Sol 6.1

  1. كُفِّي شُئُونَكِ ساعَةً فَتَأَمَّلِي

    فِي لَيْلِها بُشْرَى الصَّباحِ المُقْبِلِ

    Still your tears a moment, and contemplate

    within their night the glad news of approaching dawn.

  2. وتَنَجّزِي وَعْدَ المشارِقِ وانظُرِي

    واستَخْبِري زُهْرَ الكواكِبِ واسْأَلِي

    Seek fulfillment of the eastern horizons' promise, and look;

    inquire of the brilliant stars, and ask.

  3. فلَعَلَّ غاياتِ الدُّجى أَن تَنْتَهِي

    وعَسى غياباتُ الأَسى أَن تَنْجَلِي

    Perhaps the farthest reaches of darkness will end,

    and perhaps sorrow's hidden depths will clear.

  4. لا تَخْدَعِي بدموعِ عَيْنِكِ فِي الورى

    قَلْباً يعِزُّ عَلَيْهِ أَن تَتَذَلَّلِي

    Do not, with your eye's tears, deceive among humankind

    a heart that cannot bear your abasement.

  5. وتَجَمَّلِي لِشَجا النَّوى لا تُمْكِني

    أَيدي الصَّبابَةِ من عِنانِ تَجَمُّلِي

    Bear separation's anguish nobly; do not give

    longing's hands the reins of my composure.

  6. لا تَخْذلي بالعَجْزِ عَزْمِي بَعْدَمَا

    شافَهْتُ أَعجازَ النُّجُومِ الأُفَّلِ

    Do not undermine my resolve through weakness, after

    I have faced the trailing ranks of setting stars.

  7. فَلَيُسْعِدَنَّ الحزمُ إِن لَمْ تُسْعِدِي

    ولَيَفْعَلَنَّ الجِدُّ إِنْ لَمْ تَفعلِي

    Firm resolve will surely aid me if you will not;

    earnest effort will surely act if you will not.

  8. ولأَعْسِفَنَّ الليلَ غَيْرَ مُشَيَّعٍ

    ولأَرْكَبَنَّ الهولَ غَيْرَ مُذَلَّلِ

    And I shall traverse the night unescorted,

    and I shall mount terror, still untamed;

  9. ولأَسْطُوَنَّ عَلَى الزمانِ بِعَزْمَتِي

    ولأَنْحِيَنَّ عَلَى الخطوبِ بكَلْكَلِي

    and I shall assail Time with my resolve,

    and I shall bear down on calamities with my breast;

  10. ولأَرمِيَنَّ مقاتلَ النُّوَبِ الَّتِي

    وَلِعَتْ مع المُتَخَلِّفِينَ بِمَقْتَلِي

    and I shall strike the vital parts of misfortunes which,

    with those who stayed behind, are bent on my death.

  11. فإِذا رأَيْتِ النجمَ يُبْدِي أُفْقُهُ

    منه بقيَّةَ جَمْرِ نارِ المُصْطَلِي

    Then, when you see the star, its horizon revealing

    what remains of it—embers of a fire one warms oneself beside;

  12. وتَخلَّفَ العَيُّوقُ فَهْوَ كَأَنَّهُ

    سارٍ تَضَلَّلَ فِي فضاءٍ مَجْهَلِ

    and Capella lags behind, as though it were

    a night traveler lost in an uncharted expanse;

  13. وتعرَّضَ الدَّبَرَانِ بَيْنَ كواكِبٍ

    مِزَقٍ كَسِرْبِ قَطاً ذُعِرْنَ بأَجْدَلِ

    and Aldebaran appears among stars

    scattered like a flock of sandgrouse startled by a falcon;

  14. وكواكِبَ الجوزاءِ تَهْوِي جُنَّحاً

    مِثْلَ الخوامِسِ قَدْ عَدَلْنَ لِمَنْهَلِ

    and Orion's stars descend, inclining,

    like camels turning to a watering place on their fifth day;

  15. وكأنما الشِّعْرَى سِراجُ تَوَقُّدٍ

    وَقْفٌ عَلَى طُرُقِ النجومِ الضُّلَلِ

    and Sirius seems a blazing lamp,

    stationed along the paths of wandering stars;

