Sol 6.1

  1. كُفّي المَلامَةَ أَو دومي عَلى العَذَلِ

    ما اللَومُ أَلثَرُ هِمّاتي وَلا شُغُلي

    Cease your reproaches, or persist in blame.

    Reproach is not my chief concern, nor my occupation.

  2. لَو ذُقتِ ما ذُقتُهُ مِن حَرِّ بَينِهِمِ

    لَكُنتِ في شُغُلٍ عَنّي وَعَن عَذَلي

    Had you tasted what I tasted of the heat of parting from them,

    You would be too preoccupied for me and for reproaching me.

  3. هَذي دِيارُهُمُ تُنبيكِ أَنَّهُمُ

    أَيدي سَبا بَينَ مُحتَلٍّ وَمُرتَحِلِ

    These are their dwellings, telling you that they

    Are scattered like Saba, some settling, others departing.

  4. أَخلَت مَعالِمَهُم مِنهُم نَوىً غَمَرَت

    حَشايَ مِن كَمَدٍ آنٍ وَمِن خَبَلِ

    Separation emptied their landmarks of them, and flooded

    My inmost heart with searing grief and derangement.

  5. لَمّا عَفَت جَدَّدَت شَوقي فَجَدَّدَها

    دَمعٌ تَرَقرَقَ مِن جارٍ وَمُنهَمِلِ

    When they faded, they renewed my longing; they in turn were renewed

    By tears that shimmered, streaming and pouring down.

  6. وَما اِستَدَرَّت جُفونُ العَينِ إِذ بَكَأَت

    أَخلافَ دِرَّتِها كَالنُؤيِ وَالطَلَلِ

    Nothing makes eyelids, once dry, yield again

    The milk of their teats like the camp-ditch and the ruins.

  7. يا دِمنَةً أَحدَثَت مِنها النَوى دِمَناً

    أَخلَت مَرابِعَها قَفراً مِنَ الغَزَلِ

    O campsite, which separation has turned into ruins,

    Leaving its spring abodes desolate, emptied of love-talk.

  8. إِنَّ الأُلى اِحتَمَلوا أَبقى اِحتِمالَهُمُ

    في القَلبِ قاطِنَ شَوقٍ غَيرَ مُحتَمَلِ

    Indeed, those who departed—their departure has left

    Within the heart an abiding longing beyond bearing.

  9. وَفي الأَكِلَّةِ مِن تَحتِ الأَجِلَّةِ أَم

    ثالُ الأَهِلَّةِ بَينَ السَجفِ وَالكِلَلِ

    And within the canopies, beneath the coverings, are

    Likenesses of crescents, between drapery and curtains.

  10. أُدمٌ أَوانِسُ كَالأُدمِ الكَوانِسِ أَو

    دُمى الكَنائِسِ لَكِن لَسنَ بِالعُطُلِ

    Pale, gentle antelopes, like pale antelopes in their coverts, or

    Statues in churches—yet they are not unadorned.

  11. أَشبَهنَ مِنهُنَّ أَعطافاً وَأَجيِدَةً

    وَالرَبرَبَ العينَ في الأَحداقِ وَالكَحَلِ

    They resemble those figures in flanks and necks,

    And wide-eyed herds of wild cattle in pupils and dark eye-rims.

  12. إِذا السُجوفُ اِنفَرَت عَن بيضِها اِنحَسَرَت

    مِنَ السُجوفِ حُتوفُ اللَحظِ وَالمُقَلِ

    When the curtains part from their fair women, there emerge

    From the curtains the deaths dealt by glances and eyes.

  13. ما اِرتادَ مُرتادُ رَيبِ الدَهرِ مِن سَبَبٍ

    إِلى النُفوسِ بِمِثلِ الأَعيُنِ النُجُلِ

    No scout of Time's calamities has found a way

    To souls like those wide eyes.

  14. زينَت بِخالِدٍ الدُنيا وَزينَتُها

    وَأَبسَمَ المُلكُ عَن عِزٍّ وَعَن جَذَلِ

    The world and its adornment are adorned by Khalid,

    And sovereignty smiles with glory and delight.

  15. سَيفٌ مِنَ اللَهِ لَم يُهزَز لِمُعضِلَةٍ

    إِلّا اِنفَرَت قِطَعاً عَن أَنهُجِ السُبُلِ

    A sword from God, never brandished against a crisis

    But the crisis broke into pieces, leaving the paths clear.

