Sol 6.1

  1. لَو كَانَ طَيفُكَ زائري يا هاجري

    ما أسبلَت صوبَ الدُّموعِ محاجري

    If your phantom visited me, O you who forsake me,

    my eyes would not pour down showers of tears.

  2. لكن غرامي طالَ فيكَ وإِنَّهُ

    لَمَّا رأيتُكَ رُبَّ طَرفٍ قاصرِ

    But my passion for you has long endured; indeed,

    when I saw you, many a gaze fell short.

  3. يا مالِكاً رِقَّ القلوبِ وباسطاً

    فيها ظُلامَةَ حاجبٍ أَو ناظرِ

    O master of hearts' bondage, spreading

    within them the oppression of an eyebrow or an eye,

  4. عجَبي لقدِّكَ كَيفَ أَصبحَ عَادِلاً

    مِن تَحتِ طَرفِكَ وَهو أَقتلُ جَائرِ

    I marvel at your stature: how has it become just

    beneath your gaze, the most murderous tyrant?

  5. من للمُقَيَّدِ في هَواكَ وَجدُّهُ

    مُترادفٌ من هَجرِكَ الُمتَواتِر

    Who will aid the one chained by love of you, whose anguish

    comes wave upon wave from your unremitting desertion?

  6. لَو لَم تَتِه عُجباً بِحسُنٍ كاملٍ

    ما بتُّ فيكَ حليفَ حُزنٍ نَافِرِ

    Had you not strutted, vain of perfect beauty,

    I would not have spent the night for you allied with restless sorrow.

  7. أَنتَ الُمعزُّ لِمَن تَشاءُ وها أَنا ال

    مشغوفُ مِنكَ بِحاكمٍ وَبِامرٍ

    You exalt whomever you wish; and here am I, the

    love-struck one, with you as ruler and commander.

  8. أَرسَلتَ صُدغَكَ إِنَّهُ ثُعبَانُهُ

    في فَتَرةِ الجَفنِ الأَغنِّ السِّاحرِ

    You let loose your temple-lock; indeed, its serpent lies

    in the languor of the soft-voiced, bewitching eyelid.

  9. صُوِّرتَ لي صنَماً فزاد ضلالتي

    لَمَّا عَكَفتُ عليهِ لَهوَ السَّامري

    You were fashioned for me as an idol, increasing my delusion

    when I devoted myself to it—al-Samiri's diversion.

  10. لَو لم أَرُح وأَنا الُمطِيعُ لِلوعةٍ

    أَضرَمتَها لأُخِذتُ أَخذَ القادرِ

    Had I not gone, obedient to a burning anguish

    you kindled, I would have been seized with a mighty one's grip.

  11. ورُضابِ ثغركِ وهيَ أيُّ أليّةٍ

    بَيني بها وأعوذُ منهُ ضائري

    By the nectar of your mouth—what an oath it is!—

    parting from her torments me; from it I seek refuge.

  12. إِنَّ الذي عاهَدتَه وعهدتَهُ

    مِنِّي لَذو صِدقٍ وسُقمٍ ظاهرٍ

    Indeed, the one you pledged to and have known

    in me is truly faithful, and visibly ill.

  13. أَتهَمتَ إِذ أتهمتَ قلبي بالقِلى

    فَهَدمتَ مِنهُ أَخا الغرامِ العامري

    You went to Tihamah when you accused my heart of hatred,

    and shattered within it the Amiri brother of passionate love.

  14. أيجوزُ عِندكَ نهرُ دمعٍ سائلٍ

    جارٍ على رَسمِ الخُدودِ الدَّاثرِ

    Would you allow a river of flowing tears

    to run over the cheeks' effaced traces?

  15. حتَّامَ تُصبحُ في وصالٍ زاهداً

    وأَبيتُ في وَلَهٍ لعيني فاجرِ

    How long will you greet the morning shunning union,

    while I spend the night yearning for a libertine's eyes?

  16. أَصبو إِلى ريقٍ بِثَغركَ بَاردِ

    وأَخافُ مِن لحظٍ بِطرفكَ فَاترِ

    I yearn for the cool saliva in your mouth

    and fear the languid glance within your eye.

  17. ومنَ البليَّةِ لومُ ذي لَومٍ لحا

    ني ناصِحاً وِعذارُ خَدِّكَ عاذري

    Among afflictions is a faultfinder's blame, who reproached

    me with advice, while your cheek's down excuses me.

  18. ماذا عليهِ وَقَد رآني راضياً

    بالغَدرِ مِنكَ ومِنهُ شَيبٌ غَدائري

    What concern is it of his, when he has seen me content

    with your betrayal, which has turned my locks gray?