  16. وكأَنَّ مُلتَزِمَ الفراقِدِ قُطْبَها

    رَكْبٌ عَلَى عِرْفانِ دائِرِ مَنْزِلِ

    and the Farqads' embrace of their pole seems

    a caravan familiar with a campsite's circuit;

  17. وتحوَّلَتْ أُمُّ النجومِ كَأَنَّها

    زَهَرٌ تراكَمَ فَوْقَ مَجْرى جَدْوَلِ

    and the Mother of Stars has shifted, seeming

    blossoms heaped above the course of a stream;

  18. ورأَيتِ جُنْحَ الليلِ ناطَ رِواقَهُ

    من كُلِّ أُفْقٍ بالسِّماكِ الأَعْزَلِ

    and you see the wing of night hang its pavilion

    from every horizon upon unarmed Spica—

  19. فَهُناكَ وافَتْكِ السعودُ طوالِعاً

    تَقْضِي لِصِدْقِ تَيَمُّنٍ وتفاؤُلِ

    then auspicious stars have come to you, rising,

    confirming the truth of good omens and hopeful augury.

  20. فَهِيَ المُنى فتيقَّنِي وَهُوَ السُّرو

    رُ فأَبْشِرِي وهُوَ الصباحُ فأَمِّلِي

    These are your hopes—be certain; this is joy—

    so rejoice; this is morning—so have hope.

  21. وتَجَرَّعِي غُصَصَ التنائِي واجْمَعِي

    بَيْنَ المَطِيِّ ولَيْلهِنَّ الأَليَلِ

    Swallow the choking pangs of distance, and join

    the riding camels with their darkest night.

  22. واستوطِني وَحْشَ الفلاةِ وَوَطِّنِي

    نفساً لِبَرْحِ تَوَدُّعٍ وتَرَحُّلِ

    Make your home in the desert's solitude, and steel

    a soul for the anguish of leave-taking and departure.

  23. فلأَعْقِدَنَّ عَلَيْكِ أَكرَمَ ذِمَّةٍ

    ولأَبْنِيَنَّ عَلَيْكِ أَشْيَدَ مَعْقِلِ

    For I shall bind about you the noblest pledge of protection,

    and build about you the loftiest stronghold,

  24. بعزائمٍ لا تنثنِي وبصائرٍ

    لا تنتهي ووسائلٍ لا تَأْتَلِي

    with resolves that do not bend, and insights

    that know no limit, and means that never fail.

  25. حَتَّى رأَيْتُ العِيسَ وَهْيَ لواغِبٌ

    يَشْرَعْنَ فِي نهرِ الصَّباحِ الأَوَّلِ

    Until I saw the pale camels, weary,

    entering to drink in the river of earliest morning;

  26. والفجرَ يرفعُ جفنَ طرفٍ أَدْعَجٍ

    والليلَ يُغْضِي جفْنَ طَرفٍ أَكحَلِ

    and dawn lifting the lid of a deep-black eye,

    and night lowering the lid of a kohl-dark eye;

  27. فكأنما فِي الجَوِّ فارِسُ أَبْلَقٍ

    يشتدُّ فِي آثارِ فارِسِ أَشْعَلِ

    as though, in the sky, a rider on a piebald horse

    galloped in the tracks of a rider on a white-tailed steed.

  28. ولَدَيَّ لِلمَنصورِ شكرُ صنائِعٍ

    تنأَى الرِّكابُ بِعِبْئِها المُتَحَمَّلِ

    I carry gratitude to al-Mansur for favors

    whose burden the riding camels bear afar:

  29. نَشرٌ ينمُّ من الحقائِبِ عَرْفُهُ

    أَرَجاً ويُشْرِقُ من خلالِ الأَرْحُلِ

    a perfume whose scent wafts from the saddlebags,

    sweetly fragrant, and shines between the saddles,

  30. يُهْدِي ثناءَ المُمْحِلاتِ إِلَى الحَيا

    وثَنا الرياضِ إِلَى الغمامِ المُسْبِلِ

    bearing the drought-stricken lands' praise to rain

    and the gardens' praise to clouds that pour it down,

  31. بكرائِمٍ لم تُمْتَهَنْ وعقائِلٍ

    لَمْ تُمْتَثَلْ ومَصُونَةٍ لَمْ تُبْذَلِ

    through noble verses never cheapened, and secluded beauties

    never imitated, and a guarded one never given away.

