Sol 6.1

  1. لأَهلِ الدهرِ آمالٌ طِوالُ

    وأطماعٌ ولو طالَ المِطالُ

    People of the age have far-reaching hopes,

    And greedy desires, even if delay drags on.

  2. وأهلُ الدهرِ عُمَّالٌ أطاعُوا

    هَواهُ كما أوهُ مالَ مالوا

    The people of the age are servants who obeyed

    Its whim; as—alas!—it leaned, they leaned.

  3. كُرورُ الدهرِ حَوَّلَ كلَّ حالٍ

    هُوَ الدهرُ الدوامُ لهُ مُحالُ

    Time's recurrent turns have changed every condition.

    Such is time: permanence is impossible for it.

  4. لَعَلَّ الصَدَّ معْهُ لهُ حُؤُولٌ

    أُؤَمِّلُهُ كما حالَ الوِصالُ

    Perhaps estrangement, too, may change with time;

    I hope for this, just as union has changed.

  5. صلاحُ الحالِ والأعمال مالٌ

    ومهما ساءَ مالٌ ساءَ حالُ

    Wealth is what sets one's condition and deeds right;

    And whenever wealth declines, one's condition declines.

  6. دَعِ العُلَماءَ والحُكَماءَ طُرّاً

    وسَلْ مالاً ألا ساءَ المآلُ

    Leave aside the scholars and sages, all together,

    And ask for money—behold, how wretched the outcome!

  7. لأهلِ العِلمِ عَصْرٌ مرَّ مَعْهم

    ومرَّ الحِلمُ معْهُ والكَمالُ

    The learned had an age that passed away with them,

    And with it passed forbearance and perfection.

  8. مَدَارِسُهُ كأطلالٍ أراها

    دَوارِسَ لا سَلامَ ولا سؤَالُ

    I see its schools like ruins,

    Effaced, with neither greeting nor inquiry.

  9. علا أهلَ المكارِمِ أهلُ لؤْمٍ

    أداروا كأْسهم وسَطَوْا وصالوا

    The base have risen above the people of noble virtues;

    They passed their cup around, assaulted, and charged.

  10. مَعاهِدُ كُلِّ هِرٍّ كلُّ صَرْحٍ

    وأكرَمُ مَعْهَدِ الأُسدِ الدِحالُ

    Every lofty edifice is a haunt for every cat,

    And caverns are the noblest abode of lions.

  11. وكم مَلِكٍ لعاملِهِ ملالٌ

    ومملوكٍ لمالِكِه دَلالُ

    And many a king is wearisome to his servant,

    And many a slave takes liberties with his master.

  12. وما كلُّ امرءٍ دَمُهُ حَرامٌ

    ولا كلُّ امرءٍ دمُهُ حَلالُ

    Not every man's blood is forbidden to shed,

    Nor is every man's blood lawful to shed.

  13. عَداكَ اللَومُ ما للعارِ ماءٌ

    لوِردِكَ لا ولا للوَهمِ آلُ

    Blame has passed you by; disgrace has no water

    For you to drink—no, nor does illusion have a mirage.

  14. اصحَّ الحلمُ عهدَكَ لا حؤُولٌ

    لهُ واصحَّ وعدَكَ لا مِطالُ

    Forbearance made your pledge sound—no change

    Comes to it—and made your promise sound, without delay.

  15. لكَ الوُدُّ المؤَكَّدُ لا مِراءٌ

    عَراهُ ولا مَلامَ ولا مَلالُ

    Yours is steadfast affection: no dispute

    Has touched it, nor blame nor weariness.

  16. أمامَكَ والوراءَ صِراطُ عدلٍ

    سواءٌ حولَهُ حُطَّ الرِحالُ

    Before you and behind lies a path of justice,

    Level; around it the traveling packs are laid down.

  17. صُدُورُ مكارِمٍ وأُصولُ عِلمٍ

    أُعدِّدُها كما عُدَّ الرِمالُ

    The foremost virtues and the foundations of learning—

    I count them as grains of sand are counted.

  18. وآراءٌ لمادِحها كَلامٌ

    وآلاءٌ لحامِدِها كَلالُ

    And opinions whose praiser has words to speak,

    And favors that weary the one who thanks for them.

  19. لَكُمْ حَملَ الرسولُ سطور طِرْسٍ

    مَطالِعُها كما طَلَعَ الهِلالُ

    To you the messenger carried lines on a parchment,

    Their openings like the crescent's rising.

  20. سُطورٌ كالعَرُوسِ لها حِلاها

    ولو أهداكَها كِلمٌ عِطال

    Lines like a bride, with her ornaments,

    Even though unadorned words have offered them to you.