Sol 6.1

  1. تَباعَدَت عَن أَلفي فَيا حَر أَشجاني

    وَأَفرَدَت عَن صَحبي فَيا طُول أَحزَاني

    I have grown distant from my beloved—oh, the burning of my sorrows!

    And I have been left apart from my companions—oh, the length of my grief!

  2. الفت البُكا وَالحُزن بَعدَ فِراقِهِ

    فَلو مَرَّ بي ذكر السُرور لَأَبكاني

    I grew accustomed to weeping and sorrow after parting from him;

    if the mention of joy passed by me, it would make me weep.

  3. يَعزُّ عَلى قَلبي فِراقَكَ سَيدي

    فَإِنَّكَ روحي وَاِرتِياحي وَرَيحاني

    Parting from you is painful to my heart, my lord,

    for you are my soul, my solace, and my sweet basil.

  4. يَعزُّ عَلى نَفسي فِراق حَياتِها

    فَإِنَّ فِراق الأَلف وَالمَوت سَيّان

    It pains my soul to part from its life,

    for separation from the beloved and death are alike.

  5. عَجبت وَقَد فارَقتهُ كَيفَ لَم أَمُت

    لِما بي مِن الأَشواق بِأَجفان سَهران

    I wondered, having parted from him, how I had not died,

    with such longings within me and a sleepless man's eyelids.

  6. يَرى عَجَباً نَوم المُحبين في الهَوى

    كَأَنَّ لَم يَمُرَّ الغَمض مِنهُ بِأَجفان

    He finds lovers' sleep a marvel in love,

    as though slumber had never passed across his eyelids.

  7. أَبي جِفنَهُ التَهويم حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

    لِقاء لَئيم أَو عَطية مَنّان

    His eyelid refused drowsing, until it seemed

    like meeting a scoundrel or receiving a favor-flaunter's gift.

  8. وَدارَت كُؤوس العَتب بَيني وَبَينَهُ

    فَقُلت أَلا تَرثى لِمَيت هَجران

    The cups of reproach circulated between me and him,

    so I said: Will you not pity one dead from abandonment?

  9. عَلام بِلا ذَنب تَعاقب محسناً

    عَفا اللَهُ يا مَولايَ مِنا عَن الجاني

    Why punish an innocent man who has done good?

    May God pardon, my lord, whichever of us has sinned.

  10. مَضنى عُنفوان العُمر في القُرب وَالنَوى

    فَلا القُرب أَبراني وَلا البُعدُ أَسلاني

    The prime of life is wasted in nearness and separation;

    nearness neither cured me, nor did distance make me forget.

  11. تَضاعَفَ أَشجاني إِذا الصُبحُ لاحَ لي

    وَتَشتَدُ آلامي إِذا اللَيل أَضواني

    My sorrows multiply whenever dawn appears to me,

    and my pains intensify when night enfolds me.

  12. بَراني الضَنى حَتّى خَفيتُ عَن الرَدى

    وَعَني وَما أَبلى شَبابي الجَديدان

    Wasting sickness wore me away until I was hidden from death,

    and from myself; it was not day and night that wore away my youth.

  13. وَغِبتُ عَن الأَبصار حَتّى كَأَنَّني

    تَردد رَأي حال في وَهم حَيران

    I vanished from sight until I seemed

    a wavering thought lodged in a bewildered man's imagination.

  14. فَاَنهَلَني كاس اِعتِذار عَن الجَفا

    فَدَبَت دَبيب الروح في بَيت جُثماني

    Then he gave me a cup of apology for his coldness to drink,

    and it crept like the soul through the house of my body.

  15. تَنصل عَن ذَنب الصُدود بِمَنطق

    أَلَذَ وَأَشهى مِن سلاف وَأَلحان

    He absolved himself of the sin of turning away, with speech

    more delicious and desirable than choice wine and melodies.

  16. وَساقط دُرّاً مِن بُرود مُعَطر

    بِهِ الشَهد وَالراح الرَحيق مَشوبان

    He scattered pearls from a cool, perfumed mouth,

    in which honey and pure wine were mingled.

  17. وَأَصغَت إِلى ذاكَ الصِبا فَتَعَثَرَت

    بِأَذيالِها سُكراً تَعَثَر غَيران

    The east wind listened to that, then stumbled

    over its skirts in drunkenness, like a jealous man's stumbling.

  18. وَعانَقَت مِنهُ لَين العَطف مثل ما

    تَعانق في مَرّ النَسائم خوطان

    It embraced his supple side, just as

    two slender boughs embrace as breezes pass.

  19. وَأَبصَرتهُ عطلاً مُفضض جيدهُ

    فَحليتهُ مِن دَمع عَيني بِعقيان

    I saw him unadorned, his neck silvered,

    so I adorned him with gold from the tears of my eye.

