Sol 6.1

  1. أَرِقتُ لمُكفَهِرٍّ باتَ فيهِ

    بَوارِقُ يَرتَقينَ رُؤوسَ شِيبِ

    A lowering cloud kept me sleepless; all night within it

    lightning flashes climbed hoary heads.

  2. تَلوحُ الَمشرَفيَّةُ في ذُراهُ

    ويَجلُو صَفحَ دَخدارٍ قَشِيب

    Mashrafi swords gleamed upon its heights,

    and revealed the face of a fresh, fine cloth.

  3. كأَنَّ مَآتماً باتَت عليهِ

    خَضَبنَ مَآلِياً بِدمٍ صبِيبِ

    As though bands of mourners had spent the night upon it,

    dyeing mourning cloths with streaming blood.

  4. يُلألِئنَ الأَكفَّ على عَدِيٍّ

    ويُعطَفُ رَجعُهنَّ إلى الجيُوبِ

    They flashed their palms over Adi,

    and their returning motions were bent toward their bosoms.

  5. سَقىَ بَطنَ العَقيقِ إلى أُفَاقٍ

    فَفَاثُورٍ إلى لَببِ الكَثيبِ

    It watered al-Aqiq's valley-floor as far as Ufaq,

    then Fathur, as far as the foot of the dune.

  6. فَرَوَّى قُلَّةَ الأَدحالِ وَبلٌ

    فَفلجاً فالنَّبيَّ فَذا كَريب

    Then a downpour drenched al-Adhal's summit,

    then Falj, an-Nabi, and Dhu Karib.

  7. فمِنهُ دِيمَة وَطفاءُ سَكبٌ

    وذُو نَزَلٍ تَفَرَّعُ في السُّيُوبِ

    From it came dense, steadily pouring rain,

    and a bountiful downpour branching into streams.

  8. كأَنَّ دُفوقَ جَونٍ تَعتَريِه

    تُجانِبُ قاصِباً فَحَنِينَ نِيبِ

    As though surges of a dark cloud sweeping over it

    skirted a piper, then the groaning of old she-camels.

  9. يَجيءُ بما أَمَدَّتهُ الثُّريَّا

    مُعيراً أَمرَهُ دَررَ الَجُنوبِ

    It came with what the Pleiades supplied it,

    entrusting its course to the south wind's copious showers.

  10. سَعَى الأعداءَ لا يَالُونَ شَرّاً

    عَلَيَّ وَرَبَّ مكَّةَ والصَّليبِ

    The enemies schemed, sparing no evil

    against me—by the Lord of Mecca and the Cross.

  11. أرادُوا أن يُمَهَّلَ عَن كَبيرٍ

    فَيُسجَنَ أو يُدَهدى في قَلِيبِ

    They wanted me held back from a great man,

    then imprisoned or tumbled into a well.

  12. وكنتُ اِزاَز خَصمِكَ لَم أُعَرِّد

    وقد سَلَكُوكَ في يومٍ عَصيبِ

    I faced your adversary and did not retreat,

    though they had drawn you into a grievous day.

  13. أُعالِنُهُم وأُبِطنُ كُلَّ سِرٍ

    كَما بينَ اللِّحَاء إلى العَسِيبِ

    I confronted them openly and concealed every secret,

    like what lies between bark and palm-stalk.

  14. فَفُزتَ عليهمُ لَمَّا التقَينَا

    بتاجِكَ فَوزَةَ القِدحِ الأَريبِ

    So you prevailed over them when we met,

    winning your crown as a canny lot-arrow wins.

  15. وما دَهري بأن كُدِّرتُ فَضلاً

    ولكن ما لَقيتُ مِنَ العَجِيبِ

    My concern is not that my favor was clouded,

    but the strange things I have encountered.

  16. وما هَذا بأَوَّلِ ما أُلاَقي

    مِنَ الحِدثَان والعَرَضِ القَرِيبِ

    This is not the first I have met

    of time's calamities and misfortune close at hand.

  17. وما طَلَبي سُؤالاً بعدَ خُبرٍ

    نَمَاهُ الُموضِعونَ إلى الشَّعوبِ

    Nor do I seek inquiry after learning the news

    that hurried riders have carried to Death.

  18. وما شَأني بهِ وَالفَيجُ حَولي

    وهَمِّي لَو عَنيتُ به مُصيبي

    What have I to do with it, with the courier around me,

    when my grief would strike me down if I dwelt on it?

  19. خَلاَ الأهوالَ إنَّ الهَمَّ غادٍ

    على ذي الشَّغلِ وَالبَثِّ الطَّروبِ

    Apart from horrors, worry comes at dawn

    upon one burdened with cares and anguish, deeply shaken.

  20. يُجاوبُهُ يَسَارُ اللهِ عَنِّي

    وصَبري في مُلِمَّاتِ الخُطُوبِ

    God's bounty answers it on my behalf,

    and my patience amid the assaults of calamity.

  21. أَلاَ من مُبلغُ النُّعمانَ عَنِّي

    وقد تُهدَى النَّصيحَةُ بالَمغيبِ

    Oh, who will convey my message to al-Nu'man?

    For counsel may be offered in one's absence.

  22. أَحظِّي كانَ سِلسِلَةً وقَيداً

    وغُلاٍّ والبَيانُ لَدَى الطَّبيبِ

    Was my lot a chain and a fetter,

    and a neck-shackle? The explanation lies with the discerning man.

  23. وهُم أَضحَوا لَديكَ كما أرادوا

    وقد تُرجَى الرَّغائبُ مِن مُثِيبِ

    And they are now with you just as they wished,

    while favors may be hoped for from one who rewards.

  24. أتاكَ بأَننَّي قَد طالَ حَبسي

    فلَم تَسأَل بمَسجُونٍ حَرِيبِ

    News reached you that my imprisonment had grown long,

    yet you did not inquire about a despoiled prisoner.

  25. وما لي ناصرٌ إلاَّ نِساءٌ

    أَرامِلُ قد هَلَكنَ مِنَ النَّحيبِ

    I have no supporter except women,

    widows who have wasted away with sobbing.

  26. يُحَدِّرنَ الدُّموعَ على عَديٍ

    كَشنٍ خانَهُ خَرزُ الرَّبيبِ

    They let tears stream down for Adi,

    like an old waterskin betrayed by a stepson's stitching.

  27. يُحاذِرنَ الوُشاةَ على عَديٍ

    وما قَرَفُوا عليه مِنَ الذُّنوبِ

    They fear the slanderers' harm to Adi,

    and the sins they have laid to his charge.

  28. فأن أخطَأتُ أو أوهَمتُ أَمراً

    فقد يَهِمُ الُمصافي بالَحبيبِ

    So if I erred or misjudged a matter,

    a loyal friend may err concerning his beloved.

  29. وإن أظلِم فقد عاقبتمُوني

    وإن أُظلَم فذلكَ من نصيبي

    If I do wrong, you have already punished me;

    if I am wronged, that is part of my allotted fate.

  30. وإن أَهلَك تَجِد فَقدي وتُخذَل

    إذا التَقَتِ العَوالي في الخُطُوبِ

    If I perish, you will feel my loss and be left unsupported

    when spear-tips clash in times of crisis.

  31. فَهَل لكَ أن تَدارَكَ ما لَدينا

    ولا تُغلَب على الرُّشدِ الُمصِيبِ

    Will you then remedy what we face,

    and not be overruled in sound, right judgment?

  32. وإنِّي قد وَكَلتُ اليومَ أَمري

    الى رَبٍّ قريبٍ مُستجيبِ

    And today I have entrusted my cause

    to a Lord who is near and answers.