Sol 6.1

  1. أَقِلَّا مَلامِي فِي هَوَى الشَّادِنِ الأَحْوَى

    فَقَلْبِي عَلَى حَمْلِ الْمَلامَةِ لا يَقْوَى

    You two, lessen your reproach of me for loving the dark-lipped fawn;

    for my heart has no strength to bear reproach.

  2. كَفَى بِالْهَوَى شُغْلاً عَنِ اللَّوْمِ بِامْرِئٍ

    بَرَاهُ الضَّنَى وَاسْتَمْطَرَتْ عَيْنَهُ الْبَلْوَى

    Love is distraction enough from reproach for a man

    whom wasting sickness has worn away and whose eye affliction has drawn rain from.

  3. فَلَيْسَ الْهَوَى سَهْلاً فَأَلْوِي عِنَانَهُ

    وَإِنْ كُنْتُ يَوْمَ الرَّوْعِ ذَا مِرَّةٍ أَلْوَى

    For love is not docile enough for me to turn its rein,

    though on the day of terror I am strong and unyielding.

  4. هُوَ الْحُبُّ يَعْتَامُ الْكِرَامَ وَلَنْ تَرَى

    لَئِيماً يَنَالُ السَّبْقَ فِي الْفَضْلِ أَوْ يَهْوَى

    It is love that chooses the noble; you will never see

    a base man take the lead in excellence, or fall in love.

  5. وَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَقْوَى عَلَى دَفْعِ مَا أَتَى

    بِهِ الْحُبُّ مِنْ جوْرٍ وَسُلْطَانُهُ أَقْوَى

    And who is there strong enough to repel what

    love has brought of oppression, when its power is stronger?

  6. سَبُوقٌ إِذَا جَارَى لَحُوقٌ إِذَا هَوَى

    غَلُوبٌ إِذَا بَادَى قَتُولٌ إِذَا أَهْوَى

    It outstrips when it races, overtakes when it swoops;

    it conquers when it confronts, and kills when it strikes.

  7. لَهُ سُورَةٌ لَوْ صَادَمَتْ رُكْنَ يَذْبُلٍ

    وَرَضْوَى لَهَدَّتْ يَذْبُلاً وَمَحَتْ رَضْوَى

    It has a fury that, were it to strike the flank of Yadhbul

    and Radwa, would shatter Yadhbul and erase Radwa.

  8. فَحَتَّامَ يَلْحَانِي الْعَذُولُ عَلَى الْهَوَى

    أَلَيْسَ يَرَى مَا بِي فَيَجْتَنِبَ الشَّكْوَى

    How long, then, will the faultfinder reproach me for love?

    Does he not see what ails me, and so refrain from complaint?

  9. لَقَدْ سَامَنِي طَيَّ الْغَرَامِ وَمَا دَرَى

    بِأَنَّ الْهَوَى الْعُذْرِيَّ يَكْبُرُ أَنْ يُطْوَى

    He demanded that I fold away my passion, not knowing

    that chaste love is too great to be folded away.

  10. وَبِي بَلْ بِقَوْمِي الأَكْرَمِينَ خَرِيدَةٌ

    إِذَا سَفَرَتْ كَادَتْ لَهَا الشَّمْسُ أَنْ تَضْوَى

    I would ransom with myself—nay, with my most noble people—a shy maiden:

    when she unveils, the sun almost wastes away before her.

  11. مِنَ الْغِيدِ كَحْلاءُ الْمَحَاجِرِ لَوْ رَنَتْ

    إِلَى القَسِّ فِي نَامُوسِهِ أَخْطَأَ النَّجْوَى

    One of the lissome beauties, with kohl-dark eyes—were she to gaze

    at the priest in his cell, he would falter in his whispered prayer.

  12. تُمِيتُ وَتُحْيِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِلَحْظِهَا

    فَمِنْ عَاشِقٍ يَحْيَا وَمِنْ عَاشِقٍ يَثْوَى

    She kills and revives whomever she wishes with her glance;

    one lover lives, while another lies dead.