  32. حَمَلَتْ بِهَا أُمُّ العلومِ وأُرْضِعَتْ

    من دَرِّ أَخلافِ الربيعِ الحُفَّلِ

    The mother of the sciences conceived her, and she was suckled

    on milk from spring's brimming udders;

  33. وكفيلَةٍ بالحمدِ تُهْدِيهِ إِلَى

    مَلِكٍ بغاياتِ المنى مُتَكَفِّلِ

    and one pledged to praise, conveying it

    to a king who guarantees the utmost hopes,

  34. حَتَّى تُؤَدِّي الحمدَ عندَ مُسَوَّفٍ

    وتَفِي بعهدِ الشكرِ عند مُؤَجِّلِ

    until she delivers praise for one who has tarried,

    and fulfills gratitude's pledge for one who delays,

  35. وتنيخَ رَكْبَ النَّازِلِ المُتَوَسِّلِ

    فِي ظِلِّ عفوِ المُنْعِمِ المُتَفَضِّلِ

    and makes the pleading guest's caravan kneel

    beneath the pardoning shelter of the gracious benefactor,

  36. وتَحُطَّ رحلَ المُذْنِبِ المُتنَصِّلِ

    فِي ظِلِّ عُقْرِ العائِدِ المُتَطَوِّلِ

    and sets down the apologetic offender's saddle

    in the shelter of the bountiful benefactor's courtyard.

  37. فَلأُسْلِمَنَّ إِلَيْهِ هِمَّةَ نازِعٍ

    وحبالَ منقطعٍ وكفَّ مُؤَمِّلِ

    So I shall entrust to him a yearning man's ambition,

    a stranded man's cords, and a hopeful seeker's hand.

  38. مَلِكٌ توسَّطَ من ذؤابَةِ يَعْرُبٍ

    فِي الجَوْهَرِ المُتَخَيَّرِ المُتَنَخَّلِ

    A king at the heart of Ya'rub's noblest lineage,

    within its choicest, most finely sifted stock.

  39. بَسَقَتْ بِهِ أَعراقُ مُلْكٍ أَشْرَقَتْ

    بعلاهُ فِي شرفِ المحلِّ المعتلي

    Through him the roots of kingship rose high and shone

    through his grandeur, in a noble station raised

  40. عن كُلِّ معدومِ القرِينِ مُكَرَّمٍ

    ومعظَّمٍ فِي المالكينَ مُبجَّلِ

    above every honored, peerless lord,

    and every exalted, venerated ruler.

  41. وغمامُ عُرْفٍ فِي الزمانِ المُمْحِلِ

    وسراجُ نورٍ فِي الكريهَةِ مُشْعَلِ

    A cloud of bounty in a time of drought,

    a lamp of light kindled amid battle.

  42. يختالُ تاجُ الملكِ فوقَ جبينهِ

    لما تَبوَّأَ منه أكرَمَ منزِلي

    The crown of kingship struts above his brow,

    having found upon him the noblest dwelling.

  43. فكأَنَّ صفحةَ وجهِهِ شمسُ الضُحَى

    وُصِلَتْ ببدرٍ بالنجومِ مُكَلَّلِ

    His face's surface seems the midmorning sun

    joined to a full moon crowned with stars.

  44. العائِدُونَ بكُلِّ فَضلٍ مُعْجِزٍ

    والدَّافِعُونَ لكل خطبٍ مُعْضِلِ

    They are the bestowers of every matchless bounty,

    the warders-off of every intractable calamity.

  45. وَرِثُوا السيادَةَ كابِراً عن كابِرٍ

    واستوجَبُوها آخِراً عن أَوَّلِ

    They inherited lordship, great forefather from great forefather,

    and earned it, later generations from the first.

  46. وتَبَوَّأُوا دارَ النبوةِ والهُدى

    صُنْعاً وتفضيلاً من المَلِكِ العَلي

    They dwelt in the abode of prophethood and guidance,

    by the favor and preference of the Sovereign Most High.

