Sol 6.1

  1. سَلِ البانَ عنهم أَينَ بانوا ويمَّموا

    أَلِلجزعِ ساروا أَم برامَةَ خيّموا

    Ask the ban-tree about them: where did they depart, and whither did they head?

    Did they journey to the valley-bend, or camp at Rama?

  2. وَهَل شُرعَت تلك القِبابُ بسَفحها

    وأَمسى بها حاديهُم يترنَّمُ

    Were those domed tents pitched upon its slope,

    and did their camel-driver sing there at dusk?

  3. وَهَل رنَّحت فيها الغَواني قدودها

    وأَغصانُها من غيرَةٍ تتبرَّمُ

    Did the fair maidens sway their figures there,

    while its branches fretted with jealousy?

  4. وَهَل هيمنَت ريحُ الصبا بشِعابها

    سُحَيراً وَراحَت بالشَذا تَتَنسَّمُ

    Did the east wind murmur through its ravines

    just before dawn, then drift, breathing fragrance?

  5. وَهَل وردت ماءَ العُذيب أَوانِسٌ

    فإنّي أَرى أَرجاءَه تَتَبَسَّمُ

    Did lovely maidens come to the waters of al-Udhayb?

    For I see its surroundings smiling.

  6. وَبي غادَةٌ منهنَّ ما أَسفرت ضحىً

    لشمس الضُحى إلّا غدت تتلثَّمُ

    A graceful maiden among them has claimed me; whenever she unveils at morn

    before the morning sun, the sun veils its face.

  7. تُغير سَنى الأَقمار غُرَّة وجهها

    وَيحسدُ عِطفيها الوشيجُ المقوَّمُ

    The radiance of her face makes the moons' splendor jealous,

    and straightened spear-shafts envy her two sides.

  8. تقسَّمَ فيها الحسنُ لمّا تفردَّت

    فكُلُّ فؤادٍ في هَواها مقسَّمُ

    Beauty spread among her charms when she stood unrivaled,

    so every heart in love with her is torn apart.

  9. وَلَم أَنسَها وَالبينُ ينعقُ بيننا

    وَنارُ الجوى بين الجوانح تُضرَمُ

    I have not forgotten her, as separation cawed between us,

    and the fire of love's anguish blazed between my ribs.

  10. وقد نثرت دُرَّ الدُموع بخدِّها

    وفي جيدها دُرُّ العقود المنظَّمُ

    She had scattered pearls of tears upon her cheek,

    while pearls of necklaces lay strung about her neck.

  11. أُسائلُها يوم التفرُّق عَن دَمي

    فتومي بكفٍّ عِندَ مَن وهي عَندمُ

    On parting day I questioned her about my blood,

    and she gestured, 'With whom?'—her hand crimson as dragon's blood.

  12. وَسارَت فَسالَت أَدمعٌ من محاجر

    فَما أبعدَت إلّا وأَكثرُها دَمُ

    She journeyed on, and tears streamed from my eyes;

    she had not gone far before most of them were blood.

  13. وَراحَت حُداةُ العيس تشدو بذكرها

    وَظَلَّت مَطاياها تَغورُ وتُتهمُ

    The drivers of the pale camels sang of her,

    while her mounts kept descending to the lowlands and entering Tihama.

  14. وما كلَّمتني حين زُمَّت رحالُها

    وَلَكِنَّ قَلبي راح وهو مُكلَّمُ

    She spoke no word to me when her saddles were strapped,

    yet my heart went away wounded.

  15. وَكَم من خليٍّ ثَمَّ لم يدرِ ما الهَوى

    غدا وهو مُغرىً بالصَبابة مُغرَمُ

    How many a carefree man there, who knew nothing of love,

    became enthralled by yearning, love-stricken!

  16. أَغارت عليه بالفتور لحاظُها

    وأَقصَدَه منها نِبالٌ وأَسهمُ

    Her languid glances raided him,

    and arrows and shafts from her struck him down.

