Sol 6.1

  1. أَلَم تَرَ تَغليسَ الرَبيعِ المُبَكِّرَ

    وَما حاكَ مِن وَشيِ الرِياضِ المُنَشَّرِ

    Have you not seen spring's early arrival before dawn,

    and the outspread embroidery of meadows it has woven?

  2. وَسَرعانَ ما وَلّى الشِتاءُ وَلَم يَقِف

    تَسَلُّلَ شَخصِ الخائِفِ المُتَنَكِّرِ

    And how quickly winter turned away, without lingering,

    slipping away like a frightened figure in disguise.

  3. مَرَرنا عَلى بِطياسَ وَهيَ كَأَنَّها

    سَبائِبُ عَصبٍ أَو زَرابيُّ عَبقَرِ

    We passed by Bityas, and it seemed to be

    lengths of striped cloth, or carpets of ʿAbqar.

  4. كَأَنَّ سُقوطَ القَطرِ فيها إِذا اِنثَنى

    إِلَيها سُقوطُ اللُؤلُؤِ المُتَحَدِّرِ

    As though the rain falling there, whenever it slanted

    toward it, were pearls cascading down.

  5. وَفي أُرجُوانِيٍّ مِنَ النورِ أَحمَرٍ

    يُشابُ بِإِفرِندٍ مِنَ الرَوضِ أَخضَرِ

    And in the crimson red of blossoms,

    mingled with the meadow's green damask,

  6. إِذا ما النَدى وافاهُ صُبحاً تَمايَلَت

    أَعاليهِ مِن دُرٍّ نَثيرٍ وَجَوهَرِ

    when dew visits it at dawn, there sway

    its crests, beaded with scattered pearls and gems.

  7. إِذا قابَلَتهُ الشَمسُ رَدَّ ضِياءَها

    عَلَيها صِقالُ الأُقحُوانِ المَنَوِّرِ

    When the sun faces it, its light is reflected

    back upon it by the polished sheen of blooming daisies.

  8. إِذا عَطَفَتهُ الريحُ قُلتُ اِلتِفاتَةٌ

    لِعَلوَةَ في جادِيِّها المُتَعَصفِرِ

    When the wind bends it, I say: “A turn

    of ʿAlwa in her saffron-colored, safflower-dyed robe!”

  9. بِنَفسِيَ ما أَبدَت لَنا حينَ وَدَّعَت

    وَما كَتَمَت في الأَتحَمِيِّ المُسَيَّرِ

    I would give my life for what she showed us at parting,

    and what she hid in her striped Athami robe.

  10. أَتى دونَها نَأيُ البِلادِ وَنَصُّنا

    سَواهِمَ خَيلٍ كَالأَعِنَّةِ ضُمَّرِ

    Between us and her came distant lands, and our hard driving

    of gaunt horses, lean as reins.

  11. وَلَمّا خَطَونا دِجلَةَ اِنصَرَمَ الهَوى

    فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا لَفتَةُ المُتَذَكِّرِ

    And when we crossed the Tigris, love was severed;

    nothing remained but a remembering man's backward glance,

  12. وَخاطِرِ شَوقٍ ما يَزالُ يَهيجُنا

    لِبادينَ مِن أَهلِ الشَآمِ وَحُضَّرِ

    and a passing thought of longing that still stirs us

    for Syria's people, nomads and townsfolk alike.

  13. بِأَحمَدَ أَحمَدنا الزَمانَ وَأَسهَلَت

    لَنا هَضَباتُ المَطلَبِ المُتَوَعِّرِ

    Through Ahmad we found our age worthy of praise, and smooth grew

    for us the hills of an arduous quest.

  14. فَتىً إِن يَفِض في ساحَةِ المَجدِ يَحتَفِل

    وَإِن يُعطِ في حَظِّ المَكارِمِ يُكثِرِ

    A youth who, if he enters glory's arena, spares no effort,

    and if he gives noble deeds their due, gives lavishly.

  15. تَشُنُّ النُجومَ الزُهرَ بِتنَ خَلائِقاً

    لِأَبلَجَ مِن سِرِّ الأَعاجِمِ أَزهَرِ

    You pour forth the bright stars, which overnight became virtues

    of a bright-faced, radiant man of Persia's noblest stock.

  16. هُوَ الغَيثُ يَجري مِن عَطاءٍ وَنائِلٍ

    عَلَيكَ فَخُذ مِن صَيِّبِ الغَيثِ أَو ذَرِ

    He is rain, flowing in gifts and bounty

    upon you: take from the rain's downpour, or leave it.

  17. وَلَمّا تَوَلّى البَحرَ وَالجودُ صِنوُهُ

    غَدا البَحرُ مِن أَخلاقِهِ بَينَ أَبحُرِ

    When he took command of the sea, with generosity his twin,

    the sea became one among the oceans of his virtues.

  18. أَضافَ إِلى التَدبيرِ فَضلَ شَجاعَةٍ

    وَلا عَزمَ إِلّا لِلشُجاعِ المُدَبِّرِ

    He added to sound strategy the excellence of courage,

    and resolve belongs only to the courageous strategist.

  19. إِذا شَجَروهُ بِالرِماحِ تَكَسَّرَت

    عَوامِلُها في صَدرِ لَيثٍ غَضَنفَرِ

    When they assailed him with lances, shattered were

    their spearheads against the breast of a mighty lion.

  20. غَدَوتَ عَلى المَيمونِ صُبحاً وَإِنَّما

    غَدا المَركَبُ المَيمونُ تَحتَ المُظَفَّرِ

    You sailed aboard al-Maymun at dawn; yet in truth

    the auspicious vessel sailed beneath the victorious one.

