Sol 6.1

  1. أَلِفَجرِ لَيلِكَ بِالبُنَيَّةِ مَطلَعُ

    لَمّا اِنقَضى مِن عَهدِ رايَةَ مَرجِعُ

    Will dawn rise upon your night at al-Bunayyah?

    Can the bygone days of Rayah return?

  2. أَم أَنتَ بَعدَ البَينِ مُضمِرُ سُلوَةٍ

    فَتُفيقَ مِن سُكرِ الغَرامِ وَتُقلِعُ

    Or do you harbor consolation after separation,

    and so recover from love's drunkenness and desist?

  3. أَو ما تَزَلُ رَهينَ شَوقٍ كُلَّما

    ذُكِرَ التَفَرُّقُ ظَلَّ جَفنُكَ يَدمَعُ

    Or are you still captive to longing, whenever

    parting is mentioned, your eyelid continuing to weep?

  4. مُغرىً بِتَسآلِ الرُسومِ وَقَلَّما

    أَجدى عَليكَ سُؤالُ مَن لا يَسمَعُ

    Obsessed with questioning the traces, though seldom

    does asking one who cannot hear avail you.

  5. لَكَ كُلَّ يَومٍ مَنزِلٌ مُتَقادِمٌ

    يَعتادُكَ الأَسحارُ فيهِ وَمَربَعُ

    Each day you have an age-old dwelling,

    where predawn hours revisit you, and a spring abode.

  6. إِمّا حَبيبٌ ظاعِنٌ تَشتاقُهُ

    أَو هاجِرٌ تَعنو لَديهِ وَتَخضَعُ

    Either a departing beloved whom you long for,

    or one who shuns you, before whom you humble yourself and bow.

  7. يا مَوقِفاً جَدَّ الهَوى فيهِم وَقَد

    لَعِبَت بِهِم أَيدي النَوى فَتَصَدَّعوا

    O halting-place! Love grew earnest within them, while

    the hands of separation played with them, and they broke apart.

  8. بانوا فَلا العَينُ القَريحَةُ بَعدَهُم

    تَرقا وَلا الجَفنُ المُسَهَّدُ يَهجَعُ

    They departed; neither the sore eye after them

    stops weeping, nor does the sleepless eyelid slumber.

  9. وَبِأَيمَنِ الوادي الَّذي نَزَلوا بِهِ

    ظَبيٌ لَهُ في كُلِّ قَلبٍ مَربَعُ

    And on the right side of the valley where they camped

    is a gazelle with a spring abode in every heart.

  10. تَظما إِلَيهِ عُيونُنا وَبِوَجهِهِ

    وِردٌ يُذادُ الصَبُّ عَنهُ وَيُمنَعُ

    Our eyes thirst for him, and in his face

    lies a watering-place from which the love-stricken is driven and barred.

  11. فَدَنا إِلَيَّ وَرَحلُهُ مُتَباعِدٌ

    وَأَباحَ مِنهُ الوَصلَ وَهُوَ مُمَنَّعُ

    He drew near to me, though his camp was far away,

    and granted union with him, though he was inaccessible.

  12. وَعَلى فُروعِ البانِ كُلُّ خَلِيَّةٍ

    باتَت تُغَرِّدُ في الغُصونِ وَتَسجَعُ

    And on the ban-tree's branches, every carefree bird

    spent the night singing among the boughs and cooing.

  13. ما أَضمَرَت وَجداً وَلا اِشتَمَلَت لَها

    يَومَ الوَداعِ عَلى غَرامٍ أَضلُعُ

    She harbored no longing, nor did her

    ribs enclose love's torment on the day of farewell.

  14. لِلَّهِ قَلبٌ فيكُمُ أضلَلتُهُ

    سَفَهاً وَظَنّي أَنَّهُ مُستَودَعُ

    God, what a heart I lost among you,

    foolishly, believing it was entrusted to your care!

  15. لَم تَحفَظوهُ وَلا رَعَيتُم عَهدَهُ

    رَعيَ الصَديقِ فَراحَ وَهوَ مُضيَّعُ

    You neither guarded it nor honored its covenant

    with a friend's care; it departed neglected.

