Sol 6.1

  1. بُدورٌ بِأُفقِ العِلمِ هَذيِ المَواسِمُ

    عَلى البَدرِ قَد لاحَت لَهُنُّ مَواسِمُ

    These festivals are full moons on the horizon of learning;

    Upon the full moon their marks have appeared.

  2. لِتَغدو بِها عَينَ الفَلاحِ قَريرَةً

    وَتَبدو ثُغورَ السَعدِ وَهيَ بَواسِمُ

    Through them may the eye of success rest content,

    And the lips of good fortune appear smiling.

  3. يُقَدَّرُ فيها العِلمُ ما هُوَ كاسِبٌ

    وَيَعرِفُ فيها الفَضلَ ما هُوَ غانِمُ

    There learning is appraised for what it earns,

    And merit knows what it has won.

  4. فَتُنتِجُ ما قَد حاوَلَ الجَهدَ في العُلى

    وَتُسفِرُ عَمّا باشَرَتهُ العَزائِمُ

    They yield what effort has sought in the heights,

    And reveal what firm resolves have undertaken.

  5. شُهورٌ عَلى صِدقِ الفِعالِ أَمينَةٌ

    وَلَكِن قَضاةٌ بِالسِباقِ حواكُمُ

    Months faithful to the truth of deeds,

    Yet judges adjudicating the race.

  6. مَضاميرُ أَقرانِ النَباهَةِ وَالنُهى

    يُمَيِّزُ مَرغومٌ لَدَيها وَراغِمُ

    Racecourses for rivals in distinction and intellect,

    Where the humbled and the humbler are distinguished.

  7. هُوَ الجَدُّ حَتّى البُعدَ لِلقُربِ سابِقُ

    وَحَتى الخَوافي خَلفَهُنَّ القَوادِمُ

    Such is earnest striving: even the distant outstrips the near,

    And even the secondary feathers leave the primaries behind.

  8. وَحَتّى تَرى ما كانَ في نَيلِهِ الرَجا

    صَريماً قَد التَفَّت عَلَيهِ الصَرائِمُ

    Until you see what once was hoped to be attained

    As a grove, with other groves clustered around it.

  9. وَهَل يَبلُغِ الآمالَ إِلّا مُجاهِدٌ

    وَهَل يَطرُدِ الأَهوالَ إِلّا مُقاوِمُ

    Who attains his hopes but one who strives?

    Who drives terrors away but one who resists?

  10. وَهَل دونَ غايِ الجَهدِ تُدرِكُ غايَةً

    وَدونَ اِختِرامِ النَفسِ تَعنو المَخارِمُ

    Can you attain a goal without the utmost effort,

    Or do mountain passes yield without risking life?

  11. وَكَيفَ يَرجي الوَصلَ مَن لَيسَ يَمتَطي

    وَكَيفَ يُزيلُ القَرنَ مَن لا يُصادِمُ

    How can one hope to arrive who will not ride?

    How can one dislodge a rival without confronting him?

  12. وَلا بُدَّ مِن غَوصِ الفَتى قَصرَ لُجَّةٍ

    لِتَخرُجَ غُرّانِ اللآلي الخَضارِمُ

    A youth must dive into the heart of a deep sea

    For vast oceans to yield their finest pearls.

  13. وَمَن مُدرِكٌ مَن فاتَهُ وَهوَ قاعِدٌ

    وَمَن لاحَقَ مَن جازَهُ وَهوَ نائِمُ

    Who catches someone who has outstripped him while sitting still?

    Who overtakes someone who has passed him while asleep?

  14. وَما النَقعُ مِن جَيشٍ تَعَبّى صُفوفُهُ

    إِذا لازَمَت أَغمادُهُنَّ الصَوارِمُ

    What avails the dust of an army arrayed in ranks,

    If its sharp swords remain in their scabbards?

  15. فَإِنَّ تَمامَ الجَهدِ لِلنَجخِ واجِبٌ

    وَلَيسَ يَسوغَ الصَدَّ عَمّا يُلائِمُ

    For full exertion is necessary for success,

    And turning away from what is fitting is not permissible.

  16. وَإِنَّ المُسَمّي العَقلَ في المَرءِ صاحِبٌ

    لِعِلمٍ غَدَت مِنهُ عَلَيهِ رَثائِمُ

    What is called reason within a person is a companion

    To learning, whose kisses have left their marks upon it.

  17. فَاِجدِر بِخِلٍّ أَن يُصاحِبَ خِلُّهُ

    وَلا يَترُكَ المَلزومَ ما هُوَ لازِمُ

    How fitting that a friend should keep his friend's company,

    And not abandon his companion while their bond endures.

