Sol 6.1

  1. مَنِ الرَكبُ ما بَينَ النَقا وَالأَناعِمِ

    نَشاوى مِنَ الإِدلاجِ ميلَ العَمائِمِ

    Who are the riders between al-Naqa and al-Ana'im,

    reeling from night travel, their turbans tilted?

  2. وُجوهٌ كَتَخطيطِ الدَنانيرِ لاحَها

    مَعَ البيدِ إِضبابُ الهُمومِ اللَوازِمِ

    Faces like the tracery on dinars, scorched

    by the deserts and the clouding of unrelenting cares.

  3. كَأَنَّ القَطامِيّاتِ فَوقَ رِحالِهِم

    سِوى أَنَّها تَأبى دَنِيَّ المَطاعِمِ

    As though female falcons sat above their saddles,

    except that they refuse base fare.

  4. عَلى مُصغِياتٍ لِلأَزِمَّةِ ساقَطَت

    مِنَ النَيِّ ما بَينَ الذُرى وَالمَناسِمِ

    On she-camels obedient to the reins, which have shed

    the fat between their humps and hoof-pads.

  5. ذَكَرناكُمُ وَالعيسُ تَهوي رِقابُها

    وَأَيمانُنا مَبلولَةٌ بِالقَوائِمِ

    We remembered you while the pale camels' necks plunged,

    and our right hands were wet around the sword-hilts.

  6. فَأَضعَفَنا عَن حَملِ أَسيافِنا الهَوى

    وَنَقَّضَ مِنّا مُبرَماتِ العَزائِمِ

    Love weakened us from carrying our swords,

    and unraveled our tightly bound resolutions.

  7. إِذا هَزَّنا الشَوقُ اِضطَرَبنا لِهَزِّهِ

    عَلى شُعَبِ الرَحلِ اِضطِرابَ الأَراقِمِ

    When longing shakes us, we tremble at its shaking

    on the saddle's forks, writhing like speckled serpents.

  8. وَخَفَّت قُلوبٌ مِن رِجالٍ كَما هَفَت

    نَزائِعُ طَيرٍ غُدوَةً بِالقَوادِمِ

    Men's hearts grew light, as flutter

    homeward-yearning birds at dawn on their flight-feathers.

  9. فَمِن صَبَواتٍ تَستَقيمُ لِمائِلٍ

    وَمِن أَريَحِيّاتٍ تَهُبُّ بِنائِمِ

    There are amorous yearnings that straighten one who leans,

    and ardent impulses that awaken a sleeper.

  10. وَفي الجيرَةِ الغادينَ كُلُّ مُمَنَّعٍ

    يُشيرُ إِلَينا عَن بُروقِ المَباسِمِ

    Among the departing neighbors is every well-guarded beauty,

    signaling to us with the lightning of smiling mouths,

  11. وَيَجلو لَنا لَمعَ الغَمامِ وَبِشرَهُ

    وَأَينَ لَنا مِنهُ بِجَودِ الغَمائِمِ

    and showing us a cloud's flash and glad promise;

    yet how can we gain from such a one the rain-clouds' bounty?

  12. صَفَحنَ إِلينَ عَن خُدودٍ أَسيلَةٍ

    دُنوَّ العَواطي مِن ظِباءِ الصَرائِمِ

    They turned toward us, revealing smooth cheeks,

    drawing near like browsing gazelles of the sand tracts.

  13. وَرَفَّعنَ أَطرافَ السُجوفِ فَصَرَّحَت

    عَنِ الوَجدِ أَدواءُ القُلوبِ الكَواتِمِ

    They lifted the curtain-edges; then there spoke plainly

    of passion the pains of hearts that kept it hidden.

  14. وَكَيفَ تَراهُنَّ العُيونُ وَإِنَّما

    شَغَلنَ المَآقي بِالدُموعِ السَواجِمِ

    How can eyes see them, when they have only

    filled the eye-corners with streaming tears?

  15. يُعاطينَ إِعطاءَ الذَلولِ طَماعَةً

    وَيَصدونَ صَدّاتِ الجِيادِ القَوادِمِ

    They offer with a tame beast's compliance, inviting hope,

    then turn away with the refusals of bold steeds.

