Sol 6.1

  1. مَا كَانَ رَيْبُ قَبْلَ رَيْبِ الحِمَامْ

    بِبَالِغٍ عَلْيَاءَ ذَاكَ المَقَامُ

    No calamity, before the calamity of death,

    had reached the lofty height of that station.

  2. شَمْسٌ تَوَارَتْ بِحِجَابٍ فَيَا

    لَلْغُبْنِ أَنْ تُمْسِيَ بَعْضَ الرَّغَامْ

    A sun hid herself behind a veil—oh,

    what a loss, that she should become part of the dust,

  3. مَنْ آيَةِ النُّورِ وَلأْلاَتِهَا

    يَا أَسَفَاً أَنْ دَالَ هَذَا الظَّلامْ

    once a marvel of light and radiance!

    Alas, that this darkness should prevail!

  4. هَلْ عِظَةٌ أَوْفَى بَلاغاً لِمَنْ

    يَحْسَبُ دَارَ الحَرْبِ دَارَ السَّلامِ

    Is any lesson more telling for one

    who thinks the abode of war the abode of peace?

  5. يَا مَنْ بَكَاهَا عَارِفُو فَضْلِهَا

    بِمُقَلٍ سَالتْ مَسِيلَ الغَمَامْ

    O you, mourned by those who knew your worth,

    with eyes that poured like clouds.

  6. فِي ذِمَّةِ اللهِ كَمَالُ التُّقَى

    وَعِفَّة النَّفْسِ وَرَعْيِ الذِّمَامْ

    In God's keeping is the perfection of piety,

    and purity of soul, and the honoring of pledges.

  7. حَسْبُكَ فَوْقَ المُلْكِ جَاهاً عَلَى

    جَاهِكِ إِنْجَابُكِ أَسْرَى هُمَامْ

    Enough honor for you, above kingship and beyond

    your own honor, is your bearing a most eminent nobleman:

  8. فَتًى سَجَايَاهُ وَأَخْلاقُهُ

    قَدَّمنْهُ فِي الأُمَرَاءِ العِظَامْ

    a young man whose traits and morals

    have placed him foremost among the great princes.

  9. مَا زَالَ يَلْقَى دَهْرَهُ عَالِماً

    وَإِنْ تَغَافَى أَنَّهُ لا يَنَامْ

    He has always faced his time, knowing,

    even if he feigns unawareness, that it never sleeps.

  10. حَلاوَةُ الوِجْدَانِ لم تُنْسِهِ

    مَرَارَةَ الحِرْمَانِ مُنْذُ الْفِطَامْ

    The sweetness of fulfillment has not made him forget

    the bitterness of deprivation since weaning.

  11. لا يَمْنَحُ الْعِيشَةَ مِن بَالِهِ

    إِنْ يَدْنُ فِيهَا الْهَمُّ أَدْنَى اهْتِمَامْ

    He gives life no share of his thoughts,

    even if worry draws near in it—not the slightest heed.

  12. فِيهِ وَفِيمَا حَوْلَهُ لا تُرَى

    إِلاَّ حُلىً نُزِّهْنَ عَنْ كُلِّ ذَامْ

    In him and in what surrounds him, nothing is seen

    but adornments kept free of every flaw.

  13. بَرَّ بِكِ جَمِيعاً فَمَا

    أَجْدَى وَلَكِنْ رُبَّ دَاءٍ عُقَامْ

    He was wholly dutiful to you, yet it did not

    avail; but many an illness is incurable.

  14. وَهَلْ كَحُبِّ الأُمِّ دَيْنٌ بِهِ

    دَانَ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ الْبَنُونَ الْكِرَامْ

    And is there a debt like love for a mother, to which

    noble sons have submitted throughout time?

  15. حُبٌّ كَضَوْءِ الصبْحِ فِيهِ الهُدى

    وَفِيهِ رِيٌّ كَالنَّدَى لِلأُوَامْ

    A love like morning light, in which is guidance,

    and in it, refreshment like dew for burning thirst.

  16. فَبُورِكتْ أُمٌّ رَؤُومٌ مَضَتْ

    وَبُورِكَ ابْنٌ عَبْقَرِيٌّ أَقَامْ

    So blessed be the tender mother who departed,

    and blessed be the son of genius who remains.

