Sol 6.1

  1. أَهاجَكَ أَم لا بِالدُوَيرَةِ مَنزِلُ

    يَجِدُّ هُبوبَ الريحِ فيهِ وَيَهزِلُ

    Has a dwelling at al-Duwayra stirred you, or not?

    Within it the wind blows now in earnest, now in jest.

  2. قَضَيتُ زَمانَ الشَوقِ في عَرَصاتِهِ

    بِدَمعٍ هَمولٍ فَوقَ خَدَّيَّ يَهطِلُ

    I spent the season of longing in its courtyards,

    With streaming tears pouring down upon my cheeks.

  3. وَقَفتُ بِها عِيسي تَطيرُ بِزَجرِها

    وَيَأمُرُها وَحيُ الزَمانِ فَتُرقِلُ

    I halted my pale camels there, though they fly at the urging cry,

    And Time's prompting commands them, so they trot swiftly.

  4. طَلوباً بِرِجلَيها يَدَيها كَما اِقتَضَت

    يَدُ الخَصمِ حَقاً عِندَ آخَرَ يُمطَلُ

    Eagerly chasing their forefeet with their hindfeet, as

    A claimant's hand demands a debt withheld by another.

  5. وَبِالقَصرِ إِذ خاطَ الخَلِيُّ جُفونَهُ

    عَنانِيَ بَرقٌ بِالدُجَيلِ مُسَلسَلُ

    And at al-Qasr, when the carefree man had sewn his eyelids shut,

    Chainlike lightning over al-Dujayl caught my attention.

  6. وَإِنّي لَضَوءِ البَرقِ مِن نَحوِ دارِها

    إِذا ما عَناني لَمحُهُ لَمُوَكَّلُ

    And I, to lightning's light from the direction of her home,

    Whenever its flash draws me, am wholly devoted.

  7. تَشَقَّقَ وَاِستَدعى كَما صَدَعَ الدُجى

    سَنى قَبَسٍ في جَذوَةٍ يَتَأَكَّلُ

    It split open and beckoned, as the darkness was cleft by

    The radiance of a flame burning away within a firebrand.

  8. وَلِلَّهِ ميثاقٌ لَدَيَّ نَقَضتُهُ

    وَقُلتُ دَعوهُ خالِياً يَتَنَقَّلُ

    And, by God, what a pledge I held and broke!

    And I said, 'Leave him free to wander.'

  9. وَوَعدٌ وَخُلفٌ بَعدَهُ وَتَمَنُّعٌ

    وَسُرعَةُ هُجرانٍ وَوَصلٌ مُوَصَّلُ

    And a promise, and its breach thereafter, and coy refusal,

    And swift estrangement, and unbroken union.

  10. وَقَد أَشهَدُ الغاراتِ وَالمَوتُ شاهِدٌ

    يَجورُ بِأَطرافِ الرِماحِ وَيَعدِلُ

    And I have witnessed raids, with Death a witness,

    Now dealing unjustly with spear-points, now justly,

  11. بِطَعنٍ تَضيعُ الكَفَّ في لَهَواتِهِ

    وَضَربٍ كَما شُقَّ الرِداءُ المُرَعبَلُ

    With thrusts in whose gaping throats the hand is lost,

    And blows like the rending of a tattered cloak.

  12. وَخَيلٍ طَواها القَورُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها

    أَنابيبُ سُمرٍ مِن قَنا الخَطِّ ذُبَّلُ

    And horses the hills had worn lean, until they seemed

    Segments of brown, withered lance-reeds from al-Khatt.

  13. صَبَبنا عَلَيها ظالِمينَ سِياطَنا

    فَطارَت بِها أَيدٍ سِراعٍ وَأَرجُلُ

    We poured our whips upon them, acting unjustly,

    So swift forelegs and hindlegs bore them flying.

  14. وَكُلُّ الَّذي سَرَّ الفَتى قَد أَصَبتُهُ

    وَساعَدَني مِنهُ أَخيرٌ وَأَوَّلُ

    And all that ever pleased a young man I have attained,

    And its last and first alike have favored me.

  15. فَمِن أَيِّ شَيءٍ يا اِبنَةَ القَومِ أَحتَوي

    عَلى مُهجَتي أَو أَيِّ شَيءٍ أُؤَمَّلِ

    So for what, O daughter of the tribe, should I hold fast

    To my life—or what should I hope for?

  16. إِذا المَرءُ أَفنى صُبحَ يَومٍ وَثانِياً

    أَتاهُ صَباحٌ بَعدَ ذَلِكَ مُقبِلُ

    When a man has used up one day's morning, and a second,

    After that, another morning comes advancing toward him.

  17. وَيَتَّبِعُ الآمالَ مَوقِعَ لَحظِهِ

    فَلَيسَ لَهُ ما عاشَ في الناسِ مَنزِلُ

    And he pursues hopes wherever his glance falls,

    So he has no resting place among people while he lives.

  18. وَلِلدَهرِ سِرٌّ سَوفَ يَظهَرُ أَمرُهُ

    وَلِلناسِ وَزنٌ جائِرٌ سَوفَ يَعدِلُ

    And Time has a secret whose nature will be revealed,

    And people's unjust balance will yet be set right.