  17. تصرَّم صفو العيش بعد فِراقها

    فَلَم يبق إلّا حسرةٌ وتندُّمُ

    Life's serenity ended after her departure,

    and nothing remained but sorrow and regret.

  18. يَقولون سَل عنها الدِيارَ بذي الغضا

    وَهَل ذو الغضا إِلّا فؤادي المتَيَّمُ

    They say, 'Ask the dwellings at Dhu al-Ghada about her.'

    But what is Dhu al-Ghada save my love-enslaved heart?

  19. وَما خيّمت بالمُنحنى من مُحجّرٍ

    وَلكن ضُلوعي المنحنى والمخيَّمُ

    She did not camp at the bend in Muhajjar;

    rather, my ribs are the bend and the encampment.

  20. وإِن يمَّمت سَفحَ العَقيق بمقلتي

    فَيا حبَّذا سفحُ العَقيق الميمّمُ

    If she makes for al-Aqiq's slope within my eye,

    how lovely is al-Aqiq's slope, her chosen destination!

  21. وَنفحةِ طيبٍ من لطائم نشرِها

    تحمَّلها عنها النَسيمُ المهَينِمُ

    And many a breath of perfume from the caskets of her scent

    the murmuring breeze carried away from her.

  22. فَجاءَ يجرُّ الذَيلَ من مَرَحٍ بها

    وَوافى بها وَالرَكبُ يَقظى ونُوَّمُ

    It came, trailing its skirts in delight at that scent,

    and brought it while some of the caravan were awake and others asleep.

  23. فَلَم يَدرِ ما أَهدَتهُ لي غير مهجَتي

    ولا اِرتاح إِلّا قَلبي المتأَلِّمُ

    None but my soul knew what it had given me,

    and none but my aching heart rejoiced.

  24. لئن ضاعَ عهدي عندها بعد بُعدِها

    فَما ضاعَ عِندي عهدُها المتقدِّمُ

    Though my pledge was lost to her after she went far away,

    her old pledge was never lost to me.

  25. وَلَم تَثنني عَنها مقالةُ لائِمٍ

    وإِن أَكثرت فيها وشاةٌ وَلوَّمُ

    No censurer's words turned me away from her,

    though slanderers and blamers spoke much of her.

  26. وأَكتمُ وَجدي في هَواها تجلُّداً

    وَلكنَّ دَمعي بالغَرام يُترجمُ

    I conceal my passion for her, striving to be steadfast,

    but my tears give voice to love.

  27. توهَّم سلواني العذولُ جهالةً

    بما جنَّ قَلبي ساءَ ما يتوهَّمُ

    The reproacher imagined I was consoled, ignorant

    of what my heart concealed—how badly he imagined!

  28. فَيا جيرةً كانوا وكنّا بقربهم

    نُذِلُّ تَصاريفَ الزَمان ونُرغمُ

    O neighbors of old, in whose nearness we

    humbled fortune's turns and brought them low!

  29. تحلّى بهم عيشي لَيالي وصالِهم

    فمرَّت فأَضحى وهو صابٌ وعَلقمُ

    Through them my life grew sweet in nights of union;

    then those nights passed, and it became bitter sap and colocynth.

  30. نشدتكُمُ هَل عهدُنا بطوَيلع

    على العَهد مأهولٌ كما كنت أَعلمُ

    I implore you: is our old place at Tuwayliʿ

    still inhabited as before, as I once knew it?

  31. وَهَل دارُنا بالشِعب جامعةٌ لنا

    وَهَل عائدٌ بالوَصل عيدٌ وموسمُ

    Does our house in the ravine still gather us together?

    Will a feast day and a season of reunion return?

  32. نأَيتم فأذوى ناضرَ العَيش نأيُكم

    وَعادَ رَبيعُ الوصل وهو محرَّمُ

    You went far away, and your distance withered life's fresh bloom;

    and the spring of union became forbidden.