  18. وَلِلعَقلِ طولُ العُمرِ بِالعِلمِ صَبوَةٌ

    بِلا سَلوَةٍ وَالأَلفِ بِالأَلفِ هائِمُ

    Reason has a lifelong passion for learning,

    Never fading; each intimate is enamored of the other.

  19. اليَفانِ لا يَنفِكَ كُلُّ مَتَيَّما

    بِصاحِبِهِ تَعي لَدَيهِ اللَوائِمُ

    Two intimates, each forever love-struck

    By its companion, before whom reproachers fail.

  20. فَإِن عَدَّ حَقّاً أَفضَلَ الناسِ عالَمُ

    فَاِفضِل مِنهُ عاقِلٌ وَهوَ عالَمُ

    If a scholar is truly counted the best of people,

    Better than him is one both rational and learned.

  21. وَإِن أَمكَنتَ مِن دونِ ذا العِلمِ عِزَّةً

    فَبِالعِلمِ أَسنى ما تَسودُ العَوالِمُ

    Even if eminence were possible without this learning,

    Through learning comes the loftiest mastery of the worlds.

  22. كَما عَزَّ بِالعِلمِ الأَعارِبُ قَبلَنا

    فَذُلَّت وَهابَتهُم لِذاكَ الأَعاجِمُ

    Thus the Arabs before us rose to might through learning,

    And non-Arabs yielded and stood in awe of them.

  23. لَيالي لا أَملاكَ إِلّا مُلوكُهُم

    تَعدُ وَلا تيجانٌ إِلّا العَمائِمُ

    In days when no sovereigns but their kings

    Were counted, and no crowns but turbans.

  24. تُقَدِّمُنا مِنهُم رِجالٌ تَقَدَّموا

    وَسادوا وَما في القَومِ الأَضبارِمُ

    Men among them preceded us and advanced,

    And ruled, with none among their people but mighty lions.

  25. رِجالٌ مَضوا لَم تُلهِهِم عَن عُلومِهِم

    وَشُغلُ الوَرى غاراتِهِم وَالمَلاحِمُ

    Men who passed on, whom nothing distracted from their studies,

    Though their raids and great battles engrossed humankind.

  26. نِهمَ أَشرَقَت تِلكَ الدِيارُ وَأَزهَرَت

    بِأَقطارِنا أَنجادِها وَالتِهائِمُ

    Through them those lands shone and blossomed,

    Throughout our regions, their uplands and coastal plains.

  27. قَد اِستَخرَجوا دُرَّ المَعارِفِ بِالعَنا

    وَمَوجُ العَوادي حَولَها مُتَلاطِمُ

    They drew out the pearls of knowledge through toil,

    While waves of adversity clashed around them.

  28. فَمِنُم بِآثارِ العَدُوِّ صَوائِفٌ

    وَمِنهُم لِآثارِ العُلومِ مَعالِمُ

    Some were summer raiding forces on the enemy's trail,

    Others were landmarks for the traces of learning.

  29. لَقَد أَوسَعوا الأَمرَينِ فَتحاً كَأَنَّما

    مَكارِمُهُم في الحالَتَينِ مَغارِمُ

    They opened both domains so widely, as though

    Their noble deeds in both were debts they owed.

  30. فَغَنَّت رِهامُ الطَيرِ فَوقَ رِياضِهِم

    وَأَثنَت عَلَيهِم في النِزالِ القَشاعِمُ

    Small birds sang above their gardens,

    And great vultures praised them in battle.

  31. وَسادوا العِدى في كُلِّ أَمرٍ فَأَصبَحَت

    بِأَيديهِم أَمصارُهُم وَالعَواصِمُ

    They surpassed their foes in every sphere, until

    Their foes' cities and capitals lay in their hands.

  32. وَأَصبَحَ مِنهُم هَؤُلاءِ عَلى الثَرى

    كَما سَكَنتَ بَطنَ التُرابِ الأَراقِمُ

    Before them these others lay upon the earth,

    Like speckled serpents dwelling in the soil's belly.

  33. يَخافونَ أَمرَ العُربِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

    لَهَيتَهُم فيهِم رَقى وَطَلاسِمُ

    They feared the Arabs' power, as though

    Their awe-inspiring majesty worked spells and talismans within them.

  34. وَلَم يَكُ إِلّا العِلمُ عِلَّةَ مَجدِهِم

    فَجادَهُم مالاً تَجودُ الغَمائِمُ

    Learning alone was the cause of their glory,

    And lavished on them what rainclouds cannot give.

  35. فَمَن يَعتَصِم بِالعِلمِ يَمَسُّ مُعَزَّزاً

    وَمَن يَفتَتِن عَنهُ تَطَأهُ المَناسِمُ

    Whoever holds fast to learning ends the day honored,

    And whoever is lured away from it is trampled by camel hooves.

