Sol 6.1

  1. لَو أَنَّ أَطلالَ المَنازِل تَنطِقُ

    ما ارتّدَّ حرّانَ الجوانِح شَيِّقُ

    If the ruins of the dwellings could speak,

    no yearning lover would turn back with his breast aflame.

  2. هَل عندَ ذاك السِربِ أَنّا بعدَه

    في الحَيِّ مِن آماقِنا نَتَدَفَّقُ

    Does that flock know that, since its departure,

    in the encampment, we stream from the corners of our eyes?

  3. أَو أَنَّ أَضلُعنا على ما اِستودِعت

    يومَ الفراقِ من الجَوى تتحَرَّقُ

    Or that our ribs, with what was lodged within them

    of anguish on the day of parting, are burning?

  4. أَمَنازِلَ الأَقمارِ أَهلُكِ أَسرَفوا

    في النَايِ إِسرافَ الغَنيِّ وَأَغرَقوا

    O dwellings of the moons, your people have been extravagant

    in going far away, extravagant as the rich, and gone to extremes.

  5. لَو أَنَّهم قد أَنصَفوكِ منازِلاً

    ما حازَهُم في الكَون بعدَكِ مَشرِق

    Had they done you justice as homes,

    no rising-place in all creation would have held them after you.

  6. عيدَ الفِداءِ ألا سَعِدتَ بسُدَّةٍ

    أَمسى يحيط بها الجلالُ وَيُحدِق

    O Feast of Sacrifice, were you not blessed at a royal threshold

    which majesty has come to surround and encircle?

  7. هلّا رَأَيتَ بعابدين مع المَلا

    ملِكا خلائِقهُ تَضوعُ وَتَعبَق

    Why did you not behold at Abdin, with the assembled throng,

    a king whose virtues spread fragrance and exude perfume,

  8. وَجَمعتَ من تِلكَ الشَمائِل طاقةً

    تَزدان أَيّاما بها وَتُخَلَّق

    and gather a bouquet of those noble qualities,

    with which to adorn and perfume yourself for days,

  9. وَرجعتَ من نور الأَميرِ مزَوَّدا

    حَتّى تعود وَأَنتَ زاهٍ مُشرِق

    and return provisioned with the prince's light,

    until you come again, radiant and resplendent?

  10. أَحرَزتَ يا عبّاسِ كلَّ فضيلَةٍ

    وَبَلغتَ شَأواً في العُلا لا يُحلَقُ

    You have attained every virtue, O Abbas,

    and reached a height of glory beyond all reach.

  11. من ذا يُجاري أَخمَصَيكَ إلى مَدىً

    وَهواكَ سَبّاقٌ وَعزمُك أَسبَقُ

    Who can keep pace with your soles toward a goal,

    when your aspiration races ahead, and your resolve is swifter still?

  12. إِن يُرتَجَل عُرفٌ فَأَنت إِلى الذي

    لَم يَرتَجِله المالِكون موفَّقُ

    If a kindness is devised, you are guided to one

    that rulers have never devised before.

  13. سَدِّد سِهامَ الرَأي بِالشورى يحِط

    بك منهُ في ظُلَمِ الحوادِثِ فَيلَق

    Aim judgment's arrows through consultation; there will gather

    around you, from it, a host amid the darkness of calamities.

  14. وَاِسبِق به وَاِضرِب به وَاِفتَح به

    ما شِئتَ من بابٍ أَمامَك يُغلَق

    And forge ahead with it, strike with it, and open with it

    whatever gate you wish that is shut before you.

  15. عَوَّذتُ مجدَكَ أَن تَنامَ وَفي الحمى

    أَملٌ عَقيمٌ أو رجاءٌ مُخفِق

    I have invoked protection for your glory, lest you sleep while your realm holds

    a barren hope or a thwarted expectation.

  16. وَلَرُبَّ محلٍ في النُهى متحكِّمٍ

    قد كادَ يخترم النفوسَ وَيوبِق

    And many a drought, tyrannizing over minds,

    had nearly cut lives short and brought ruin.

  17. أَرسَلتَ فيه نظرةً ضَمِنَ الحِجا

    وَالعِلمُ نُصرَتَها وَقلبٌ مشفِق

    You cast upon it a glance; reason guaranteed

    its victory, as did knowledge and a compassionate heart.

  18. وَأَخذتَ رَأيَ النُهى مُستَوثِقا

    مُستَوزِرا وَكذا الحَكيم يدقِّقُ

    You took the counsel of wise minds, seeking assurance,

    and seeking aid; thus the wise man scrutinizes.

