Sol 6.1

  1. على كلِّ حالٍ ليس لي عَنْك مَذْهبُ

    وَمَا لِغَرَامِي عِنْد غيركَ مَطْلبُ

    In every circumstance, I have no path away from you.

    And my passion seeks fulfillment in no one but you.

  2. وقدْ زَعمُوا أَنِّي قُتِلتُ وأَنَّنِي

    رَضيتُ فما بالُ المليحةِ تَغْضَبُ

    They have claimed that I was killed, and that I

    Was content—so why is the beauty angry?

  3. ومِسْكيةِ الأَنفاسِ نَدِّيةِ اللَّمى

    بها الطِّيبُ يُنْسَى لاَلَها الطِّيبُ يُنْسَب

    And a woman of musky breath and nadd-scented, dusky lips—

    In her presence, perfume is forgotten, not attributed to her.

  4. وشاربةٍ خمرَ الدلالِ فدهرها

    يغنِّي عليها حلُيها وهي تشرَبُ

    And a drinker of coquetry's wine: throughout her life

    Her ornaments sing over her while she drinks.

  5. إِذا طلعَتْ للبدرِ والبدرُ طالعٌ

    تأَخَّرَ حتى كادَ في الشَّرقِ يَغْرُب

    When she rises before the full moon as it rises,

    It retreats until it almost sets in the east.

  6. لها بَشَرٌ مثلُ الحريرِ وخدُّها

    يُخِّبرُنا أَنَّ الحريرَ مُذَهَّبُ

    Her skin is like silk, and her cheek

    Tells us that the silk is gilded.

  7. أُشيرُ إِليها من بعيدٍ بقبلة

    فأُبصرُها فيِ مائه تَتَلَهَّبُ

    From afar I gesture toward her with a kiss,

    And I see her blazing in its water.

  8. أَخوضُ دُموعِي وهْي تلعبُ غَفْلةً

    فإِنِّي وإِيَّاها نَخُوضُ ونَلْعَبُ

    I wade through my tears while she plays heedlessly;

    Thus she and I both wade and play.

  9. وأَشْكُو إِلى ليلِ الغَدائِر غدرَها

    وأُمْلي عليه وهْو في الأَرْضِ يَكْتُبُ

    I complain of her betrayal to the night of her tresses,

    And dictate to it while it writes upon the ground.

  10. وإِنْ شَابَ رأْسي اليومَ من مُرِّ هجْرها

    فإِنسانُ عَيني قبلُ بالدَّمْعِ أَشْيَبُ

    If my head has turned gray today from her bitter abandonment,

    The pupil of my eye was already gray with tears.

  11. وشيبُ الفَتى عِند الفتاةِ يَشينه

    وما الشَّينُ إِلا الشيبُ والزينُ زينَبُ

    A young man's gray hair mars him in a maiden's eyes;

    Ugliness is nothing but gray hair, and beauty is Zaynab.

  12. وزينبُ كالدُّنيا تُحَبُّ وتُشْتهَى

    على غَدْرِها فالغِرُّ فيها مُجرِّب

    And Zaynab, like the world, is loved and desired

    Despite her treachery: with her, even the novice is seasoned.

  13. خليليَّ مُرَّا بِي عليها ونكِّبَا

    سِواهَا فقلْبي عَنْ سِواهَا مُنَكَّبُ

    My two friends, take me past her, and avoid

    Anyone else, for my heart is turned away from all others.

  14. وإِيَّاكُما أَنْ تَقربَا أُمَّ جُندبٍ

    فما هِي إِلاَّ في القماءَةِ جُنْدُبُ

    And beware, you two, of approaching Umm Jundub,

    For in her puniness she is nothing but a grasshopper.

  15. وإِيَّاكُما أَنْ تصدِفَا بي عن العُلا

    فَلِي مَذْهَبٌ يُفْضِي إِليها ومَذْهب

    And beware, you two, of turning me from high glory,

    For I have a path leading to it, and a creed.

  16. وإِني لطمَّاحُ المطامِع نحوَها

    وما كُلُّ طماحِ المطامع أَشْعَبُ

    And I am one whose aspirations soar toward it;

    Not everyone of soaring desires is Ash'ab.

  17. وإِيَّاكُما أَن تَتْركانِي على الصَّدَى

    فكَفُّ أَبِي بكرٍ بما شئتُ تَسْكُب

    And beware, you two, of leaving me thirsty,

    For Abu Bakr's palm pours whatever I wish.

