Sol 6.1

  1. لا عَبدَ يُغني عَنهُ وَلا وَلَدُ

    ما كُلُّ عَبدٍ عَلَيهِ يُعتَمَدُ

    No slave can replace him, nor any son.

    Not every slave can be relied upon.

  2. وَلا سَليلٌ يَسُرُّهُ تَلفي

    كَناضِحٍ في رِضايَ يَجتَهِدُ

    Nor is a son who rejoices at my death

    like Nāḍiḥ, who strives to please me.

  3. ذا يَتَمَنّى فَقدي لِكَي يَجدَ ال

    مالَ وَهَذا لِحُزنِهِ يَجِدُ

    The former longs for my death, that he may gain the

    wealth, while the latter grieves in his sorrow.

  4. رَبيبُ بَيتي بَل رَبُّ نِعمَتِهِ

    وَمَن بِهِ في الأُمورِ أَعتَضِدُ

    The ward of my house—rather, the lord of its bounty,

    and the one through whom I find support in affairs.

  5. يَسعى لِنَفعي بِالطَبعِ مِنهُ وَلا

    يَقصُرُ في فِعلِهِ وَيَضطَهِدُ

    He strives for my benefit by his own nature, and does not

    fall short in his work or act oppressively.

  6. قَد يَقطَعُ الصارِمُ المُهَنَّدُ بِال

    طَبعِ وَيَمضي بِرُغمِهِ الوَتَدُ

    The keen sword of Indian steel may cut by

    nature, while a stake goes in against its will.

  7. وَهوَ القَويُّ الأَمينُ إِن عَرَضَت

    لي أَزمَةٌ كانَ مِنهُ لي مَدَدُ

    And he is strong and trustworthy; should there arise

    a crisis for me, aid would come to me from him.

  8. مَنظَرُهُ صالِحٌ وَمَخبَرُهُ

    فَالبَدرُ في بُردَتَيهِ وَالأَسَدُ

    His outward form and inner nature are both good:

    for in his two cloaks dwell the full moon and the lion.

  9. كانَ لِساناً لي ناطِقاً وَيَداً

    طُولى وَظَهراً إِلَيهِ أَستَنِدُ

    He was a speaking tongue for me, and a hand

    far-reaching, and a back on which I leaned.

  10. لَم تَكُ لي دارُ مَيَّةٍ غَرَضاً

    إِذ لِيَ مِنهُ العَلياءُ وَالسَنَدُ

    Mayyah's dwelling was no object of my desire,

    since from him I had eminence and support.

  11. كَفَلتُهُ يافِعاً فَكُنتُ لَهُ

    كَالوالِدِ البِرِّ وَهوَ لي وَلَدُ

    I took him into my care as a youth, and was to him

    like a kindly father, while he was a son to me.

  12. مُعتَقِداً فيهِ ما تَحَقَّقَ لي

    مِن وُدِّهِ وَهوَ فِيَّ مُعتَقِدُ

    Believing of him what had proved true to me

    of his affection, while he placed his trust in me.

  13. فَقَدتُهُ فَاِرتَضَيتُ هِمَّتَهُ

    وَالناسُ مِثلُ النُضارِ تُنتَقَدُ

    I lost him, and approved his resolve;

    and people, like pure gold, are assayed.

  14. وَظَلتُ أَغذوهُ بِالعُلومِ وَما

    يَزينُهُ وَهوَ فيهِ مُجتَهِدُ

    And I kept nourishing him with learning and whatever

    would adorn him, while he worked diligently at it.

  15. فَجاءَ مُستَعذَبَ الخَلائِقِ وَال

    لَفظِ وَمِصباحُ فَهمِهِ يَقِدُ

    Thus he grew sweet in character and

    speech, and the lamp of his understanding burns.

  16. مُهَذَّبُ اللَفظِ ما بِمَنطِقِهِ

    زَيغٌ وَلا في خِلالِهِ أَوَدُ

    His diction is refined; his speech has no

    deviation, nor his character any crookedness.

  17. يُعرِبُ أَلفاظَهُ فَيَنفُثُ في

    سِحرِ المَعاني وَما بِها عُقدُ

    He inflects his words, then breathes into

    the magic of meanings, though they contain no knots.

  18. إِن خَطَّ طَرساً فَالدُرَّ مُنتَظِمٌ

    أَو قالَ لَفظاً فَجَوهَرٌ بَدَدُ

    If he writes upon a page, the pearls are strung;

    or utters a word, then jewels are scattered.

  19. لِلَّهِ قَلبٌ رَثَّت عَلائِقُهُ

    بِهِ وَأَثوابُ حُزنِهِ جُدَدُ

    God's is a heart with threadbare ties

    to him, while the garments of its grief are new.

  20. قَطَعتُ مِن غَيرِهِ الرَجاءَ فَما

    وَجَدتُ مِثلاً لَهُ وَلا أَجِدُ

    I cut off hope in anyone else; I have not

    found his equal, nor do I find one.