  16. بِهِ اِستَقَرَّ عِمادُ الدينِ وَاِنكَشَفَت

    عَنهُ الدُجى وَهيَ بَينَ الدَحضِ وَالزَلَلِ

    Through him religion's pillar stood firm, and darkness fled

    From it, amid slipping and stumbling.

  17. إِذا اِكتَسى المَلِكُ الجَبّارُ أُبَّهَةً

    غَشّاهُ بِالسَيفِ ثَوبَ الذُلِّ وَالخَمَلِ

    When a tyrannical king clothes himself in pomp,

    With the sword he clothes him in a robe of humiliation and obscurity.

  18. كَم مارِقٍ مَرَقَت فيهِ أَسِنَّتُهُ

    وَالمَوتُ يَصدُرُ عَن عِلٍّ وَعَن نَهَلِ

    How many a rebel his spearheads have pierced,

    While death returns from drinking, once and again.

  19. وَناكِثٍ نَكَثَت في الدينِ أُسرَتُهُ

    عَنهُ وَقَد نَشِبَت فيهِ شَبا الأَسَلِ

    And many an oath-breaker whose clan, over the faith, broke away

    From him, when spearpoints had already lodged in him.

  20. لَمّا رَأى خيلَهُ تُزجي سَحابَ رَدىً

    يَنهَلُّ هَيدَبُها بِالصَيِّبِ الخَضِلِ

    When he saw his cavalry driving a cloud of death,

    Its fringes streaming with drenching rain,

  21. في مَوضِعٍ ضَنِكٍ تُمسي مَعاقِلُهُ

    إِذا اِسبَطَرَّ شِهابُ المَوتِ كَالعُقُلِ

    In a narrow place where his strongholds become,

    When death's meteor streaks out, like fetters.

  22. تَغدو أَسِنَّتُهُ زُرقاً فَيَكحَلُها

    يَومَ الكَريهَةِ في اءَحداقِ وَالكَحَلِ

    His spearheads go forth blue; he paints them with kohl

    On battle's day, amid pupils and kohl [wording unclear].

  23. إِذا اِنتَضى السَيفَ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَغمَدَهُ

    مُخَضَّباً مِن دَمِ الأَعداءِ في القُلَلِ

    When he draws the sword on terror's day, he sheathes it

    Dyed with the blood of enemies, in their heads.

  24. فَإِن تَأَوَّدَتِ الأَرماحُ ثَقَّفَها

    بِكاهِلٍ بَطَلٍ مِن فارِسٍ بَطَلِ

    And if the lances bend, he straightens them

    Against the stalwart shoulder of a valiant horseman.

  25. إِذا اِغتَدى اِغتَدَتِ الآمالُ تَقدُمُهُ

    إِلى نُفوسِ العِدى بِالخَبلِ وَالوَجَلِ

    When he goes forth at dawn, hopes go forth before him

    Toward his enemies' souls, bringing ruin and dread.

  26. إِذا اِرتَدى بِنِجادِ السَيفِ عاتِقُهُ

    قُلتَ الحَمائِلُ قَد نيطَت عَلى جَبَلِ

    When his shoulder wears the sword's baldric,

    You would say the straps were hung upon a mountain.

  27. تَندى مَناصِلُهُ حَتفاً وَراحَتُهُ

    عُرفاً يَفيضُ كَفيضِ امُسبِلِ الوَبَلِ

    His blades drip death, and his palm

    Bounty, pouring like a cloud shedding heavy rain.

  28. تَبيتُ أَعداؤُهُ تُطوى عَلى وَجَلٍ

    مِنهُ وَأَموالُهُ تُطوى عَلى وَجَلِ

    His enemies pass the night folded about fear

    Of him; his riches too are folded about fear.

  29. غَيثُ العُفاةِ وَفَكّاكُ العُناةِ وَقَت

    تالُ العُداةِ غَداةَ الرَوعِ وَالوَهَلِ

    Rain for petitioners, liberator of captives, and

    Slayer of foes on the morning of terror and alarm.

  30. أَغَرُّ لَيسَ لَهُ في البَأسِ مِن مَثَلٍ

    وَلا لَهُ في النَدى وَالجودِ مِن مَثَلِ

    Radiant, with no equal in valor,

    Nor any equal in generosity and bounty.

  31. بِسَيفِهِ أَصبَحَ الإِسلامُ وَهوَ حِمىً

    راضٍ عَنِ المُلكِ وَالإِسلامِ وَالدُوَلِ

    By his sword Islam, itself a guarded sanctuary, has become

    Content with kingship, Islam, and the dynasties.