  13. بَعَثْتُ لَهَا قَلْبِي عَلَى إِثْرِ لَحْظَةٍ

    فَمَا عَادَ إِلَّا وَهْوَ بِالْحُسْنِ مُسْتَهْوَى

    I sent her my heart in the wake of a glance,

    and it returned only as a captive to beauty.

  14. وَأَفْنَيْتُ عُمْرِي فِي رِضَاهَا فَلَمْ أَنَلْ

    سِوَى رَاحَةٍ تَرْتَدُّ أَوْ عِدَةٍ تُلْوَى

    And I spent my life seeking her favor, but gained

    only a palm that draws back, or a promise evaded.

  15. وَأَصْبَحْتُ مَغْلُوبَ الرَّشَادِ وَقَلَّمَا

    يَعُودُ رَشِيداً صَالِحَ الْعَقْلِ مَنْ يَغْوَى

    And I have lost command of sound judgment; seldom

    does one who strays return prudent and sound of mind.

  16. خَضَعْتُ لأَحْكَامِ الْهَوَى وَلَطَالَمَا

    أَبَيْتُ فَلَمْ أَخْضَعْ لِمَنْ يَهَبُ الْجَدْوَى

    I bowed to love's decrees, though time and again

    I had refused to bow to one who bestows bounty.

  17. وَإِنِّي امْرُؤٌ لَوْلا الْهَوَى مَا وَجَدْتَنِي

    أَدِينُ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَرْهَبُ الْعَدْوَى

    And I am a man whom, but for love, you would never find

    submitting to any but God, or fearing aggression.

  18. بَعِيدُ مَنَاطِ الْهَمِّ تُرْهَبُ صَوْلَتِي

    إِذَا مَا دَجَا خَطْبٌ وَبَادِرَتِي تُرْوَى

    My ambition reaches far; my onslaught is feared

    when calamity grows dark, and my impetuous charge is recounted.

  19. لِسَانِي خَلُوبٌ فِي الْجِدَالِ وَصَارِمِي

    رَسُوبٌ وَرَأْيِي مِنْ سَمَاءِ الضُّحَى أَضْوَى

    My tongue is beguiling in debate, and my sharp sword

    sinks deep; my counsel is brighter than the forenoon sky.

  20. وَعِنْدِي إِذَا مَا الْحَرْبُ أَلْقَتْ قِنَاعَهَا

    عَزِيمَةُ لَيْثٍ مَا تَهِرُّ وَمَا تُعْوَى

    And when war casts off its veil, I possess

    a lion's resolve that neither snarls nor is made to howl;

  21. وَحِلْمُ كَرِيمٍ يَمْلأُ الْغَيْظُ قَلْبَهُ

    فَيَكْظِمُهُ وَالْحِلْمُ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى

    and a noble man's forbearance: rage fills his heart,

    but he restrains it, and forbearance is closer to piety;

  22. وَعِفَّةُ نَفْسٍ لا تُزَنُّ بِرِيبَةٍ

    وَجُودٌ بِهِ ظَلَّتْ عُفَاةُ النَّدَى تَرْوَى

    and the purity of a soul never suspected of wrongdoing;

    and generosity that keeps seekers of bounty's thirst quenched.

  23. وَلِي هِمَّةٌ لَوْلا الْعَوَائِقُ مَهَّدَتْ

    يَدُ الْمَجْدِ فِي أُفْقِ السَّمَاءِ لَهَا مَثْوَى

    And I have an ambition for which, but for obstacles, there would have been prepared

    by glory's hand a dwelling on heaven's horizon.

  24. بَلَغْتُ بِهَا بَعْضَ الْمُنَى غَيْرَ أَنَّنِي

    جَدِيرٌ بِأَنْ أَحْوِي بِهَا كُلَّ مَا أَهْوَى

    Through it I have attained some wishes, yet I

    deserve to gain through it everything I desire.

