Sol 6.1

  1. قَسَماً بِصُبحِ جَبينِ بَدرٍ باهِر

    وِبِطَلعَةِ القَمر المُنير الزاهرِ

    I swear by the dawn of a dazzling full moon's brow,

    And by the countenance of the luminous, radiant moon;

  2. وَبِفَترة الأَجفان ترشُقُ في الحَشا

    سَهمَ المَنيّة عَن لِحاظ جَآذرِ

    And by the languor of eyelids that shoot into the heart

    The arrow of death from the sidelong glances of young oryx;

  3. وَبِكُلِّ هَيفاءِ القَوامِ إِذا اِنثَنَت

    أَزرَت بِخُوطِ نَقا الرِياضِ الناضِرِ

    And by every slender-waisted beauty who, when she sways,

    Puts the verdant shoot on the gardens' sandhill to shame;

  4. مِن كُلِّ رُودٍ وازَنت شَمسَ الضُحى

    غَيداءَ تَهزَأ بِالغَزال النافِرِ

    Of every tender beauty who rivals the midmorning sun,

    A graceful beauty who mocks the skittish gazelle,

  5. رَيّا المُخَلخلِ ذاتُ قَدٍّ ناعمٍ

    غَرثى وِشاحٍ ذاتِ طَرفٍ فاترِ

    Full-fleshed at the anklets, with a supple figure,

    Hungry at the girdle, with a languid gaze;

  6. رُعبوبةٌ تَختالُ مِن مَرَح الصِبا

    كَخَميلَةٍ بِالرَوضِ ذات أَزاهِرِ

    A tender young beauty, strutting in youth's exuberance,

    Like a leafy grove in the garden, filled with blossoms.

  7. لا بَل بِعَزمٍ كَالحسامِ الباتِرِ

    وَبَثبت حَزمٍ للأَعادي قاهِرِ

    No—rather, by resolve like a cleaving sword,

    And by steadfast determination that subdues enemies;

  8. وَبِهمّةٍ هامَ المَجَرّةِ قَد عَلَت

    فسَمَت عَلى نَسر السَماءِ الطائِرِ

    And by ambition that has surmounted the Milky Way's heights,

    And so soared above the sky's Flying Eagle;

  9. وَبِطارِف الشَرف الرَفيع مَحَلُّهُ

    وَبِتالِد الحَسَبِ المَنيع الطاهِرِ

    And by newly acquired honor, lofty in its station,

    And by inherited nobility, unassailable and pure:

  10. لأَنّا الكَميُّ بحومةِ الهَيجا إِذا

    شَنَّت ليَ الحُسّادُ غارةَ ثائِرِ

    I am indeed the armored champion in the thick of battle, when

    The envious launch an avenger's raid against me,

  11. مِن كُلِّ مَن لَم أَرضَهُ خِلّاً وَلَم

    أَعدُدهُ يَوماً في سَراة عَشائِري

    From every man I have never accepted as a friend, nor

    Ever counted among the nobles of my clans.

  12. أَسَدٌ عَليّ وَفي الحُروبِ نَعامَةٌ

    فَتخاءُ تَنفر مِن صَفير الصافِرِ

    A lion against me, yet in wars an ostrich,

    Slack-winged, fleeing from the whistler's whistle.

  13. زَعم الغَداةَ بِأَنَّني مُتَنَحِّلٌ

    ما قُلتُهُ يا وَيحَهُ مِن جائِرِ

    This morning he claimed that I had plagiarized

    What I had said—woe to him, what an unjust man!

  14. إِن شاءَ وَشَّيتُ القَريضَ لِمَدحِهِ

    وَنَعتُّهُ وَوَصَفتُهُ بِمآثِرِ

    If he wishes, I shall embroider verse in his praise,

    And describe him and portray him with noble deeds,

  15. مِن كُلِّ قافِيَةٍ إِذا ما أُنشِدَت

    تَرَكت جَريراً في العَديدِ الآخِرِ

    With every rhymed verse that, when recited,

    Leaves Jarir in the last rank,

  16. حَتّى يَرى أَنّي اِمرؤٌ مِن أُسرةٍ

    شادوا المَعالي في الزَمان الغابِرِ

    Until he sees that I am a man from a family

    Who built lofty honors in bygone times.

  17. لَكنَّ لي جُرثومَةٌ قَد أَسبَلَت

    ذَيلَ الوَفاءِ عَلى الزَمانِ الغادِرِ

    Yet mine is a lineage that has let fall

    The train of loyalty over treacherous time.

  18. يا فاضِلاً قادَت لَنا أَفكارُهُ

    غُرَّ المَعاني في النَسيبِ الباهرِ

    O man of virtue, whose thoughts have brought us

    The brightest meanings in dazzling love verse,

  19. حَلَّيت جيد الدَهرِ عِقدَ فَرائِدٍ

    وَكَسَوتُهُ وَشي الثَناء الفاخِرِ

    I adorned Time's neck with a necklace of peerless pearls,

    And clothed it in the brocade of sumptuous praise,

  20. بِقَصائِد طَنّانَةٍ ما غادَرَت

    لِبَني القَطيعة مِن عَجاجٍ ثائِرِ

    With resounding odes that have left nothing

    Of rising dust for the sons of estrangement.

  21. خُذها إِلَيكَ أَرَقُّ مِن نَفَس الصَبا

    سِحراً وَأَلطَف مِن خَيالٍ زائِرِ

    Take them to yourself, more delicate than the east wind's breath,

    Enchanting, and subtler than a visiting phantom.

  22. تَغدو عَلى سَحبان تَسحَب ذَيلَها

    وَتَجُرُّ مِرط الزَهوِ فَوقَ الحاجِرِ

    They go forth against Sahban, trailing their train,

    And drag the mantle of pride over al-Hajir.

  23. وَكُنِ الضَنينَ بِها فَإِنَّ مَحَلَّها

    بِمَكان أَسوَد ناظِري مِن ناظِري

    And guard them jealously, for their place

    Is that of my eye's dark pupil within my eye.

  24. لا زِلتُ رَوضاً بِالفَضائل مُمرَعاً

    تُنشي قَريضَ الشعر بَينَ مَعاشِرِ

    May I ever remain a garden lush with virtues;

    You compose rhymed poetry among companions,

  25. ما ناحَ قُمريٌّ بَرَوضٍ زاهِرِ

    وَغَدَت تُطارِحُهُ حَمامَةُ حاجِرِ

    As long as a turtledove laments in a blooming garden,

    And a dove of Hajir goes forth to exchange songs with it.