Sol 6.1

  1. خَودٌ من العُرْبِ عافَتْ شيمةَ الكَرَمِ

    تَضَنُّ حتَّى بحرفِ النَّفْيِ في الكَلَمِ

    An Arab maiden has spurned the virtue of generosity;

    she grudges even a particle of negation in her speech.

  2. قد أتهَمَتْني بذَنْبٍ لَسْتُ أعرِفُهُ

    وأكثَرُ الظُّلمِ في الدُّنيا منَ التُّهَمِ

    She has accused me of a fault I know nothing of,

    and most injustice in this world arises from accusations.

  3. عاتَبتُها فأشاحَتْ غيرَ ناطقةٍ

    كأنَّها من بَناتِ الفُرْسِ والعَجَمِ

    I reproached her, so she turned away without a word,

    as though she were among the daughters of Persians and non-Arabs.

  4. وما عَجِبتُ فقد كان العَذُولُ بها

    يَقولُ سُبحانَ من أبلاكَ بالصَمَمِ

    And I was not surprised, for on her account the reproacher used to

    say, "Glory to Him who afflicted you with deafness!"

  5. وما لي وما لِكلامِ العاذلِينَ فكم

    من ناصحٍ يَتَلقَّى البُرْءَ بالسَقَمِ

    What have I to do with reproachers' words? For many an

    adviser greets healing with sickness.

  6. وأكثَرُ القَولِ ظنٌّ لا ثَباتَ لهُ

    وأكثرُ الظَنِّ وَهْمٌ زاهقُ القَدَمِ

    And most talk is conjecture with no firm foundation,

    and most conjecture is delusion, unsteady of foot.

  7. من يَصْحَبِ الدَّهر يعرِفْ حالتَيهِ ومن

    يعاجلِ الأمرَ لا يخلو منَ النَدَمِ

    Whoever keeps company with time knows its two states; and whoever

    rushes a matter is never free of regret.

  8. ومن يَسَلْ عن أخٍ يَرعَى الذِّمامَ فقُلْ

    جِبريلُ من صَدَقاتِ اللهِ ذي النِعَمِ

    And if anyone asks about a brother who keeps faith, say:

    "Jibril is one of the gifts of God, the Lord of blessings."

  9. ذاكَ الصدِيقُ السَّليمُ القلبِ من وَضَرٍ

    والصَّادِقُ البارعُ الآدابِ والشِيَمِ

    That is the friend whose heart is free of stain,

    truthful and outstanding in manners and character.

  10. لهُ على الدَّهرِ عهدٌ غيرُ مُنتقِضٍ

    قُرباً وبُعداً ووُدٌّ غيرُ مُنثَلِمِ

    His pledge endures through time, unbroken,

    near and far, and his affection is never diminished.

  11. مُهذَّبُ العقلِ لا يَحتاجُ مَعذِرةً

    ويَقبَلُ العُذرَ من لُطفٍ ومن كَرَمِ

    Refined in mind, he has no need of an excuse,

    yet accepts excuses out of kindness and generosity.

  12. ولا يَضيقُ لهُ صَدرٌ بنائبةٍ

    ولا يَميلُ لهُ عِطفٌ مَعَ النَّسَمِ

    Nor does his breast constrict at calamity,

    nor does his side bend with the breezes.

  13. هُوَ البديعُ الذي فاقَ البديعَ وقد

    أهدى البديعَ كُدرٍّ منهُ مُنتَظِمِ

    He is the wondrous one who surpassed al-Badiʿ, and has

    offered wondrous verse, like pearls he has strung together.

  14. قد حَمَّلَ القلبَ شُكراً ليسَ يحمِلُهُ

    فَهبَّ مُستنجداً باللَّوحِ والقَلَمِ

    He has burdened the heart with gratitude it cannot bear,

    so it sprang up, seeking aid from tablet and pen.

  15. أولَى الجميلِ بحَمْدٍ ما بَدَأتَ بهِ

    إذا أضَفْتَ إليهِ حُسنَ مُختَتَمِ

    The kindness most worthy of praise is that with which you began,

    if to it you add a beautiful conclusion.

  16. وأحسَنُ الأمرِ ما سَرَّتْ عواقِبُهُ

    كالصُّبحِ يُنِسي ضياهُ سالفَ الظُلَمِ

    And the best undertaking is one whose outcomes bring joy,

    like dawn, whose light makes one forget the darkness gone before.

  17. زِدْني مِنَ الشِّعرِ يا جِبريلُ فاكِهةً

    ودَعْ ثنَاكَ لِمَنْ لاقَ الثَّنا بهِمِ

    Give me more of poetry's fruit, O Jibril,

    and reserve your praise for those whom praise befits.

  18. مَنْ عُوِّدَتْ أُذنُهُ سَمْعَ المديحِ لهُ

    تَعوَّدَ النَّاسُ منهُ سَمْعَ مدْحِ فَمِ

    As for one whose ear is used to hearing himself praised,

    people grow used to hearing mere lip-praise from him.