Sol 6.1

  1. يا راكباً من فُوق نابي مضمر

    حرا ولد حرا ضراب أَصيل

    O rider atop a high-backed, lean camel,

    Noble-born from noble stock, sired by a thoroughbred,

  2. من ساس هجنا يقطعوا لدو والخلا

    وَمشيوعلى طُول النَهار جفيل

    From a line of riding camels that cross the open desert and wilderness,

    And its gait is swift and bounding throughout the day.

  3. من عقب مرباعو ثمانين ليلة

    لا ما سنامو يا لغلام يميل

    After eighty nights of spring grazing,

    Until its hump, lad, leans to one side,

  4. انسف شدادو فوق عالي غواربو

    وكرب وساروا يا لغلام وشيل

    Toss its saddle onto its lofty withers,

    Cinch it tight and ride it on, lad—set out.

  5. خوؤ الخرج وَالميركة وماش غيرهن

    وَزهاب من خاص الطعام قليل

    Take the saddlebags and riding cushion, and nothing else,

    With a little provision of choice food.

  6. دربك طَويل أَما هجينك يوصلك

    شعيلان يسيق ثافبات الليل

    Your road is long, but your riding camel will carry you through.

    Shu‘aylan outruns the piercing stars of night.

  7. لَولا زمامو يسبق الريح وَالقَطا

    سيدوح مع مد البحور يسيل

    Were it not for its rein, it would outrun the wind and sandgrouse,

    Ranging far, flowing with the swelling tide of the seas.

  8. عدك بعيطه يوم تعلا شداده

    وَلا تظن انهم يلحقوه الخيل

    Count yourself upon a height when you mount its saddle,

    And do not think the horses can catch it.

  9. بس أنت كون بيمة الدرب مخني

    وَبالليل نومك لا يكون ثَقيل

    Just keep yourself bent toward the road's direction,

    And at night, do not let your sleep be heavy.

  10. حذراك من قضابة الشك بالخلا

    تَرى إِنَّ دَربك يالغلام طَويل

    Beware the weapon-wielders in the wilderness;

    Know that your road, lad, is long.

  11. اليا قفل عقب الثلاثة وَالأَربَعة

    إِياك في حر السموم تقيل

    When it turns homeward after three or four,

    Beware of taking a noon rest in the scorching samum.

  12. يا طارِشي جُود كلاما افهمك

    احفظ وَصاتي يالغلام وحيل

    My messenger, grasp the words I explain to you;

    Remember my counsel, lad, and press on.

  13. الأوله أَوصيك لا تأمَن الخَلا

    خَلي عُيونك عَالطراف تجيل

    First, I advise you: do not trust the wilderness.

    Let your eyes roam along the edges.

  14. وَبِالليل خلي الذاكري في مسامعك

    تَرى السَمع لاضب الظَلام دَليل

    And at night, keep alertness in your ears,

    For hearing is a guide when darkness closes in.

  15. ما دُون مما يقسم اللَه واقي

    قوي جنانك لا تكون ذَليل

    Nothing shields you from what God decrees;

    Strengthen your heart; do not be abased.

  16. دركتكم للي يراعي زَوالكم

    البين قَلبك وَالضَمير يخيل

    Your protection is for whoever watches your departure;

    Parting haunts your heart and inner thoughts.

  17. مِن قسطموني مد عزك فراقها

    نحر هجينك يا ولد تَقبيل

    From Kastamonu press on—your strength lies in leaving it.

    Direct your riding camel southward, boy.

  18. عقب أَربعا تَلفي ربوعا بجالنا

    دَربك قَريب وَلا يريد دَليل

    After four days, you will reach some of our people nearby;

    Your road is short and needs no guide.

  19. يا حيف يا صفر الشَوارب بانقره

    مقيمين لا يطروا بيوم رحيل

    Alas, you yellow-mustached men in Ankara,

    Staying there, never speaking of a day of departure!

  20. سلم عليهم يالغلام جَميعهم

    وَبلغ سَلامي لا تكون هَبيل

    Greet them, lad, every one,

    And convey my greetings; do not be foolish.

  21. وَمِنها عَلى شاهر وَجاروم عاني

    أَصحا تَقول إِن القناق طَويل

    From there, make for Shahir and Jarum;

    Take care not to say the journey's stage is long.

  22. يا حيف عشيوخ الجبل في بلادنا

    يعيش النمر مِنهُم فَريد ذَليل

    Alas for the mountain sheikhs of our homeland!

    The tiger among them lives alone and abased.

  23. سلم عليهم يالغلام جَميعهم

    رَدد وَتَرحيب السَلام جَميل

    Greet them, lad, every one;

    Repeat the greeting—a warm welcome is a fine thing.

  24. عَلى يوزغاد الدَرب لازم تمرها

    وَفيها سباع من الرِجال تَهيل

    On the road, you must pass through Yozgat,

    Where lions among men inspire awe.

