Sol 6.1

  1. بدأت فأَسلفتَ التَّفَضُّلَ والبرَّا

    أَوليتَ إنعاماً مَلكتَ به الشكرا

    You took the lead, bestowing favor and kindness beforehand;

    You bestowed a favor by which you secured gratitude.

  2. وللسابق البادي من الفَضل رُتبةٌ

    تُقَصِّر بالتالي وإن بَلَغَ العُذرَا

    The first to begin has a rank in generosity

    That leaves the follower short, even if he offers the fullest excuse.

  3. أتتنا عَذَارَاك اللواتي بَعَثتَها

    لتوسعَنَا علماً وتُلبسَنَا فَخراً

    Your maidens, whom you sent, came to us

    To broaden our knowledge and clothe us in pride.

  4. فأَفصحنَ عن عُذرٍ وَطَوَّقنَ مِنَّةً

    وقلنَ كذا مَن قال فليَقُلِ الشِّعرا

    They voiced an apology and hung a favor about our necks,

    And said, “Whoever speaks poetry, let him speak it thus.”

  5. فأَوليتَها حُسنَ القَبُولِ معَظِّما

    لِحَقِّ فتىً أهدي بهنَّ لنا ذكرا

    So you granted them gracious acceptance, honoring

    The due of a young man who bestowed renown on us through them.

  6. تناهى النُّهى فيها وأبدَع نَظَمها

    خَوَاطرَ ينقادُ البديعُ لها قَسرا

    Reason reached its summit in them; their composition was fashioned by

    Thoughts to which the marvelous submits by force.

  7. إذا لُحظت زادت نواظرنَا ضِياً

    وإن نُشِرَت فَاحَت مجالسُنَا عطرا

    When beheld, they add light to our eyes,

    And when unfolded, our gatherings breathe fragrance.

  8. تنازَعهَا قلبي مَليَّاً وناظري

    فأعطيَتُ كلاً من محاسنها شَطرا

    My heart and eye contended over them for a long while,

    So I gave each half of their beauties.

  9. فترَّهتُ طرفي في وشِيِّ رياضها

    وألقطتُ فِكري بين ألفاظها الدُّرا

    I delighted my eye in the brocade of their gardens,

    And set my mind to gathering pearls among their words.

  10. تُضَاحكَنا فيها المعاني فَكُلَّما

    تأملتُ منها لفظةً خلتُها شعرا

    The meanings laugh with us within them; whenever

    I pondered a word of them, I thought it a poem.

  11. فمن ثَيِّبٍ لم تُفتَرع غيرَ خلسَة

    وبكرٍ من الألفاظ قد زُوِّجت بِكرا

    Some are once-wedded words, deflowered only by stealth,

    And some are virgin words, wedded to a virgin.

  12. يظلُّ اجتهادي بينهنَّ مُقَصِّراً

    وتُمسِي ظُنُوني دُون غايِتها حَسرى

    My striving among them remains inadequate,

    And evening finds my conjectures weary, short of their goal.

  13. إذا رُمتُ أن أدنو إليها تَمنَّعت

    وَحَقَّ لها في العَدِل أن تُظهر الكبرا

    Whenever I seek to draw near them, they hold themselves aloof,

    And it is only just that they should show pride.

  14. وقد صَدرَت عن معدِنِ الفضلِ والعُلا

    وقد صَحِبَت تلك الشمائلَ والنَّجرا

    For they issued from the source of virtue and eminence,

    And kept company with those traits and that lineage.

  15. فتَمَّت لك النُّعمَى وساعدَكَ الُمنَى

    ومُلِّيت في خفضٍ أبا عُمَرَ العُمرا

    So may blessing be complete for you, and wishes favor you,

    And may you enjoy a long life in ease, Abu Umar.

  16. كَفَتنَا وإياك المعاذير نيَّةٌ

    إذا خَلُصَت لم تذكر الوصلَ والهجرا

    A sincere intention spares both us and you the need for excuses:

    When pure, it makes no mention of union or estrangement.

  17. مدحتُ فعدَدتُ الذي فيك من علا

    وأَلبستِنِي أوصافَكَ الزَّهرَ الغُرا

    I praised you, recounting the eminence in you,

    And you clothed me in your bright, resplendent attributes.

  18. وما أنا إلا شعبةٌ مستمدِّة

    لمغرزِ فيضٍ منك قد غمرَ البحرا

    I am nothing but a branch drawing sustenance

    At the root of an outpouring from you that has engulfed the sea.

  19. وقد كان ما بُلِّغتُه من مقالةٍ

    أَنفتُ بها للفضلِ أن يألفَ الصغرى

    There were words conveyed to me,

    At which I recoiled, unwilling that merit should grow used to lowliness.

  20. إذا البلَدُ المعمورُ ضاق برُحِبةً

    على ماجدٍ فليسكنِ البَلَدَ القَفرَا

    If the inhabited land, for all its breadth, grows cramped

    For a noble man, let him dwell in the desolate land.

  21. وكم ماجدٍ لم يرضَ بالخَسفِ فَانبرَى

    يُقارع عن هَّمِاتهِ البيضَ والسُّمرا

    And how many a noble man refused humiliation and rose

    To clash with bright swords and tawny spears in defense of his aspirations.

  22. ومن علّقت نيلُ الأماني همومَهُ

    تَجَشمَ في آثارِها المَطلبِ الوَعرا

    And whoever's cares are fixed on attaining wishes

    Braves the rugged quest, following their tracks.

  23. فلا تشكُ أحداثَ الزمانِ فإنَّني

    أراه بَمن يشَكو حَوَادثَه مُغرّى

    So do not complain of time's misfortunes, for I

    See it fixated on whoever complains of its calamities.

  24. وهل نَصَرَت من قبل شكواك فاضلاً

    لِتأمَل منهنَّ الَمعُونَةَ والنَّصرا

    Have they ever aided a man of merit before your complaint,

    That you should hope for help and victory from them?

  25. وما غلب الأيامَ مِثلُ مُجرِّبٍ

    إذا غَلَبَتهُ غايةٌ غلَّبَ الصَّبرا

    None conquers the days like an experienced man:

    When a goal defeats him, he makes patience prevail.