  16. تَزَوَّدنَ مِنّا كُلَّ قَلبٍ وَمُهجَةٍ

    وَزَوَّدنَنا لِلوَجدِ عَضَّ الأَباهِمِ

    They took every heart and lifeblood from us as provisions,

    and provisioned us for passion with the biting of thumbs.

  17. خَليلَيَّ هَل زالَ الأَراكُ وَقَد عَفَت

    مَغارِزُ أَعناقِ اللَوى وَالمَخارِمِ

    My two friends, have the arak trees gone, now that effaced are

    the sockets of the necks of winding dunes and mountain passes?

  18. وَكَيفَ أَعالي الرَملِ مُنذُ تَحَدَّبتَ

    عَليها الزَباني بِالغَمامِ الرَوائِمِ

    How fare the sand's heights, since there has bent

    over them al-Zabani with tenderly brooding clouds?

  19. أُحِبُّ ثَرى أَرضٍ أَقامَ بِجَوِّها

    حَبيبٌ إِلى قَلبي وَإِن لَم يُلائِمِ

    I love the soil of a land in whose expanse dwelt

    one dear to my heart, though he offers no accord.

  20. وَأَستَشرِفُ الأَعلامَ حَتّى تَدُلَّني

    عَلى طَيبِها مَرُّ الرِياحِ الهَواجِمِ

    I look out toward the landmarks until I am guided

    to its fragrance by the passing of onrushing winds.

  21. وَما أَنسِمُ الأَرواحَ إِلّا لِأَنَّها

    تَجوزُ عَلى تِلكَ الرُبى وَالمَعالِمِ

    I breathe in the breezes only because they

    pass over those heights and landmarks.

  22. بِرُغمِيَ أَنزَلتُ الهَوى عِندَ مانِعٍ

    وَدُمتُ عَلى عَهدِ اِمرِئٍ غَيرِ دائِمِ

    Against my will, I lodged my love with one who withholds,

    and kept faith with a man who does not remain constant.

  23. كَأَنّي أُداري مُهرَةً عَرَبِيَةً

    تَحايَدُ عَنّي مِن مَناطِ الشَكائِمِ

    As though I were coaxing an Arabian filly

    that shies from me at the fastening of the bits.

  24. وَهَذا وَما اِبيَضَّ السَوادُ فَكيفَ بي

    إِذا الشَيبُ أَمسى لَيلَةً مِن عَمائِمي

    And this while my black hair has not whitened—how will I fare

    when, one night, gray hair becomes one of my turbans?

  25. وَكُنتُ أَرى أَنَّ الشَبابَ وَسيلَةٌ

    لِمِثلي إِلى بيضِ الخُدودِ النَواعِمِ

    I used to think that youth was a means

    for one like me to reach white-cheeked, tender beauties.

  26. أَنا اِبنُ الأُلى إِن ما دَعوا يَومَ مَعرَكٍ

    أَمَدّوا أَنابيبَ القَنا بِالمَعاصِمِ

    I am the son of those who, when they call on a battle-day,

    extend the spear-shafts with their wrists.

  27. مِنَ القَومِ تَعلو في المَجامِعِ مِنهُمُ

    مَناصِبُ أَعناقٍ رِزانِ الجَماجِمِ

    From a people high in whose assemblies rise

    nobly stationed necks with weighty heads.

  28. مَليئونَ في يَومِ القَضاءِ إِذا اِنتَدوا

    بِجَدعِ القَضايا مِن أُنوفِ المَظالِمِ

    Well able, on a day of judgment when they gather,

    to cut disputed claims from the noses of injustice.

  29. وَإِن مَنَعوا النَصفَ اِقتَضَوهُ وَأَفضَلوا

    عَلى النَصفِ بِالأَيدي الطِوالِ الغَواشِمِ

    If denied their due, they exact it and take more

    than their due with long-reaching, overpowering hands.