  20. وَظَلَّ يُناجيني بِأَجفان ساحر

    حري بتنبيه الصَبابة وَسنان

    He kept whispering to me with a sorcerer's eyelids,

    drowsy, yet apt to awaken ardent longing.

  21. إِذا شاءَ سَلَّ الروح مني بِوَحيِها

    فَأَقضى وَلا أَدري وَإِن شاءَ أَحياني

    If he wished, he drew my soul from me with their silent signals,

    and I perished unawares; if he wished, he revived me.

  22. وَباتَ الهَوى وَالشَوق يَغري بِلَثمِهِ

    وَحكم التُقى وَالصَون عَن ذاكَ يَنهاني

    Love and longing spent the night urging me to kiss him,

    while the rule of piety and chastity forbade me that.

  23. وَلَم يَزَل الواشون في الحُب يَأَثموا

    ضَلالاً وَيَرموني بِزور وَبُهتان

    The tale-bearers never ceased sinning against love,

    astray, accusing me with falsehood and slander,

  24. إِلى أَن أَشاعوا أَنَّني قَد سَلَوتُهُ

    وَأَبعَد مِن إِشراكِهِ فيَّ سُلواني

    until they spread the rumor that I had forgotten him;

    yet forgetting him is less possible than giving him a rival within me.

  25. فَلَو لَم أَخَف شَرع الهَوى حينَ أَغرَقوا

    لَأَغرَقتَهُم مِن فَيض دَمعي بِطوفان

    Had I not feared love's law when they went too far,

    I would have drowned them in a flood from my overflowing tears.

  26. أَرقت لِبَرق باتَ يَشئم تارَةً

    وَيَعرَق أُخرى لِأكليل وَلا واني

    I lay sleepless for lightning that veered toward Syria at times,

    and toward Iraq at others, undimmed and unflagging.

  27. تَضيءُ دَمعاً لا يَغيض همولَهُ

    وَالبَسَني مِنهُ رِداءً فَواراني

    It illuminates tears whose pouring never dwindles,

    and clothed me in a robe of them that concealed me.

  28. فَلَو كَشَفوا ذاكَ الرِداء لأَبصَروا

    صَفير رِياح في عِظام فَتى فاني

    Had they uncovered that robe, they would have seen

    winds whistling through the bones of a wasting youth.

  29. وَريحٌ سَرَت مِن جلق جادَ أَرضَها

    وَعَهد تَلاقَينا بِها كُلُّ هَتّان

    A wind came by night from Jilliq—may its land be watered,

    and the days of our meeting there, by every pouring rain.

  30. وَلا بَرحت مَأوى كِرام أَعزة

    وَمُنَزه نَدمان وَمَسرَح غُزلان

    May it forever remain a haven for noble, honored men,

    a retreat for boon companions and a pasture for gazelles.

  31. يَخيل لي شَوقي إِلى وَرد مائِها

    إِذا هاجَ إِن النيل نَغبة عَطشان

    My longing to drink its water makes me imagine,

    when it surges, that the Nile is but a thirsty man's sip.

  32. أَتَت مِن رِياض النير بينَ عَليلةً

    ذَكيةَ أَنفاس بِلَيلة أَردان

    It came languidly from the gardens of al-Nayr Bayn,

    fragrant of breath, its sleeves damp.

  33. نَبئني عَن أَهل وَديَ أَنَهُم

    أَضاعوا عُهودي بَينَ عُذر وَنِسيان

    Tell me of my loved ones—that they

    neglected my pledges, between excuses and forgetfulness.

  34. بِروحيَ أَفدي أَهل ودي وَإِن نَسوا

    عُهودي وَجافوني وَلَستُ بِخوّان

    With my soul I would ransom my loved ones, even if they forget

    my pledges and shun me; I am no betrayer.

  35. فَبِاللَهِ يا ريح الشَئام تَحملي

    رِسالَة مُشتاق إِلى القُرب هَيمان

    By God, O wind of Syria, carry

    the message of one yearning for nearness, mad with longing.

  36. وَحَيي وُجوهاً مِن كِرام مَعاشِري

    وَأَهلي وَأَخواني وَصَحبي وَأَخداني

    Greet the faces of my noble associates,

    my family, my brothers, my companions, and my intimates.

  37. فَإِن سَأَلوا عَني فَقُولي تَرَكتُهُ

    يَذوب سِقاماً بَينَ شَوق وَأَشجان

    If they ask about me, say: I left him

    melting with sickness amid longing and sorrows,

  38. يَهيمُ غَراماً كُلَّما لاحَ بارِقٌ

    وَيَبكي إِذا أَصغى إِلى سَجع مرنان

    wandering mad with love whenever lightning flashes,

    and weeping whenever he hears a resonant coo.

