Sol 6.1

  1. ضَحكَتْ ثُغورُ الروضِ حينَ بَكى النّدا

    وَغَدا على الغُصنِ الحَمامُ مُغرِّدا

    The garden's mouths laughed when the dew wept.

    And the doves began singing upon the bough.

  2. وَالرِّيحُ تَلعَبُ بِالغُصونِ كَأَنّها

    صَوتٌ رَخيمٌ مِنْ مُغنٍّ قَد شَدا

    And the wind plays with the boughs, as though it were

    A mellow voice from a singer who has sung.

  3. حَيثُ الشّقيقُ تَكَحّلَتْ أَوراقُهُ

    وَبَدا يَتيهُ بِحُسنِ خالٍ أَسْوَدا

    Where the anemone's petals are lined with kohl,

    And it appears, flaunting the beauty of a black beauty spot.

  4. حَيثُ الغُصونُ تَمايَلَتْ في حلّةٍ

    خَضْراءَ تَحكي في البَهاءِ زُمرُّدا

    Where the boughs swayed in a robe

    Of green, like emerald in splendor.

  5. حَيثُ الوُرودُ تَفَتَّحَتْ أَزرارُها

    وجَلتْ فُؤاداً قد تكتّمَ بالصّدا

    Where the roses' buds opened,

    And polished a heart that had cloaked itself in rust.

  6. حَيثُ الأقاحُ بَدا بِساقِ زبَرْجَدٍ

    كَالكَأسِ صاغَتْهُ المَحاسِنُ عَسْجَدا

    Where the daisies appeared on a peridot stem,

    Like a goblet that beauty fashioned from gold.

  7. حَيثُ الأزاهِرُ قَدْ زَكَتْ نَفَحَاتُها

    وَتَزيّنَتْ أَوراقُها دُرَّ النَّدا

    Where the blossoms' fragrances grew rich,

    And their petals were adorned with pearls of dew.

  8. حَيثُ الرّياضُ تَزَخْرَفَتْ بِرَبيعِها

    وَتَزيّنَتْ بحُلى الزّهورِ تقلّدا

    Where the gardens were embellished by their spring,

    And adorned with flowers' jewels, worn as necklaces.

  9. حَيثُ السحابُ مُزوِّجٌ ريحَ الصّبا

    فالقطرُ أضْحى مِنهُما متولِّدا

    Where the cloud weds the east wind,

    And so the rain is born of them both.

  10. حَيثُ البُروقُ تَلامَعَتْ أسيافُها

    وَالرّعدُ يَحدو لِلسّحايِبِ مُنشِدا

    Where lightning's swords flashed,

    And thunder chants, urging the clouds onward.

  11. حَيثُ الليالي أَقمَرتْ لَمّا دَجَت

    وَتَنَوَّرتْ منْ فجرِها لمّا بَدا

    Where the nights grew moonlit as they darkened,

    And were lit by their dawn when it appeared.

  12. حَيثُ النّجومُ تَراقصَتْ في أفقِها

    والفجرُ سلَّ على الظّلامِ مهنّدا

    Where the stars danced in their sky,

    And dawn drew an Indian-steel sword against the darkness.

  13. حَيثُ الكُؤوسُ تَحثُّ مِن يَدِ أَهْيَفٍ

    حُلوِ الشّمايلِ بِالجَمالِ تَفَرّدا

    Where the cups beckon from a slender youth's hand,

    Sweet in his ways, unrivaled in beauty.

  14. رَشَأٌ تَقاوَى مِنهُ مضعَفُ لَحظِهِ

    وَسَطا بِسَهْمٍ لِلمَنِيَّة أَوْرَدا

    A fawn whose feeble glance drew strength from him,

    And struck with an arrow that led to death.

  15. ظَبيٌ تَصاحى طَرفُهُ حِينَ اِنتَشى

    مُتناعِساً وسَقى المدامَ مُعَربِدا

    A gazelle whose gaze feigned sobriety when he grew tipsy,

    Feigning drowsiness, he served the wine, riotously drunk.

  16. أَزْرى بِغُصْنِ الرَّوضِ مايسُ قَدِّهِ

    وبوَردِهِ خدّاهُ حينَ تورّدا

    His swaying form put the garden's bough to shame,

    And his cheeks shamed its roses when they flushed.

