Sol 6.1

  1. أَما تَغضَبُ العَلياءُ أَنِّيَ غَضبانُ

    وَأَنّي نَزيلٌ لِلصَباحِ وَحائِرٌ

    Does glory not grow angry that I am angry,

    and that I am the morning's lodger, perplexed,

  2. وَأَنّي ضَيفٌ لِلسَحابِ وَحَيرانُ

    وَفي خِدمَةِ السُلطانِ عَرَّضَ نَفسَهُ

    and that I am the clouds' guest, bewildered?

    And he offered himself for the sultan's service—

  3. فَتىً ما عَلَيهِ لِلنَباهَةِ سُلطانُ

    وَكَم شامِتٍ بي قالَ جُعتَ وَلَم تَخُن

    a youth over whom shrewdness has no sway.

    And many a man gloating over me said, 'You went hungry yet did not betray,

  4. وَقَد شَبِعوا وَاِستَبهَلوكَ وَإِن خانوا

    فَما كانَ عِندي لِلسُؤالِ إِجابَةٌ

    while they ate their fill and deemed you a fool, though they betrayed.'

    So I had no answer to the question,

  5. وَما كانَ عِندي لِلإِجابَةِ تِبيانُ

    وَبَيني وَبَينَ الدَهرِ حَربٌ قَديمَةٌ

    nor any explanation with which to answer.

    And between me and Time there is an age-old war,

  6. وَما لِيَ أَنصارٌ وَلا لِيَ أَعوانُ

    فَجَهِّز إِلى لُقياكَ لي جَيشَ عُسرَتي

    and I have no supporters, nor any helpers.

    So equip for me the army of my hardship, that I may meet you,

  7. كَماجَهَزَ الجَيشَ التَبوكِيِّ عُثمانُ

    وَمُلكُ سُلَيمانَ الشَياطينُ حَولَهُ

    as Uthman equipped the army of Tabuk.

    And Solomon's kingdom—devils are all around him;

  8. فَبِاللَهِ لا يَركَن إِلَيهِم سُلَيمانُ

    وَكَم قائِلِ ما يَشتَري الحَمدَ عاجِزٌ

    so, by God, let Solomon not rely on them.

    And many a speaker has said, 'No helpless man buys praise.'

  9. فَقُلتُ وَلا باعَ الأَمانَةَ إِنسانُ

    تَغرَّبتُ في الأَوطانِ وَالفَقرُ غُربَةٌ

    So I said, 'Nor has any human being sold integrity.'

    I became a stranger in my homelands, and poverty is exile

  10. إِذا اِستَوطَنوا وَالمالُ في البَينِ أَوطانُ

    فَإِن كانَ لَفظي بِالشِكايَةِ صاحِياً

    when they dwell at home; wealth, in separation, is home.

    So if my speech is sober in complaint,

  11. فَمِن خَلقِهِ قَلبٌ مِنَ الهَمِّ سَكرانُ

    وَلَو لَم يَكُن عُثمانُ مِن فَوقِ ظَهرِها

    then among His creation is a heart drunk with sorrow.

    And had Uthman not been upon her back,

  12. لَقالَت لَنا ما فَوقَ ظَهري إِنسانُ

    وَأُقسِمُ ما قَصَّرتُ في شُكرِ نِعمَةٍ

    she would have told us, 'No human being is upon my back.'

    And I swear I have not fallen short in gratitude for a favor:

  13. فَلي مِنكَ ديوانٌ وَلي فيكَ ديوانُ

    for I have a register from you, and a book of verse about you.