Sol 6.1

  1. ما للمدامعِ فوقَ الخدِّ تنسَكبُ

    وما لقَلبي بنارِ الوجْدِ يلتَهبُ

    Why do tears pour down over the cheek,

    and why does my heart blaze with the fire of longing?

  2. فلا تَسَل عنْ فؤادٍ حلّ ساحَتَهُ

    جمْرُ الجَوى عندَما بانَتْ بها النُّجُبُ

    Then ask not about a heart in whose courtyard settled

    the embers of anguish when the noble camels bore her away.

  3. يا لَيْتَ شِعْريَ والأيّامُ مُسْعِدةً

    والبُعْدُ يُعْقِبُها منْ حَيِّها كَثَبُ

    Would that I knew, with the days bringing good fortune,

    and distance giving way to nearness to her dwelling.

  4. ورُبَّ لائِمةٍ تُلقي المَلامَ علَى

    حُبِّ التي ودُّها طبْعٌ ومُكْتَسَبُ

    Many a reproaching woman casts blame upon

    love of her, an affection both innate and acquired.

  5. قالتْ لما هِمْتَ منْ بعدِ السّلوِّ بها

    فقلتُ كُلُّ فتًى قد هزّهُ الطّربُ

    She said, 'Why are you infatuated with her after forgetting?'

    I said, 'Every youth has been stirred by rapture.'

  6. قالتْ تمتّعْ ببِدْعٍ من محاسِنها

    فقلتُ قد سُدِلَتْ من دونِها الحُجُبُ

    She said, 'Enjoy a marvel among her beauties.'

    I said, 'Veils have been drawn before her.'

  7. قالتْ أتَخفَى عن الأبصارِ بهْجَتُها

    فقلتُ هيْهاتَ نورُ الشّمسِ يحْتَجِبُ

    She said, 'Can her splendor be hidden from the eyes?'

    I said, 'Never can the sun's light be veiled.'

  8. قالتْ فما تتمنّى بعْد رؤيتِها

    فقلتُ لمْ يبْقَ لي في غيْرها أرَبُ

    She said, 'What then do you wish for after seeing her?'

    I said, 'I have no desire left for anything but her.'

  9. قالتْ لما أنتَ بالأوْصافِ ذو كَلَفٍ

    فقلْتُ وصْفُ حُلاها للرِّضى سبَبُ

    She said, 'Why are you so enamored of descriptions?'

    I said, 'Describing her charms is a way to win favor.'

  10. قالت فراسِل إذا عزّ اللقاءُ وصِفْ

    فقُلْتُ ليسَ تَفي الأقلامُ والكتُبُ

    She said, 'Then write, if meeting is difficult, and describe her.'

    I said, 'Pens and letters cannot do her justice.'

  11. قالتْ فمالَك إلا الطّيفُ ترقُبُهُ

    فقلتُ مَن لي به والنّوْمُ مُسْتَلَبُ

    She said, 'Then you have only her dream-vision to await.'

    I said, 'Who can bring it to me, when sleep is stolen away?'

  12. عهْدي بها ورياضُ الأُنسِ يجْمَعُنا

    والدّهْرُ طَلْقُ المُحيّا شأنه عَجبُ

    I remember her, with gardens of intimacy gathering us together,

    and Time smiling, its ways a wonder;

  13. والليلُ يُلْحِفُنا أسْتارَهُ وبِه

    من عسْكَر الشهْبِ جمْعٌ ليسَ يُنتَهَبُ

    and night wrapped us in its curtains, while within it

    was a host from the army of stars, beyond plunder.

  14. أقولُ والبرْقُ يحْكي في مطالعِهِ

    خفّاقَ قلْبٍ إذا جنّ الدُجَى يجبُ

    I say, while lightning in its rising imitates

    a fluttering heart that throbs when darkness falls:

  15. يا بارِقاً بأعالي الرّقْمتَيْنِ بَدا

    في سُدْفَةِ الليلَةِ الظلْما لهُ لَهَبُ

    O lightning that appeared on the heights of al-Raqmatayn,

    in the gloom of the dark night, aflame:

  16. أرَدتَ تحكي ثغوراً راقَ مَبْسِمُها

    لقدْ حكَيْتَ ولكنْ فاتكَ الشّنَبُ

    You meant to imitate mouths whose smiles were lovely;

    indeed you did—but their teeth's cool sweetness eluded you.

  17. وجئتَ بالبِشْرِ من وَجه الخَليفة إذْ

    يُعْطي ولكنّ أينَ العِلْمُ والأدبُ

    And you brought the cheer of the caliph's face when

    he gives—but where are his learning and refinement?

  18. ورُمْتَ تحكي جيادَ العِزِّ مُرسَلَةٌ

    لكنّ أين الشِّياتُ الغُرُّ والنّسَبُ

    And you sought to imitate the steeds of glory running free,

    but where are their bright white markings and pedigree?

  19. وكِدْتَ تُشبهُ سَيفَ النّصرِ منْصَلِتاً

    لكنّ أينَ مَضاءُ الحدِّ والشُّطَبُ

    And you almost resembled the unsheathed sword of victory,

    but where are the edge's keenness and the blade's grooves?

