Sol 6.1

  1. يا للْمُفَضَّلِ تَكْسُوني مدائِحُه

    وقد خلَعْتُ لِباسَ المَنْظَرِ الأنِقِ

    Ah, al-Mufaddal! His praises clothe me,

    though I have cast off the garment of graceful appearance.

  2. وما ازْدُهِيتُ وأثوابُ الصِّبا جُدُدٌ

    فكيفَ أُزهَى بثوْبٍ من صِباً خَلَقِ

    I was not vain when youth's garments were new;

    how, then, could I be proud in a worn-out garment of youth?

  3. للهِ دَرُّكَ مِن مُهْرٍ جَرى وجَرَتْ

    عُتْقُ المَذاكي فخابتْ صَفْقةُ العُتُقِ

    God bless you—a colt that raced while

    seasoned thoroughbreds raced, and the thoroughbreds' bargain failed.

  4. إنّا بعَثْناكَ تَبْغي القَولَ من كَثَبٍ

    فجِئْتَ بالنّجْمِ مَصْفوداً من الأفُقِ

    We sent you to seek poetry close at hand,

    yet you brought a star in fetters from the horizon.

  5. وقد تفرّسْتُ فيكَ الفَهْمَ مُلْتَهِباً

    من كل وجهٍ كنارِ الفُرْسِ في السَّذَقِ

    And I had discerned in you understanding ablaze

    from every side, like the Persians' fire at Sadhaq.

  6. أيْقنْتُ أنّ حِبالَ الشمسِ تُدرِكُني

    لمّا بَصُرْتُ بخَيْطِ المَشرِقِ اليَقَقِ

    I knew for certain that the sun's cords would reach me

    when I caught sight of the east's pure-white thread.

  7. هذا قَريضٌ عن الأملاكِ محْتَجِبٌ

    فلا تُذِلْهُ بإكْثارٍ على السّوقِ

    This is poetry veiled from kings;

    so do not debase it by glutting the market.

  8. كأنّه الرّوْضُ يُبْدي مَنْظراً عَجَباً

    وإنْ غَدا وهْوَ مَبذُولٌ على الطُّرُقِ

    It is like a meadow displaying a wondrous sight,

    even if it comes to lie freely open along the roads.

  9. وكم رِياضٍ بحَزْنٍ لا يَرودُ بها

    ليْثُ الشَرى وهيَ مَرْعَى الشادنِ الخَرِقِ

    Many a meadow on rugged ground is not roamed by

    the lion of al-Shara, yet is pasture for the timid fawn.

  10. فاطْلبْ مَفاتيحَ بابِ الرّزقِ من مَلِكٍ

    أعْطاكَ مِفْتاحَ بابِ السؤدَدِ الغَلِقِ

    So seek the keys to the gate of livelihood from a king

    who gave you the key to the locked gate of preeminence.

  11. لَفْظٌ كأنّ مَعاني السكْرِ يَسْكُنُه

    فمَن تحفَّظَ بَيْتاً منْه لم يُفِقِ

    Speech in which the meanings of intoxication seem to dwell:

    whoever memorizes a verse of it never sobers up.

  12. صَبّحْتَني منه كاساتٍ غَنِيتُ بها

    حتى المَنيّة عن قَيْلٍ ومُغْتَبَقِ

    You served me cups of it in the morning, freeing me

    until death from need of noonday or evening draughts.

  13. جَزْلٌ يُشَجِّعُ مَن وافَى له أُذُناً

    فهْو الدّواء لِداءِ الجبْنِ والقَلَقِ

    Forceful verse, emboldening whoever lends it an ear;

    it is the remedy for the sickness of cowardice and anxiety.

  14. إذا تَرَنّمَ شادٍ لليَرَاعِ به

    لاقى المَنايا بلا خوْفٍ ولا فَرَقِ

    If a singer chants it to a reed pipe,

    he meets death without fear or dread.

  15. وإن تَمَثّلَ صادٍ للصّخورِ بهِ

    جادَتْ عليه بعَذْبٍ غيرِ ذي رَنَقِ

    And if a thirsty man recites it to the rocks,

    they lavish upon him sweet water without a trace of murk.

  16. فرَتِّبِ النّظْمَ تَرْتِيبَ الحُلِيّ على

    شَخْصِ الجَلِيّ بلا طَيشٍ ولا خَرَقِ

    So arrange the verse as jewels are arranged upon

    the body of an unveiled bride, without rashness or clumsiness:

  17. الحِجْلُ للرِّجْلِ والتاجُ المُنيفُ لِما

    فوقَ الحِجاجِ وعِقْدُ الدُّرّ للعُنُقِ

    the anklet is for the foot, the lofty crown for what lies

    above the brow bones, and the pearl necklace for the neck.