  19. يا سالِباً مِنَّي السَّوادَ وهادِماً

    رُكني اتَّئد إِنَّ ابنَ أحمدَ ناصري

    O you who rob me of my hair's blackness and destroy

    my mainstay, be gentle: Ibn Ahmad is my helper.

  20. شرفُ الورى والدينِ والباني العُلا ال

    مُطري بجودٍ كالسَّحابِ الَماطِرِ

    The honor of mankind and religion, the builder of loftiness, the

    one extolled for bounty, like a rain-bearing cloud.

  21. صَدرٌ يحدِّثُ مُورِداً سِيَرَ العُلا

    والَمجدِ عَنهُ واردٌ عَن صادرِ

    A chief, whose tales of loftiness are recounted,

    and glory—by newcomers reporting from those who depart.

  22. غيثُ النَّديِّ لكُلِّ عاتَقٍ غارمِ

    هوَ مُعتِقٌ بِنَدى يَديَهِ الغَامِرِ

    The assembly's rain, for every debt-burdened shoulder

    he is a liberator through his hands' overflowing bounty.

  23. يا باغيَ العلمِ الَمصونِ وخائفاً

    باغي العِدا مِن كُلِّ ضارٍ ضائرِ

    O seeker of guarded learning, and you who fear

    the enemies' aggressor, every ravening assailant,

  24. يَمِّم أَبا البركاتِ تَظفَر عندَه

    بالفضلِ بَل بمضاءِ حدٍّ قاهرٍ

    turn toward Abu al-Barakat; with him you will gain

    bounty—indeed, the keenness of an overpowering edge.

  25. لولاهُ كانَ الدَّهرُ أفرغَ فارغِ

    لَكن غَدا بِثَناهُ أَفغرَ فاغِرِ

    Without him, time would be the emptiest of empty things,

    but his praise has made it the widest of gaping mouths.

  26. وَمَنِ الفَريضةِ شكرُ أَهجرِ هَاجرِ

    لِخناً وبِالإحسانِ أَدجهرُ جَاهرِ

    It is a duty to thank the greatest shunner

    of foul speech, and the loudest proclaimer of beneficence.

  27. ما روضةٌ ضحِكَت ثُغورُ أَقاحِها

    أُصُلاً بدمعِ بُكا السحابِ البَاكرِ

    No garden whose daisies' mouths smile

    at evening, with tears from the morning cloud's weeping,

  28. وشَّى الرَّبيعُ لها مُفوَّفَ حُلَّةِ

    قَد رُصعَّت من حَليهِ بِجِواهرِ

    for which spring embroidered a striped robe

    studded with jewels from its adornments,

  29. وَغَدت تُلاقحُ زَهرَها شمسُ الضُّحى

    مِن خَلفِ سُجفِ الغيمِ بَينَ ستائرِ

    and whose flowers the morning sun begins to pollinate

    from behind the clouds' curtains, between veils,

  30. حتَّى إِذا ما اليومُ رَقَّ رِداؤُهُ

    وانهارَ جُرفُ نهارِهَ الُمتقاصرِ

    until, when the day's robe grows thin

    and the bank of its dwindling daylight collapses,

  31. باتَت خُدودُ شقيقِها مَحميَّةً

    مِن عَينِ نَرجِسها بِطَرفٍ سَاهرِ

    its anemones' cheeks pass the night protected

    from its narcissus's eye by a wakeful gaze,

  32. وَجَرى النَّسيمُ بها يجرُّ عليلُهُ

    ذيلاً ويخطو فيهِ خَطوَ العَاثرِ

    and through it flows the breeze, its languid breath trailing

    a train, and stepping through it like one who stumbles,

  33. متحمِّلاً في بُردهِ من عَرفِها

    أَرَجاً يِنمُّ على شذاها العاطِرِ

    carrying within its mantle, from the garden's scent,

    a perfume that betrays its fragrant aroma—

  34. كَثنا ابنِ أحمدَ ذي الَمكارِم والعُلى

    نَشراً وَقِف تَسمَع حديثَ النَّاشرِ

    can equal the praise of Ibn Ahmad, lord of noble deeds and eminence,

    in fragrance. Stop and hear the account of its spreader.

  35. عَن ذي جبينٍ بالبشاشةِ سافرٍ

    طَلقِ الضِّياءِ لِكلِّ ذَنبٍ غَافِرِ

    Of one whose brow is unveiled with gladness,

    openly radiant, forgiving every sin;

  36. مُتَبرِّعِ متورِّعٍ فَاعجَب لَهُ

    مِن ذَاكرٍ مَن لم يَسَلهُ وَشاكرِ

    a willing giver, scrupulously devout—marvel at him,

    who remembers those who never ask him, and gives thanks.

  37. حازَ الصِّفاتِ فَمَا يَشُقُّ غُبارَهُ

    مَن فَاقَ مِن آتٍ ولا مِن غَابرِ

    He has won the virtues; none can cleave his dust,

    however excellent, whether yet to come or long past.