  39. وَيَهَتَزُّ مِن ذِكرى نَتيجة دَهرِهِ

    مَتى انس التِذكار هَزَةَ نُشوان

    He thrills at remembering the fruit of his age,

    whenever remembrance delights him, with an intoxicated man's rapture.

  40. نَعَم أَنا مُشتاق إِلى ماءِ جلق

    وَلَكن إِلى بَحر النَدى جَدَّ ظَمآن

    Yes, I long for Jilliq's water,

    but I am desperately thirsty for the sea of generosity:

  41. أَمام العُلوم الغامِضات عَن الوَرى

    فَأَقوالُهُ أَقوى وَأَقوَم بُرهان

    the master of sciences hidden from humankind,

    whose sayings are the strongest, soundest proof.

  42. يَحلُ خَفي المُشكِلات بَداهة

    مَتى شاءَ مِن غَير اِنهِماك وَإِمعان

    He solves the hidden knots of difficult questions intuitively,

    whenever he wishes, without absorption or deep scrutiny.

  43. لَقَد جَدَّ في أَخذ العُلوم فَنالَها

    وَلَكنهُ قَد خَصَ مِنها برباني

    He strove to acquire the sciences and attained them,

    yet among them he was singled out for divine learning.

  44. فَمِن ظاهر تَرويهِ عَنهُ أَفاضل

    وَمِن باطن تَختارُهُ أَهل عرفان

    There is outward knowledge that eminent scholars transmit from him,

    and inward knowledge that people of spiritual insight choose.

  45. تَملكهُ حُب المَعارف وَالنَدى

    فَمُلكُهُ رقَّ الوَرى لا لِسُلطان

    Love of knowledge and generosity has possessed him,

    so humankind's bondage belongs to him, not to a sultan.

  46. وَكَم باتَ سَهراناً لِمَجد يَجدهُ

    وَكَم باتَ لا بَكرى اِرتِقاباً لضيفان

    How often he spent the night sleepless for glory he attains,

    and how often he spent a sleepless night awaiting guests!

  47. وَما زالَ يَقفو دائِماً مَجد قَومِهِ

    يتمم ما قَد شَيَدوا لا لِنُقصان

    He has always followed his people's glory,

    perfecting what they raised—not because it was deficient.

  48. فَلَيسَ يُباري في العُلوم وَلا النَدى

    وَكَيفَ يُباري زَخرة بَحر عمان

    He cannot be rivaled in learning or generosity;

    how could the surge of the Sea of Oman be rivaled?

  49. وَلما أَطاعَتهُ المَعاني أَطاعَهُ

    أَبيُّ القَوافي الغُرّ طاعة مذعان

    When meanings obeyed him, there obeyed him also

    the defiant, radiant rhymes, with a submissive man's obedience.

  50. فَأَودَع أَرواح المَعاني بِلُطفِهِ

    جَسوم لِآل فَهي أَرواح أَبدان

    With his subtle skill he placed the souls of meanings within

    bodies of pearls, so they became the souls of bodies.

  51. وَأَبدَع شعراً إِن تَأَمَلت واحِداً

    وَإِن كانَ مِنهُ كُلُ بَيت بِديوان

    He fashioned wondrous poetry; if you contemplate a single verse—

    though every verse of it is worth a whole collection—

  52. مَعاني اِبن هاني في قَريض الوَليد في

    بَلاغة قس في فَصاحة حسان

    there are Ibn Hani's meanings in al-Walid's poetry, in

    Quss's eloquence, in Hassan's fluency;

  53. وَوَجديٌ قَيس العامِري إِذا اِشتَكى

    تَجنَب لَيلى في يَراعة سحبان

    and my passion—Qays al-Amiri's when he lamented

    Layla's shunning—through Sahban's reed pen.

  54. وَما ذاكَ تَمثيل بِهُم غَير أَنَّهُ

    تَشبَه قامات الحِسان بِأَغصان

    That is not to liken him to them, except as

    beautiful women's statures are likened to boughs,

  55. كَما شَبَهوا وَرد الخُدود إِذا بَدا

    بِهِ أَثَر التَقبيل يَوماً بِسوسان

    just as they liken the roses of cheeks, when there appears

    upon them one day the trace of kissing, to lilies.

  56. أَمَولايَ يا إِنسان عَين زَمانِهِ

    وَمَن شَكَ في هَذا فَلَيسَ بِإِنسان

    O my lord, O pupil of your age's eye!

    Whoever doubts this is no human being.

  57. لَقَد جَلَّ ما أُوتيتهُ مِن فَضائل

    فَضاقَ بِتِعدادي لَها طَوق إِمكاني

    Great indeed are the virtues bestowed upon you,

    and recounting them exceeds the compass of my ability.