  19. حتى اهتَديتَ إلى الصَوابِ وَلم يَزَل

    بينَ الصَواب وَبينَ رَأيك موثِقُ

    Until you found the right course; and there has always been

    a firm bond between what is right and your judgment.

  20. وَوَهَبتَ فَاِبتَكَر النُضارُ سحائِبا

    تَهمي وَتَفتقِد المَحيلَ وَتُغدِقُ

    And you gave, and gold brought forth clouds

    that pour down, seek out barren ground, and rain abundantly.

  21. إِن أَمرعت تلكَ المواتُ وَأَورَقَت

    فيها الرِياض فَإِنَّما لك تورِق

    If those dead lands grow fertile and gardens come into leaf

    within them, it is for you alone they leaf.

  22. وَأَقَلتَ عثرَةَ قريَةٍ حكمَ الهوى

    في أَهلِها وَقَضى قضاءٌ أَخرَق

    And you lifted a village from its fall: caprice had ruled

    over its people, and reckless judgment had passed sentence.

  23. إِن أَنَّ فيها بائِسٌ مِمّا بهِ

    وَأرَنَّ جاوَبه هناك مطوَّق

    If a wretch there groaned at what afflicted him

    and wailed, a collared dove answered him there.

  24. وَاِرحَمتى لجناتِهم ماذا جَنَوا

    وَقُضاتِهم ما عاقَهُم أَن يَتَّقوا

    Alas for their offenders! What crime had they committed?

    And their judges—what kept them from fearing God?

  25. ما زالَ يُقذى كلَّ عين ما رَأوا

    فيها وَيُؤذى كلَّ سَمعٍ ما لَقوا

    Every eye kept smarting at what they saw

    there, and every ear aching at what they endured,

  26. حَتّى حَكمتَ فجاء حُكمُك آيةً

    لِلنّاسِ طيَّ صحيفَةٍ تَتَأَلَّقُ

    until you ruled, and your ruling came as a marvel

    to the people, within the folds of a gleaming page.

  27. نَزلت تُرَفرِفُ حَولَ كاتبِ نَصِّها

    زُمَرا مَلائكَةُ الرِضا وَتُحَلِّق

    There descended, fluttering round the writer of its text,

    angels of approval, in companies, circling aloft.

  28. شَكَرتك مصرُ على سلامَة بعضِها

    شكراً يُغرِّب في الوَرى وَيُشرِّق

    Egypt thanked you for the safety of part of herself,

    with thanks that journey west and east among humankind.

  29. ذكرت لك الصَفح الجَميلَ وَلم تَزَل

    تَرمى إِلى أَمرٍ أَجلَّ وَتَرمُق

    She recalled your gracious pardon, and still

    aims for something greater and watches for it.

  30. قانونُ دِنشاوايَ ذاك صحيفةٌ

    تُتلى فترتاعُ القلوب وَتَخفِق

    That law of Dinshaway is a document

    that is recited, and hearts take fright and quiver.

  31. هل يُرتَجى صَفوٌ وَيَهدَأ خاطِرٌ

    وَالمَوتُ حول نُصوصِها يترقرق

    Can peace be hoped for, can a mind grow calm,

    while death shimmers round its clauses,

  32. وَمضاجعُ القَوم النيامِ أَواهِلٌ

    بِمعذَّبٍ يَردى وَآخرَ يُرهَق

    and the beds of sleeping folk are crowded

    with one tormented and perishing, and another overburdened?

  33. لن تَبلُغَ الجرحى شِفاءً كامِلا

    ما دام جارِحُها المُهنَّدُ يبرُق

    The wounded will never attain complete healing

    so long as the Indian-steel sword that wounds them flashes.

  34. فاِحكُم بغير العُنف وَاِكسِر سَيفَه

    فَالحلمُ أَجمَلُ وَالمكارمُ أَليَق

    So rule without violence, and break its sword;

    for forbearance is fairer, and noble deeds more fitting.

  35. لك مصرُ ماضيها وَحاضِرُها معاً

    وَلك الغدُ المتحتِّم المُتَحقِّق

    Egypt is yours, her past and present together,

    and yours is tomorrow, inevitable and assured.

  36. وَاللَهُ عونُك إن رَكبتَ إلى العُلا

    طُرُقاً تَضِلُّ بها الهُداةُ وَتَفرَق

    And God is your aid if you ride toward the heights

    on paths where guides lose their way and grow afraid.

  37. وَالأَمرُ أَمرُك لا يُشابُ بريبَةٍ

    وَالحكمُ حُكمُكَ وَالإِلهُ مصدِّق

    And command is yours, untainted by doubt,

    and rule is yours, and God affirms it.