  18. وانْهَض إلى أرضِ قوْمٍ صَوْبُ جَوّهمِ

    ذَوْبُ اللُّجَينِ مكانَ الوابلِ الغَدِقِ

    And set out for the land of a people whose skies rain

    molten silver instead of an abundant downpour.

  19. يَغْدو إلى الشوْل راعيهِمْ ومِحْلَبُه

    قعْبٌ من التّبرِ أو عُسٌّ من الوَرِقِ

    Their herdsman goes at dawn to the dry she-camels, his milking vessel

    a bowl of gold or a large cup of silver.

  20. وَدَعْ أُناساً إذا أجْدَوْا على رجُلٍ

    رَنَوْا إليه بعَينِ المُغْضَبِ الحَنِقِ

    And leave those people who, when they give to a man,

    gaze at him with an angry, resentful eye.

  21. كأنما القُرّ منهمْ فهْو مُسْتلِبٌ

    ما الصَّيْفُ كاسيهِ أشجاراً من الوَرَقِ

    As though frost came from them, snatching away

    the leaves with which summer clothes the trees.

  22. لا تَرْضَ حتى تَرى يُسراك واطِئةً

    على رِكابٍ من الإذهابِ كالشّفَقِ

    Do not be content until you see your left foot resting

    upon a gilded stirrup like the sunset glow.

  23. أمامَكَ الخيْلُ مسْحوباً أجِلّتُها

    من فاخرِ الوَشْي أو من ناعمِ السَّرَقِ

    Before you stand horses with their saddlecloths trailing,

    of splendid brocade or soft silk.

  24. كأنما الآلُ يَجْري في مَراكِبِها

    وَسطَ النهارِ وإن أُسْرِجنَ في الغَسَقِ

    As though a mirage flows through their saddles

    at midday, even when they are saddled at nightfall.

  25. كأنها في نُضارٍ ذائبٍ سبَحتْ

    واسْتُنقِذَتْ بعد أن أشْفَتْ على الغَرَقِ

    As though they had swum in molten gold,

    and been rescued after coming to the verge of drowning.

  26. ثَقِيلةُ النهْضِ ممّا حُلّيتْ ذَهَباً

    فليس تَمْلِكُ غيرَ المَشْيِ والعَنَقِ

    Heavy to rise from all the gold adorning them,

    they can manage only walking and a brisk gait.

  27. تَسْمو بما قُلّدَتْهُ من أعِنّتِها

    مُنِيفَةً كصَوادي يَثرِبَ السُّحُقِ

    They hold themselves high with the reins hung about their necks,

    towering like the lofty palms of Yathrib.

  28. وخُلّةُ الضّرْبِ لا تُبْقي له خِلَلاً

    وحُلّةُ الحَرْبِ ذاتُ السَّرْدِ والحَلَقِ

    And friendship with blows leaves one no friendships;

    and war's robe is woven of links and rings.

  29. لا تَنْسَ لي نَفَحاتي وانْسَ لي زَلَلي

    ولا يَضُرُّكَ خَلْقي واتّبِعْ خُلُقي

    Do not forget my favors; forget my slips,

    and let not my form harm you; follow my character.

  30. فرُبّما ضَرّ خِلٌّ نافِعٌ أبداً

    كالرّيقِ يحْدُثُ منه عارِضُ الشَّرَقِ

    For even an ever-helpful friend may sometimes harm,

    like saliva, which can bring a sudden fit of choking.

  31. وعَطْفَةٍ من صَديقٍ لا يَدومُ بها

    كعَطْفَةِ اللّيلِ بينَ الصّبْحِ والفَلَقِ

    And many a friend's turn of kindness does not last,

    like night's turn between morning and daybreak.

  32. فإنْ تَوافَقَ في معْنىً بَنو زَمَنٍ

    فإنّ جُلّ المَعاني غيرُ مُتّفِقِ

    If the sons of an age agree in one respect,

    in most respects they are not in agreement.

  33. قد يَبْعُدُ الشيءُ من شيءٍ يُشابِههُ

    إنّ السماءَ نَظِيرُ الماءِ في الزَّرَقِ

    One thing may be far removed from another that resembles it:

    the sky, indeed, is like water in its blueness.