Sol 6.1

  1. أنْتُمُ منْ مَناسِبِ الأمْجادِ

    موْضِعُ العِقْدِ منْ طُلا الأجْيادِ

    Among the lineages of the illustrious, you hold

    the necklace's place upon the throats.

  2. ولَكُمْ منْ مَناصِبِ الفَخْرِ أسْما

    ها وعِزُّ النّدى وغُرُّ الأيادي

    And yours are the loftiest stations of glory,

    and the honor of generosity, and radiant benefactions.

  3. يا لأيامِهِمْ وقد يَبِسَ العُو

    دُ وغالَتْ شَهْباءُ سَرْحَ البِلادِ

    Ah, their days, when the bough had dried

    and a gray drought ravaged the land's grazing herds!

  4. والْتَقى رائِدُ الحِجاز ونَجْرا

    نٍ وسعْدُ الإمْحالِ في كلِّ وادي

    And the pasture-scout of the Hijaz and Najran

    and drought's good fortune met in every valley.

  5. أنذَرَ المُنْذِرُ الأنامَ بجَدْوا

    هُ وسَحّ النُّعْمانُ نُعْمى عَتادِ

    Al-Mundhir gave mankind notice of his bounty,

    and al-Nu'man poured forth a bounty of provisions.

  6. فحُوارٌ ترْغو ونارٌ تلَظّى

    وطُهاةٌ تَشي ودَاعٍ يُنادي

    Then a camel calf bellows, and a fire blazes,

    and cooks embroider their fare, and a caller calls.

  7. وحُباً منْ مَطارِفِ وشْي صنْعا

    ءَ بِها كالرِّياضِ غِبَّ العِهادِ

    And gifts of bordered cloaks with Sana'a's embroidery,

    there, like gardens after recurring rains.

  8. معْشَرٌ يجْعَلُ الضّيوفَ أصْدِقاءً

    كَرَماً والأمْوالَ بعْضَ الأعادي

    A people who make guests their friends

    through generosity, and count wealth among their foes.

  9. معْشَرٌ يجْعَلُ الحُسام على الطفْ

    لِ اعْوذاذا والمَهْدَ ظَهْرَ الجَوادِ

    A people who make the sword upon an infant

    a protective charm, and a steed's back his cradle.

  10. خُطباءُ الأقْوالِ يوْمَ جِدالٍ

    وكُماةُ الأبْطالِ يومَ الجِلادِ

    Masters of speech on the day of debate,

    and champions among heroes on the day of combat.

  11. يا لأيّامِهِمْ وقدْ زلّت

    الرِّجْلُ وزالَتْ شَوامِخُ الأطْوادِ

    Ah, their days, when there slipped

    the foot, and towering mountain peaks fell!

  12. فشَبا صَعْدَةٍ بثُغْرَةِ ذِمْرٍ

    وغِرارٌ مُهنّدٌ في هادي

    Then a lance's point at a warrior's throat,

    and an Indian-steel edge in a neck;

  13. وصِفاحٌ تُمْضى وسُمْرٌ تلظّى

    تقْدَحُ النّارَ في مُتونِ الصِّلادِ

    and broad blades driven through, and tawny spears blazing,

    striking fire from the backs of hard stones.

  14. ووُجوهٌ بُسْرٌ وخيْلٌ ظِماءٌ

    كرَعَتْ في مَناهِلِ الأوْرادِ

    And grim faces, and thirsty horses,

    that drank deep at the water-seekers' watering holes.

  15. وكُماةٌ تحْمي موارِدَها السُّمْرُ

    فتُكْوى بها عُيونُ الجُوادِ

    And armored warriors whose watering places tawny spears guard,

    so the steeds' eyes are seared by them.

  16. فكأنّ الرِّماحَ كانتْ رِكازاً

    وكأنّ الهَيْجاءَ يومُ المَعادِ

    As though the spears were buried ore,

    and battle were the Day of Resurrection.

  17. أقْبَلوا إنْ نظَرْتَ قلْتَ بُدورٌ

    حَجَبتْها سَحائِبُ الأزْرادِ

    They advanced; if you looked, you would say: full moons

    veiled by clouds of chainmail.

  18. عجَباً كيْفَ لا تسيلُ سُيوفُ

    حمَلوا أنْفُساً على الأغْمادِ

    Marvelous! How do swords not melt,

    when they have borne souls upon their sheaths?

