Sol 6.1

  1. طالَ لَيلي أُراقِبُ التنويرا

    أَرقُبُ الصُّبحَ بالصَّباحِ بَصِيرا

    My night has grown long as I watch for dawn's light.

    I watch for dawn, keen-eyed for the morning.

  2. إثرَ لَيلَى تَحَمَّلَت ثُمَّ بانَت

    لَم تُعَرِّج ولَم تُواجِر أَمِيرا

    After Layla broke camp and then departed,

    She did not pause, nor hire a leader.

  3. طارَ صَبري فلم يُلاَمُ صَبري

    حِينَ عانَ على الجمَال الخُدورا

    My patience took flight, and my patience was not to blame,

    When it saw the curtained litters on the camels.

  4. وعَدَتني ومَنَّتِ الخُلدَ مِنها

    قَد تُواتيكَ أو تَجيءَ يَسيرا

    She promised me and held out hope of eternity with her.

    She may favor you, or come but sparingly.

  5. وإذا الوَصلُ لَم يُواتِيكَ إلاَّ

    نَكَداً أو مُقَلَّلاً مَخفُورا

    And if union does not come to you except

    Grudgingly, or scant and unhonored,

  6. أو كَمَاءِ المثمُودِ بعدَ جِمَامٍ

    زَرِمِ الدَّمعِ لا يَؤُوبُ نَزُورا

    Or like water from an overdrawn well after replenishment,

    Its tears cut off, not returning, scant—

  7. شَطَّ وَصلُ الَّذي تُرِيدينَ مِنيِّ

    وصَغيرُ الأُمورِ يَجني الكَبيرا

    The union you desire from me is far away;

    And small matters bring great ones about.

  8. قَد أَرانا وأَهلَنا بحَفيرٍ

    نَحسَبُ الدَّهرَ والسِّنينَ شُهُورا

    I remember us and our people at Hafir,

    Counting time and the years as months.

  9. فأَمِنَّا وغَرَّنا ذاكَ حتَّى

    راَعَنا الدَّهرُ قد أتانا مُغيرا

    So we felt secure, and that deceived us, until

    Time frightened us: it had come upon us as a raider.

  10. إنَّ للِدهَّهرِ صَوَلةً فاحذَرَنها

    لا تَبِيتَنَّ قد أَمِنتَ الُّدهُورا

    Time has an onslaught, so beware of it.

    Never pass the night believing yourself safe from the ages.

  11. قد يَنامُ الفَتَى صَحيحاً فَيَردَى

    ولقَد باتَ آمناً مَسرورا

    A young man may sleep in health, then perish,

    Though he had gone to bed safe and happy.

  12. إنَّما الدَّهرُ لَيِّنٌ ونَطُوحٌ

    يَتُركُ العَظمَ واهِياً مَكسورا

    Time is gentle, yet it butts fiercely;

    It leaves the bone frail and broken.

  13. فاسأَلِ النَّاسَ أَينَ آلُ قُبَيسٍ

    طَحطَحَ الدَّهرُ قَبلَهُم سابُورا

    So ask the people: where is the house of Qubays?

    Before them, Time crushed Sabur.

  14. خَطِفتَهُ مَنِيَّةٌ فَتَرَدَّى

    وَهوَ في ذاكَ يَأمُلُ التَّعميرا

    Death snatched him away, and he fell,

    While even then he hoped for a long life.

  15. ولقَد كانَ ذا جُنُودٍ وتاجٍ

    تَرهَبُ الأُسدُ صَولَهُ والزَّئيرا

    He had possessed armies and a crown;

    Lions feared his onslaught and his roar.

  16. وبَنُو الأَصفَرِ الكِرامِ مُلُو

    كُ الرُّومِ لَم يَبقَ منهُمُ مَذكورا

    And the noble sons of al-Asfar, the kings—

    —of the Romans: none of them remains remembered.

  17. فادعُ نَفساً لرُشدها قَبلَ هُلك

    إنَّما الهُلكُ أن تَزُورَ القُبورا

    So call a soul to its right path before ruin.

