Sol 6.1

  1. أَقفَرَ مِمَّن يَحُلُّهُ السَنَدُ

    فَالمُنحَنى فَالعَقيقُ فَالجُمُدُ

    Al-Sanad lies deserted of those who dwelt there,

    and al-Munhana, and al-Aqiq, and al-Jumud.

  2. لَم يَبقَ فيها مِن المَعارِفِ بَع

    دَ الحَيِّ إِلّا الرَمادُ وَالوَتدُ

    No familiar traces remain there after

    the tribe departed, save ash and a tent peg.

  3. وَعَرصَةٌ نَكَّرَت مَعالِمَها الري

    حُ بِها مَسجِدٌ وَمُنتَضَدُ

    And a campsite whose landmarks the wind made unrecognizable—

    within it, a prayer-place and a layered pile.

  4. لَم أَنسَ سَلمى وَلا لَيالينا

    بِالحَزنِ إذ عَيشُنا بِها رَغَدُ

    I have not forgotten Salma, nor our nights

    at al-Hazn, when our life there was easeful,

  5. إِذ نَحنُ في مَيعَةِ الشَبابِ وَإِذ

    أَيّامُنا تِلكَ غَضَّةٌ جُدودُ

    when we were in the prime of youth, and when

    those days of ours were fresh and new,

  6. في عيشَةٍ كَالفِرِندِ عازِبَةِ الشِقْ

    وةِ خَضراءَ غُصنُها خَضِدُ

    in a life like damask, free of misery,

    green, its branch supple.

  7. نُحسَدُ فيها عَلى النَعيمِ وَما

    يولَعُ إِلّا بِالنِعمَةِ الحَسَدُ

    We were envied there for our bliss; nothing

    but blessing ever engrosses envy.

  8. أَيّامَ سَلمى غَريرَةٌ أُنُفٌ

    كَأَنَّها خوطُ بانِةٍ رُؤدُ

    In the days when Salma was innocent and untouched,

    like a tender shoot of a ban-tree.

  9. وَيحي غَداً إِن غَدا عَلَيَّ بِما

    أَكرَهُ مِن لَوعَةِ الفِراق غَدُ

    Woe to me tomorrow, if tomorrow brings me

    the searing pain of separation that I dread.

  10. قَد كُنتُ أَبكي مِن الفِراقِ وَحَيْ

    ياناً جَميع وَدارُنا صَدَدُ

    I used to weep at parting, even when our two

    clans were together and our homes were close.

  11. فَكَيفَ صَبري وَقَد تَجاوَبَ بِال

    فُرقَةِ مِنها الغُرابُ وَالصُرَدُ

    How, then, can I endure, when they call to one another of

    parting from her—the raven and the shrike?

  12. دَع عَنكَ سَلمى لِغَيرِ مَقلِيَةٍ

    وَعُدَّ مَدحاً بِيوتُهُ شُرُدُ

    Set Salma aside, not out of hatred,

    and prepare praise whose verses travel far,

  13. لِلأَفضَلِ الأَفضَلِ الخَليفَةِ عَب

    دِ اللَهِ مِن دونِ شَأوِهِ صُعُدُ

    for the best, the very best, the caliph Abd

    Allah—steep ascents still lie below his lofty reach.

  14. في وَجهِهِ النورُ يُستَبانُ كَما

    لاحَ سِراجُ النَهارِ إِذ يَقِدُ

    In his face light is clearly seen, as

    the lamp of day shines when it blazes.

  15. يَمضي عَلى خَيرِ ما يَقولُ وَلا

    يُخلِفُ ميعادَهُ إِذا يَعِدُ

    He carries through the best of what he says, and never

    breaks his promise when he pledges.

  16. مِن مَعشَرٍ لا يَشَمُّ من خَذَلوا

    عِزّا وَلا يُستَذَلُّ مَن رَفَدوا

    From a people whose forsaken never smell

    honor, and whose beneficiaries are never humbled.

  17. بيضٌ عِظامُ الحُلومِ حَدُّهُم

    ماضٍ حُسام وخَيرُهُم عَتَدُ

    Bright-faced, great in judgment; their edge

    is a keen, cutting sword, and their bounty stands ready.

  18. أَنتَ إِمامُ الهُدى الَّذي أَصلَحَ اللَ

    هُ بِهِ الناسَ بَعدَما فَسَدوا

    You are the imam of guidance through whom God reformed

    the people after they had grown corrupt.

  19. لَمّا أَتى الناسَ أَن مُلكَهُمُ

    إِلَيكَ قَد صارَ أَمرُهُ سَجَدوا

    When the people heard that their kingdom's

    rule had passed to you, they prostrated themselves.

  20. وَاِستَبشَروا بِالرِضا تَباشُرَهُم

    بِالخُلد لَو قيلَ إِنَّكُم خُلُدُ

    They rejoiced in contentment, as they would rejoice

    in immortality, were they told, 'You are immortal.'