  19. تُضْرَمُ النّارُ في غَديرٍ دِلاصٍ

    وعَزيزٌ تآلُفُ الأضْدادِ

    Fire is kindled in a pool of gleaming mail,

    and rare is the union of opposites.

  20. مَنْ كَعمْرو مُفْني البَراجِمِ والمُدْ

    نِ وقد ألْقِحَتْ حُروبُ الشِّدادِ

    Who is like Amr, destroyer of the Barajim and cities,

    when the wars of the mighty were made pregnant?

  21. معْشَر أورِثوا الهِدايَةَ عنْ هو

    دٍ فمِنْ مُهْتَدٍ بهِ أو هادي

    A people who inherited guidance from Hud,

    some guided by him, others themselves guides.

  22. فلقَدْ أنْجَبوكَ يا عُمْدَةَ الحيْ

    يِ وربِّ البيْتِ الرّفيعِ العِمادِ

    They indeed begot you, O mainstay of the clan,

    by the Lord of the high-pillared House:

  23. ماجِداً مُفْضِلاً شُجاعاً حَليماً

    واسِعَ المُنْتَدى كثيرَ الرّمادِ

    noble, bountiful, brave, forbearing,

    with a spacious gathering hall and abundant ashes.

  24. يا أبا بكْرٍ المؤَمَّلَ للخَطْ

    بِ المُفدّى وتُحْفَةَ المُرْتادِ

    O Abu Bakr, looked to in times of calamity,

    the ransomed one, and the seeker's precious gift!

  25. في سَبيلِ الإلاهِ مَجْدٌ توارَثْ

    تَ كَريمَ الإصْدارِ والإيرادِ

    In God's cause is the glory you have inherited,

    noble in sending forth and bringing in.

  26. في سبيلِ الإلاهِ أخْلاقُكَ اللا

    تِي هيَ العَذْبُ في احْتِدامِ الجوادِ

    In God's cause are your qualities, which

    are sweet water amid burning thirst.

  27. في سبيل الإلاهِ علْم تروّي

    هِ ونَقْلٌ مُصَحَّحُ الإسْنادِ

    In God's cause is knowledge you transmit,

    and transmitted lore with a verified chain of transmission.

  28. في سبيل الإلاهِ منْكَ خِلالٌ

    تَذَرُ الشّهْبَ في حَضيضِ الوِهادِ

    In God's cause are virtues of yours

    that leave bright stars in the depths of lowlands.

  29. لي ثَناءٌ كما علِمْتَ هوَ الوشْ

    يُ وصَنْعاءُ في فَمي وفُؤادي

    My praise, as you know, is embroidery,

    and Sana'a is in my mouth and my heart.

  30. فلِذا ما أحوكُ عصْبَ امْتِداحي

    سابِريّاً مُسَهَّمَ الأبْرادِ

    Thus I weave the tie-dyed cloth of my praise,

    as fine Sabiri cloth, its mantles arrow-patterned,

  31. مُخْجِلاً لفْظُهُ حَلاوَةَ معْنا

    هُ صَحيحَ الأسْبابِ والأوْتادِ

    its wording shaming the sweetness of its meaning,

    its metrical cords and pegs sound.

  32. ما الذي تحْصُرُ المَمادِحُ والحمْ

    دُ وقدْ جُزْتَ غايَةَ التّعْدادِ

    What can encomiums and praise encompass,

    when you have surpassed the limits of enumeration?

  33. فلوَ انّي اسْتَنْصَرْتُ إذ رَوَيْتُ شُكْري

    كَ وحمدي لِسانَ قُسِّ إيادِ

    For if I sought help, when recounting my thanks

    to you and my praise, from the tongue of Quss of Iyad,

  34. وجعَلْتُ النّهارَ طِرْسيَ كيْما

    أحْمي الوُدَّ والظّلامَ مِدادي

    and made daylight my parchment, so that

    I might safeguard affection, and darkness my ink,

  35. نَفِدَ الطّرسُ والمِدادُ ولمّا

    أحْصِ شُكْري ولا شَرَحْتُ وِدادي

    the parchment and ink would run out, and still

    I would not have counted my thanks or explained my affection.

  36. وإذا ما مَدَحْتُ لسْتُ ببِدْعٍ

    إنّ في البحْرِ وقْعَ كلِّ ثِمادِ

    And when I praise, I am doing nothing new:

    for every little trickle falls into the sea.