  30. إِذا نَزَلوا بِالماحِلِ اِستَنبَتوا الرُبى

    وَكانوا نِتاجاً لِلبُطونِ العَقائِمِ

    When they camp in barren land, they make the hills grow,

    and become offspring for barren wombs.

  31. قَروا في حِياضِ المَجدِ وَاِستَدرَعوا القَنا

    إِلى نَيلِ أَعناقِ المُلوكِ القَماقِمِ

    They dwelt in glory's pools and donned spears as armor

    to reach the necks of mighty kings.

  32. يَسيرونَ بِالمَسعاةِ لا السَعيُ بِالخُطى

    وَيَرقونَ بِالعَلياءِ لا بِالسَلالِمِ

    They advance by noble deeds, not by the movement of feet,

    and ascend through loftiness, not by ladders.

  33. وَما مِنهُمُ إِلّا اِمرُؤٌ شَبَّ ناشِئاً

    عَلى نَمَطَي بَيضاءَ مِن آلِ هاشِمِ

    There is none among them but grew up in youth

    on the two patterned rugs of a fair woman from the House of Hashim.

  34. فَتىً لَم تُوَرِّكهُ الإِماءُ وَلَم تَكُن

    أَعاريبَهُ مَدخولَةً بِالأَعاجِمِ

    A youth no slave woman carried on her hip, and whose

    Arab lineages were never mingled with non-Arabs.

  35. إِذا هَمَّ أَعطى نَفسَهُ كُلَّ مُنيَةٍ

    وَقَعقَعَ أَبوابَ الأُمورُ العَظائِمِ

    When he resolves, he grants himself every wish,

    and rattles the doors of mighty affairs.

  36. وَما اِتَّخَذوا إِلّا الرِماحَ سُرادِقاً

    وَلا اِستَنوَروا إِلّا بِضَوءِ اللَهاذِمِ

    They took nothing but spears as their pavilion,

    and sought no light except the gleam of broad spearheads.

  37. وَما فيهِمُ مَن يَقسِمُ القَومُ أَمرَهُ

    وَلا ضارِعٌ يَنقادُ طَوعَ الخَزائِمِ

    None among them has his authority divided by others,

    nor is there a meek man led willingly by nose-rings,

  38. وَلا واهِنٌ إِن عَضَّهُ الأَمرُ هابَهُ

    وَأَلقى مَقاليدَ الذَليلِ المُسالِمِ

    nor a weakling who fears adversity when it bites him

    and throws down the keys like a humbled, submissive man,

  39. يَبيتُ عَلى خورِ الحَشايا وَغَيرُهُ

    عَلى ظَهرِ جَمّاحٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ عارِمِ

    spending the night on soft mattresses, while another

    rides the back of a headstrong, unruly night.

  40. لَنا عَفَواتُ الماءِ مِن كِلِّ مَنهَلٍ

    مَوارِدُ آسادِ العَرينِ الضَراغِمِ

    Ours is the choicest water of every watering-place,

    the drinking-places of the lair's fierce lions.

  41. أَبى العَزمُ إِلّا وَثبَةً في ظُهورِها

    إِذا أُثقِلَت أَعناقُها بِالمَغارِمِ

    Resolve would accept only a leap upon their backs,

    when their necks were weighed down with burdens.

  42. عَوابِسُ إِن قُلِّقنَ يَوماً لِغايَةٍ

    هَتَمنَ بِنا روقَ الرُبى وَالمَخارِمِ

    Grim-faced, if stirred one day toward a goal,

    they break off, bearing us, the horns of hills and mountain passes.

  43. وَكَيفَ أَخافُ اللَيلَ أَنّى رَكِبتُهُ

    وَبَيني وَبَينَ اللَيلِ بيضُ الصَوارِمِ

    How can I fear the night, wherever I ride through it,

    with white cutting swords between me and the night?

  44. وَجَمعٍ إِذا هَزّوا اللِواءَ تَجاوَبَت

    جَوانِبَهُ مِن أَزمَلٍ وَزَمازِمِ

    And an army that, when they shake the banner, answers

    from flank to flank in roars and deep murmurs.

