Sol 6.1

  1. أَقُولُ وَقَد أَشرَفتُ ذاتَ عَشِيَّةٍ

    عَلى النِيلِ مِن إِحدى الهِضابِ الشَواهِقِ

    I say, having looked out one evening

    over the Nile from one of the towering hills,

  2. وَمِن دُونِها فُسطاطُ مِصرَ وَزاخِرٌ

    كَأَنَّ بِشَطَّيهِ مُسُوكَ الخَرانِقِ

    with Fustat of Egypt below it, and a brimming river,

    as though young hares' skins lay along its two banks:

  3. خَلِيليَّ شِيما بارِقَ الشامِ إِنَّنِي

    نَظَرتُ إِلى إِيماضِ تِلكَ البَوارِقِ

    My two friends, watch the lightning of al-Sham; indeed I

    have gazed at the flashing of those lightning bolts.

  4. فَهَل تَحمِلُ النَكباءُ مِنّي تَحِيَّةً

    إِلى حامِلٍ ثِقلَ الخُطُوبِ الطَوارِقِ

    Will the crosswind, then, carry a greeting from me

    to one who bears the weight of night-visiting calamities,

  5. إِلى ماجِدٍ سَمحِ اليَدَينِ ابنِ ماجِدٍ

    إِلى وَامِقٍ لِلمَكرُماتِ ابنِ وامِقِ

    to a noble man, openhanded, son of a noble man,

    to a lover of noble deeds, a lover's son,

  6. إِلى رازِقٍ في سِلمِهِ غَيرِ حازِمِ

    إِلى حازِمٍ في حَربِهِ غَيرِ رازِقِ

    to a giver in peace, not a prudent man,

    to a prudent man in war, not a giver,

  7. إِلى مُدرِكِيٍّ صالِحِيٍّ سُيُوفُهُ

    مُقَصَّرَةٌ آجالُها في المَفارِقِ

    to one of Mudrik's and Salih's line, whose swords

    have their lives cut short on the crowns of heads,

  8. إِلى السَيِّدِ الفَردِ الَّذي كُلُّ سَيِّدِ

    عِيالٌ عَلَيهِ مِن جَميعِ الخَلائِقِ

    to the peerless lord, on whom every lord

    in all creation depends?

  9. إِذا نَحنُ يَمَّمنا ثِمالَ بنَ صالِحٍ

    بِلَيلٍ هَدانا وَجهُهُ في السَمالِقِ

    Whenever we make for Thimal ibn Salih

    by night, his face guides us across the barren plains.

  10. حَكَوا ما حَكَوا عَن حاتِمٍ وَفعالِهِ

    فَدَع ما حَكَوا عَنهُ وَخُذ في الحَقائِقِ

    They have told what they have told of Hatim and his deeds;

    so leave what they told of him, and turn to the facts:

  11. تَجِد أَجوَدَ الأَجوادِ مَن باتَ هَمُّهُ

    دَوامَ العَطايا وَاقتِحامَ الفَيالِقِ

    you will find the most generous of the generous is he whose nightly concern

    is endless giving and charging into battalions.

  12. فَواصِفُه فِي وَصفِهِ غَيرُ كاذِبٍ

    وَعائِبُهُ في عَيبِهِ غَيرُ صادِقِ

    So whoever describes him is no liar in his description,

    and whoever faults him is not truthful in his censure.