Sol 6.1

  1. مَضَوا يَظلِمونَ اللَيلَ لا يَلبسونهُ

    وَإِن كانَ مِسكِيّ الجَلابيبِ ضافِيا

    They went on, wronging the night rather than wearing it,

    even though its ample robes were musk-dark.

  2. يُؤمّونَ بيضاً في الأَكِنَّةِ لَم تَزَل

    قُلوبُهُم حُبّاً عَلَيها أَداحِيا

    They made for white eggs in their coverings; ever had

    their hearts, through love, been nesting hollows for them.

  3. وَأَغربَةُ الظَلماءِ تَنفُضُ بَينَهُم

    قَوادِمَها مَبلَولَةً وَالخَوافِيا

    And darkness's ravens shook out among them

    their wet primary feathers and their secondaries.

  4. إِذا مَرَقوا مِن بَطنِ لَيلٍ رَقَت بِهِم

    إِلى ظهرِ يَومٍ عَزمَةٌ هِيَ ما هِيا

    When they darted from the belly of a night, they were borne

    to the back of a day by a resolve—what a resolve!

  5. وَإِن زَعزَعَتهُم رَوعَةٌ زعزَعوا الدُجى

    إِلَيها كُماةً وَالرِياح مَذاكِيا

    And if a fright shook them, they shook the dark,

    charging toward it, armored champions, the winds their seasoned steeds.

  6. وَلَو أَنَّها ضَلَّت لَكانَ أَمامَها

    سَنا عمرٍ في فَحمَةِ اللَيلِ هادِيا

    Even if it strayed, before it would be

    Umar's radiance, a guide in the coal-black night.

  7. وَصَلَّت بِهِ الهَيجا عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَت

    فَما اِرتَضَيا حاشاهُ ساقاً وَساقِيا

    Battle prayed behind him, blessed him, and offered him peace;

    so they chose none but him as a leg to stand on and a cupbearer.

  8. هُمامٌ أَقامَ الحَربَ وَهيَ قَعيدَةٌ

    وَرَوّى القَنا فيها وَكانَت صَوادِيا

    A valiant man, he made war stand when it lay seated,

    and slaked the lances' thirst in it when they were parched.

  9. شَريفُ المَطاوي تَحتَ خَتمِ ضُلوعِهِ

    تَميمَةُ تَقوى رَدَّتِ الدَهرَ صاحِيا

    Noble in his inward folds; beneath the seal of his ribs

    lies an amulet of piety that has made Time sober.

  10. إِذا قُرِئَت لا بِالنَواظِرِ طبّقت

    سُرى أُختِها ذاتِ البُروجِ مَساعِيا

    When read—not with the eyes—it matches

    the nightly course of its sister, the constellation-bearing sky, in its deeds.

  11. وَهَديٌ لَو اِستَشفى المُعَنّى بِرَوحِهِ

    لَما كانَ بِالوَجدِ المُبَرِّحِ صالِيا

    And an upright bearing—if the tormented sought healing in its soothing breath,

    he would not burn with agonizing longing.

  12. وَرِقَّةُ طَبعٍ لَو تَحَلّى بِها الهَوى

    لأَعدى عَلى عَصرِ الشَبابِ البَواكِيا

    And a tenderness of nature which, were love adorned with it,

    would rouse the weeping women against youth's season.

  13. إِلَيهِ أَكلتُ الأَرضَ بِالعيسِ ثائِرا

    وَقَد أَكَلَت مِنها الذُرى وَالحَوامِيا

    Toward him I devoured the earth on pale camels, rushing forth,

    though it had eaten away their humps and hoof-edges.

  14. حَوافِيَ لا يُنعَلنَ وَالبُعدُ آذن

    عَلى نَفسِهِ إِلّا الوَجى وَالدياجِيا

    Barefoot, shod with nothing—distance granting approach

    to itself—except foot-soreness and the dark of nights.

  15. فَجاءَتهُ لَم تُبصِر سِوى البِشر هادِياً

    وَسَلهُ وَلَم يَسمَع سِوى الشُكرِ حادِيا

    They came to him, seeing no guide but gladness;

    ask him: he heard no camel-driver but gratitude.

  16. هَوادٍ عَلى أَعجازِها قيمُ النَدى

    فَأَربح بِنا مَشرِيَّ حَمدٍ وَشارِيا

    Leading mounts, bearing on their hindquarters the prices of generosity;

    how profitable we are—praise's merchandise and its buyer!

  17. أَلِكني أَلِكني وَالسِيادَةُ بَينَنا

    إِلى مولَعٍ بِالحَمدِ يَشريهِ غالِيا

    Carry my message, carry my message—with lordship between us—

    to one enamored of praise, who buys it dearly.

  18. إِلى آمِرٍ في الدَهرِ ناهٍ إِذا قَضى

    عَلى كُلِّ مَن فيها أَطاعوهُ قاضِيا

    To one who commands and forbids in Time: when he judges

    all who are within it, they obey him as judge.

  19. وَحَيّوهُ لا راجينَ رَجعَ تَحِيَّةٍ

    وَإِن كانَ جوداً لا يُخَيّبُ راجِيا

    And greet him, not hoping for a greeting in return,

    though he is generosity itself and disappoints no hopeful soul.