  20. إنْ هزّهُ يوسُفُ الأمْلاكِ يومَ وغىً

    تهابُهُ ثمّ ترْجوهُ إذا يهَبُ

    If Yusuf of kings brandishes it on a day of battle,

    you fear him, then hope in him when he gives.

  21. فيوسُفٌ ملِكُ الدُنيا وبهْجَتُها

    وناصرُ الدين مهما راعَهُ رَهَبُ

    For Yusuf is the world's king and its splendor,

    and champion of the faith whenever dread alarms it.

  22. مَن كابْن نَصْرٍ إذا عدّ الملوكُ بها

    مَوْلىً لصحبِ رَسول اللهِ ينتَسِبُ

    Who equals Ibn Nasr when its kings are counted—

    a lord tracing his lineage to the companions of God's Messenger?

  23. آباؤهُ النّفَرُ الغُرُّ الذين لهُمْ

    مآثِرٌ عظّمَتْها العجْمُ والعرَبُ

    His forefathers are the illustrious company whose

    glorious deeds non-Arabs and Arabs have exalted.

  24. هَذي الكتائبُ تُزْهى والكتابُ بهِمْ

    في اللهِ ما كتّبوا في اللهِ ما كتَبوا

    These battalions and the scribes take pride in them;

    what they mustered was for God; what they wrote was for God.

  25. فأينَ مُستَنْصِرُ الأملاكِ منهُ ندىً

    وسيْفُ دولَتهمْ تُزْهى به حَلَبُ

    Where, then, is the kings' Mustansir beside him in bounty,

    and the sword of their dynasty, in whom Aleppo takes pride?

  26. لعَبْدِه الرّاغِبِ الرّاجي برؤيَتِه

    فوق السّحابِ ذيولَ الفخْر تنسَحِبُ

    For his longing, hopeful servant, through seeing him,

    the trains of pride trail above the clouds.

  27. كلّمتَ عبْدَك يا موْلَى المُلوكِ فما

    بالنّظمِ والنّثْر وفّى بعضَ ما يجِبُ

    You addressed your servant, O lord of kings; yet he has not

    in verse and prose fulfilled a fraction of what is due.

  28. إذا رأيْتُ مُحيّاكَ الكريمَ فقدْ

    بلغْتُ ما كنتُ أرجو وانْتَهى الطّلبُ

    When I see your noble countenance, I have

    attained what I hoped for, and the quest has ended.

  29. وإنّ أيْسرَ لحْظٍ منكَ يُقْنِعُني

    دون العِناية عِندي المالُ والنّشَبُ

    And indeed, the slightest glance from you satisfies me;

    to me, money and property rank below your care.

  30. هذا ولم يكْفِ ما أوْلَيْتَ من نِعمٍ

    ومن مَكارمَ تأتي دونَها السُّحُبُ

    All this—and the blessings you bestowed did not suffice,

    nor the bounties of which the clouds fall short,

  31. حتّى وهَبْتَ التي أضْحَتْ ملابِسُها

    يَروقُ منهُ اللُّجَيْنُ البحْتُ والذّهَبُ

    until you gave that piece, whose coverings now

    delight the eye with pure silver and gold.

  32. وهبْتَها فذّةً صَفْراءَ قد جُلِيَتْ

    كأنها بعْضُ ما تَرْمي به الشُهُبُ

    You gave it, unique and yellow, already polished,

    as though it were part of what the shooting stars hurl.

  33. لا تعْجَبوا إنْ بَدا كالنّجْمِ ظاهِرُها

    فإنّ باطِنَها للَّيْلِ ينْتَسبُ

    Do not marvel if its exterior appears like a star,

    for its interior traces its lineage to the night.

  34. دارَ الجُمانُ بأعْلاها يروقُ سناً

    كأنّما هي كأسٌ فوقَها حَبَبُ

    Pearls encircled its top with a pleasing radiance,

    as though it were a cup topped with bubbles.

  35. إنْ أخْفَتِ الحِبْرَ رهْنَ الصّدْرِ تحْجُبُهُ

    لا تعجَبوا فَسوادُ القلْبِ محْتَجَبُ

    If it hides the ink, keeping it captive and veiled in its breast,

    do not marvel: the heart's black core is concealed.

  36. إذا اليَراعةُ جالتْ عِنْدَها فعلتْ

    ما ليْسَ تفعَلُهُ الهِنديّةُ القُضُبُ

    When the reed pen moves beside it, it does

    what the keen Indian swords cannot do.

  37. مَولايَ هذا الذي قد كنتُ آمُلُهُ

    هذا الزّمانُ الذي مازِلْتُ أرتَقِبُ

    My lord, this is what I had hoped for;

    this is the time I have long awaited.

  38. لازِلتَ يا ملِكَ الإسلامِ في دَعَةٍ

    ومن عُلاكَ جميل الصُنْعِ مرْتَقَبُ

    May you ever remain, O king of Islam, in ease,

    and gracious deeds are awaited from your eminence.