Sol 6.1

  1. سَلامٌ يُثقِلُ البُزلَ النَواجي

    وَتُمرِعُ مِنهُ مُمحِلَةُ الفِجاجِ

    A greeting of peace that weighs down mature, swift camels,

    and makes barren mountain passes grow lush,

  2. عَلى مَلِكٍ يُفاجِئُ كُلَّ خَطبٍ

    فَيَقهَرُ بِالعَزيمَةِ مَن يُفاجي

    upon a king who takes every crisis by surprise,

    then overpowers with resolve whomever he surprises.

  3. أَعَفُّ الناسِ مُعتَجِراً بِبُردٍ

    وَأَبهى الناسِ مُعتَصِباً بِتاجِ

    The chastest of men with a mantle wrapped about his head,

    and the most splendid of men with a crown upon his brow.

  4. يَفيضُ بَنانُهُ وَالغَيثُ مُكدٍ

    وَيُشرِقُ وَجهُهُ وَاللَيلُ داجي

    His fingertips pour forth while the rain withholds,

    and his face shines while the night is dark.

  5. غَنِيٌّ بِالعُلى عَن كُلِّ وَصفٍ

    كَما اِستَغنى النَهارُ عَنِ السِراجِ

    In his loftiness he needs no description,

    just as daylight has no need of a lamp.

  6. يَجِلُّ عَن المَديحِ وَأَيُّ مَدحٍ

    مَدَحتَ بِهِ المُعِزَّ فَأَنتَ هاجي

    He is too exalted for praise; whatever praise

    you give al-Muʿizz, you are disparaging him.

  7. فَلا يَغرُركَ مِنهُ لَيانُ خُلقٍ

    فَكَم ماءٍ يُغرِّقُ وَهوَ ساجي

    So let his gentle disposition not deceive you:

    for water often drowns even while lying still.

  8. كَريمُ الوالِدَينِ تَجاذَبَتهُ

    عُروقٌ غَيرُ فاسِدَةِ المِزاجِ

    Noble through both parents, he is claimed

    by bloodlines untainted in their mingling.

  9. أَبا العُلوانِ يا مَن لا أُحابِي

    بِحَقٍّ في هَواهُ وَلا أُداجي

    O Abu al-ʿUlwān, you whom I do not favor

    at truth's expense in loving you, nor flatter falsely:

  10. أَتاني مِنكَ غِبَّ العِيدِ عَتبٌ

    صَدَعتَ بِهِ الحَشا صَدعَ الزُجاجِ

    A reproach from you reached me after the feast;

    with it you shattered my heart as glass is shattered.

  11. وَأَزعَجَني فَأَزعَجتُ القَوافي

    إِلَيكَ لِفَرطِ ذاكَ الإِنزِعاجِ

    And it unsettled me, so I roused the rhymes

    toward you, so intense was that disquiet.

  12. وَضاقَ بيَ الفَضاءُ وُرُبَّ ضِيقٍ

    يَؤُولُ إِلى اتِّساعٍ وَانفِراجِ

    And the wide world closed in on me; yet many a hardship

    leads to spaciousness and relief.

  13. أَتَحسَبُني شُغِلتُ وَأَيُّ شُغلٍ

    سِوى شُغلِي بِمَدحِكَ وَابتِهاجي

    Do you think I was preoccupied? What occupation

    but my work of praising you and my rejoicing,

  14. وَنَظمُ غَرائِبِ الكَلِمِ اللَواتي

    يَبينُ بِهِنَّ عُذري وَاِحتِجاجي

    and composing rare words that

    make my excuse and my defense clear?

  15. فَكُن بِي مُحسِناً ظَنّاً فَقَلبِي

    لِوُدّكَ غَيرُ مُنغَلِقِ الرِتاجِ

    So think well of me, for my heart

    keeps its gate open to your affection.

  16. وَدُونَكَ فَاِستَمِع نَجوى مُحِبٍّ

    يُناجي مِنكَ أَكرَمَ مَن يُناجي

    And here—listen to a lover's confidences,

    who confides in you, the noblest of those he addresses,

  17. لِيُوضِحَ عُذرَهُ إِيضاحَ صُبحٍ

    جَلَت أَنوارُهُ ظُلَمَ الدَياجي

    to make his excuse as clear as dawn

    whose lights have dispelled the gloom of dark nights.

  18. فَأُقسِمُ لَو حَجَجتُ إِلَيكَ عاماً

    لَما اِستَكثَرتُ ذاكَ عَلى حَجاجي

    So I swear, were I to make pilgrimage to you for a year,

    I would not deem it too much, even upon my brow.

  19. إِلى مَلِكٍ يَغيبُ سُرُورُ قَلبي

    لِغَيبَتِهِ وَيَنقَطِعُ اِبتِهاجي

    To a king—my heart's joy vanishes

    in his absence, and my rejoicing ceases.

  20. وَتَعتَلِجُ الصَبابَةُ في فُؤادي

    لِفِرقَتِهِ أَشَدَّ الاعتِلاجِ

    And longing seethes within my heart

    at parting from him, with the fiercest turmoil.

  21. مَتى اِختَلَجَت بِقُربٍ مِنهُ عَيني

    فَقَد قَرَّت بِذاكَ الاختِلاجِ

    Whenever my eye twitches at nearness to him,

    it finds repose in that very twitch.

  22. كَلاهُ اللَهُ مِن نُوَبِ اللَيالي

    وَبَلَّغني الَّذي أَنا مِنهُ راجي

    May God guard him from the calamities of the nights,

    and grant me what I hope for from him.