  45. لَهُ لَغَطٌ مِنِ اِصطِكاكِ رِماحِهِ

    تَنِقُّ عَواليها نَقيقَ العَلاجِمِ

    It has a clamor from the clash of its spears;

    their upper shafts croak with the croaking of frogs.

  46. وَتَحسَبُهُ مِمّا تَضايَقَ واقِفاً

    وَما رَدَّ مِن غَربِ الجِيادِ الصَلادِمِ

    You think it standing still, from how tightly it is packed,

    and from the curbing of the sturdy steeds' ardor.

  47. بِهِ كُلُّ هَفّافِ القَميصِ شَمَردَلٍ

    تَفَرَّجَ عَن وَجهٍ نَقِيِّ المَقادِمِ

    In it is every tall, strapping man with a lightly fluttering shirt,

    who clears a path before a face with an unblemished brow,

  48. بِطَعنٍ كَما اِنعَطَّ الأَديمُ أَرَقَّهُ

    تَعاوُرُ أَيدي الخارِزاتِ الحَوازِمِ

    with thrusts like the splitting of leather made thin

    by the repeated hands of women sewing it tight.

  49. وَتَعرِفُ في عِرنينِهِ المَجدَ ساهِماً

    عَلى عَقِبِ الإِدلاجِ أَو غَيرَ ساهِمِ

    In his nose-bridge you recognize glory, whether he is haggard

    after night travel or not haggard.

  50. لَوَيتُ إِلى وُدِّ العَشيرَةِ جانِبي

    عَلى عُظمِ داءٍ بَينَنا مُتَفاقِمِ

    I turned my side toward affection for my clan,

    despite the enormity of a worsening sickness between us.

  51. وَنِمتُ عَنِ الأَضغانِ حَتّى تَلاحَمَت

    جَوائِفُ هاتيكَ النُدوبِ القَدائِمِ

    I slept heedless of rancors until healing joined

    the deep hollows of those ancient wounds.

  52. وَقَلَّمتُ أَظفاري وَكُنتُ أَعِدُّها

    لِتَمزيقِ قُربى بَينَنا وَالمَحارِمِ

    I clipped my nails, which I had been readying

    to tear the kinship between us and its sacred bonds.

  53. وَرَوَّحتُ حِلمي بَعدَما غَرَّبَت بِهِ

    ذُنوبُ بَني عَمّي غُروبَ السَوائِمِ

    I brought my forbearance back, after it had been driven far

    by my cousins' sins, as grazing beasts stray far away.

  54. وَأَوطَأتُ أَقوالَ الوُشاةِ أَخامِصي

    وَقَد كانَ سَمعي مَدرَجاً لِلنَمائِمِ

    I trod the tale-bearers' words beneath the arches of my feet,

    though my hearing had been a passageway for slanders.

  55. وَسالَمتُ لَمّا طالَتِ الحَربُ بَينَنا

    إِذا لَم تُظَفِّركَ الحُروبُ فَسالِمِ

    I made peace when our war grew long;

    if wars bring you no victory, make peace.

  56. وَقَد كُنتُ أُصميهِم بُعورٍ نَوافِذٍ

    تَئِنُّ لَها الأَعراضِ يَومَ الخَصائِمِ

    I once struck them mortally with penetrating slurs,

    at which reputations groaned on the day of disputes.

  57. صَوائِبَ مِن نَبلِ العَداوَةِ لَم تَزَل

    تَعُطُّ قُلوباً مِن وَراءِ الحِيازِمِ

    True-striking arrows of enmity that never ceased

    to rend hearts from behind the ribs.

  58. سَيَرضَونَ مِنّي عَن أَيادٍ كَوامِلِ

    وَمِن قَبلِ ما نيلوا بِأَيدٍ كَوالِمِ

    They will be pleased with me for favors given in full,

    though earlier they were assailed by wounding hands.

  59. قَضَيتُ بِهِم حَقَّ الحَفائِظِ مُدَّةً

    وَلا بُدَّ أَن أَقضي حُقوقَ المَكارِمِ

    For a time, I discharged upon them the claims of offended honor,

    and I must discharge the claims of noble conduct.