  38. يسمو بِهِ في كُلِّ يومِ تشاجُرٍ

    قَلَمٌ يُطولُ على القَنا المتشاجرِ

    On every day of conflict, he is raised high

    by a pen that overtops the clashing spears.

  39. يَسطو إِذا ما ثارَ نقعُ مسائلٍ

    قَد أَشكلت بِشَبَاةِ سطوةِ ثائِر

    It strikes when the dust of questions rises,

    grown perplexing, with the sharp point of a furious assailant's blow.

  40. يمٌّ لجوهرِ كُلِّ مجدِ خازنٌ

    فالدهرُ مِنهُ مُديرُ لَحظِ خازرِ

    A sea, guarding the jewel of every glory;

    so time casts a sidelong glance at him.

  41. يُجريهِ حُكمُ أَغرَّ سامٍ دارُهُ

    عُمِرَت على فَلَكِ السَّماءِ الدَّائرِ

    A radiant, lofty one's judgment sets it flowing; his home

    is built upon heaven's revolving sphere.

  42. سارٍ إلى سِرِّ الفَخَارِ وآسرٍ

    ما نَدَّ من مَثَلِ العَلاءِ السَّائرِ

    Journeying toward glory's secret, and capturing

    whatever strays from eminence's far-ranging example.

  43. قُل للمثُيرِ عَجاجَ عَجزٍ خَلفَهُ

    وَيَرومُ مُعجِزَهُ بِغيرِ مَآثرٍ

    Tell the one who raises a dust cloud of impotence behind him

    and seeks his unmatchable feat without noble deeds:

  44. أَتَنَالُ ما قَد نالَ أَضلعُ حاسرٍ

    عَن ساعديهِ وأَنتَ أَظلعُ خاسرِ

    Will you attain what the sturdiest attained, baring

    his forearms, while you are the lamest of losers?

  45. شرفَ المعالي اسمَع ثناءً لَم لَكُن

    لولاكَ يجري خاطراً في خاطري

    O honor of lofty deeds, hear praise that would not,

    but for you, have passed as a thought through my mind.

  46. قَد كُنتُ صُنتُ قصائدي في خُدرِها

    فأَبانها مدحُ الهِزبَرِ الخَادرِ

    I had kept my poems safe within their secluded chamber,

    but praise of the lion in his lair brought them forth.

  47. وإِليكَ أشكو جَورَ دهرٍ زَائغِ

    بأَذاهُ عَن غيري فَلِم هوَ زائري

    To you I complain of an unjust age, turning aside

    from others with its harm—why, then, does it visit me?

  48. فعساكَ تُنجِدُ رَبَّ صبرٍ غائرٍ

    ممَّا يُكابدهُ ودَمَعٍ غامرِ

    Perhaps you will rescue one whose patience has ebbed away

    from what he endures, while his tears overflow.

  49. أجبرِ بصنُعِكَ سُؤرَ ما أبقاهُ من

    عُمري زمانٌ كالعقُابِ الكَاسرِ

    Restore through your kindness the remnant left of

    my life by a time like a swooping eagle.

  50. واسعَد بِهَا فإِذا النَّدى رائيَّةٌ

    آنستُ منها كلَّ مَعنىً نَافرِ

    And rejoice in it: behold, bounty is an ode rhyming in r,

    from which I have tamed every elusive meaning.

  51. أَتقنتُ مُحكَمَها بِحذقٍ صِنَاعَةٍ

    مِن ذي ضميرٍ كالجوادِ الضِّامرِ

    I perfected its firm construction with a craftsman's skill,

    from one whose mind is like a lean steed.

  52. إِن قالَ في هذي البَريَّةِ شاعرٌ

    أُختاً لها فُحُشرتُ مَحشرَ كَافِرِ

    If any poet in this creation composes

    a sister to it, may I be gathered where an unbeliever is gathered.

  53. زَارَت على بُعدِ الَمزارِ وَخَلفَها

    مِن فَرطِ شوقي أيُّ حادٍ زاجرِ

    It came visiting despite the distance, and behind it

    was my overwhelming longing—what an urging camel-driver!

  54. فانظر لِنُضَرتِها بناظرٍ مُرتضٍ

    راضٍ لها نَظَرَ الصَّفوحِ العاذرِ

    Look upon its freshness with an approving eye,

    pleased with it, with the gaze of one who forgives and excuses.

  55. لا زلتَ تبلُغُ ما ترَّنمَ طائِرٌ

    ما شئِتَ مِن أَمَلٍ بِأَيمَنِ طائرِ

    May you ever attain, as long as a bird sings,

    whatever hope you wish, with the most auspicious omen.