  17. تَنَاهَتْ الرِّقَّةُ فِيهِ عَلَى

    مَا فِيهِ مِنْ بَأْسٍ وَصِدْقِ اعْتِزَامْ

    Tenderness has reached its height in him, despite

    the strength in him and his steadfast resolve.

  18. وَمِثْلُهَا يُدْهِشُ فِي صَائِدٍ

    لُلأُسْدِ مِنْ كُلِّ حِمىً لا يُرَامْ

    Such tenderness amazes in a hunter

    of lions from every unapproachable refuge,

  19. طَرَّاقِ أَدْغَالٍ عَلَيْهَا وَمَا

    تُنْكِرُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ كَذَاكَ اللِّمَامْ

    who often enters thickets in pursuit of them; nothing

    do they resent so much as such a visit.

  20. يَلُوحُ فَالأَشْبَالُ وَثَّابَةٌ

    وَالذُّعْرُ قَيْدٌ لِلسِّبَاعِ الضِّخَامْ

    He appears, and the cubs leap,

    and terror is a shackle for the mighty beasts.

  21. كَوَاشِرُ الأَنْيَابِ مَا رَاعَهَا

    إِلاَّ ثَنَايَا طَالِعٍ ذِي ابْتِسَامْ

    They bare their fangs; nothing has terrified them

    but the front teeth of one appearing with a smile.

  22. يُضْحِكُهُ مِنْ طَرَبٍ جَأْرُهَا

    وَرُبَّمَا أَبْكَاهُ سَجَعُ الحَمَامْ

    Their roaring makes him laugh with delight,

    and sometimes the cooing of doves makes him weep.

  23. ضِدَّانِ مِنْ لِينٍ وَمِنْ جَفْوَةٍ

    لم يَصْحَبَا فِي المَرْءِ إِلاَ التَّمَامْ

    Two opposites—gentleness and harshness—

    have never coexisted in a man save with perfection.

  24. وَيَعْدُ هَلْ أَذْكُرُ مَا صَاغَهُ

    يُوسُفُ مِنْ آيِ الْعُلَى فِي نِظَامْ

    And then [uncertain reading]—shall I mention what was fashioned

    by Yusuf, of signs of greatness in verse?

  25. هَلْ أَذْكُرُ النَّجْدَةَ إِنْ يَدْعُهُ

    مُسْتَضْعَفٌ أو يَرْجُهُ مُسْتَضَامْ

    Shall I mention his succor, if he is called upon

    by one oppressed, or entreated by one wronged?

  26. هَلْ أَذْكُرُ الْهِمَّةَ وَهْيَ الَّتِي

    تبْلِغُهُ فِي المَجْدِ أَقْصَى مَرَامْ

    Shall I mention his resolve, which is what

    brings him, in glory, to the furthest goal?

  27. هَلْ أَذْكُرُ الْبَذْلَ لِرَفْعِ الحِمَى

    عِلْماً وَفَنّاً أو لِنَفْعِ الأَنَامْ

    Shall I mention his giving to uplift the homeland

    in learning and art, or to benefit humankind?

  28. هَلْ أَذْكُرُ الْحُبَّ لأَوْطَانِهِ

    وَفِيهِ كَمْ صَرْحاً مَشِيداً أَقَامْ

    Shall I mention his love for his homelands,

    and how many lofty edifices he has raised through it?

  29. يَا سَيِّداً فِي كُلِّ بِرٍّ لَهُ

    بِيضُ الأَيَادِي وَالمَسَاعِي الْجِسَامْ

    O master, who in every good deed has

    white hands of generosity and mighty endeavors,

  30. رَأْيُكَ فَوْقَ التَّعْزِيَاتِ الَّتِي

    تُقالُ مَهْمَا يَسْمُ وَحْيُ الْكَلامْ

    your judgment is above the condolences that

    are spoken, however high the inspiration of words may rise.

  31. إِنَّ الَّتِي تَبْكِي لَفِي جَنَّةٍ

    مَوْرِدُهَا فِيهَا نَعِيمُ الدَّوَامْ

    Indeed, she whom you mourn is surely in Paradise,

    her watering place there is everlasting bliss.