  21. أَطَلَّ بِعِطفَيهِ وَمَرَّ كَأَنَّما

    تَشَوَّفَ مِن هادي حِصانٍ مُشَهَّرِ

    It loomed with both its flanks and swept along, as though

    peering out from the neck of a conspicuously marked stallion.

  22. إِذا زَمجَرَ النوتِيُّ فَوقَ عَلاتِهِ

    رَأَيتَ خَطيباً في ذُؤابَةِ مِنبَرِ

    When the sailor roared atop its raised platform,

    you saw an orator at a pulpit's summit.

  23. يَغُضّونَ دونَ الاِشتِيامِ عُيونَهُم

    وَفَوقَ السِماطِ لِلعَظيمِ المُؤَمَّرِ

    They lower their eyes, stopping short of looking up,

    before the mighty commander, above the ranks.

  24. إِذا عَصَفَت فيهِ الجَنوبُ اِعتَلى لَها

    جَناحا عُقابٍ في السَماءِ مُهَجِّرِ

    When the south wind blasts into it, there rise to meet it

    the two wings of an eagle flying through the sky at noon.

  25. إِذا ما اِنكَفا في هَبوَةِ الماءِ خِلتَهُ

    تَلَفَّعَ في أَثناءِ بُردٍ مُحَبَّرِ

    When it heels amid the water's spray, you would think it

    wrapped itself in the folds of a richly patterned cloak.

  26. وَحَولَكَ رَكّابونَ لِلهَولِ عاقَروا

    كُؤوسَ الرَدى مِن دارِعينَ وَحُسَّرِ

    Around you are riders into terror who have drunk deep

    of death's cups, mail-clad and bareheaded alike.

  27. تَميلُ المَنايا حَيثُ مالَت أَكُفُّهُم

    إِذا أَصلَتوا حَدَّ الحَديدِ المُذَكَّرِ

    Death sways wherever their hands incline,

    when they unsheathe the edge of hardened iron.

  28. إِذا رَشَقوا بِالنارِ لَم يَكُ رَشقُهُم

    لِيُقلِعَ إِلّا عَن شِواءٍ مُقَتِّرِ

    When they shoot fire, their volleys do not

    cease except over smoking, roasted flesh.

  29. صَدَمتَ بِهِم صُهبَ العَثانينِ دونَهُم

    ضِرابٍ كَإيقادِ اللَظى المُتَسَعِّرِ

    You hurled them against the tawny-bearded men, before whom lay

    sword-strokes like the kindling of a raging blaze.

  30. يَسوقونَ أُسطولاً كَأَنَّ سَفينَهُ

    سَحائِبُ صَيفٍ مِن جَهامٍ وَمُمطِرِ

    They drive a fleet whose ships seem

    summer clouds, some rainless and some rain-laden.

  31. كَأَنَّ ضَجيجَ البَحرِ بَينَ رِماحِهِم

    إِذا اِختَلَفَت تَرجيعُ عَودٍ مُجَرجِرِ

    As though the sea's clamour among their spears,

    as they crossed, were an old camel's rumbling refrain.

  32. تُقارِبُ مِن زَحفيهِمِ فَكَأَنَّما

    تُؤَلِّفُ مِن أَعناقِ وَحشٍ مُنَفَّرِ

    You draw their two advancing forces together, as though

    joining the necks of startled wild beasts.

  33. فَما رِمتَ حَتّى أَجلَتِ الحَربُ عَن طُلاً

    مُقَطَّعَةٍ فيهِم وَهامٍ مُطَيَّرِ

    You did not depart until the battle cleared, revealing necks

    severed among them, and heads sent flying,

  34. عَلى حينَ لا نَقعٌ يُطَوِّحُهُ الصَبا

    وَلا أَرضَ تُلفى لِلسَريعِ المُقَطَّرِ

    when there was no dust for the east wind to scatter,

    nor ground to be found for a swift steed thrown down.

  35. وَكُنتَ اِبنَ كِسرى قَبلَ ذاكَ وَبَعدَهُ

    مَلِيّاً بِأَن توهي صَفاةَ اِبنِ قَيصَرِ

    You were, son of Kisra, before that and after,

    well able to weaken the solid rock of Caesar's son.

  36. جَدَحتَ لَهُ المَوتَ الزُعافَ فَعافَهُ

    وَطارَ عَلى أَلواحِ شَطبٍ مُسَمَّرِ

    You mixed him death's swift poison, but he refused it,

    and flew away on the boards of a long, nail-fastened ship.

  37. مَضى وَهوَ مَولى الريحِ يَشكُرُ فَضلَها

    عَلَيهِ وَمَن يولَ الصانِعَةَ يَشكُرِ

    He went on, a dependent of the wind, thanking it for its favor

    toward him; whoever is granted kindness gives thanks.

  38. إِذا المَوجُ لَم يُبلِغهُ إِدراكَ عَينِهِ

    ثَنى في اِنحِدارِ المَوجِ لَحظَةَ أَخزَرِ

    When the waves failed to carry him as far as his eyes could reach,

    he cast back a narrow-eyed glance as the waves sank.

  39. تَعَلَّقَ بِالأَرضِ الكَبيرَةِ بَعدَما

    تَقَنَّصَهُ جَريُ الرَدى المُتَمَطِّرِ

    He clung to the great mainland after

    death's galloping rush had hunted him.

  40. وَكُنّا مَتى نَصعَد بِجَدِّكَ نُدرِكِ ال

    مَعالي وَنَستَنصِر بِسَيفِكَ نُنصَرِ

    And whenever we rose by your good fortune, we reached the

    heights; and when we sought victory through your sword, we triumphed.