  58. سُررت بِها أَهل المَودة وَالوَلا

    وَلَكنها أَودَت بِحاسدك الشاني

    With them you gladdened the people of affection and loyalty,

    but they destroyed your spiteful envier.

  59. أَرَدتُ اِنتِصاراً لِلقَريض وَلِلعُلى

    وَشُكر صَنيع لا يُجازى بِكفران

    I sought vindication for poetry and greatness,

    and gratitude for a kindness not to be repaid with ingratitude.

  60. فَأَجهَدت في أَوصاف قَدرك طاقَتي

    وَحاوَلت لَمس النيرين فَأَعياني

    So I strained my powers in describing your worth,

    and tried to touch the two luminaries, but it exhausted me.

  61. وَلَم أَلقَ بُدّاً مِن إِداءِ فَريضة

    فَدونَكَ يا مَولايَ قُبة عَجلان

    I found no escape from fulfilling an obligation,

    so take, my lord, a hurried man's dome.

  62. تَفَضل بِصَفح عَن قُصور مَدائِحي

    فَوصفك لا يُنهيهِ مثلي بتبيان

    Graciously pardon the shortcomings of my praises;

    one such as I cannot fully describe you.

  63. أَأَبعثُ ريحان القَريض لِرَوضِهِ

    وَأَبدَل هاتيك الجمان بِمُرجان

    Shall I send poetry's sweet basil to its own garden,

    and exchange those pearls for coral?

  64. وَأَينَ مِن الشَمس المُنيرة في الضُحى

    وَمِن بَدر آفاق العُلا نَجم كيوان

    Where, beside the sun shining at forenoon,

    and the full moon of greatness's horizons, is the star Kaywan?

  65. عَلى أَن شغل القَلب منى بِهمِهِ

    إِلى خِطة التَقصير في المَدح الجاني

    Yet my heart's preoccupation with its cares

    is what has wrongfully drawn me into deficient praise.

  66. وَكَيفَ أَجيد الشعر وَاللُب عاذب

    وَقَلبِيَ وَالهَم الدَخيل نجيّان

    How can I perfect poetry while my mind is absent,

    and my heart and intrusive sorrow are intimate confidants?

  67. فَأَنتَ إِبن بَيت لَم يَزالوا يُقابلوا

    إِساءَة مَن يَجني بِصَفَح وَإِحسان

    You are the son of a house whose people have always met

    the harm of wrongdoers with pardon and kindness.

  68. أَقول وَحَقٌّ ما أَقول مُخاطِباً

    مَواليَّ للاجلال وَالصدقُ مِن شاني

    I speak—and what I say is true—addressing

    my lords in reverence; truthfulness is my way.

  69. أَعشاق أَبكار المَكارم وَالعُلا

    عَلى حين لا عان بِهنَّ وَلا واني

    O lovers of the virgin forms of noble deeds and greatness,

    when none attends to them, diligent or languid!

  70. لَأَنتُم بدور للعُلوم وَالمَندى

    إِذا غابَ بَدرٌ لاحَ بَدرٌ بِها ثاني

    You are indeed full moons of learning and generosity;

    when one full moon sets, another rises there.

  71. بَقيتُم لِعَصر أَنتُمُ فَجر لَيلِهِ

    وَفَخر بَنيهِ مِن صُدور وَأَعيان

    May you endure for an age whose night's dawn you are,

    the pride of its sons, dignitaries and notables.

  72. إِلى اللَه أَشكو جَور دَهر مُعاند

    وَقَعت أَسيراً في يَدَيهِ فَجافاني

    To God I complain of the injustice of a hostile age;

    I fell captive into its hands, and it treated me cruelly.

  73. وَبَعد عَن الخلان أَوهى تَجلدي

    وَإِن كُنت مِن ذِكرى عُهودِهم داني

    Distance from my friends has weakened my endurance,

    though I remain close to the memory of their pledges.

  74. مَتى كلم القَلب المُشوق أَدكارَهُم

    تَساوى لَدى الجُلاس سَري وَأَعلاني

    Whenever remembering them wounds the longing heart,

    what I hide and what I reveal are alike before my companions.

  75. فَيا قَلب صَبراً لِليالي وَإِن تَشَأ

    فَذُب كَمداً ما بَينَ خَفق وَنيران

    O heart, bear the nights patiently; and, if you wish,

    melt in grief between fluttering heartbeats and fires.

  76. عَسى الدَهر يَرثي لي فَيَجمَع شَملَنا

    وَيُنجز وَعدي بَعدَ مطل وَلبّان

    Perhaps time will pity me and reunite us,

    and fulfill the promise made to me after procrastination and delay.