  20. إِلَيكَ اِبن سَيفي يَعرُبٍ زَفَّ خاطِري

    عَقائِلَ لا تَرضى البُروجَ مَغانِيا

    To you, son of Ya'rub's two swords, my imagination has brought as brides

    noble maidens who will not accept the celestial towers as dwellings.

  21. وَإِنّي لِأَستَحيي مِنَ المَجدِ أَن أَرى

    عَلَيَّ لِمَأمولٍ سِواكَ أَيادِيا

    And I would surely feel shame before glory to see

    upon me the favors of a hoped-for patron other than you.

  22. وَأَنّي وقَد أسلَفتني قَبلَ وَقتِهِ

    مِنَ البرِّ ما حازَت خُطاهُ الأَمانِيا

    And how could I, when you advanced to me, before its time,

    kindness whose strides encompassed every hope?

  23. وَأَيقَظتَ مِن قَدري وَما كانَ نائِماً

    وَأَبعَدتَ مِن ذِكري وَما كانَ دانِيا

    You awakened my standing, though it had not been asleep,

    and carried my renown afar, though it had not stayed near.

  24. وَلَكِن نَبا مِن حُسنِ رَأيِكَ في يَدي

    أَظُنُّ حُساماً لَم يَجِدنِيَ تالِيا

    Yet something from your favorable judgment failed in my hand—

    a keen sword, I think, that did not find me lagging behind.

  25. وَلَو لَم يكُن ما خِفتُ لا خِفتَ لَم أَجِد

    عَلى غَيرِ ما أَخدَمتنيهِ اللَيالِيا

    Had what I feared not happened—may you never fear!—I would not have found

    the nights otherwise than as you had put them at my service.

  26. إِلى مَن إِذا لَم تشكني أَنتَ وَالعُلا

    أَكونُ بِما أَلقى من الدَهرَ شاكِيا

    To whom, if you and high glory do not redress my grievance,

    shall I complain of what I suffer from Time?

  27. وَأَنتَ عَلى رَفعي وَوَضعِيَ حُجَّةٌ

    فَكُن بي عَلى أولاهُما بِكَ جارِيا

    You are the warrant for my elevation and my abasement;

    so deal with me by whichever of the two best befits you.

  28. وَما أَسَفي إِلّا عَلى فَوتِ رُتبَةٍ

    عَهِدتُكَ فيها بادِياً وَمُبادِيا

    My regret is only for the loss of a rank

    where I knew you as the first to act and to take the initiative,

  29. وَكَون مَكاني مِن سَمائِك عاطِلاً

    وَلَولا مَكاني الدَهر ما كانَ حالِيا

    and that my place in your sky stands unadorned;

    but for my place, Time would not be adorned.

  30. وَإِنَّ كَسادي رَأسَ أَلف صِناعَةٍ

    لَيَترُكُ وَسماً في السِيادَةِ بادِيا

    And my going unsold, though foremost in a thousand crafts,

    will surely leave a visible brand upon lordship.

  31. فَرَدَّ المُنى خضراً تَرفّ غُصونها

    بِمَبسوطَةٍ تَندى نَدىً وَعَوالِيا

    So he restored hopes to greenness, their branches fluttering,

    with an outstretched hand that rains bounty and lofty spear-shafts.

  32. عَوالٍ إِذا ما الطَعنُ هَزَّ جُذوعَها

    تَساقَطَتِ الهَيجا عَلَيكَ مَعالِيا

    Lofty shafts: whenever thrusting shakes their trunks,

    battle showers high honors upon you.

  33. وَعاوِن عَلى اِستِنجازِ طَبعٍ بِهَبَّةٍ

    ترقّصُ في أَلفاظِهنَّ المَعانِيا

    And help bring my natural gift to fruition with a gust

    that makes meanings dance within their words.

  34. وَأَجعَلُ أَرضَ الرومِ تَجلو تِلاعُها

    عَلَيكَ زَروداً وَالحِمى وَالمَطالِيا

    And I shall make the land of the Romans, through its uplands, unveil

    Zarud, al-Hima, and al-Matali before you.

  35. وَقَد نَشَرَت مِن ذي القُروحِ وَخالهُ

    وَعَمرُو بن كُلثومٍ عِظاماً بَوالِيا

    And it has resurrected, of Dhu al-Quruh and his maternal uncle,

    and Amr ibn Kulthum, the bones long decayed.

  36. وَقيلَ لَهُم مَن ذا لَها فَتَخَيَّروا

    أَخيراً يَبُذُّ القائِلينَ الأَوالِيا

    And they were asked, 'Who is equal to it?' So they chose

    a latecomer who outstrips the poets of old.

  37. فَإِن نُسِقوا عَلى الوَلاءِ وَلَم يَكُن

    بِذَلِكَ فَاِجعَل مِنهُ ظِلَّكَ عارِيا

    If they are arrayed in succession and he is not

    equal to that, then leave your shade bare of him.

  38. وَعَزَّ عَلى العَلياءِ أَن يُلقِيَ العَصا

    مُقيماً بِحَيثُ البَدر أَلقى المَراسِيا

    High glory found it grievous that he should lay down his staff,

    settling where the full moon had cast its anchors.

  39. وَمَن قامَ رَأيُ اِبنِ المُظَفَّرِ بَينَهُ

    وَبَينَ اللَيالي نامَ عَنهُنَّ لاهِيا

    Whoever has Ibn al-Muzaffar's judgment standing between him

    and the nights sleeps heedless of them, carefree.