  60. فَإِن عاوَدوا رَجمي بِغَيبٍ فَإِنَّها

    جَنادِلُ عِندي مِلءُ كَفِّ المُراجِمِ

    If they resume stoning me behind my back, there are

    stones at my disposal to fill the stone-thrower's palm.

  61. وَكَم عَجَموني فَاِنسَلَلتُ مُهَذَّباً

    وَأَثَّرَ عودي في النُيوبِ العَواجِمِ

    How often they bit to test me, and I slipped free refined,

    while my wood left marks in the fangs that tested it.

  62. وَبي يَستَسيغُ الريقَ قَومٌ وَإِنَّني

    إِذا شِئتُ مِن قَومٍ شَجاً في الحَلاقِمِ

    Through me some people swallow their saliva easily, yet I,

    if I wish, am a choking bone in a people's throats.

  63. إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا الحِمامُ فَإِنَّني

    سَأُكرِمُ سَمعي عَن مَقالِ اللَوائِمِ

    If nothing remains but death, then I

    will keep my ears above reproaching women's words,

  64. وَأَلبَسُها حَمراءَ تَضفو ذُيولُها

    مِنَ الدَمِ بُعداً عَن لِباسِ المَلاوِمِ

    and wear it crimson, its skirts flowing long

    with blood, far from the clothing of reproach.

  65. فَمِن قَبلِ ما اِختارَ اِبنُ الاَشعَثِ عَيشَهُ

    عَلى شَرَفٍ باقٍ رَفيعِ الدَعائِمِ

    For previously Ibn al-Ash'ath chose his life

    over enduring honor with lofty pillars.

  66. فَطارَ ذَميماً قَد تَقَلَّدَ عارَها

    بِشَرِّ جَناحٍ يَومَ دَيرِ الجَماجِمِ

    He flew away disgraced, its shame hung about his neck,

    on the worst wing, on the day of Dayr al-Jamajim.

  67. وَجاءَهُمُ يَجري البَريدُ بِرَأسِهِ

    وَلَم يُغنِ إيغالٌ بِهِ في الهَزائِمِ

    The courier came running to them with his head,

    and his plunging deep into routs availed him nothing.

  68. وَقَد حاصَ مِن خَوفِ الرَدى كُلَّ حيصَةٍ

    فَلَم يَنجُ وَالأَقدارُ ضَربَةُ لازِمِ

    He had dodged every way for fear of death,

    but did not escape: fate is the stroke of one who never lets go.

  69. وَهَذا يَزيدُ بنُ المُهَلَّبِ نافَرَت

    بِهِ الذُلَّ أَعراقُ الجُدودِ الأَكارِمِ

    And here is Yazid ibn al-Muhallab, driven to reject

    humiliation by the bloodlines of noble forefathers.

  70. وَقالَ وَقَد عَنَّ الفِرارُ أَوِ الرَدى

    لَحى اللَهُ أَخزى ذِكرَةً في المَواسِمِ

    He said, when flight or death presented itself:

    May God curse the choice remembered with greater shame at gatherings!

  71. وَما غَمَراتُ المَوتِ إِلّا اِنغِماسَةٌ

    وَلا ذي المَنايا غَيرُ تَهويمِ نائِمِ

    The depths of death are no more than a single plunge,

    nor are these deaths more than a sleeper's dozing.

  72. رَأى أَنَّ هَذا السَيفَ أَهوَنُ مَحمَلاً

    مِنَ العارِ يَبقى وَسمُهُ في المَخاطِمِ

    He saw this sword as an easier burden

    than shame, whose brand remains upon the noses.

  73. وَما قَلَّدَ البيضَ المَباتيرَ عُنقَهُ

    سِوى الخَوفِ مِن تَقليدِها بِالأَداهِمِ

    Nothing hung the white, keen-cutting swords about his neck

    but fear of its being girded with black fetters.

  74. فَعافَ الدَنايا وَاِمتَطى المَوتَ شامِخاً

    بِمارِنِ عِزٍّ لا يَذِلُّ لِخاطِمِ

    He spurned baseness and mounted death, holding high

    honor's nose-tip, unbowed to any halterer.