  17. فيهِ الجَمالُ سَما وَعَزَّ كَمالُهُ

    وَغَدا بِهِ رُكنُ البَهاءِ مشيَّدا

    In him beauty soared, and his perfection grew exalted,

    And through him the pillar of splendor was erected.

  18. فَعِذارُهُ المِسكِيّ يَنفُحُ عَنبراً

    وجَبينهُ كالنّجمِ فيهِ يُهْتَدى

    For his musky cheek-down wafts ambergris,

    And his brow is like a star by which one is guided.

  19. وخُدودُهُ منها المحاسنُ أشرَقَتْ

    ولِحاظُهُ منها الحسامُ مُجرّدا

    And from his cheeks beauty shone forth,

    And from his glances comes the keen sword, unsheathed.

  20. ورِضابُهُ العسّالُ أسْكرَ صاحياً

    وحَلا بكأسِ الثّغرِ حين تبرّدا

    And his honeyed saliva made a sober man drunk,

    And grew sweet in the cup of his mouth as it cooled.

  21. وقوامُهُ الميّاسُ يطعنُ في الحَشا

    كالرمْحِ أضحى للطِّعانِ مُعوّدا

    And his swaying figure pierces the breast,

    Like a spear grown accustomed to thrusting.

  22. وَجناتُهُ مِرآةُ قَلبي بِالهَوى

    هيَ جَمرُه فيها بَدا متوقِّدا

    His cheeks are my heart's mirror in love;

    They are its embers, appearing there ablaze.

  23. قَد خِلْتُ واوَ العَطفِ عَقرَبَ صدغِهِ

    مثلَ العِذارِ يُخالُ لام الاِبْتِدا

    I fancied the conjunction waw his temple's scorpion-curl,

    Just as his cheek-down is fancied the introductory lam.

  24. مِن ريقهِ وشفاهِهِ إِنّي لقدْ

    أُروَى العذيبَ مِنَ العَقيقِ تشهّدا

    From his saliva and his lips, I surely

    Am slaked with sweet water from carnelian, bearing witness.

  25. وَلَقدْ حَوى جَسَداً يَروقُ مَحاسِناً

    أَخَذَ اللّطافةَ حلّةً وبِها اِرْتَدى

    And he possesses a body whose beauties delight,

    He took grace for a robe and clothed himself in it.

  26. لِلَّهِ دَرُّ الخالِ في وَجَناتِهِ

    جعلَ المُلوكَ منَ البَرايا أعبُدا

    How wondrous the beauty spot upon his cheeks!

    It made the kings among mankind slaves,

  27. إِلّا الإِمامَ المُرتَقي أَوجَ السُّهى

    أَعني الهُمامَ اللّوذَعي الأَوحَدا

    Except the imam who ascends to al-Suha's zenith,

    I mean the noble, keen-witted, peerless man.

  28. مِقدامُ أَهلِ الفَضلِ مِنْ زمَنِ الصِّبا

    مفني لذِكْرِ البُخلِ في بَذلِ النّدا

    The champion of men of merit since his youth,

    Erasing all mention of miserliness through his bounty.

  29. أسَدُ العَرين تَهابُهُ أُسْدُ الشّرى

    ويُظنُّ جَيشاً حين يَمشي مُفْرَدا

    A lion of the lair whom the lions of al-Shara fear,

    And taken for an army when he walks alone.

  30. قمرٌ مَحا لَيلَ المكارِهِ نُورُهُ

    وهدَى على طُرُقِ الرّشادِ وأرشَدا

    A moon whose light erased the night of hardships,

    And guided along the paths of right conduct, leading aright.

  31. بَدرٌ لقد أخذَ المعالي مَنزِلاً

    ولقد حَوى فوقَ المجرّةِ مَقْعَدا

    A full moon who took high honors for his dwelling,

    And indeed gained a seat above the Milky Way.

  32. وَسَما على هامِ السِّماكِ بِرِفعَةٍ

    ولَكمْ عَلا نسرَ السّماءِ وفَرْقَدا

    And soared in eminence above the crowns of al-Simak,

    And how often he rose above heaven's Eagle (Nasr) and Farqad!

  33. وأتى ورُكنُ العزِّ صار مُهدَّماً

    فأقامَهُ عالي البِناءِ وشيّدا

    And he came when the pillar of glory lay demolished,

    So he raised it, lofty in structure, and built it firm.

