Sol 6.1

  1. أَنَّى طَرَقتَ ذَوي شَجنٍ تَعُودُهُمُ

    وكنتُ عَهدي قَطُوفَ الَمشيِ مِحيارا

    How did you come by night to visit those burdened with sorrow?

    And I was, as I recall, slow of step and easily bewildered.

  2. أَم كيفَ جِزتَ فُيوجاً حَولَهُم حَرَسٌ

    وَمُترَصاً بابُهُ بالشَّكِّ صَرَّارا

    Or how did you pass the guards, with sentries surrounding them,

    And a fortified place whose door creaked on its bolts?

  3. فَيَا لَهُ مِن حَبيبٍ صادَفَت أَلَماً

    وكنتُ أُنِعمُه بالاً إذا زارا

    Ah, what a beloved visitor, coming upon suffering!

    I used to gladden his heart whenever he visited.

  4. وَلم يكُن غيرَ شوقٍ بعدَ بارحَةٍ

    وغَربَ عَينٍ تَسُحُّ العَينَ أسرارا

    After last night there was nothing but longing,

    And torrents of tears, the eye pouring out secrets.

  5. وقد أَراهُ على حالٍ أُسَرُّ بهِ

    كأَنَّما أَجتَلي في الصُّبحِ دينارا

    And I would see him in a state that gladdened me,

    As though I beheld a gold dinar in the morning.

  6. وأَحَورِ العَينِ مَربُوبٍ لَه غُسَنٌ

    مُقَلَّدٌ من جَنَاحِ الدُّرِّ تِقصارا

    And a pampered, dark-eyed one, with luxuriant hair,

    Adorned with a short necklace of fanned-out pearls.

  7. قَدِ اصطَلَى نارَهُ حِيناً ويُضرِمُها

    إذا خَبَا ضَوءُها الهِنديَّ والغارا

    He warmed himself awhile at his fire, feeding it,

    When its light grew faint, with Indian wood and laurel.

  8. وذي تَناوِيرَ مَمعُونٍ لَهُ صَبَحٌ

    يَغذُو أَوابِدَ قد أَفلَينَ أَمهارا

    And a flower-filled, well-watered meadow, bright at dawn,

    Nourishing wild creatures that had borne their foals.

  9. والخُنسُ يُزجِينَ غُنّاً في طَوائفِهِ

    يَضرِسنَ مِن خِروِعٍ رَيَّانَ أَثمارا

    The gazelles guided their bleating young about its edges,

    Chewing fruit from luxuriant castor plants.

  10. أَهبَطتُه الرَّكبَ أَحبُوهُم أَخَا ثِقَةٍ

    رَحب الَجوانِحِ صَلتَ الَخدِّ عَيَّارا

    I brought the riders down there, offering them a trusty companion,

    Broad-ribbed, smooth-cheeked, swift and restless.

  11. كأَنَّ رَيِّقَهُ شُؤبُوبُ غاديةَ

    لَمَّا تَقَفَّى رَقيبَ النَّقع مُسطارا

    As though his first rush were a morning downpour,

    When he pursued the dust's sentinel, flying onward.

  12. يُربي عليهِ تِجاهَ الرَّكب ذُو دَرَكٍ

    بالعَقبِ إن لَم يدمِّ الَجلزَ إحضارا

    Before the riders, a swift pursuer gains upon him,

    With a renewed burst—if galloping has not bloodied the whip's binding.

  13. فِعشتُ أُولي صَديقي ما يُسَرٌّ بهِ

    وَمن تَكَيَّدنَي ناباً وأظفارا

    Thus I lived, granting my friend what gladdened him,

    And anyone who plotted against me, a fang and claws.

  14. فخالَ ذلكَ أحلاماً أُذَكِّرُها

    بعدَ النَّعيمِ وكانَ العَيشُ أطوارا

    So regard all that as dreams I now recount,

    After pleasure—for life comes in changing phases.

  15. مَن مُبلِغَ الصَّعبَ عَن عَانٍ يَوَدُّ لَهُ

    طُولَ الَحياةِ وفيما رامً إظهارا

    Who will tell al-Sa'b, from a captive who wishes him

    Long life and triumph in whatever he seeks:

  16. إنِّي سُررتُ على ما كانَ مِن وَصَبٍ

    بما يُنَبِّئُ قَيسٌ عَنكَ أَخبارا

    I was gladdened, despite the suffering that had been,

    By the tidings Qays brings of you,

  17. إذ حَلَّ عنكض عَزيزُ الفَقدِ مُجتَنباً

    للِهاجراتِ نَقِيَّ الصَّدرِ نَحَّارا

    When one whose loss is grievous alighted [text unclear], shunning

    Foul speech, pure of heart, lavish in slaughtering camels.