  33. وَلَو شئتُمُ ما فرَّق البينُ بيننا

    ولا عنَّ طَيرٌ للتفرُّقِ أَشأمُ

    Had you wished, separation would not have parted us,

    nor would an ill-omened bird of parting have appeared.

  34. وَلكنّكم أَبعدتُمُ شُقَّة النَوى

    فأَصبحتُ من جور النَوى أَتظلَّمُ

    But you made the distance of estrangement vast,

    so I began complaining of separation's tyranny.

  35. صِلوا أَو فصدّوا كيف شئتم فأَنتم

    أَحبِّةُ قَلبي جرتم أَم عدَلتمُ

    Unite with me, or turn away, just as you wish, for you are

    my heart's beloved, whether unjust or fair.

  36. وإِن جلَّ خَطبي في هواكم فمخلصي

    إِذا عَظُم الخطبُ الجنابُ المعظَّمُ

    Though my ordeal in loving you is great, my deliverance,

    when trouble looms, is the exalted Presence:

  37. محمَّد المبعوث من آل هاشمٍ

    وَخاتم رُسل اللَه وهو المقدَّمُ

    Muhammad, sent forth from the house of Hashim,

    the seal of God's messengers, foremost among them;

  38. نبيُّ الهدى بحرُ النَدى أَشرفُ الورى

    وأَكرمُ خلق اللَه جاهاً وأَعظمُ

    the prophet of guidance, sea of bounty, noblest of mankind,

    most honored of God's creatures in rank, and greatest.

  39. بمبعثه إِنجيلُ عيسى مبشِّرٌ

    وَتَوراةُ موسى والزبورُ مُترجمُ

    The Gospel of Jesus heralds his mission,

    and the Torah of Moses and the Psalms proclaim it.

  40. به أَشرقت شَمسُ الهِداية بعدما

    أَضَلَّ الورى لَيلٌ من الغيِّ مُظلمُ

    Through him the sun of guidance shone after

    a dark night of error had led mankind astray.

  41. له معجزاتٌ لا يُوارى ضياؤُها

    وَكَيفَ يوارى الصبحُ أَم كيفَ يُكتَمُ

    His are miracles whose light cannot be concealed;

    how can dawn be hidden, how can it be kept secret?

  42. بمَولده غارَت بحيرةُ ساوةٍ

    وإيوانُ كسرى راح وهو مهدَّمُ

    At his birth, Lake Sawa sank away,

    and Chosroes' great hall lay shattered.

  43. وأَخمدَ نيرانَ المجوس قدومُه

    وَكانَت على عُبّادِها تتضرَّمُ

    His coming quenched the fires of the Magians,

    which had blazed before their worshippers.

  44. وأَمسَت نجومُ الأفق تَدنو وشهبُها

    رجومٌ لسُرّاق الشياطين تَرجمُ

    The stars of the horizon drew near, and their meteors

    became missiles, pelting the thieving devils.

  45. درَّت على ظِئريه من بركاته

    بمقدمِه أَنواعُ بِرٍّ وأَنعُمُ

    Through his blessings there flowed upon his foster parents,

    at his arrival, kindnesses and favors of every kind.

  46. ورُدَّت عليه الشَمسُ بعد غروبها

    وَشُقَّ له بَدرُ السَماء المتمَّمُ

    For him the sun was brought back after setting,

    and the full moon of heaven was split for him.

  47. وَفاضَت مياهٌ من أَنامِل كفِّه

    فَأَروَت بها علاً ظِماءٌ وَحوَّمُ

    Waters gushed from the fingers of his hand,

    and the thirsty and those circling for water drank their fill, draught after draught.

  48. وَمن شاطئ الوادي أَجابتهُ دوحةٌ

    وَجاءَت إليه من قَريبٍ تُسلِّمُ

    From the valley's bank a great tree answered him,

    and came close to him, offering greeting.