  47. فَتَخَيَّرَ الرحمنُ طِيبَ ثَراهُمُ

    داراً وقبراً للنَّبيِّ المُرْسَلِ

    The Merciful chose their pure soil

    as a home and grave for the Prophet sent forth.

  48. وتَفَرَّدُوا بالمَكْرُماتِ وأَحرَزُوا

    جزلَ الثناءِ من الكتابِ المُنْزَلِ

    They alone possessed noble deeds, and won

    abundant praise from the revealed Book.

  49. هم أَنجَبُوكَ وقلَّدَوكَ سيوفَهُمْ

    للنصرِ تُبْلِي فِي الإِلهِ وتَبْتَلِي

    They begot you and girded you with their swords

    for victory: you prove your valor for God and put others to the test.

  50. فَضَرَبْتَ أَشياعَ الضلالِ بعَزْمَةٍ

    عَجِلَتْ إِلَيْهِمْ بالحِمامِ المُعْجَلِ

    You struck the partisans of error with a resolve

    that hastened swift death upon them.

  51. فأَعَدْتَ أَرضَهُمُ وَلَيْسَ لِمَعْقِلٍ

    قَصْدٌ وَلَيْسَ لِمُفْلِتٍ من مَعقِلِ

    You left their land with no fortress

    to seek, and no refuge for a fugitive,

  52. بعزائِمٍ ومخائلٍ أَعْيَتْ عَلَى

    بأْس الشجاعِ وحِيلَةِ المُتَحَيِّلِ

    through resolves and stratagems that proved beyond

    the brave man's might and the schemer's cunning.

  53. فتركْتَ حزْبَ الشِّرْكِ بَيْنَ مُصَرَّعٍ

    ومُعَفَّرٍ ومُجَدَّلٍ ومُرَمَّلِ

    You left the party of polytheism, some struck down,

    some dust-stained, some felled, some steeped in blood;

  54. وثَنَيْتَ حزبَ الدينِ بَيْنَ مُملَّكٍ

    ومظفَّرٍ ومُغَنَّمٍ ومُنَفَّلِ

    and brought the party of faith back, some made rulers,

    some victorious, some granted spoils, some given extra booty.

  55. فاسْعَدْ بعيدٍ عادَ وَهْوَ مُبَشِّرٌ

    لَكَ بالنعيمِ وبالبقاءِ الأَطْوَلِ

    So rejoice in a festival returned, bringing glad tidings

    of bliss for you, and the longest life;

  56. وبمشهدٍ للمُلْكِ أَعيا دُونَهُ

    فِكْرُ اللبيبِ ومُقْلَةُ المتأَمِّلِ

    and in a royal spectacle before which falter

    the wise man's thought and the beholder's eye.

  57. أَمَّتْكَ أَبصارُ الخلائِقِ واصِلِي

    نُورٍ بتعجيلِ السرورِ الأَعْجَلِ

    All creation's eyes turned toward you, joining

    light with the swift arrival of the swiftest joy.

  58. وتَيَمَّمُوكَ من المُصَلَّى فانثَنَوْا

    ساعِينَ بَيْنَ مُكَبِّرٍ ومُهَلِّلِ

    They made for you from the prayer ground, then turned back,

    hastening, some proclaiming God's greatness, others His oneness;

  59. مُتَزاحِمينَ عَلَى يمينٍ أَصْبَحَتْ

    مبسوطَةً لمُؤَمِّلٍ ومُقَبِّلِ

    crowding around a right hand now

    outstretched for hopeful seekers and those who kiss it.

  60. وتواضَعَتْ صِيدُ الملوكِ مهابَةً

    يَضَعُونَ أَوْجُهَهُمْ مكانَ الأَرْجُلِ

    Proud-necked kings bowed in awe,

    placing their faces where feet belong;

  61. ورأَوْا هِلالَ الملكِ فَوْقَ سَريرِهِ

    بسنا المكارِمِ والهدى المُتَهَلِّلِ

    and saw the crescent of kingship above his throne,

    beaming with the splendor of noble deeds and guidance.