  18. ولَو هَلَكتُ تركتُ النَّاسَ في وَهَل

    بعدَ الَجميعِ وصارَ العَيشُ إكسارا

    Had I perished, I would have left the people in terror,

    After togetherness, with life shattered into fragments.

  19. فالحمدُ لِلَّهِ إذ نَجَّاكَ مِن عَطَبٍ

    واللهُ لا يَبتَغي للِحَمدِ أَنصارا

    Praise be to God, who saved you from destruction;

    God seeks no helpers to secure His praise.

  20. وإذ نَقَمتُ مِنَ الوَجناءِ جِبلَتَها

    إذ خافَ منكَ وَلُّي الشَجوِ إدبارا

    And when I resented the thick-cheeked she-camel's nature,

    When sorrow's companion feared a rebuff from you,

  21. فأَنتَ تَرفَعُها جَذلانَ مُبتَهِجاً

    سَهواً وتُعمِلُها عَرفاءَ مِذكارا

    You urged her onward, joyful and exultant,

    Gently, working her on—long-necked, a bearer of male young.

  22. تَهدي الأَنامَ وتُعطِيهمُ نَوائِبهُم

    في الدِّينِ عَدلاً وفي الأَعطاءِ إغزار

    You guide mankind and provide for their needs in adversity:

    Justice in religion, and abundance in giving.

  23. بَل أَلسِنُوني سُراة العَمِّ إنَّكُمُ

    لَستُم مِنَ الُملكِ والأبدالِ أَغمارا

    Nay, tell me, nobles of the clan: you

    Are no novices in kingship and succession.

  24. ماذا تُرجَوُّونَ إن أَودَى رَبيُعكُمُ

    بَعدَ الألَهِ ومَن أَذكَى لَكُم نارا

    What will you hope for if your springtime perishes,

    Next after God—and the man who kindled your fire?

  25. كَلاَّ يميناً بذاتِ الوَدعِ لو حَدَثَت

    فيكُم وقابَلَ قَبرُ الماجِدِ الزَّارا

    No! By the lady of cowries, if such a thing befell

    Among you, and the noble man's grave faced its visitor

  26. بِتَلِّ جَحوَشَ ما يَدعُو مُؤذِّنُهُم

    لأَمرِ دَهرٍ وإذ يَحتَثُّ أَنفارا

    At Tall Jahwash, their herald would not call

    For some matter of fate, even as he urged men onward;

  27. ولا تَحُلُّ نَبِيَّ البِشر قُبَّتُهُ

    تَسُومُهُ الرُّومُ أن يُعطُوهُ قنِطارا

    Nor would his pavilion stand at Nabi al-Bishr,

    With the Romans offering to give him a qintar of treasure.

  28. إذاَ لَبُؤتُم بجمعٍ لا كِفَاءَ لَهُ

    أَوتادُ مُلكٍ عَظيمٍ جَدُّهُ بارا

    Then you would face a host with no equal,

    Pillars of a mighty kingdom, its fortune brought low.

  29. أو أن تُشَمِّر حَربٌ بعدَ ما لَقِحَت

    حتَّى تَشُوبَ لَكُم شَيباءَ مِذكارا

    Or war would gird up its skirts after conceiving,

    Till it raged against you, gray-haired, a bearer of sons.

  30. إذ قَومُها فَقَدتَهُ لا يُعَقِّلُها

    حتَّى يُعَرِّفَكُم ذُلاًّ وإصغارا

    When her people have lost him, none can tether her,

    Until he makes you taste abasement and humiliation.

  31. كأَنَّ أَعداءَها منكُم وخاشمَها

    منَ العَدُوِّ على الأيَّامِ صَبَّارا

    As though her enemies were among you, and her fierce assailant

    Among the enemy, steadfast through the days.

  32. وَالُمشتَلِيكُم وقد زالَت دَعامَتكُم

    أو تَزعَمُونَ وتَزدادُونَ أوتارا

    And the one who summons you, once your mainstay has fallen—

    Or so you claim, as you add more blood-feuds.

  33. فَلم يَلِث مُلكُهُ إذ راشَ سَهمُكُمُ

    وحَلَّ عنكُم عَوالي فَضِلهِ العارا

    His kingship did not falter when he feathered your arrow,

    And his exalted bounty stripped disgrace from you.

  34. فكُلُّكُم مِن غَدٍ يَرعَى مَحَبَّتَهُ

    ولا يَزالُ بأَمنٍ مُونِقاً دارا

    Each of you, from tomorrow, will cherish his affection,

    And remain secure, with a delightful dwelling.