  25. يا حيف يا سمر اللحى من شيوخنا

    يروحوا فراط الحرص وَالتَهميل

    Alas, you dark-bearded men among our sheikhs,

    Lost as victims of greed and neglect!

  26. سلم عليهم يالغلام جَميعهم

    وَزهب ذَلولك يالغلام وَشيل

    Greet them, lad, every one,

    And ready your riding camel, lad, and set out.

  27. من عقب سبع أَيّام وَلا ثماني

    تَلفي عَلى ذوك القُروم نَزيل

    After seven days, or eight,

    You will arrive as a guest among those noble chiefs,

  28. عِندَ السِباع اللي يَحنوا هجينتك

    وَلا مِنهُم اللي بالطَعام بَخيل

    With lions who make your riding she-camel kneel,

    Not one of them miserly with food.

  29. خَصص حمد يشدا وَلد طي بِالكَرَم

    وَخَلفة هَزيمة للبلاد دَليل

    Single out Hamad, like the son of Tayy in generosity,

    And Hazimah's offspring, a guide to the land.

  30. يا حيف يا ربعا يريعك حسابهم

    وَلا مِنهُم اللي مِن الرِجال هَزيل

    Alas for a people whose number astonishes you,

    With not a weak man among them!

  31. بني قيس يُوم الوَغى يَنطحوا العِدى

    وَعزك عَليهُم لا لَفيت نَزيل

    Banu Qays meet their foes head-on on battle's day;

    You are honored among them when you arrive as a guest.

  32. برباعهم ياما هفوا الحيل وَالرغث

    وَبنا حجازي يدغثوه بهيل

    In their camps, how often they have slaughtered barren and nursing she-camels,

    And blended Hijazi coffee with cardamom!

  33. وَليا لفت غتر المَواجيب وَاقحلت

    وَانسر خزان القَمح بِالكيل

    And when guests' headcloths arrive and the land is parched,

    The wheat stores are opened, measure after measure.

  34. مِن دورهم ياما شبع كل جايع

    في رغد وَلا في سنين محيل

    From their homes, how often every hungry person has eaten his fill,

    In plenty or in barren years!

  35. يَعطوا سَلايل نعت شزب مقفلع

    لَو الحَسود يقول هاي أَصيل

    They give pedigreed mounts, described as lean and rangy;

    Even the envious would say, 'This is thoroughbred.'

  36. دَمعي عَلَيهُم خالطو دَم وَانهَمل

    كُل حين مِن فَوق الخُدود يسيل

    My tears for them mingled with blood and streamed down,

    Flowing over my cheeks at every moment,

  37. عَلَيهُم وَعاللي غيرهم مِن ربوعنا

    ياللعجب وَالويل وَالتَهويل

    For them and the others among our people—

    O the wonder, the woe, and the terror!

  38. وَعزي لقلب قَد تَجرع فراقهم

    مَجروح مِن دُون القُلوب عَليل

    My pity for a heart that has drunk their parting,

    Wounded beyond other hearts, and ailing!

  39. وَزاد البَلا فرقة تَوالي ربوعنا

    اللَه يرشد دَربهم تَسهيل

    Grief grew with the departure of the rest of our people;

    May God guide and ease their road.

  40. مِن غَير زَود الطين بَله ببعدهم

    بِالليل تَسمَع للبنات عَويل

    Besides their absence adding wetness to the mud,

    At night you hear the girls' wailing.

  41. كُلأ ما حسبت النار يطفا لَهيبها

    يَهب لَها جَوا الضُلوع شعيل

    Whenever I think the fire's blaze is quenched,

    A flame springs up for it within my ribs.

  42. يا طارشي سلم عَلَيهم جَميعهم

    وَرَدد سَلامي وَالضَمير دَليل

    My messenger, greet them, every one,

    And repeat my greetings, with your heart as guide.

  43. مِن قيسرية مد عالرحب وَالسعة

    تارن دَربك يا لغلام طَويل

    From Kayseri, press on into the broad, open country;

    Remember, your road, lad, is long.

  44. وَليا وَصَلت بديرة الترك أَذنا

    وَبَعدين مرعش وَالطَريق وَصيل

    And when you reach Adana in the Turks' land,

    Then Marash, the road continues on.

  45. عَلى ماردين دِيار بَكر بجالها

    وَانخ هَجينك يا لغلام وَميل

    On to Mardin, with Diyarbakir close beside it;

    Kneel your riding camel, lad, and turn aside.

  46. وَمِنها عَلى الشَهبا العَرب في رُكونها

    أَحكي وَلسانك لا يَكُون ثَقيل

    From there to al-Shahba, with Arabs in its quarters;

    Speak, and do not let your tongue be heavy.

  47. حَماه وَحمص الشام لازم تَمرها

    حَيي بِلاد الشام بِالتَبجيل

    Hama, Homs, Damascus—you must pass through them;

    Greet the lands of al-Sham with reverence.

