Sol 6.1

  1. تَنازَعُني الآمالُ كَهلاً وَيافِعاً

    وَيُسعِدُني التَعليلُ لَو كانَ نافِعاً

    Hopes contend for me, in middle age and youth,

    And consolation would help me, were it of any use.

  2. وَما اِعتَنَقَ العَليا سِوى مُفرَدٍ سَرى

    لِهَولِ الفَلا وَالشَوقِ وَالسَوقِ رابِعاً

    None embraced the heights but a solitary traveler who journeyed by night,

    A fourth companion to the desert's terror, longing, and the urging onward.

  3. رَأى عَزَماتِ الشَوقِ قَد نَزَعَت بِهِ

    فَساعَدَ في اللَهِ النَوى وَالنَوازِعا

    He saw that longing's resolves had drawn him onward,

    So, for God's sake, he joined forces with departure and beckoning urges.

  4. وَرَكبٍ دَعَتهُم نَحوَ يَثرِبَ نِيَّةٌ

    فَما وَجَدَت إِلاّ مُطيعاً وَسامِعا

    And many a caravan was called toward Yathrib by a resolve;

    It found none but the obedient and attentive.

  5. يُسابِقُ وَخدَ العيسِ ماءُ شُؤونِهِم

    فَيُفنونَ بِالشَوقِ المَدى وَالمَدامِعا

    Their tears race the swift trot of the pale camels,

    So, through longing, they consume the distance and drain their tear ducts.

  6. إِذا اِنعَطَفوا أَو رَجَّعوا الذِكرَ خِلتَهُم

    غُصوناً لِدناً أَو حَماماً سَواجِعا

    When they sway or chant remembrance, you would take them

    For supple branches or cooing doves.

  7. تُضيءُ مِنَ التَقوى حَنايا صُدورِهِم

    وَقَد لَبِسوا اللَيلَ البَهيمَ مَدارِعا

    The recesses of their breasts shine with piety,

    Though they have donned the pitch-black night as robes.

  8. تَلاقى عَلى وادي اليَقينِ قُلوبُهُم

    خَوافِقَ يُذكِرنَ القَطا وَالمَشارِعا

    Their hearts meet over the valley of certainty,

    Fluttering, evoking sandgrouse and watering places.

  9. قُلوبٌ عَرَفنَ الحَقَّ فَهيَ قَدِ اِنطَوَت

    عَلَيها جُنوبٌ ما عَرَفنَ المَضاجِعا

    Hearts that have known the Truth, already enfolded

    By sides that have never known beds.

  10. تَكادُ مُناجاةُ النَبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

    تَنِمُّ بِها مِسكاً عَلى الشَمِّ ذائِعا

    Whispered communion with the Prophet Muhammad almost

    Reveals those hearts as musk, its fragrance spreading.

  11. تَخالُهُمُ النَبتَ الهَشيمَ تَغَيُّراً

    وَقَد فَتَقوا رَوضاً مِنَ الذِكرِ يانِعا

    So changed, you would take them for dry, crumbling plants,

    Yet they have unfolded a flourishing garden of remembrance.

  12. سَقى دَمعُهُم غَرسَ الأَسى في ثَرى الجَوى

    فَأَنبَتَ أَزهارَ الشُجونِ الفَواقِعا

    Their tears watered grief's planting in the soil of yearning,

    And brought forth the bright-hued blossoms of sorrow.

  13. فَذاقوا لُبانَ الصِدقِ مَحضاً لِعِزِّهِم

    وَحَرَّمَ تَفريطي عَلَيَّ المَراضِعا

    So, through their dignity, they tasted sincerity's unmingled milk,

    While my neglect denied me the wet nurses.

  14. خُذوا القَلبَ يا رَكبَ الحِجازِ فَإِنَّني

    أَرى الجِسمَ في أَسرِ العَلائِقِ قابِعا

    Take my heart, O caravan of the Hijaz, for I

    See my body crouching, captive to attachments.

