Sol 6.1

  1. أَينَ يَومُ القَنالِ يا رَبَّةَ التا

    جِ وَيا شَمسَ ذَلِكَ المِهرَجانِ

    Where is the day of the Canal, O lady of the

    crown, and O sun of that festival?

  2. أَينَ مُجري القَنالِ أَينَ مُميتُ الـ

    ـمالِ أَينَ العَزيزُ ذو السُلطانِ

    Where is he who made the Canal flow, where the destroyer of

    wealth? Where is the mighty one, possessed of power?

  3. أَينَ هارونُ مِصرَ أَينَ أَبو الأَشـ

    ـبالِ رَبُّ القُصورِ رَبُّ القِيانِ

    Where is Egypt's Harun, where the father of

    lion cubs, lord of palaces, lord of singing girls?

  4. أَينَ لَيثُ الجَزيرَةِ اِبنُ عَلِيٍّ

    واهِبُ الأَلفِ مُكرِمُ الضَيفانِ

    Where is the lion of Gezira, the son of Ali,

    giver of a thousand, honorer of guests?

  5. أَينَ ذا القَصرُ بِالجَزيرَةِ تَجري

    فيهِ أَرزاقُنا وَتَحبو الأَماني

    Where is this palace on Gezira, where

    our livelihoods flow and hopes crawl?

  6. فيهِ لِلنَحسِ كَوكَبٌ مُسرِعُ السَيـ

    رِـ وَلِلسَعدِ كَوكَبٌ مُتَواني

    There, misfortune has a star swift in its

    course, and good fortune a laggard star.

  7. قَد جَرى النيلُ تَحتَهُ بِخُشوعٍ

    وَاِنكِسارِ وَهابَهُ الفَتَيانِ

    Indeed, the Nile flowed beneath it in humility

    and abasement; the two youths, Night and Day, feared it.

  8. كُنتَ بِالأَمسِ جَنَّةَ الحورِ يا قَصـ

    ـرُ فَأَصبَحتَ جَنَّةَ الحَيَوانِ

    Yesterday you were a paradise of houris, O

    palace; now you have become a paradise of beasts.

  9. خَطَرَ اللَيثُ في فِنائِكَ يا قَصـ

    ـرُ وَقَد كُنتَ مَسرَحاً لِلحِسانِ

    The lion has strutted in your courtyard, O

    palace, though once you were a playground for beauties.

  10. وَعَوى الذِئبُ في نَواحيكَ يا قَصـ

    ـرُ وَقَد كُنتَ مَعقِلاً لِلِّسانِ

    And the wolf has howled in your precincts, O

    palace, though once you were a stronghold of eloquence.

  11. وَحَباكَ الزُوّارُ بِالمالِ يا قَصـ

    ـرُ وَقَد كُنتَ مَصدَرَ الإِحسانِ

    And visitors have bestowed money on you, O

    palace, though once you were the source of bounty.

  12. كُنتَ تُعطي فَمالَكَ اليَومَ تُعطى

    أَينَ بانيكَ أَينَ رَبُّ المَكانِ

    You used to give; why are you given gifts today?

    Where is your builder? Where is the master of the place?

  13. إِن أَطافَت بِكَ الخُطوبُ فَهَذي

    سُنَّةُ الكَونِ مِن قَديمِ الزَمانِ

    If calamities have encircled you, this is

    the law of the universe since ancient times.

  14. رُبَّ بانٍ نَأى وَرُبَّ بِناءٍ

    أَسلَمَتهُ إِلى غَيرِ باني

    Many a builder has departed, and many a building

    has been handed over to someone other than its builder.

  15. تِلكَ حالُ الإيوانِ يا رَبَّةَ التا

    جِ فَما حالُ صاحِبِ الإيوانِ

    Such is the state of the palace hall, O lady of the

    crown; what, then, is the state of the hall's master?

  16. قَد طَواهُ الرَدى وَلَو كانَ حَيّاً

    لَمَشى في رِكابِكِ الثَقَلانِ

    Death has folded him away; and were he alive,

    humans and jinn would walk in your retinue;

  17. وَتَوَلَّت حِراسَةَ المَوكِبِ الأَسـ

    ـنى نُجومُ السَماءِ وَالنَيِّرانِ

    and guarding the most radiant procession

    would be heaven's stars and the two luminaries.

  18. إِن يَكُن غابَ عَن جَبينِكِ تاجٌ

    كانَ بِالغَربِ أَشرَفَ التيجانِ

    If a crown has vanished from your brow,

    one that was the noblest of crowns in the West,

  19. فَلَقَد زانَكِ المَشيبُ بِتاجٍ

    لا يُدانيهِ في الجَلالِ مُداني

    then gray hair has indeed adorned you with a crown

    that no rival can approach in majesty.

  20. ذاكَ مِن صَنعَةِ الأَنامِ وَهَذا

    مِن صَنيعِ المُهَيمِنِ الدَيّانِ

    That is the work of humankind, while this

    is the handiwork of the Guardian, the Judge.

  21. كُنتِ بِالأَمسِ ضَيفَةً عِندَ مَلكٍ

    فَاِنزِلي اليَومَ ضَيفَةً في خانِ

    Yesterday you were a guest of a king;

    so lodge today as a guest at an inn.

  22. وَاِعذُرينا عَلى القُصورِ كِلانا

    غَيَّرَتهُ طَوارِئُ الحِدثانِ

    And forgive us for falling short: both of us

    have been changed by the unforeseen turns of time.