  48. الفَيحا اللي تجذب الرُوح وَالحَشا

    تَشفيك لَو انك مَريض عَليل

    Al-Fayha, which draws the soul and innermost heart,

    Will heal you, even if you are sick and ailing.

  49. مِن طَلعة الميزان وَالنجم بِالسَما

    مِن الشام نَحرها طُلوع سَهيل

    From Libra's rising, with the star in the sky,

    From Damascus, point it toward the rising of Suhayl.

  50. دَربك عَلى نَحبها وَهك النَوابي

    عَلى الجَعيدي عايمين السيل

    Your road follows its course; urge on the high-backed camels,

    Toward al-Ju‘aydi, swimming through the flood.

  51. يبديك حوران العذية بناظرك

    تراعي هضابه مثل شكل النيل

    Fresh-watered Hauran will appear before your eyes;

    You will behold its hills, like the hue of indigo.

  52. الظَهر يُوم الشَمس في قبة السَما

    مَلفاك أَخو شيخا الكَريم خَليل

    At noon, when the sun is in the dome of the sky,

    Your host is generous Khalil, Shaykha's brother.

  53. نَعمين يا ذيب السَرى ياخو شيخا

    خَطك عَلى كُل الخُطوط طَويل

    Double praise to you, wolf of night journeys, brother of Shaykha!

    Your line stretches beyond every other line.

  54. نُوخ ذَلولك وَانسف الكُور جانبه

    وَعدك بروضه لَو السِنين محيل

    Kneel your riding camel and toss the saddle beside it;

    Count yourself in a meadow, though the years be barren.

  55. وَاللي خلافه مِن مَنادر بِلادنا

    ما فيهم اللي للحمول يشيل

    As for the others among our land's notables,

    None of them can shoulder the burdens.

  56. وَالعانة اللي ما لها نصاب كبها

    الرَهو ما يَمشي بِغَير دَليل

    And cast aside a herd that has no leader;

    The flock cannot move without a guide.

  57. سَيفا بليانصاب ما يَظهَر الحمر

    لَو كانَ هِندياً شطير صَقيل

    A sword without a hilt cannot draw red blood,

    Even if it is Indian, keen-edged and polished.

  58. إِن راحَت كِبار القَوم راحَت صغارَها

    لا بُد ما يغدي العَزيز ذَليل

    If the people's great men are gone, their lesser men are gone;

    The mighty are bound to become abased.

  59. نصحت وَأَبلَغت الكَلام بِنَصيحَتي

    وَماني لعميان القُلوب دَليل

    I gave counsel and delivered my words fully in advice,

    But I am no guide for the blind of heart.

  60. أَما كَلامي اليَوم مابو مَناصح

    نَصحي تقدم يُوم قال وقيل

    As for my words today, there is no counsel in them;

    My advice came earlier, when this and that was said.

  61. يَوم غَدَت مثل البصل روس وَاوبشت

    وَتقلط اللي من الرِجال فَسيل

    When heads became like onions and grew base,

    And the lowly among men came to the fore,

  62. لعبوا بِها العميان لا ما تَهدمت

    راجي عِمارَه من الرِجال ضَليل

    The blind toyed with it until it fell to ruin;

    Any man hoping for its rebuilding is deluded.

  63. وَكر حصينيها وَصادون ذيبها

    وَصارَت مراغة عقبنا للفيل

    Its little fox made a den, and they hunted its wolf;

    After us, it became a wallowing ground for the elephant.

  64. وَلاني عَلى حُوران العَذبة مَشافي

    وَلاني لَها بِالهَجس وَالتَعليل

    It is not sweet Hauran itself that I long for,

    Nor is it for it that I muse and seek solace.

  65. مبلالي لحودا يطرب القَلب شوفهم

    بيهم عِظام الغاليين ذَفيل

    My only care is for graves whose sight gladdens the heart;

    Within them the bones of loved ones lie buried.

  66. يَرتاح فكري لَو رَأَتهم نَواظِري

    وَمِن غَيرِهم مالي وَزين عَديل

    My mind would rest if my eyes saw them;

    Without them, I have no worthy companion.

  67. تَراني حشيم النَفس بَين الأَجانب

    وَلا عمر نَفسي عَالزهيد تميل

    You see, I am self-respecting among strangers,

    And my soul never inclines toward the paltry.

  68. لَو يشمتوا الحساد بَيننا وَيفرَحوا

    الأَيّام يَعقبن الرَحيل نَزيل

    Though the envious gloat over us and rejoice,

    The days bring a new guest after departure.

  69. الأَيام يَحبلن وَالأَيام يولدن

    مثل الأناثي مِن القدار تَغيل

    The days conceive, and the days give birth,

    Like females that, by fate, conceive while nursing.

  70. وَاختم كَلامي بِالصَلاة عَلى النَبي

    يَشفَع لَنا مِن الهَول وَالتَنكيل

    And I close my words with blessings upon the Prophet;

    May he intercede for us against terror and torment.