Sol 6.1

  1. أَلا هَبَّت أُمامَةُ بَعدَ هَدءٍ

    عَلى لَومي وَما قَضَّت كَراها

    Lo, Umama stirred after a spell of quiet,

    to reproach me, before she had finished her sleep.

  2. فَبِتُّ مُراقِباً لِلنَجمِ حَتّى

    تَجَلَّت عَن أَواخِرِها دُجاها

    So I spent the night watching the star, until

    the night's darkness cleared from its final hours.

  3. فَقُلتُ لَها أُمامَ دَعي عِتابي

    فَإِنَّ النَفسَ مُبدِيَةً نَثاها

    So I told her: Umama, cease reproaching me,

    for the soul makes its own story known.

  4. وَلَيسَ لَها مِنَ الحَدَثانِ بُدٌّ

    إِذا ما الدَهرُ عَن عُرُضٍ رَماها

    It has no escape from the blows of time

    when fate strikes it from any quarter.

  5. فَهَل أُخبِرتِ أَو أَبصَرتِ نَفساً

    أَتاها في تَلَمُّسِها مُناها

    Have you ever heard of, or seen, a soul

    whose wishes came to it as it sought them?

  6. وَقَد خَلَّيتِني وَنَجِيِّ هَمٍّ

    تَشَعَّبَ أَعظُمي حَتّى بَراها

    Yet you have left me with care as my confidant,

    which branched through my bones until it wore them away,

  7. كَأَنّي ساوَرَتني ذاتُ سَمٍّ

    نَقيعٍ لا تُلائِمُها رُقاها

    as though a venomous serpent had assailed me,

    with deadly venom against which its charms avail nothing.

  8. لَعَمرُ الراقِصاتِ بِكُلِّ فَجٍّ

    مِنَ الرُكبانِ مَوعِدُها مِناها

    By the life of the she-camels dancing through every pass,

    among the caravans, whose meeting-place is Mina:

  9. لَقَد شَدَّت حَبائِلُ آلِ لَأيٍ

    حِبالي بَعدَما ضَعُفَت قُواها

    the cords of the house of Laʾy have indeed strengthened

    my cords, after their strands had weakened.

  10. فَما تَتّامُ جارَةُ آلِ لَأيٍ

    وَلَكِن يَضمَنونَ لَها قِراها

    No woman under Laʾy's protection is seduced;

    rather, they guarantee her a guest's provision.

  11. كِرامٌ يَفضُلونَ قُرومَ سَعدٍ

    أُلي أَحسابُهُم وَأُلي نُهاها

    Noble men, surpassing Saʿd's chieftains,

    men of ancestral honor and sound judgment.

  12. وَهُم فَرعُ الذُرا مِن آلِ سَعدٍ

    إِذا ما عُدَّ مِن سَعدٍ ذُراها

    They are the crowning summit of the house of Saʿd,

    whenever Saʿd's summits are counted.

  13. وَيَبني المَجدَ راحِلُ آلِ لَأيٍ

    عَلى العَوجاءِ مُضطَمِراً حَشاها

    The traveler of Laʾy's house builds glory,

    on a lean she-camel, clasping her flanks.

  14. وَيَسعى لِلسِياسَةِ مُردُ لَأيٍ

    فَتُدرِكُها وَما وَصَلَت لِحاها

    Laʾy's beardless youths strive for leadership,

    and attain it before their beards have fully grown.

  15. وَخُطَّةُ ماجِدٍ مِن آلِ لَأيٍ

    إِذا ما قامَ صاحِبُها قَضاها

    An undertaking of a noble man from Laʾy's house—

    once its master rises to it, he carries it through.

  16. فَلا نَكراءُ بِالمَعروفِ يَوماً

    وَغاياتُ المَكارِمِ مُنتَهاها

    No kindness is ever foreign to it;

    its goal is the furthest reach of noble deeds.

  17. لَعَمرُكَ ما تُضَيِّعُ آلُ لَأيٍ

    وَثيقاتِ الأُمورِ إِلى عُراها

    By your life, the house of Laʾy never neglects

    the firm bonds of affairs, down to their fastenings.

  18. وَما تَرَكَت حَفائِظَها لِأَمرٍ

    أَلَمَّ بِها وَما قَصُرَت لُهاها

    They have never forsaken their duties of honor for any trouble

    that befell them, nor have their gifts fallen short.

  19. وَمَن يَطلُب مَساعِيَ آلِ لَأيٍ

    تَصَعَّدَهُ الأُمورُ إِلى عُلاها

    Whoever seeks to match the achievements of Laʾy's house

    finds the ascent to their heights arduous.

  20. إِذا اِعوَجَّت قَناةُ المَجدِ يَوماً

    أَقاموها لِتَبلُغَ مُنتَهاها

    If glory's spear-shaft ever bends,

    they straighten it to reach its full height.

  21. وَكانوا العُروَةَ الوُثقى إِذا ما

    تَصَعَّدَتِ الأُمورُ إِلى عُراها

    They have been the firmest handhold whenever

    affairs climbed to their knottiest heights.

  22. وَأَحلامٌ إِذا طُلِبَت إِلَيهِم

    وَلَيسوا يُعجِلونَ بِها إِناها

    And sound judgment, when it is sought from them—

    they do not hasten it before its proper time.