  21. وَعَجَّ بِالحَمدِ أَهلُ أَرضِكَ حَتْ

    تَى كادَ يَهتَزُّ فَرحَة أُحُدُ

    The people of your land cried aloud in praise, until

    Uhud almost shook for joy.

  22. وَاِستَقبِلَ الناسُ عيشَة أُنُفا

    إِن تَبقَ فيها لَهُم فَقَد سَعِدوا

    The people entered upon a fresh new life;

    if you remain in it for them, they are indeed blessed.

  23. رُزِقتَ مِن وُدِّهُم وَطاعَتِهِم

    ما لَم يَجِدهُ لِوالِدٍ وَلَدُ

    You were granted such love and obedience from them

    as no child has felt toward a father.

  24. أَثلَجُهُم مِنكَ أَنَهُّم عَلِموا

    أَنَّكَ فيما وُلِيتَ مُجتَهِدُ

    What reassured them about you was knowing

    that you are diligent in the charge entrusted to you,

  25. وَأَنَّ ما قَد صَنَعتَ مِن حَسَنٍ

    مِصداقُ ما كُنت مَرَةً تَعِد

    and that the good you have already done

    fulfills what you once promised.

  26. أَلَّفتَ أُهواءَهِم فَأَصبَحَتِ الأَضْ

    غانُ سَلماً وَماتَتِ الحِقَدُ

    You brought their wishes into accord; their grudges

    turned to peace, and rancors died.

  27. كُنتُ أَرى أَنَّ ما وَجَدتُ مِن الفَر

    حَةِ لَم يَلق مِثلَهُ أَحَدُ

    I thought that the joy I had found

    had never been experienced by anyone else,

  28. حَتّى رَأَيتُ العِباد كُلَّهُمُ

    قَد وَجَدوا مَن هَواكَ ما أَجِدُ

    until I saw that all the people

    had found in loving you what I find.

  29. قَد طَلَبَ الناسُ ما بَلَغتَ فَما

    نالوا وَلا قارَبوا وَقَد جَهَدوا

    People have sought what you have attained, yet

    neither attained it nor came near, though they strove.

  30. يَرفَعُكَ اللَهُ بِالتَكَرُّمِ وَالتَق

    وى فَتَعلوا وَأَنتَ مُقتَصِدُ

    God raises you through generosity and piety,

    so you rise while keeping to a measured course.

  31. حَسبُ اِمرىءٍ مَن غِنىً تَقَرُّبُهُ

    مِنكَ وَإِن لَم يَكُن لَهُ سَبَدُ

    Enough wealth for a man is his drawing near

    to you, even if he owns not a hair.

  32. فَأَنتَ أَمنٌ لِمَن يَخافُ وَلِل

    مَخذولِ أَودى نَصيرُهُ عَضُدُ

    For you are safety to the fearful, and for the

    forsaken whose champion has perished, a supporting arm.

  33. كُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ ذي يِدٍ تُعَدُّ عَلَي

    هِ مِنكَ مَعلومَةٌ يَدٌ وَيَدُ

    Every man of bounty has a debt recorded against him:

    from you, a known favor, and another besides.

  34. فَهُم مُلوكٌ ما لَم يَرَوكَ فَإِن

    داناهُمُ مِنكَ مَنزِلٌ خَمَدوا

    They are kings while they do not see you; but if

    a dwelling of yours is near them, they fall silent.

  35. تَعروهُمُ رِعدَةٌ لَدَيكَ كَما

    قَفقَفَ تَحتَ الدُجُنَّةِ الصَّرِدُ

    A tremor seizes them in your presence, as

    one chilled with cold shivers beneath the gloom.

  36. لا خَوفَ ظُلمٍ وَلا قِلى خُلُقِ

    إِلّا حَلالاً كَساكَهُ الصَمَدُ

    Not from fear of injustice, nor aversion to your character,

    but only [majesty], with which the Eternal One has clothed you.

  37. وَأَنتَ غَمرُ النَدى إِذا هَبَطَ الزُوْ

    وارُ أَرضاً تَحُلُّها حَمِدوا

    You are a flood of bounty; when visitors arrive

    in a land where you dwell, they give praise.

  38. فَهُم رِفاقٌ فَرُفقَةٌ صَدَرَت

    عَنكَ بِغُنم وَرُفقَةٌ ترِدُ

    They are traveling companies: one company departs

    from you with gain, and another arrives.

  39. إِن حالَ دَهرٌ بِهِم فَإِنَّكَ لا

    تَنفَكُّ عَن حالِكَ الَّتي عَهِدوا

    If time changes their fortunes, you never

    depart from the state in which they knew you.

  40. قَد صَدَّقَ اللَهُ مادِحيكَ فَما

    في قَولِهِم فِريَةٌ وَلا فَنَدُ

    God has proved your praisers truthful; there is

    no fabrication in their words, nor error.

  41. ما يُبقِكَ اللَهُ لِلأَنامِ فَما

    يَفقِد مِن العالمينَ مُفتَقَدُ

    So long as God preserves you for humankind, no

    lost one among the worlds is missed.