    Ruin is nothing but visiting the graves.

  18. لا تَنَاَمَنَّ كُلَّ يَومِكَ جَهلاً

    وتَذَكَّر وحادِثِ التَّذكيرا

    Do not sleep away your whole day in ignorance.

    And remember, and keep remembrance alive.

  19. واكسِبِ النَّفسَ في البَراءَةِ عُذراً

    وجَوازاً يُيَسِّرُ التَّعسيرا

    And earn your soul a plea of innocence,

    And a means of passage that eases hardship.

  20. أَيُّهَا المُبتَغي سَبِيلَ نَجَاةٍ

    أَشعِرِ البِرَّ في الفُؤادِ ضَميرا

    O seeker of a path to salvation,

    Instill righteousness as an inward resolve in your heart.

  21. إنَّ يَومَيكَ يُوشكُ اليَومَ فاعلَم

    أَيُّ يَومَيكَ منهُما منهُما أن يَدورا

    Indeed, your two days are close at hand today—so know

    Which of your two days, of the two, of the two, is to come round.

  22. لا أَرى الَموتَ يَسبِقُ الَموتَ شَيئاً

    نَغَّصَ الَموتُ ذا الغنَى والفَقيرا

    I do not see death outstripping death at all;

    Death has embittered the wealthy and the poor.

  23. يُدركُ الآبِدَ الغَرُورَ ويُر

    دي الطَّيرَ في النَّيقِ يَنتئَين الوُكُورا

    It overtakes the elusive wild beast, and brings—

    —down the birds on the mountain peak as they seek out their nests.

  24. أَينَ أَينَ الفِرارُ مِمَّا سَيَأتي

    لا أَرَى طائراً نَجَا أن يَطيرا

    Where, where is escape from what will come?

    I see no bird that has escaped by flying.

  25. أَيُّهَا النَّائِمُ الُمغَفَّلُ أَبِصر

    أن تَكُونَ المُضَلَّلَ الَمغرورا

    O heedless sleeper, take heed,

    Lest you be the misled and deluded one.

  26. ودَعَِ النَّفسَ عَن هَواها حِفاظاً

    أن تَكُونَ الُمبَادَرَ المَبدورا

    And restrain your soul from its desires, taking care

    Lest you be overtaken and forestalled.

  27. أَينَ آباؤُنا ونَحنُ نُرَجِّي

    بَعدَ آبائنَا الخُلُودَ غُرورا

    Where are our fathers? Yet we hope,

    After our fathers, for immortality, in delusion.

  28. وَالمَنايا مَعَ الغُدُوِّ رَواحٌ

    كُلَّ يَومٍ نَرَى لَهُنَّ عَقيرا

    And deaths come morning and evening;

    Every day we see one of their slain.

  29. كَم تَرَى اليَوَم مِن صَحيحٍ يُمَشِّي

    وغَدا حَشوَ ريِطةٍ مَقبورا

    How many a healthy man you see walking today,

    And tomorrow lies buried, filling a shroud.

  30. وصَريعٍ مُضَرَّجٍ بِدماءٍ

    أَجَزرَتهُ قَنَا الُحرُوبِ النُّسورا

    And many a fallen man, drenched in blood,

    The spears of war made him carrion for vultures.

  31. شَدَّتِ الَحربُ شَدَّةً فَحَشَتهُ

    لَهذَماً ذا سَفَاسِقٍ مَطرورا

    War made a fierce charge, then pierced him with

    A keen blade, bearing patterned streaks, sharpened.

  32. فامشِ قَصداً إذا مَشَيتَ وأَبصِر

    إنَّ في القَصدِ مَنهَجاً وجُسُورا

    So walk with moderation when you walk, and take heed:

    Indeed, in moderation lie a clear path and bridges.

  33. إنَّ في القَصدِ لاِبنِ آدَمَ خَيراً

    وسَبيلاً عَلَى الضَّعيفِ يَسيرا

    Indeed, in moderation there is good for the son of Adam,

    And a path easy for the weak.