Sol 6.1

  1. أَرى كَفرَطابٍ أَعجَزَ الماءُ حَفرَها

    وَبالِسَ أَغناها الفُراتُ عَنِ الحَفرِ

    I see Kafartab: its digging has failed to reach water,

    while the Euphrates has spared Balis the need to dig.

  2. كَذَلِكَ مَجرى الرِزقِ وادٍ بِلا نَدىً

    وَوادٍ بِهِ فَيضٌ وَآخَرُ ذو جَفرِ

    Such is the course of sustenance: one valley without moisture,

    another overflowing, and another with a broad well.

  3. خَبَرتُ البَرايا وَالتَصَعلُكَ وَالغِنى

    وَخَفضَ الحَشايا وَالوَجيفَ مَعَ السُفرِ

    I have known humankind, destitution, and wealth,

    the comfort of mattresses, and hastening with travelers.

  4. فَأَطيَبُ أَرضِ اللَهِ ما قَلَّ أَهلُهُ

    وَلم يَنأَ فيهِ القوتُ عَن يَدِكَ السَفرِ

    So the best of God's lands is one with few inhabitants,

    and where food is not far from your bare hand.

  5. يُعاني مُقيمٌ بِالعِراقِ وَفارِسٍ

    وَبِالشامِ ما لَم يَلقَهُ ساكِنُ القَفرِ

    Residents of Iraq and Persia endure,

    and of Syria, what the desert-dweller has never faced.

  6. فَمِل عَن بَني حَوّاءَ مِن نَسلِ آدَمٍ

    لِتَنزِلَ بَينَ الحُوِّ وَالأُدمِ وَالعُفرِ

    So turn away from Eve's children, Adam's descendants,

    to dwell among the dark, white, and tawny gazelles.

  7. وَلا بُدِّ في دُنياكَ مِن نَصَبٍ لَها

    وَهَل وَضَعَ الأَثقالَ دَهرُكَ عَن شَفرِ

    And in your worldly life, toil for its sake is unavoidable;

    has your age ever lifted burdens from anyone?

  8. أَلَيسَ هِزَبرُ الغابِ وَهوَ مُمَلَّكٌ

    عَلى الوَحشِ يَبغي الصَيدَ بِالنابِ وَالظُفرِ

    Does not the forest's lion, though crowned king

    over the beasts, seek prey with fang and claw?

  9. وَأَنتَ إِذا اِستَعمَلتَ أَكوابَ عَسجَدٍ

    أَسَأتَ وَيجزيكَ الإِناءُ مِنَ الصَفرِ

    And if you use cups of gold,

    you do wrong: a brass vessel suffices you.

  10. لَقَد سَكَنَتُ نَفسي على الكُرهِ جِسمَها

    فَأَلفَيتُها لا تَستَقِرُّ مِنَ النَفرِ

    My soul has indeed dwelt reluctantly in its body,

    and I found it restless with aversion.

  11. فَإِن لَم تَنَل وَفراً مِنَ المالِ فَاِستَعِن

    وَفارَةَ عَقلٍ فَهيَ أَزكى مِنَ الوَفرِ

    So if you gain no abundance of money, seek the aid

    of a wealth of reason, for it is more fruitful than riches.

  12. وَإِن لَم يَكُن لُبُّ الفَتى مَعَ شَخصِهِ

    وَليداً فَما يَفري لِنَفعٍ وَلا يُفري

    And if a young man's mind is not with his body

    at birth, he neither cuts to good purpose nor cuts to ruin.

  13. يُسَمّي غَوِيٌّ مَن يُخالِفُ كافِراً

    لَهُ الوَيلُ أَيُّ الناسِ خالٍ مِنَ الكُفرِ

    A misguided man calls whoever disagrees with him an unbeliever;

    woe to him! Which person is free of unbelief?

  14. حَصَلنا عَلى التَمويهِ وَاِرتابَ بَعضُنا

    بِبَعضٍ فَعِندَ العَينِ رَيبٌ مِن الشُفرِ

    We have gained deception, and some of us have doubted

    others; even the eye suspects its eyelid's rim.

  15. وَلَيسَ الَّذي قالَ اليَهودِيُّ ثابِتاً

    سِوى أَنَّهُ بِالخَطِّ أُثبِتَ في السِفرِ

    Nor is what the Jew said established,

    except that it was recorded in writing in the book.

  16. غَفَرنا وَما أَعنى اِغتِفاراً وَإِنَّما

    عَنَيتُ اِنتِكاسَ البُرءِ لا كَرَمَ الغَفرِ

    We have relapsed—I do not mean forgiveness; rather,

    I meant a relapse after recovery, not the generosity of pardon.

  17. إِذا خَشِيَت أُمٌّ عَلى اِبنٍ مَنِيَّةً

    فَيا أُمَّ دَفرٍ قَد أَمِنتِ عَلى دَفرِ

    If a mother fears death for a son,

    then, O Umm Dafar—Mother of Stench—you need not fear for Dafar.