Sol 6.1

  1. فؤاد بذكر العامرية مغرم

    وصب هواه في الضلوع مخيم

    A heart is enamored of remembering the ʿAmiriyya;

    And a lovesick lover's passion camps within the ribs.

  2. وبرق سرى وهنا بأكناف بارق

    ام الثغر من ليلى غدا يتبسم

    And lightning coursed late at night about Bariq—

    Or had Layla's mouth begun to smile?

  3. تراءت فكلي ناظر لجمالها

    ومالت وكلي في هواها متيم

    She appeared, and all of me gazed upon her beauty;

    She swayed, and all of me was enslaved to loving her.

  4. لئن ملت يوما عن هواها لغيرها

    فلا صدق الواشي بما كان يزعم

    If ever I turn from her love toward another,

    Then may the slanderer not prove true in what he claimed.

  5. ولم انس اذ ودعتها ومدامعي

    عقود غدت في جيدها تتنظم

    I have not forgotten when I bade her farewell, and my tears

    Became necklaces strung around her neck.

  6. وسارت وقد اومت لنحوي بطرفها

    وصارت باطراف البنان تسلم

    She departed, having signaled toward me with her gaze,

    And began greeting me with her fingertips.

  7. وقالت ربيع بيننا الحل ملتقى

    فقلت لها بل ملتقانا المحرم

    She said, 'In Rabiʿ, our rendezvous is outside the sanctuary';

    I said to her, 'Rather, our rendezvous is Muharram.'

  8. وبانت على عيس لها وترحلت

    وعندي المقيمان الاسى والتندم

    She departed upon her pale camels and journeyed away,

    While sorrow and regret remained as my two abiding guests.

  9. وقد عجت بالاطلال والدمع سائل

    عسى خبر عن اهلها ابن يمموا

    I stopped at the ruins, while tears flowed,

    Hoping for news of their people: where had they headed?

  10. اسال عنهم كلما هبت الصبا

    واخبارهم من عرفها اتنسم

    I ask after them whenever the east wind blows,

    And breathe in news of them from its fragrance.

  11. ومن عجب عنهم اروح مسائلا

    وبين ضلوعي قد اقاموا وخيموا

    How strange that I go about asking after them,

    When they have settled and pitched their tents between my ribs.

  12. يقولون لي فاطلب على البعد نارهم

    فقلت وهل في غير قلبي نضرم

    They tell me, 'Seek their fire in the distance';

    I said, 'Are we set aflame anywhere but in my heart?'

  13. فناديت اذ ساروا وقد اشرق الدجى

    تنفس هذا الصبح ام قد تبسموا

    I called out as they departed, while the darkness shone:

    'Has this dawn drawn breath, or have they smiled?'

  14. وكنت توهمت الغزالة اشرقت

    اذا هم وقد لاحوا فزال التوهم

    I had imagined that the sun had risen;

    Suddenly there they were, appearing, and the illusion vanished.

  15. عُرَيبٌ لهم في مقلة السفح منزل

    ومن دمع عيني بالعقيق تجثموا

    A little Arab clan has a dwelling in the hillside's eye,

    And from my eye's tears they settled at al-ʿAqiq.

  16. بهم ضاء وجه الدهر وافتر ثغره

    فايامهم في الدهر عيد وموسم

    Through them time's face shone, and its mouth broke into a smile;

    Their days in time are a festival and a season of celebration.

  17. وكم في هواهم لي حديث مسلسل

    روته جفوني بالمدامع عنهم

    And many a chain-linked tale of my love for them

    My eyelids have related through tears, on their authority.

  18. هم في الورى قصدي وسؤلي ولو سلوا

    على الجمر قلبي ما سلا وهم هم

    They are my aim and desire among all people; even if they drew

    My heart over live coals, it would not forget; they are still themselves.

  19. عذابي عذب في الغرام بحبهم

    واعذب شيء فيه ما جاء منهم

    My torment in passion is sweet through loving them,

    And sweetest in it is whatever comes from them.

  20. فيالرجال الحب في ذمة الوفا

    قتيل غرام في الهوى قد تذمموا

    So, O men of love! In fidelity's keeping lies

    A victim of passion in love—do take him under your protection.

  21. أأحبابنا صدوا ورقوا وأعرضوا

    وجودوا وجوروا واعذلوا وتحكموا

    O our beloved, spurn us, be tender, and turn away;

    Be generous, be cruel, reproach us, and have your way.

  22. فقلبي على ما تعهدون من الوفا

    مقيم وحبل الود لا ينصرم

    My heart, in the fidelity you have known,

    Abides, and the bond of affection is never severed.