  75. وَقَد حَلَّقَت خَوفَ الهَوانِ بِمُصعَبٍ

    قَوادِمُ أَبّاءٍ كَريمِ المَقاوِمِ

    For fear of humiliation, Mus'ab was borne aloft

    by the flight-feathers of a man too proud to yield, of noble roots.

  76. عَلى حينَ أَعطوهُ الأَمانَ فَعافَه

    وَخُيِّرَ فَاِختارَ الرَدى غَيرَ نادِمِ

    When they offered him safe-conduct, he rejected it;

    given a choice, he chose death without regret.

  77. وَفي خِدرِهِ غَرّاءُ مِن آلِ طَلحَةٍ

    عَلاقَةُ قَلبٍ لِلنَديمِ المُخالِمِ

    In his chamber was a radiant woman from the House of Talha,

    the heart's beloved of her intimate companion.

  78. تُحَسِّبُ أَيّامَ الحَياةِ وَإِنَّها

    لَأَعذَبُ مِن طَعمِ الخُلودِ لِطاعِمِ

    She makes the days of life worth living, and indeed she is

    sweeter to the taster than the taste of immortality.

  79. فَفارَقَها وَالمُلكَ لَمّا رَآهُما

    يَجُرّانِ إِذلالَ النُفوسِ الكَرائِمِ

    Yet he left her and his kingdom when he saw that both

    brought abasement upon noble souls.

  80. وَلَمّا أَلاحَ الحَوفَزانُ مِنَ الرَدى

    حَداهُ المَخازي رُمحُ قَيسِ بنِ عاصِمِ

    When al-Hawfazan turned away from death,

    the spear of Qays ibn Asim drove him toward disgrace.

  81. وَغادَرَها شَنعاءَ إِن ذُكِرَت لَهُ

    مِنَ العارِ طاطا رَأسَ خَزيانَ واجِمِ

    He left a hideous stain; whenever it was recalled to him,

    from shame he lowered the head of a disgraced, silent man.

  82. لِذاكَ مُني بَعدَ الفِرارِ أُمَيَّةٌ

    بِشِقشِقَةٍ لَوثاءَ مِن آلِ دارِمِ

    For that, after his flight, Umayya was afflicted

    by a thick, bellowing throat-sac from the House of Darim.

  83. وَسَلَّ لَها سَلَّ الحُسامِ اِبنُ مَعمَرٍ

    فَكَرَّ عَلى أَعقابِ نابٍ بِصارِمِ

    Ibn Ma'mar drew against it as one draws a keen sword,

    then charged at the heels of one retreating, with a cutting blade.

  84. تَوَرَّدَ ذِكري كُلَّ نَجدٍ وَغائِرِ

    وَأَلجَمَ خَوفي كُلَّ باغٍ وَظالِمِ

    My fame has visited every highland and lowland,

    and fear of me has bridled every transgressor and oppressor.

  85. وَهَدَّدَ بي الأَعداءُ في المَهدِ لَم يَحِن

    نُهوضي وَلَم أَقطَع عُقودَ تَمائِمي

    Enemies used me as a threat while I was in the cradle, before it was time

    for me to rise, before I had broken my amulet-strings.

  86. وَعِندِيَ يَومٌ لَو يَزيدُ وَمُسلِمٌ

    بَدا لَهُما لَاِستَصغَرا يَومَ واقِمِ

    I have a day that, if Yazid and Muslim

    saw it, they would think the day of Waqim small.

  87. عَلى العِزِّ مُت لا مَيتَةً مُستَكينَةً

    تُزيلُ عَنِ الدُنيا بِشُمِّ المَراغِمِ

    Die in honor, not a submissive death

    that carries proud noses away from this world.

  88. وَخاطِر عَلى الجُلّى خِطارَ اِبنِ حُرَّةٍ

    وَإِن زاحَمَ الأَمرُ العَظيمُ فَزاحِمِ

    Risk yourself in the greatest ordeal, with a freeborn woman's son's daring;

    if the mighty matter presses against you, press back.