Sol 6.1

  1. إِذا كانَ الَّذي يَعرُو مُهِمّاً

    فَأَيسَرُ ما تَضيقُ بِهِ الصُدورُ

    If what befalls is troubling,

    then even the slightest constricts the breasts.

  2. فَيا لَكِ صِحَّةً جَلَبَت حَياةً

    تَعيشُ بِها المَنابِرُ وَالثُغورُ

    Ah, what health, bringing life

    by which the pulpits and frontier strongholds live!

  3. وَيا لَكِ نِعمَةً رُمنا مَداها

    فَما وَصَلَ اللِسانُ وَلا الضَميرُ

    And oh, what a blessing, whose extent we sought,

    yet neither tongue nor inner thought could reach it.

  4. عَجَزنا أَن نَقومَ لَها بِشُكرٍ

    عَلى أَنَّ الشَكُورَ لَها كَثيرُ

    We could not render it due thanks,

    although many are grateful for it.

  5. وَكَيفَ بِهِ وَباعُ القَولِ فيها

    وَإِن طالَت مَسافَتُهُ قَصيرُ

    And how could we, when the reach of speech concerning it,

    however long its course, remains short?

  6. تَخَلَّصنا بِها مِن كُلِّ هَمٍّ

    كَأًنَّ اللَيلَ في يَدِهِ أَسيرُ

    Through it we escaped every care

    that seemed to hold night captive in its hand.

  7. وَبِتنا في ذَراها كَيفَ شِئنا

    فَجَفنٌ نائِمٌ وَحَشاً قَريرُ

    And we spent the night in its shelter as we pleased:

    an eyelid asleep and a heart at peace.

  8. رَفَعنا نَحوَ مَرآكُم عُيوناً

    لَهُنَّ دُوَينَكُم نَظَرٌ كَسيرُ

    We raised our eyes to behold you,

    their gaze downcast just short of you.

  9. فَكادَ يَصُدُّنا عَن مُجتَلاهُ

    رَقِيبٌ مِن مَهابَتِكُم غَيورُ

    So we were almost barred from beholding him

    by a jealous sentinel born of awe of you.

  10. فَيا صَفَحاتِهِ زيدي اِنبِلاجاً

    كَما يَعلو الصَباحُ المُستَنيرُ

    So, O cheeks of his, grow more radiant,

    as the luminous morning rises.

  11. وَيا قَسَماتِهِ زيدي اِبتِهاجاً

    كَما يَتَضاحَكُ الرَوضُ المَطيرُ

    And O features of his, grow more joyful,

    as the rain-watered garden laughs.

  12. وَجِذمٌ في الخِلافَةِ مُستَقِرٌّ

    تَمُرُّ عَلى أَصالَتِهِ الدُهورُ

    And a lineage firmly rooted in the caliphate,

    over whose noble origins the ages pass.

  13. وَحُكمٌ تَحتَهُ أَمرٌ مُطاعٌ

    يُحَطُّ بِهِ عَنِ الجَيشِ الأَميرُ

    And rule, under which a command is obeyed,

    by which the commander is removed from the army.

  14. وَتَدبيرٌ يَبيتُ عَلى التَمادي

    مِنَ الرَأيِ المُصيبِ لَهُ سَميرُ

    And planning that, night after night,

    has sound judgment as its companion.

  15. وَهَيجاءٌ تَخَطَّفتُم ذَوِيها

    كَما تَتَخَطَّفُ الحَجَلَ الصُقورُ

    And a battle whose fighters you snatched away,

    as falcons snatch partridges,

  16. بِخيلٍ مُدرِكاتٍ ما أَرادَت

    إِذا اِشتَدَّت فَلَيسَ لَها فُتورُ

    with horses that attain whatever they seek;

    when they gallop hard, they never flag.

  17. مُصَرَّفَةٌ بِحُكمِكُمُ فَطَوراً

    تَخُبُّ بِكُم وَآوِنَةً تَطيرُ

    Directed by your command, at times

    they trot carrying you, and at other times they fly.

  18. وَكَم بَيداءَ قَد جاوَزتُموها

    فَلاذَ بِظِلِّكُم فيها الهَجيرُ

    And how many a desert you have crossed,

    where the midday heat sought refuge in your shade!

  19. فَجِئتُم وَالغَديرُ بِها سَرابٌ

    وَزُلتُم وَالسَرابُ بِها غَديرُ

    So you arrived while its pool was a mirage,

    and departed while its mirage was a pool.

  20. رَسَمنا الحَمدَ بِاِسمِكَ وَاِقتَصَرنا

    فَلَم يَطُلِ النَظيمُ وَلا النَثيرُ

    We inscribed praise in your name and kept it brief,

    so neither verse nor prose grew long.

  21. إِذا لَم ينقصِ المَعنى بَيانٌ

    فَسِيّان البَلاغَةُ وَالقُصورُ

    If expression leaves the meaning undiminished,

    then eloquence and inadequacy are alike.

  22. فَتىً مِن قَيسِ عيلانٍ تَلاقى

    عَلى سِيمائِهِ كَرَمٌ وَنورُ

    A youth of Qays Aylan; together meet

    upon his countenance nobility and light.

  23. تُضيءُ بِهِ البِلادُ إِذا تَجَلّى

    وَتَغرَقُ في مَكارِمِهِ البُحورُ

    The lands shine through him when he appears,

    and the seas drown in his generosity.

  24. وَتُعرَفُ مِن مَنازِلِهِ المَعالي

    كَما عُرِفَت مِنَ القَمَرِ الشُهورُ

    And lofty honors are known from his stations,

    as the months are known from the moon.

  25. تَشَبَّهَتِ المُلوكُ بِهِ وَحاشا

    وَذلِكَ مِنهُمُ غَيٌّ وَزُورُ

    Kings have sought to resemble him—but far be it!

    And that, on their part, is delusion and falsehood.

  26. وَقَد يَقَعُ التَفاضُلُ في السَجايا

    وَيُهجى الشَوكُ إِن لُمِسَ الحَريرُ

    And character traits may differ in excellence,

    and thorns are reviled when silk is touched.

  27. فِدىً لَكَ مِنهُمُ أَعلاقُ صِدقٍ

    فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ واحِدُها الخَطيرُ

    May the treasures of true worth among them be your ransom,

    for you are their peerless one of great worth.

  28. إِلى الجَوزاءِ فَاِرقَ وَدَع أُناساً

    مَراقِيهِم عَريشٌ أَو سَريرُ

    Rise, then, to al-Jawza, and leave men

    whose ascents end at a bower or a throne.

  29. وَبَعدُ فَزار حَضرَتَكُم سَلامٌ

    وَلكِن مِثلُ ما نَفَحَ العَبيرُ

    And now, a greeting has visited your presence,

    but like the fragrance that perfume wafts.

  30. سَلامٌ تَحتَهُ شَوقٌ وَحُبٌّ

    يَخُصُّكُمُ بِهِ عَبدٌ شَكورُ

    A greeting beneath which lie longing and love,

    which a grateful servant offers to you alone.

  31. مُمَلَّكُ طاعَةٍ لَكُمُ وَنُعمى

    هَما في الجيدِ طَوقٌ أَو جَريرُ

    Bound by obedience to you and by favor,

    the two are a collar or a tether around his neck.