  49. وحنَّ إليه الجذعُ بعد فِراقه

    فَراح لما قد نالَه يتحطَّمُ

    The palm-trunk yearned for him after he left it,

    and began to splinter under what had befallen it.

  50. وفي كفِّه من خشيةٍ سبَّح الحصى

    ومن جودها أَثرى فَقيرٌ ومُعدِمُ

    In his hand the pebbles praised God in awe,

    and through its bounty the poor and destitute grew rich.

  51. ترقّى إلى السَبع السَماوات صاعِداً

    وَبارئه يُدنيهِ برّاً ويُكرمُ

    He ascended through the seven heavens,

    while his Maker drew him near in kindness and honor.

  52. فأَمَّ جميعَ الأَنبياءِ مقدَّماً

    وَحُقَّ له حَقّاً هناك التَقَدُّمُ

    He led all the prophets in prayer, placed before them,

    and truly the right to precedence there was his.

  53. وَصَلّى عليه اللَه في ملكوته

    وَقالَ لنا صَلّوا عليه وَسَلِّموا

    God blessed him in His heavenly kingdom,

    and told us, 'Bless him and greet him with peace.'

  54. نبيٌّ هو النورُ المضيءُ لناظر

    وَلَم أَرَ نوراً قبله يتجسَّمُ

    A prophet who is light shining for every beholder;

    never before him have I seen light take bodily form.

  55. نَبيٌّ أَبانَ الدينَ بعدَ خفائِه

    وأَوضحَ منه ما يحلُّ وَيحرُمُ

    A prophet who made religion manifest after its concealment,

    and clarified its lawful and forbidden things.

  56. وَجلّى ظَلامَ الشِركِ منه بغرَّةٍ

    هي الصبحُ لكن أفقُها ليس يظلِمُ

    He dispelled the darkness of idolatry with a radiant brow

    that is dawn—but its horizon never darkens.

  57. هُوَ البَحرُ والبَرُّ الرؤوفُ وإِنَّه

    أَبرُّ بنا من كُلِّ بَرٍّ وأَرحَمُ

    He is the sea, the benevolent, the compassionate; indeed, he is

    kinder to us than any benefactor, and more merciful.

  58. يَجودُ وقد لاحَت تباشيرُ بِشرِه

    وَيبذلُ وهو الضاحكُ المتبسِّمُ

    He gives as the first signs of his cheerfulness shine,

    and bestows while laughing and smiling.

  59. مكارمُه أَربَت على الحصرِ كَثرةً

    وكُلُّ بَليغٍ عَن مَعاليه مُفخَمُ

    His noble deeds are too numerous to be counted,

    and his lofty virtues leave every eloquent speaker awestruck.

  60. وَماذا يَقولُ المادحونَ وقد أَتى

    بِمدحتِه نصٌّ من الذِكر مُحكَمُ

    What can those who praise him say, when there has come

    a decisive passage of the Revelation in his praise?

  61. إذا ما بدا في آله الغُرِّ خلتَه

    هُنالكَ بدرَ التمِّ حفَّته أَنجُمُ

    When he appears among his radiant family, you would think him

    the full moon there, surrounded by stars.

  62. عليٌّ أَميرُ المؤمنين وصيُّه

    إليه اِنتَهى كُلُّ النُهى والتكرُّمُ

    Ali, Commander of the Faithful, is his legatee;

    all understanding and generosity reach their summit in him.

  63. به ضاءَ نورُ الحقِّ واتَّضحَت لنا

    مَعالِمُ دين اللَه والأَمرُ مُبهَمُ

    Through him the light of truth shone, and there became clear to us

    the signs of God's religion, when all was obscure.

  64. وَما أَنكرت أَعداؤُه عَن جهالة

    مناقبَه العُظمى ولكنَّهم عَموا

    Not through ignorance did his enemies deny

    his greatest virtues; rather, they were blind.