  23. سلوا الحي ما لاقاه ميت هواكم

    وكيف تجيب الدار او تتكلم

    Ask the tribe what one slain by your love endured—

    Yet how can a dwelling answer or speak?

  24. ولكن سلوا عن حالة الصب دمعه

    يخبركم عما جرى فهو يعلم

    But ask the lover's tears about his plight;

    They will tell you what happened, for they know.

  25. والا سلوا قلبي فاني بعثته

    رسولا باخبار الغرام اليكم

    Otherwise ask my heart, for I have sent it

    As a messenger to you with tidings of passion.

  26. واقسم لولا حبكم بين اضلعي

    لما شاق قلبي المنحني والمخيم

    I swear, were your love not lodged between my ribs,

    The bend and the encampment would not stir my heart's longing.

  27. وما عذبات البان والرند والنقا

    وسفح اللوى لولا الجناب المعظم

    What are the tender tips of ban-trees, the laurels, and the sand-dunes,

    And the slope of al-Liwa, were it not for the exalted presence?

  28. نبي له جاه عظيم ورفعة

    فقل ما تشا في وصفه فهو اعظم

    A prophet of mighty standing and high rank.

    Say what you will in describing him—he is greater still.

  29. هو الفاتح المبعوث والخاتم الذي

    به كنز اسرار النبوة يختم

    He is the opener, the one sent forth, and the seal,

    Through whom the treasure of prophecy's secrets is sealed.

  30. هو البخر الا ان مورده حلا

    هو الجوهر الفرد الذي لا يقسم

    He is the sea, except that his watering-place is sweet;

    He is the singular essence that cannot be divided.

  31. وان يك عن موسى وعيسى زمانه

    تأخر فهو السابق المتقدم

    Though his time, compared with Moses and Jesus,

    Came later, he is the first, the foremost.

  32. فموسى وعيسى بشرا بقدومه

    وكان ولا موسى وعيسى ومريم

    For Moses and Jesus gave glad tidings of his coming;

    He existed when neither Moses, nor Jesus, nor Mary yet was.

  33. اتى في ربيع فاكتسى الكون حلة

    عليها طراز من سنا الوشي معلم

    He came in Rabiʿ, and the universe donned a robe,

    Upon it a patterned border of radiant brocade.

  34. واشرقت الأنوار من ضوء نوره

    وقد خمدت نار لفارس تضرم

    Lights shone forth from the glow of his light,

    While Persia's blazing fire was extinguished.

  35. وما زال ينمو بين اتراب قومه

    ويكبر في عين العظيم ويعظم

    He kept growing among the age-mates of his people,

    Growing greater in the eyes of the great, and mightier.

  36. الى ان اتى بالسيف للشرك باترا

    وداعي الهنا بالبشر والنصر يقدم

    Until he came with the sword, cutting down polytheism,

    As the herald of bliss advanced with glad tidings and victory.

  37. فاقبل صبح الدين والرشد مشرق

    وادبر ليل الكفر والغي مظلم

    The dawn of religion and right guidance came, radiant;

    The night of unbelief and error receded, dark.

  38. وشمس الضحى في الافق ردت لاجله

    وفي النصف اجلالا له البدر يقسم

    The forenoon sun was turned back on the horizon for his sake,

    And the full moon, in reverence for him, is divided in half.

  39. ووحش الفيافي والغزالة سلمت

    عليه ومنه نورها يتقسم

    The beasts of the wastes and the gazelle greeted

    Him; from him her light is apportioned.

  40. وزهر الربا والنجم عند طلوعه

    وبدر الدجى كل عليه يسلم

    The flowers of the hills, the star at its rising,

    And the full moon of night—all greet him with peace.

  41. ولم ينتقم في الدهر يوما لنفسه

    ويعفو عن الجاني المسيء ويحلم

    Never in his life did he take vengeance for himself;

    He pardons the offending wrongdoer and is forbearing.

  42. ومن مثله اسرى إلى العرش راكبا

    وكان له جبريل في السير يخدم

    Who, like him, journeyed by night, riding to the Throne,

    With Gabriel serving him on the journey?

  43. وماذا عسى اني اقول ومدحه

    به قد اتى قول من الله يحكم

    What could I possibly say, when his praise

    Has already come in a decisive word from God?

  44. على حكمه الآيات جاءت وربنا

    عليه لقد صلى فصلوا وسلمو ا

    The verses came in accordance with His decree; and our Lord

    Has surely blessed him; so invoke blessings and greet him with peace.