  15. وَلا تُرجِعوهُ إِن قَفَلتُم فَإِنَّما

    أَمانَتُكُم أَلاّ تَرُدّوا الوَدائِعا

    And do not bring it back if you return, for

    Your faithfulness lies in not returning what was entrusted.

  16. مَعَ الجَمَراتِ اِرموهُ يا قَومُ إِنَّهُ

    حَصاةٌ تَلَقَّت مِن يَدِ الشَوقِ صادِعا

    Cast it with the pebbles at the Jamarat, my people, for it is

    A pebble that received a shattering blow from longing's hand.

  17. وَحَطّوا رَجائي في رَجا زَمزَمَ الصَفا

    وَخَلّوا المُنى تَجمَع غَليلاً وَناقِعا

    And lay my hope on the rim of pure Zamzam,

    And let wishes unite a burning thirst with what slakes it.

  18. تَخَلَّصَ أَقوامٌ وَأَسلَمَني الهَوى

    إِلى عُلَقٍ سَدَّت عَلَيَّ المَطامِعا

    Some have won free, while passion has handed me over

    To attachments that have closed off my hopes.

  19. هُمُ دَخَلوا بابَ القَبولِ بِقَرعِهِم

    وَحَسبِيَ أَن أَبقى لِسِنِّيَ قارِعا

    They entered the gate of acceptance by their knocking,

    While I must be content to keep striking my teeth in regret.

  20. وَوَاللَهِ ما لي في الدُخولِ وَسيلَةٌ

    تُرَجّى وَلَكِن أَعرِفُ البابَ واسِعا

    And by God, I have no means of entry

    On which to set my hope; yet I know the gate is wide.

  21. أَيَنفَكُّ عَزمي عَن قُيودٍ ثَقيلَةٍ

    أَيَمحو الهَوى عَن طينَةِ القَلبِ طابِعا

    Will my resolve break free of heavy chains?

    Will passion erase an imprint from the heart's clay?

  22. وَتُسعِفُ لَيتٌ في قَضاءِ لُبانَتي

    وَتَترُكُ سَوفٌ فِعلَ عَزمي المُضارِعا

    And will 'if only' help fulfill my desire,

    And will 'later' leave my resolve's present-tense verb alone?

  23. إِذا شَرَّقَ الإِرشادُ خابَت بَصيرَتي

    كَما بَعَثَت شَمسٌ سَراباً مُخادِعا

    When guidance dawns in the east, my insight fails,

    As when the sun casts a deceptive mirage.

  24. فَلا الزَجرُ يَنهاني وَإِن كانَ مُرهِباً

    وَلا النُصحُ يَثنيني وَإِن كانَ ناصِعا

    So neither rebuke restrains me, though it is fearsome,

    Nor does counsel turn me back, though it is clear.

  25. بَنَيتَ بِناءَ الحَرفِ خامَرَ طَبعَهُ

    فَصارَ لِتَأثيرِ العَوامِلِ مانِعا

    You built yourself like a particle; its fixedness permeated its nature,

    So it became a barrier to the influence of grammatical governors.

  26. بَلَغتَ نِصابَ الأَربَعينَ فَزَكَها

    بِفِعلٍ تُرى فيهِ مُنيباً وَرابِعا

    You have reached the threshold of forty; pay its alms

    With a deed that shows you repentant and steadfast.

  27. وَبادِر بَوادي السَمِّ إِن كُنتَ راقِياً

    وَعاجِل رُقوعَ الفَتقِ إِن كُنتَ راقِعا

    And counter poison's first signs at once, if you recite healing charms,

    And hasten to patch the tear, if you are a mender.

  28. فَما اِشتَبَهَت طُرقُ النَجاةِ وَإِنَّما

    رَكِبتَ إِلَيها مِن يَقينِكَ ظالِعا

    For the paths to salvation are not hard to discern; rather,

    You rode toward them on the lame mount of your certainty.