Sol 6.1

  1. أَسُرُّكِ يَا مُنَايَ وَلاَ أَسُوكِ

    وأَنْفِي بِالْهَوَى عَرَضَ الشُّكُوكِ

    I gladden you, my heart's desire, and do not grieve you.

    And through love I banish the intrusion of doubts.

  2. وأَحْمِيكِ الَّذِي تَخْشِينَ مِنْهُ

    كما يَحْمِيكِ مِنْ عَارٍ أَخُوكِ

    And I shield you from what you fear,

    As your brother shields you from disgrace.

  3. لَقَدْ بُلِّغْتُ فِيكِ مَدَى الْمَنَايَا

    وَما بَلَغَتْ مَدَى عَشْرٍ سُنُوِكِ

    Indeed, for you I have been brought to death's brink,

    Though your years have not reached ten.

  4. أرَى الْهِجْرَانِ مِنْكِ يُحِيلُ صُبْحِي

    وَمَا أَذْنَبْتُ لَيْلاً ذَا حُلُوكِ

    I see your estrangement turn my morning—

    Though I have done no wrong—into a pitch-dark night.

  5. وَدَهْرُ الْوَصْلِ يحكْيِ لِي رَبِيعاً

    يُشَابِهُ نَبْتُهُ خَلَى الْهَلُوكِ

    The season of union seems to me a springtime

    Whose growth resembles the fresh grass of the wanton.

  6. رِياضٌ نُمْرِجُ الأَلْحَاظُ فِيهَا

    مَنَوَّرَةُ الأَعالي وَالسُّمُوكِ

    Gardens in which we let our glances roam,

    Their upper reaches and heights bright with blossoms.

  7. بَهَارٌ قَدْ حَكَى الْعُشَّاقَ لَوْناً

    عَلَى قُضُبٍ حَكَتْهُمْ في النُّهُوكِ

    Yellow oxeyes have matched lovers in hue,

    On stalks resembling them in emaciation.

  8. وَوَرْدٌ مِثْلُ خَدٍّ مِنْكِ رَاضٍ

    جِوَارَ فَمٍ تَبَسَّمَ عَنْ مُسُوكِ

    And roses like a contented cheek of yours,

    Beside a mouth whose smile reveals musk.

  9. وَيَضْحَكُ أَقحُوَانٌ فِيهِ يَحْكِي

    لَنَا ثَغْراً تَكَشَّفَ عَنْهُ فُوكِ

    And daisies laugh there, mirroring

    For us the teeth your mouth unveiled.

  10. تَطَلَّعَ بَيْنَ ذَاكَ وَبَيْنَ هَذَا

    شَقَائِقُ مِثْلُ أَعْرَافِ الدُّيُوكِ

    Between that and this rise up

    Anemones like the combs of roosters:

  11. مَدَاهِنُ مِنْ عَقِيقٍ نَظَّمَتْهَا

    يَدَا خَرْقَاءَ وَاهِيَةِ السُّلُوكِ

    Unguent cups of agate, strung together by

    A clumsy woman's hands, with frail threads.

  12. حَلَفْتُ بِغُرَّةِ الرَّاضِي فإِنِّي

    أَرَاهُ حَقِيقَةً فَوْقَ الْمُلُوكِ

    I have sworn by al-Radi's radiant brow—for I

    See him truly above kings—

  13. بأخَّاذٍ لِمَا يُرْجَى ألُوفٍ

    وعَيَّافٍ لِمَا يُخْشَى تَرُوكِ

    By one who seizes what is hoped for and holds it dear,

    And shuns what is feared, utterly forsaking it;

  14. عَبُوسٍ في انِتْهَاكِ الْمُلْكِ فَظٍّ

    وطَلْقٍ في مَذَاهِبِهِ ضَحُوكِ

    Grim and harsh when sovereignty is violated,

    Yet cheerful in his ways, quick to laugh;

  15. نَهُوضٍ بِالْخُطُوبِ إِذَا اعْتَرَتْهُ

    فَرَامَا هَبَّةَ السَّيفِ الْبَتُوكِ

    Ever rising to calamities when they beset him,

    Then seeking the surge of the cleaving sword.

  16. عَشِيقُ الْمُلْكِ جَاءَ بِلاَ كِتَابٍ

    يُرَجَّى الْوَصْلُ مِنْهُ وَلاَ أَلُوكِ

    Kingship's beloved came without a letter;

    Union with him is hoped for, without a message.

  17. فَمَنْ للْبُخْلِ يُمْسُك ما حَوَاهُ

    فَمَا هُوَ بالْبَخِيلِ ولاَ الْمَسُوكِ

    So who would withhold what he possesses out of avarice?

    For he is neither a miser nor a hoarder.

  18. أَجَلُّ النَّاس آرَاهُ وَعلْماً

    مَقَالٌ لَيْسَ يُقْرَنُ بِالأُفُوكِ

    I deem him the greatest of men, in learning too—

    A statement not associated with an inveterate liar.

  19. وَمَا أَحْياهُ منْ سُنَن تَعَفَّتْ

    فَدَارَ صَلاَ حُهَا دَوْرَ الدَّمُوك

    And the traditions he brought to life, once effaced—

    Their good order thus revolved like a millstone.

  20. رَكُوبٌ للْمَنَابِرِ سَارَ قَصْداً

    إلَيْهَا وَهِيَ حَائِرَةُ السُّلُوكِ

    Often mounting pulpits, he went straight

    Toward them, while their paths lay in confusion.

  21. فَذَكَّرنَا مَقَالٌ مِنْهُ فَصْلٌ

    مَقَالَ الْمُصْطَفَى بِحِرَى تَبُوكِ

    Thus a decisive utterance from him reminded us of

    The Chosen One's words near Tabuk.

  22. فأَطْلَعَ مِنْهُ شَمْسُ الْمُلْكِ سَعْداً

    وَكَانَتْ نَحْسَةً بِشَفَا الدُّلُوكِ

    Thus through him the sun of kingship rose auspiciously,

    Though it had been ill-starred, on the verge of setting.

  23. لأَعْتَمِدَنَّ سَيْرَ الْمَدْحِ فِيهِ

    بإِرِقَال يَبَرُّ عَلَى الرُّتُوكِ

    I shall surely undertake the journey of praising him,

    At a swift trot outstripping the short-stepped gait.

  24. أَحُوكُ مِنَ الْقَصَائِدِ وَشْيَ مَدْحٍ

    تُفَضِّلُهُ عَلَى الْوَشْيِ الْمَحُوكِ

    From poems I weave a brocade of praise,

    Which you prefer to woven brocade.

  25. لَقَدْ فَتَكَ الزَّمَانُ بِسُوءِ حَالِي

    فَأنْقِذْنِي مِنَ الزَّمَنِ الْفَتُوكِ

    Time has indeed ravaged me with a wretched lot;

    So rescue me from murderous Time.