  36. إِذا ما تَأَمَّلتَ الزَمانَ رَأَيتَهُ

    بِكُلِّ نَجاحٍ في العِبادِ يُساهِمُ

    When you reflect upon time, you see it

    Contributing to every success among humankind.

  37. فَإِن عَدَّ كَسبَ العِلمِ فينا فَريضَةٌ

    فَكُلُّ جَهالاتِ الأَنامِ مَحارِمُ

    If acquiring knowledge among us is reckoned an obligation,

    Then all human ignorance is forbidden.

  38. وَهَل نَرتَضي ذا اليَومَ ذُلّاً بِتَركِهِ

    إِذا سادَ فيهِ جيلُنا المُتَقادِمُ

    Shall we accept humiliation today by abandoning it,

    When through it our forebears once held sway?

  39. لَعَمري لَقَد كانَت لَنا بِجُدودِنا

    مَآثِرَ في حَقِّ القُصورِ مَآثِمُ

    By my life, through our forefathers we possessed

    Glories that make falling short of them a sin.

  40. فَلا غَروانَ نَقتَصُّ آثارَ مَجدِهِم

    طَرائِقُهُم قُدّامُنا وَالمَناجِمُ

    No wonder that we follow the traces of their glory;

    Their paths and mines lie before us.

  41. وَلِمَ لا نُرَجّي كُلِّ فَوزٍ وَما لَنا

    سِوى الفَضلِ في جَنبِ الزَمانِ جَرائِمُ

    Why should we not hope for every victory, when we have

    No crime against time except excellence?

  42. وَنَعلَمُ أَنّا أَن نَجِدَ نَجدَ وَذا

    مُجَرِّبٍ أَمرٍ لَيسَ فيهِ مَزاعِمُ

    We know that if we strive, we shall attain; this is

    A matter tried and tested, containing no idle claims.

  43. وَكَيفَ يُرى نيلُ الفَلاحِ بِدونِهِ

    وَيَأمَلُ دونَ الجِدِّ ذا النَيلِ حازِمُ

    How can success be attained without it,

    Or a prudent person hope to gain it without earnest effort?

  44. بِعَصرٍ يَفوتُ القوتَ فيهِ مُعِدَّهُ

    وَيَعدِمُ وَردَ الماءِ مَن لا يُزاحِمُ

    In an age when food eludes even its provider,

    And whoever does not jostle misses his turn at water?

  45. وَقَد نَهَضَت كُلَّ الخَواطِرِ لِلعُلى

    وَزادَت جُيوشاً في الصُدورِ الشَكائِمُ

    Every mind has risen toward the heights,

    And strong resolves have swelled into armies within breasts.

  46. فَكُلُّ فِخارٍ ناهِلُ الفِكرِ حائِمُ

    لَهُ وَعَلَيهِ طائِرُ الذِهنِ حائِمُ

    For every glory the thirsty mind circles;

    Toward it, above it, the bird of thought hovers.

  47. فَعَزَّ ما بِنى الأَوطانُ فَالجَهدُ واجِبٌ

    بِذا وَبِحَولِ اللَهِ فَالنَصرُ قادِمُ

    Resolve, sons of the homelands! Striving is a duty.

    With this, and by God's might, victory is coming.

  48. فَقَد قَيَّضَ الرَحمَنُ فينا ذَرائِعاً

    وَقامَت لِهَذا الفَضلَ فينا دَعائِمُ

    The All-Merciful has provided means among us,

    And pillars for this excellence have arisen among us.

  49. وَيَومٍ هُوَ المَشهورُ أَيّامَنا بِهِ

    مُقَلَّدَةً أَجيادَها وَالمَعاصِمُ

    And a day of renown, with which our days

    Are adorned about their necks and wrists,

  50. لَدى مَشهَدٍ يَستَوقِفُالرَكبَ عَن ظَما

    وَتَسكُنُ مِن جَفلٍ إِلَيهِ النَعائِمُ

    At a spectacle that halts the caravan even in thirst,

    To which ostriches come to rest from their flight.

  51. تَناهَب فيهِ الحَمدَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

    كِرامٍ صُنوفَ المَجدِ فيهِم مُقاسِمُ

    There, on every side, they vie to seize praise—

    Noble people among whom all kinds of glory are apportioned.

  52. بِهِم رَجِعَ الفَضلُ الأَصيلِ لِأَهلِهِ

    وَعادَت إِلى أَصحابِهِنَّ المَكارِمُ

    Through them, deep-rooted excellence returned to its people,

    And noble virtues returned to their owners.

  53. وَهَل ناجَحَ بِالأَمرِ إِلّا رِجالُهُ

    وَهَل ساجَعَ بِالأَيكِ إِلّا الحَمائِمُ

    Who succeeds in an undertaking but its proper men?

