Sol 6.1

  1. يا دَهرُ لا مَرحَباً ولا أَهلا

    وحَبَّذا الأَوَّلُ الذي وَلَّى

    O Time, no welcome and no greeting!

    And how dear the former age, now gone!

  2. يا لَيتَ باقيكُما استَمدَّ من ال

    ماضي خِلالاً مَضَت أَو استَملا

    Would that the remaining one of you two drew from the

    past the virtues now gone, or had them dictated to it.

  3. أوليتَ أدناكُما إليَّ فدى ال

    أَقصى جَزاءً بِبَعضِ ما أَولى

    Or would that the nearer of you two to me were a ransom for the

    farther, in return for some of what it bestowed.

  4. فَطالَما نالَني بنَيلِ أخي

    فَضلٍ يَرى لي في أخذِه الفَضلا

    For often it favored me with the bounty of a man

    of generosity, who deems my accepting it a favor from me.

  5. أيَّةَ أَرضٍ حلَلتُ كنتُ بِها

    مُستَعذَباً ما أقَمتُ مُستَحلى

    Whatever land I settled in, there I was

    a delight, held sweet as long as I stayed.

  6. إِذا عَزمتُ النُّهوضَ دافَعَني

    زَعيمُها فاستَجرَّني مَطلا

    When I resolved to depart, I was put off

    by its chief, who kept me lingering through delays.

  7. أو شدَّ كفاً عليَّ يَمنعُني

    وقوفُها أَن أشدَّ لي رَحلا

    Or he laid a firm hand upon me; I was prevented

    by its hold from fastening my saddle.

  8. فأصبَحَ الناسُ لا سَبيلَ إِلى

    أَن يوصَفوا لا نَدىً ولا بُخلا

    Now people are such that there is no way

    to call them generous or miserly.

  9. ولَستُ أَدري ما يَفعَلونَ فَما

    أقولُ والقَولُ يَتبَعُ الفِعلا

    And I do not know what they do—so what

    can I say, when words follow deeds?

  10. إِلا بَقايا مكارِمٍ وأراني ال

    يَومَ أصبَحتُ بَينَها غفلا

    Except for remnants of noble generosity; I see myself

    today left unheeded among them.

  11. طالَ اطِّراحي فَلا أَبو حَسَنٍ

    يَسألُ عَنِّي ولا أَبو يَعلى

    Long have I been cast aside; neither Abu Hasan

    asks after me, nor Abu Ya‘la.

  12. إِن كانَ هَذا شُغلاً فَلَن يَجِدا

    أعودَ مني عليهِما شُغلا

    If this is due to work, neither will find

    a pursuit more rewarding to them both than me.

  13. هَل مِن بِناءٍ شِيدَت دَعائِمُه

    طالَ بغيرِ الثَّناءِ واستَعلى

    Has any building, once its pillars were raised,

    grown tall and lofty without praise,

  14. أَو يَتَمادى فقَد شَكرتُ وحم

    مَلتُ ركاباً ورَكبها ثِقلا

    or endured? For I have given thanks and

    loaded camels and their riders with a burden—

  15. شُكراً بَعثتُ المسافِرينَ بِه

    إِلى المُقيمينَ كلَّهم رُسلا

    thanks, with which I sent the travelers

    as messengers to all who stayed at home,

  16. حتَّى مَلأتُ البِلادَ مَشرقَها

    فغَربَها فالحزونَ فالسَّهلا

    until I filled the lands, their east,

    then their west, then the rugged uplands, then the plain.

  17. فهَل جَميلٌ من بَعدِ ذلكُم

    أموتُ في عُقرِ داركُم هَزلا

    So is it fitting, after all that,

    that I should die, wasted away, in the heart of your home?