  35. ورافِدُ الرَبِّ مَغبوطاً بِصُحبِتَه

    وطالبُ الوجَهِ يَرضَى الحالَ مُختارا

    And the lord's supporter, envied for his companionship,

    And the seeker of favor, freely content with his lot.

  36. مَن لا يُشارِكُ يوماً نَفسَهُ لَمَمٌ

    ومَن يُعَشِّي جَوازَي عُرفِه الجارا

    One whose soul is never touched by a fit of madness,

    And who feeds his neighbor at dusk from his bountiful gifts.

  37. مُولَى الفِعالِ ومُجني كُلِّ مَوحِدةٍ

    حُلوُ الشَّمائلِ يَلقَى الجَيشَ مَوَّارا

    Master of deeds, garnering every singular distinction,

    Sweet-natured, he meets the army in its surging tumult.

  38. غيرُ العَنيفِ بما أَدَّت نَقيَبتُهُ

    يَبني لِمَن بَعدَه نُعمَى وآثارا

    Not harsh in what his nature brings forth,

    He builds blessings and lasting traces for those after him.

  39. عَفُّ الَمكاسِبِ ما تكَدي خُسَاسَتُه

    كالبَحرِ يُلحِقُ بالتَّيَّار تَيَّارا

    Upright in his earnings; even his least bounty never fails,

    Like the sea, adding surge upon surge.

  40. الواهِبُ الأَلفَ مَحبوساً هجائُنها

    كأَنَّ أَلوانَها غُشِّينَ جَيَّارا

    The giver of a thousand camels, their pure-breds held together,

    As though their coats had been overlaid with lime.

  41. والدُّهمُ شُعثُ الذُّرَى سَوداءُ تُشِبهُها

    مِمَّا وَنَى مِن صَفَا شَبعانَ جَبَّارا

    And dark camels, shaggy-humped, resembling black boulders,

    Huge masses loosened from the hard rock of Shab'an.

  42. في الرَّوضِ تَرعَى وتَجري في طَوائفِه

    يَنسِلنَ في نَقَلِ الشِّعريِّ إدبارا

    In the meadow they graze and run about its edges,

    Hurrying away across the loose stones of al-Shi'ri.

  43. بَلهَ التَّرايِعِ منهُ في مَرابِطِكُم

    والصَّافِناتُ إذا جُرِّدنَ أَبشارا

    Not to mention his spirited mounts in your stables,

    And the poised steeds, when their bodies are bared.

  44. فأَيُّكُم لَم يَنَلهُ عُرفُ نائِلهِ

    دَثراً سَواماً وفي الأَريافِ أَوصارا

    Which of you has not received the bounty of his gifts—

    Abundant grazing herds, and grants in the countryside?

  45. فاليَومَ إذ ما وَقَاكَ اللهُ صَرعَتَهُ

    وزادَ أعداءَهُ ذلاًّ وإمعارا

    Today, now that God has spared you his downfall,

    And increased his enemies' abasement and poverty,

  46. فاستَعتِبوُا واشكُرُوا للهِ نِعمَتَهُ

    تُلفوا إلَهَكُمُ للِظلًّمِ غَفَّارا

    Seek to make amends, and thank God for His blessing.

    You will find your God abundantly forgiving of wrongs.

  47. يَزدكُمُ حِدَّةً ما دامَ قائِتكُم

    وفي قَوِى حَبلِكُم مَتناً وإمرارا

    He will increase your vigor while your provider endures,

    And add strength and tight twisting to your rope's strands.

  48. مَتَى يَمُت لا يَرَوا عَدلاً لَهُ أَبَداً

    في كلّ ما قَلَبُوا عُرفاً وإنكارا

    Whenever he dies, they will never see his equal,

    However they search, among things familiar or strange.

  49. ولَو عَلِمنا جِبالاً يُستَلاذُ بها

    مِن رَهطِنا قامَةٌ لِلمُلكِ أَعمارا

    Even if we knew mountains in which to seek shelter,

    From our clan, towering supports for kingship through lifetimes,

  50. فأَنَّهُ لا كَشِرواهُ رَأَى أَحَداً

    أَمَرَّ أَمراً وأَقوَى مِنهُ أَضرارا

    Never has one seen anyone to match him,

    Firmer in command, or stronger than he in inflicting harm.

  51. قد ظَنَّ باللهِ مَن يَبغي به بَدَلاً

    ومَن يُرجّي لِريَبِ الدَّهرِ إظهارا

    Whoever seeks a replacement for him has thought ill of God,

    As has whoever hopes for time's misfortunes to prevail.