    Who coos in the groves but doves?

  54. وَهَل يَتَحَرّى الفَضلَ إِلّا عَميدُهُ

    وَهَل تَسكُنُ الآجامَ إِلّا الضَراغِمُ

    Who pursues excellence but its champion?

    Who dwells in the thickets but lions?

  55. فَسُقياً لِرَوضٍ لِلمَعارِفِ ناضِرٍ

    بِها وَعَلَيهِ عارِضُ الفَضلِ ساجِمُ

    May rain refresh a garden of learning, verdant

    With it, beneath the pouring cloud of bounty.

  56. لِأَطيارِهِ في العِلمِ شَدوٌ وَإِنَّما

    بِهِ الطائِرُ المَحكِيُّ في القَولِ جاشِمُ

    Its birds have songs of learning; but

    There the bird famed in sayings is only a toiler.

  57. يَضوعُ لَهُ في الأَرضِ عَرفُ مَعارِفٍ

    ثَناٍ عَلى عَرفِ الخَليفَةِ دائِمُ

    Its fragrance of learning spreads throughout the earth,

    An enduring tribute to the caliph's bounty.

  58. سَلامٌ عَلى السُلطانِ أَمّا مَرامُهُ

    فَنَفعٌ وَأَمّا شُغلُهُ فَالعَظائِمُ

    Peace upon the sultan: as for his aim,

    It is benefit; his occupation is great deeds.

  59. سَليلُ بَني عُثمانَ أَما جِداؤُهُ

    فَغَيثٌ وَأَمّا عَزمُهُ فَلَهاذِمُ

    Scion of the house of Osman: as for his generosity,

    It is rain; his resolve is keen blades.

  60. أَطاعَ لَهُ البَرّانِ شَرقٌ وَمَغرِبٌ

    وَدانَت لَهُ في العَدوَتَينِ الأَناسِمُ

    The two lands, East and West, obeyed him,

    And the peoples on both shores submitted to him.

  61. لَهُ بَينَ أَعباءِ الخِلافَةِ في العُلى

    صَرائِمٌ إِلّا أَنَّهُنَّ صَوارِمُ

    Amid the burdens of the caliphate, he has, on high,

    Firm resolves that are, in truth, sharp swords.

  62. أَقامَ أُمورَ العَرشِ بَعدَ تَظاهَرَت

    عَلَيهِ خُطوبٌ لِلظُهورِ قَواصِمُ

    He set the throne's affairs aright after

    Calamities had joined against him, shattering backs.

  63. وَقامَ بِأَمرِ المُلكِ حَقَّ قِيامِهِ

    يُدافِعُ عَنهُ تارَةً وَيُهاجِمُ

    He tended the realm as it should be tended,

    At times defending it, at times attacking.

  64. فَسَدَّ ثُغورَ المُلكِ بَعدَ اِنثِلامِها

    وَجازَ إِلى دارِ الوَغى وَهوَ ثالِمُ

    He sealed the realm's breaches after they were broken,

    And entered war's domain, himself breaking through.

  65. وَاِحكُم إِجراءَ العَدالَةِ في الوَرى

    وَعِمتَ لَهُ كُلِّ العِبادِ مَراحِمُ

    He made the administration of justice firm among humankind,

    And his mercies encompassed all people.

  66. فَيَوماً تَراهُ وَهوَ لِلرِزقِ قاسِمٌ

    وَيَوماً نَراهُ وَهَوَ لِلخَطبِ حاسِمُ

    One day you see him distributing sustenance,

    Another we see him cutting calamity short.

  67. يُسَهَّدُ جَفناً لا يَطيبُ لَهُ الكَرى

    وَفي أَرضِ عُثمانَ ظَليمٌ وَظالِمُ

    He keeps an eyelid sleepless; slumber gives him no delight

    While Osman's land holds one oppressed and one oppressor.

  68. فَلا زالَ بَدراً نورُهُ مُتَكامِلٌ

    وَغَيثاً عَلَينا وَدِقُّهُ مُتَراكِمُ

    May he remain a full moon, its radiance complete,

    And rain upon us, its showers thickly gathering.

  69. يُعيدُ لَنا عِزَّ الخِلافَةِ عَهدُهُ

    وَيَغتَبِطُ الإِسلامُ إِذ هُوَ سالِمُ

    May his reign restore to us the caliphate's glory,

    And Islam rejoice while he is safe.

  70. تُضيءُ عَلى الدُنيا مَطالِعُ شُكرِهِ

    وَتَعطِرُ فيهِ بِالدُعاءِ الخَواتِمُ

    The openings of his praise illumine the world,

    And the endings are fragrant with prayers for him.