  32. لَولا نَداهُ وَلَولا سَيفُ نِقمَتِهِ

    دارَت رَحى الدينِ وَالدُنيا عَلى ثَكَلِ

    Were it not for his bounty and the sword of his vengeance,

    The mill of faith and the world would turn upon bereavement.

  33. وَلا تُمَدُّ يَدٌ يَوماً إِلى طَمَعٍ

    وَلا ثَنَتها أَكُفُّ اليَأسِ بِالشَلَلِ

    And no hand is ever stretched toward hope,

    Nor have despair's hands bent it back with paralysis.

  34. إِذا تَصَعَّبَتِ الأَيّامُ قَلَّدَها

    رَأياً يَرُدُّ شَبا الأَيّامِ عَن فَلَلِ

    When the days grow unruly, he collars them

    With judgment that sends back the days' sharp points blunted.

  35. تَبيتُ أَعيُنُ صَرفِ الدَهرِ قاذِيَةً

    بِالعِزِّ مِن دونِهِ تُغضي عَلى قَبَلِ

    The eyes of Time's vicissitudes spend the night mote-filled

    By his might, downcast before him and squinting.

  36. مازالَ يَملِكُ وَفراً غَيرَ مُدَّخِرٍ

    عَنِ العُفاةِ وَعِرضاً غَيرَ مُبتَذَلِ

    He has ever possessed abundant wealth, not withheld

    From petitioners, and honor never debased.

  37. يَكادُ يَعلَمُ ما تُخفي الصُدورُ مِنَ ال

    آمالِ حَتّى لَقَد أَجدى وَلَم يُسَلِ

    He almost knows what breasts conceal of

    Hopes—indeed, he has given without being asked.

  38. إِذا رَأَيتَ عَطاياهُ وَنائِلَهُ

    خِلتَ السَماحَةَ لَم تُفقَد وَلَم تُزَلِ

    When you see his gifts and his largesse,

    You think generosity has never been lost or swept away.

  39. إِذا الخُطوبُ اِمتَرَت أَخلافَ دِرَّتِهِ

    دَرَّت بِخِلفَينِ مِن شَريٍ وَمِن عَسَلِ

    When calamities milk the teats of his flow,

    They flow through two teats, with colocynth and honey.

  40. حَلَّت رِكابُ العُلا وَالمَجدِ أَرحُلَها

    بِهِ وَشالَت رِكابُ البُخلِ بِالبَخَلِ

    The camels of high rank and glory have unfastened their saddles

    At his side, while miserliness's camels depart bearing miserliness.

  41. في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَهُ وَعدٌ يُحَقِّقُهُ

    حَتّى يُقَطِّعَ قَلبَ المَطلِ وَالعِلَلِ

    Each day he has a promise he fulfills,

    Until he tears apart the heart of delay and excuses.

  42. لِخالِدِ بنِ يَزيدٍ بِكرُ مَكرُمَةٍ

    لَو رامَ هادِيَهُ العَيّوقَ لَم يَنَلِ

    Khalid ibn Yazid possesses a maiden deed of honor,

    Were his guide to seek al-ʿAyyuq, he would not attain it.

  43. أَرسى قَواعِدَهُ مَعنُ بنُ زائِدَةٍ

    في باذِخٍ مِن شَواةِ النَجمِ مُحتَلَلِ

    Maʿn ibn Zaʾida set his foundations firm

    In a towering dwelling at the star's crown.

  44. إِذا سَرايا عَطاياهُ سَرَت أَسرَت

    يَدَ المَكارِمِ وَاِستَغنَت عَنِ العُقُلِ

    When the squadrons of his gifts march by night, they capture

    The hand of noble deeds, and have no need of fetters.

  45. لَم يَغزُ ساحَتَهُ راجٍ سَماحَتَهُ

    يَوماً فَيَرجِعُ إِلّا غانِمِ القَفَلِ

    No seeker of his bounty has raided his courtyard

    On any day and returned, save laden with homeward spoils.

  46. كَأَنَّهُ وَبَنو شَيبانَ تَكنُفُهُ

    بَدرٌ بَدا في نُجومِ السَعدِ بِالكَمَلِ

    As though he, with Banu Shayban surrounding him,

    Were a full moon risen among auspicious stars in full array.

  47. أَحيا يَزيدَ بِعُرفٍ مِن مَآثِرِهِ

    أَحيَت مَآثِرَ مِن آبائِهِ الأُوَلُ

    He revived Yazid through bounty among his glorious deeds,

    Which revived the glories of his forefathers of old.