  18. فَلِي ثقةُ في جودِه لا تَخُونُني

    ولي أَملٌ في فضلِه لا يُخَّيب

    For I have trust in his generosity that never betrays me,

    And hope in his bounty that is never disappointed.

  19. أَمنتُ زمانِي وارْتَقَبْتُ نوالَه

    وبحرَ نوالٍ عنده البَحْرُ مِذْنَبُ

    I felt safe from fate and awaited his bounty,

    And an ocean of bounty beside which the sea is a mere stream.

  20. وطرَّى جفافَ الحالِ منِّي بجوُدِه

    فَهَا أَنا أُطْرَي بالمديحِ وأَطْربُ

    With his generosity he softened the dryness of my circumstances;

    So here I am, extolling him in praise and rejoicing.

  21. وأَنشُرُ شكراً ذكرُه ليس يُفْتَرى

    وأَنْظِمُ مدْحاً دُرُّه ليس يُثقَبُ

    I spread gratitude whose account is not fabricated,

    And string together praise whose pearls are not pierced.

  22. هو الملكُ المحيي المميتُ ببأْسِه

    ونائِله أَيَّانَ يرْضَى ويغضَبُ

    He is the king who gives life and death through his might

    And his bounty, whenever he is pleased or angered.

  23. يرجِّيه ملآنُ الفؤادِ مهابةً

    لترجيبه فهو المرَجَّى المرجَّبُ

    One whose heart is full of awe places hope in him,

    Out of reverence for him: he is the hoped-for, the revered.

  24. فلا يُحجَب الراجُون عن بابِ رِفْدِه

    وعن بَابِه المِلكُ المحجَّبُ يُحْجَبُ

    Those who hope are not barred from the gate of his aid,

    Yet the secluded king is barred from his gate.

  25. على بابه الأَملاكُ تَزْحَمُ وفدَه

    وإِن قَرُبوا بالإِذن فالوفدُ أَقرَبُ

    At his gate, kings press against his visitors,

    And even if they approach with permission, the visitors are nearer.

  26. يطأْن بساطاً فيه للشَّمسِ منزلٌ

    وإِنْ كَان فيه للسحائِب مَسْحبُ

    They tread a carpet where the sun has a dwelling,

    Though it also has a place for clouds to trail.

  27. تدينُ له طوعاً وكَرْهاً ضَراغمٌ

    تسَّهلَ منها كلُّ ما يتصَعَّبُ

    Lions submit to him, willingly and unwillingly;

    Everything obstinate among them becomes docile.

  28. فيقْطعُها ماضِي العزائِم قاطعٌ

    ويغلبُها عبلُ الضَّراغِمِ أَغْلَبُ

    So he cuts them down, keen in resolve, decisive,

    And overcomes them, a mighty, thick-necked lion among lions.

  29. لقد نُسخَتْ من بعدمَا مُسِختْ له

    ملوكٌ به آسادُها تَتَثَعْلبُ

    They have indeed been effaced, after being transformed for him—

    Kings whose lions turn foxlike before him.

  30. فأَعداؤه ثوَوْا بع في بِلادِهم

    تُقيمُ وتَمْضِي حينَ يَرْضَى ويَغْضَبُ

    So his enemies remained [unclear word] in their lands;

    They stay and depart as he is pleased or angered.

  31. ويُسخِطُه الجانِي فيرجعُ خُلْقُه

    إِلى طَبْعِه في العَفْوِ والطبعُ أَغْلَبُ

    An offender angers him, yet his disposition returns

    To his nature of forgiveness—and nature prevails.

  32. وليس القِلاعُ الشمُّ إِلاَّ ثِيابُه

    فمن شاءَ يُكساها ومن شاءَ يُسلبُ

    The lofty fortresses are nothing but his garments:

    Whomever he wills is clothed in them; whomever he wills is stripped.

  33. نصحتُك جنِّب بأْسَه فهو مُهْلِكٌ

    وإِن شِئْتَ يمِّم جودَه فهو مَطْلَبُ

    I advise you: avoid his might, for it is deadly;

    And if you wish, seek his bounty, for it is a goal to pursue.

