتي

    إِلَيكَ وَأَمري قَد تَعَيَّت مَصادِرُه

    So I saw no course but my she-camel's advance

    toward you, all ways out of my plight having failed.

  12. وَما خافَ شَيءٌ لَم يَمُت مِن مَخافَةٍ

    كَما قَد أَسَرَّت في فُؤادي ضَمائِرُه

    And no creature that has not died of fright has known fear

    like that which his secret thoughts have hidden in my heart.

  13. أَخافُ مِنَ الحَجّاجِ سَورَةَ مُخدِرٍ

    ضَوارِبَ بِالأَعناقِ مِنهُ خَوادِرُه

    I fear in al-Hajjaj the onslaught of a lion in its lair,

    whose lurking lions strike at necks.