  45. فطربى لعشاق شدوا في حجازه

    فطاب لهم ذاك المقام فزمزموا

    So my joy is for lovers who sang in his Hijaz;

    That station delighted them, so they chanted softly.

  46. اذا عدّ جود الاكرمين فقطرة

    وجود اياديه من الغيث اسجم

    If the generosity of the noblest is reckoned, it is but a drop,

    While the bounty of his favors pours more copiously than rain.

  47. ولو أن ملّ الأرض ملءٌ ومثله

    لافناه حقا جوده والتكرم

    Even were there the earth's full measure, and as much again,

    His generosity and munificence would truly exhaust it.

  48. واصحابه القوم الكرام كأنهم

    وقد اشرقوا في ذروة المجد انجم

    His Companions, those noble men, are as though,

    Shining at glory's summit, they were stars.

  49. بدور سموا بيض الوجوه تهللوا

    وللنقع وجه من دجى الليل اظلم

    Full moons, they rose high, bright-faced and beaming,

    While battle-dust wore a face darker than night's darkness.

  50. اسود ظهور الاعوجية غابها

    وآجامها ذاك الوشيج المقوم

    Lions, whose forests are the backs of Aʿwaj-bred steeds,

    And whose thickets are those straightened, interlaced spears.

  51. اذا جالدوا الاعداء يوما وجادلوا

    عليهم قضوا يوم الوغى وتحكموا

    Whenever they fought and contended with enemies,

    They passed judgment over them on battle's day and held sway.

  52. لبيضهم شكل اذا ما تكتبوا

    وسمر عواليهم تخط وتعجم

    Their bright swords add vowel-marks when they form ranks,

    And their dark spear-shafts write and add dots.

  53. وكم وردوا بحرا على كل سابح

    وما صدروا الا وبحر الوى دم

    How often they entered a sea on every swimming steed,

    And came out only when the sea of battle was blood.

  54. وما نالهم في ذاك روع ونالهم

    من الله في الدارين اجر ومغنم

    No fear overtook them in that, and they received

    From God, in both worlds, reward and gain.

  55. بعليا رسول الله شادوا مناقبا

    وسادوا على من قبلهم وتقدموا

    Through the exalted glory of God's Messenger, they built up noble distinctions,

    And excelled those before them, taking precedence.

  56. فيا سيد الرسل الكرام ومن غدا

    عليه لواء الحمد بالنصر يرقم

    O master of the noble messengers, you over whom

    The banner of praise is inscribed with victory,

  57. متى ابن مليك منك يشفى بزورة

    يزول بها عنه الشقاء وينعم

    When will Ibn Mulayk find healing from you through a visit,

    Through which his misery departs and he finds bliss?

  58. أجرني أجرني قد اتيتك راجيا

    وما خاب من فيك الرجا يتوسم

    Grant me refuge, grant me refuge! I have come to you in hope;

    No one who discerns hope in you has been disappointed.

  59. وحاشا كريم القوم يمنع سائلا

    إلى بابه قد جاء يسعى ويحرم

    Far be it from the noblest of men to refuse a petitioner

    Who comes hastening to his door, and leave him deprived.

  60. ومن عادة السادات ان نزيلهم

    يصان ويرعى في حماهم ويكرم

    It is the custom of great lords that their guest

    Is protected, cared for in their sanctuary, and honored.

  61. عسى من لظى انجو يجاهك في غد

    واحشر في قوم انابوا واسلموا

    May I escape the blaze tomorrow through your standing,

    And be gathered among those who repented and submitted.

  62. ترى هل ترى عيني معالم طيبة

    وعرف الصبا من طيبها يتنسم

    Will my eye, I wonder, ever see the landmarks of Tayba,

    While the east wind's fragrance wafts from her perfume?

  63. واشرع في باب الصلاة مصليا

    عليه ومن باب السلام اسلم

    And enter the Gate of Prayer, invoking blessings

    Upon him, and from the Gate of Peace offer greetings?

  64. والصق بالاعتاب خدي وارضها

    اقبل اجلالا ثراها والثم

    And press my cheek against the thresholds and her ground,

    Kissing her dust in reverence, touching it with my lips?

  65. عليك صلاة الله ثم سلامه

    سلام به عقد المديح ينظم

    Upon you be God's blessings, then His peace—

    Peace with which the necklace of praise is strung,

  66. وآلك والصحب الذين حديثهم

    به يبدأ الذكر الجميل ويختم

    And upon your family and the Companions, with whose mention

    Fair remembrance begins and ends.