  34. ولقَدْ كَسا جيدَ الزّمانِ وجودهُ

    عقْدَ المَفاخرِ والجَمالِ مُنضَّدا

    And his presence clothed the neck of time

    With a necklace of glories and beauty, strung in order.

  35. وَبِهِ صَفا كَدرُ الزّمانِ مِنَ الوَرى

    وغَدا بهِ عَيشُ المَعالي أرْغَدا

    And through him time's murk cleared away from mankind,

    And through him the life of high honors grew more prosperous.

  36. وَتَكحّلَتْ بِظُهورِهِ وتنوّرَتْ

    عَيْنُ الزمانِ وكان ينظرُ أرْمَدا

    And at his appearance was kohled and brightened

    The eye of time, which had been gazing sore-eyed.

  37. فَإِذا أَتى العافي وأَمَّ مَحلَّهُ

    أعطاهُ ما يَكفي إِلى أقصى المَدى

    Whenever a seeker of bounty comes and makes for his abode,

    He gives him enough to last to the very end.

  38. وحَباهُ بالأفراحِ بعدَ بَشاشةٍ

    وَكَساهُ مِنْ حُلَلِ العَطايا عَسْجَدا

    And bestows joys upon him after a cheerful welcome,

    And clothes him in gold from the robes of his gifts.

  39. فَهوَ الَّذي أَنْسى تذكُّرَ حاتمٍ

    في جُودِ طَبعٍ لِلسّخاءِ تَعَوَّدا

    For he is the one who made us forget Hatim,

    Through the bounty of a nature accustomed to generosity.

  40. فَاِرْدَعْ لِمَنْ ضاهاهُ في نَيْلِ العُلى

    بِغَلاظةٍ فَمِثالُهُ لَنْ يوجَدا

    So restrain anyone who rivals him in attaining high rank,

    With severity, for his equal will never be found.

  41. قَد جالَ مِضمارَ البَلاغَةِ وَحْدَهُ

    وَمَشى مَناهيج الفَصاحةِ مُفرَدا

    He alone has traversed the racecourse of eloquence,

    And walked the paths of eloquent diction alone.

  42. لو جاءَهُ سَحْبان يُظهرُ نَظمَهُ

    لرأيتَ سَهلَ النّظمِ منهُ معقَّدا

    If Sahban came to him displaying his verse,

    You would see his smooth verse tangled.

  43. لِلَّهِ دَرُّ جنابِهِ مِنْ سَيِّدٍ

    شادَ المَعالي بِالفَخارِ وَشَيّدا

    How splendid his noble presence—what a master!

    Who raised lofty honors with glory and built them firm.

  44. فَاِفْخَرْ بِرَبِّكَ يا إِمامُ عَلى الوَرى

    فَخْراً وَعِزّاً لا يُرامُ وسُؤدَدا

    So take pride in your Lord, O imam, above mankind,

    With pride, unattainable glory, and lordship.

  45. وَاُنظُر لآسيةِ القَريضِ فَقَد أَتَتْ

    لِتُقَبِّلَ الكفَّ الشريفَةَ وَاليَدا

    And look upon the Asiya of verse, for she has come

    To kiss the noble palm and the hand.

  46. وَاِبْسِمْ لَها ثَغرَ السّرورِ تَفضُّلاً

    وَاِكْحَلْ لَها عَينَ القَبولِ بِأَغمَدا

    And graciously smile upon her with joyful lips,

    And line the eye of acceptance for her with kohl.

  47. وَاِكْففْ لِحاظَكَ عَن عُوَيْرَةِ نَظمِها

    وَاِجْبرْ لَها الكسرَ الشديدَ وسدِّدا

    And avert your glances from the small flaw in her verse,

    And mend her grievous fracture, setting it right.

  48. وَاِسْلَمْ وَدُمْ بِالعِزِّ ما سَرَتِ الصّبا

    أَوَ ما شَدا الطّيرُ الغُصونَ وَغَرَّدا

    And be safe, and abide in glory as long as the east wind blows,

    Or as long as birds sing and warble among the boughs,

  49. أَو ما اِبْنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ يَتلو مُنشِداً

    ضَحِكَت ثُغورُ الرّوضِ حينَ بَكى النّدا

    Or as long as Ibn Fath Allah recites, chanting:

    The garden's mouths laughed when the dew wept.