  65. هُوَ البطلُ الشهمُ الأَغرُّ السُمَيدع ال

    همامُ السريُّ الأَكرَمُ المتكرِّمُ

    He is the hero, noble-hearted, radiant, the mighty lord,

    valiant, highborn, most generous, freely giving.

  66. يفلُّ شَبا الأَعداءِ وهو مُذرَّبٌ

    وَيَثني عنانَ الجيش وهو عَرَمرَمُ

    He blunts the enemies' edge, though it is keen,

    and turns back the army's reins, though it is vast.

  67. لئن جَحدت قَومٌ عظيمَ مقامِه

    وَقالوا بِما قالوا ضَلالاً وأَبهموا

    Though some denied the greatness of his station,

    and said what they said in error, obscuring the truth,

  68. فقد شهدَ الذكرُ المبينُ بفضله

    وَطيبةُ وَالبيتُ العَتيقُ وَزَمزَمُ

    the clear Revelation has borne witness to his excellence,

    as have Tayba, the Ancient House, and Zamzam.

  69. وأَبناؤُهُ من بعده أَنجم الهُدى

    هم العروةُ الوثقى الَّتي لَيسَ تُفصَمُ

    His sons after him are stars of guidance;

    they are the firmest handhold, never to be broken.

  70. مودَّتُهم أَجرُ النبوَّة في الورى

    وَحبُّهم فرضٌ علينا محتَّمُ

    Love for them is the reward of prophethood among mankind,

    and loving them is a duty binding upon us.

  71. هم القَومُ كُلُّ القومِ في الفضل والنَدى

    وَما منهم إلّا مُنيلٌ ومُنعِمُ

    They are the people, the very people, of excellence and bounty;

    not one of them but grants and bestows.

  72. ولا عيبَ فيهم غَير أَنَّ نزيلَهم

    يُخيَّرُ فيما عندَهم وَيُحكَّمُ

    They have no fault, except that their guest

    is given his choice of their possessions and full command.

  73. عليهم صَلاةُ اللَه ما هبَّت الصَبا

    وَنشرُهم من طيِّها يتنسَّمُ

    God's blessings be upon them as long as the east wind blows,

    and their fragrance is breathed from its folds.

  74. فَيا خَيرَ خَلقِ اللَه جئتُك قاصِداً

    وَقصدُك في الدارين مَغنىً ومغنَمُ

    O best of God's creation, I have come seeking you;

    seeking you is wealth and gain in both worlds.

  75. فكن لي شَفيعاً من ذنوبيَ في غَدٍ

    إذا أَحرزت أَهلَ الذُنوب جهنَّمُ

    Be my intercessor against my sins tomorrow,

    when Hell takes sinners captive.

  76. وأَنعِم فدتكَ النَفسُ لي بزيارةٍ

    فأَنتَ الَّذي يولي الجزيلَ وَيُنعِمُ

    Grant me a visit—may my soul be your ransom—

    for you are the one who bestows abundantly and grants favors.

  77. فَقَد طالَ بُعدي عن جَنابك سيِّدي

    وَقَلبيَ بالأَشواق نحوكَ مُفعَمُ

    Long has my distance from your presence lasted, my master,

    and my heart is filled with longing for you.

  78. وَفي النَفس آمالٌ أريد نجاحَها

    وأَنتَ بما في النَفس أَدرى وأَعلَمُ

    Within my soul are hopes I wish to see fulfilled,

    and you best know and understand what is within my soul.

  79. عليكَ صَلاةُ الله ثمَّ سَلامُه

    مَدى الدَهر لا يَفنى ولا يتصَرَّمُ

    Upon you be God's blessings, then His peace,

    throughout time, never fading, never ending;

  80. وآلِكَ وَالصحب الكرام أولي النُهى

    بهم يُبدأ الذكرُ الجَميل وَيُختَمُ

    and upon your family and noble Companions, endowed with understanding:

    with them fair remembrance begins and ends.