  34. إِذا سَلَّ سيفَ الدِّين في حوْمةِ الوَغى

    فقد سَلَّ أَدْرَى بالقِرَاع وأَدْرَبُ

    When he draws the sword of the faith in the thick of battle,

    He has drawn one more versed in sword-clashing, more practiced.

  35. وجرَّدَ ماضِي الكَفِّ والقلبُ ثابتٌ

    فما قلبُه يومَ الوغى يتَقَلَّبُ

    He unsheathes it, resolute-handed, his heart steadfast;

    His heart does not waver on the day of battle.

  36. وسعتَ شعوبَ الخلق لما أَتيتَهم

    بجودٍ يعم الخلقَ إِذ يتشَعَّبُ

    You encompassed the peoples of creation when you came to them

    With bounty embracing creation as it branches out.

  37. ولم يبقَ صُقْعٌ لم يَلِجْه نَوَالهُ

    بناءٌ مَشيدٌ أَو خِباءٌ مُطَنَّب

    No region remains that his bounty has not entered—

    A lofty building or a tent secured by guy ropes.

  38. تَعُدُّ مَعَدُّ ما تولَّيتَها به

    ويُعرِبُ شكراً عن أَيادِيكَ يَعْرُب

    Ma'add counts the gifts with which you favored her,

    And Ya'rub voices thanks for your favors.

  39. وَمَا فيهما مُحصٍ ولكن مُقَصِّرٌ

    ومعترفٌ أَن ليسَ يُحسِنُ مُحسِب

    Neither of the two counts them fully: each falls short,

    And admits that no other lavish giver does as well.

  40. وإِنيَ عبدٌ لم أَزَلْ فيكَ قائماً

    بمَدْحِكَ أَشْدُو أَو بحمْدكَ أَخْطُب

    And I am a servant who has always stood devoted to you;

    I sing your praises or give speeches to commend you.

  41. نظمتُ مديحي فيك والسِّنُّ يافِعٌ

    وهذا مَدِيحي فيكَ والرَّأْسُ أَشْيَبُ

    I composed my praise of you when I was young,

    And this is my praise of you with my head now gray.

  42. وغنَّى بشِعْري فيك كلُّ مغرد

    ونالَ الغِنَى مِنْه مُغَنٍّ وَمُطْربُ

    Every warbler has sung my poetry about you,

    And a singer and a musician have gained wealth from it.

  43. وكلُّ قصيدٍ قلتُها فيكَ إِنَّها

    بلا مِرْيَةٍ في الحسنِ والسِّيرِ كَوْكَبُ

    And every ode I have composed about you is indeed

    A star, beyond doubt, in beauty and in its course.

  44. فلا مَنْطِقٌ إِلاَّ لِقَوْلِي مَشْرقٌ

    ولا مِسْمَعٌ إِلاَّ لِقوليَ مَغْرب

    Every tongue is a rising-place for my words,

    And every ear a setting-place for my words.

  45. أَعدْتَ لأَهلِ النِّيل رِيَّ بِلاَدِهم

    بأَبحُرِ نيل عنْدَهَا النِّيلُ مِذْنب

    You restored to the people of the Nile their lands' full watering,

    With oceans of bounty beside which the Nile is a mere stream.

  46. هنيئا لمصرٍ وصْلُه ووصولُه

    فقدْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي مصرَ مِنْه التَّجَنُّبُّ

    Joy to Egypt in his fellowship and his arrival!

    For his keeping away had been hurting Egypt.

  47. أخذتَ لمصرٍ من دمشقَ بحَقِّها

    فمصرُ بما أَوليْتَ تُطري وتَطرب

    You took Egypt's rightful due from Damascus,

    So Egypt extols you and rejoices in what you bestowed.

  48. ومَا بَرِح الفُسْطاطُ مُذْ كَانَ طيِّباً

    عَلى غيرِه لكنَّه اليوم أَطْيَبُ

    Fustat has always, since its beginning, been fair,

    Above other places; yet today it is fairer still.

  49. فلا موضعٌ قد كانَ بالأَمسِ مُجْدباً

    بنأْيِك إِلاَّ وهْو في اليومِ مُخْصب

    No place that yesterday was barren

    Through your absence is anything but fertile today.

  50. تَغَايَرت الآفَاقُ فيكَ محبَّةً

    ومنْ ذا الذِي يحبو ولا يتحبَّب

    The horizons grew jealous of one another in their love for you;

    And who bestows gifts without endearing himself?