  25. فَإِنْ سَادَ غَيْرِي بِالْجُدُودِ فَإِنَّنِي

    بِهِمْ وَبِفَضْلِي رِشْتُ سَهْمِي فَمَا أَشْوَى

    So if another gained eminence through his ancestors, then I,

    through them and my own merit, have feathered my arrow, so it missed no vital mark.

  26. وَلَيْسَ عُلُوُّ النَّفْسِ بِالْجَدِّ وَحْدَهُ

    وَلَيْسَ كَمَالُ الْمَرْءِ فِي شَرَفِ الْمَأْوَى

    Nor does a soul's elevation come from ancestry alone,

    nor does a man's perfection lie in the nobility of his dwelling.

  27. إِذَا حَرَّكَتْنِي نَحْوَ أَرْضٍ وَتِيرَةٌ

    رَكِبْتُ لَهَا عَزْمِي وَإِنْ بَعُدَ الْمَهْوَى

    If a need stirs me toward a land,

    I mount my resolve to reach it, though the destination be far.

  28. فَإِنْ كَانَ سَوَّى الدَّهْرُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ مَنْ

    أَرَى مِنْ بَنِيهِ فِي الْحُظُوظِ فَمَا سَوَّى

    And if time has equated me with those

    I see among its sons in fortune, it has not made us equal.

  29. بَرِئْتُ مِنَ الْغِلِّ الَّذِي أَصْبَحَتْ بِهِ

    قُلُوبُهُمُ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا حَمَلَتْ تَدْوَى

    I am free of the rancor that has left

    their hearts ailing from the evil they carry.

  30. نَصَحْتُ وَغَشُّوا وَاسْتَقَمْتُ وَرَاوَغُوا

    وَهَلْ مَنْ هَدَى بَيْنَ الأَنَامِ كَمَنْ أَغْوَى

    I was sincere, while they deceived; I was upright, while they evaded.

    And among mankind, is one who guides like one who leads astray?

  31. وَإِنِّي إِذَا مَا الْخَطْبُ أَمْقَرَ طَعْمُهُ

    نَبَذْتُ بِهِ رَأْيَاً أَلَذَّ مِنَ السَّلْوَى

    And I, whenever calamity's taste turns bitter,

    cast at it a plan sweeter than honey.

  32. أَصَبْتُ كُلَى الأَحْدَاثِ حَتَّى تَرَكْتُهَا

    عَلَى جَمَرَاتِ الْغَيْظِ تَأْمُورُهَا يُشْوَى

    I struck calamities in the kidneys, until I left them

    with their heart roasting on the embers of rage.

  33. وَصُغْتُ مِنَ السِّحْرِ الْحَلالِ قَصَائِدَاً

    تَظَلُّ بِهَا نَفْسُ الْمُعِيدِ لَهَا نَشْوَى

    And I fashioned poems from lawful magic,

    that keep the soul of their reciter intoxicated.

  34. فَمَا قَيَّدَتْنِي لَفْظَةٌ دُونَ حِكْمةٍ

    وَلا غَرَّنِي قَوْلٌ فَمِلْتُ إِلَى الدَّعْوَى

    For no word lacking wisdom has ever bound me,

    nor has a saying deceived me into inclining toward boastful claims.

  35. وَيَا طَالَمَا رُمْتُ الْقَوَافِي فَأَقْبَلَتْ

    سِرَاعاً فَلا أَرْوَى ذَكَرْتُ وَلا حُزْوَى

    And oh, how often I sought rhymes, and they came

    swiftly, though I mentioned neither Arwa nor Huzwa.

  36. فَلا يَحْذُوَنَّ النَّاسُ حَذْوَ بَلاغَتِي

    فَأَقْرَبُ مَا فِي شَأْوِهَا الْغَايَةُ الْقُصْوَى

    So let people not follow in my eloquence's footsteps,

    for the nearest point in its course is the farthest goal.