  16. يا نازِحاً لَم يُغنِني مِن بَعدِهِ

    جَزَعٌ وَلا أَجدى عَلَىَّ تَفَجُّعُ

    O distant one, after whose departure neither

    anguish has helped me nor lamentation availed me!

  17. إِن لَم يَكُن لي حَنَّةُ المُتَعَطِّفِ ال

    وافي يَكُن لَكَ رَحمَةٌ وَتَوَجُّعُ

    If I cannot have the tenderness of one compassionate and

    faithful, let there be mercy and sympathy in you.

  18. ما لِلقَضيبِ وَقَد نَأَيتَ نَضارَهٌ

    تُلهي وَلا لِلبَدرِ بَعدَكَ مَطلَعُ

    Since you have gone far away, the bough has no freshness

    to distract me, nor does the full moon rise after you.

  19. هَلّا رَثَيتَ لِساهِرٍ مُتَمَلمِلٍ

    قَلِقَت مَضاجِعُهُ وَأَنتَ مُوَدِّعُ

    Why did you not pity a sleepless, restless one,

    whose beds grew troubled as you took your leave?

  20. حَتّامَ يَحمِلُ فيكَ أَعباءَ الهَوى

    قَلبٌ قَريحٌ بِالصَبابَةِ موجَعُ

    How long must love's burdens for you be borne

    by a wounded heart, aching with longing?

  21. وَإِلامَ أَضرَعُ في هَواكَ وَلَم يَكُن

    لي شيمَةً أَنّي أَذِلُّ وَأَخضَعُ

    And how long must I supplicate in love of you, when

    it was never my nature to abase myself and submit?

  22. أَنا عَبدُ مَن لا جودُهُ بِمُقلَّصٍ

    عَن لا بِسيهِ وَلا حِماهُ مُرَوَّعُ

    I am the servant of one whose bounty is never drawn back

    from those clothed in it, nor is his sanctuary terrorized.

  23. مَن جارُهُ لا يُستَضامُ وَطودُهُ

    لا يُرتَقى وَصَفاتُهُ لا تُقرَعُ

    One whose protected neighbor is never wronged, whose mountain

    cannot be scaled, and whose hard rock cannot be struck.

  24. مَن يَأمَنُ الجاني لَدى أَبوابِهِ

    وَتَخافُ سَطوَتَهُ المُلوكُ وَتَخشَعُ

    One at whose doors the offender feels safe,

    while kings fear his might and submit.

  25. مَن يَجمَعُ العَلياءَ وَهِيَ بَدائِدٌ

    وَيُشِتُّ شَملَ المالِ وَهُوَ مُجَمَّعُ

    One who gathers lofty glory, though it lies dispersed,

    and scatters the mass of wealth when it is amassed.

  26. مَن كُلُّ صَعبٍ عِندَهُ مُتَمَرِّدٍ

    سَهلُ القِيادِ وَكُلُّ عاصٍ طَيِّعُ

    One before whom every headstrong rebel

    is easy to lead, and every disobedient one docile.

  27. هُوَ فارِسُ اليَومِ العَبوسِ وَواهِبُ الجُ

    ردِ السَوابِقِ وَالخَطيبُ المِصقَعُ

    He is the knight of the grim day, the giver of sleek-coated

    steeds that race ahead, and the eloquent orator.

  28. بَطَلٌ إِذا حَسَرَ اللِثامَ لِغارَةٍ

    طَحَنَ الفَوارِسَ وَالجَنانُ يُجَعجِعُ

    A champion who, when he throws back his face-veil for a raid,

    grinds the horsemen down while hearts rattle.

  29. ثَبتٌ إِذا غَشيَ الوَغى مُتَأَيَّدٌ

    عَجِلٌ إِذا سُئِلَ النَدى مُتَسَرِّعُ

    Steadfast and mighty when he enters battle,

    hasty and swift when asked for bounty.

  30. جُمِعَت لَديهِ المَكرُماتِ وَمالُهُ

    نَهبٌ بِأَيدي الطالِبينَ مُوَزَّعُ

    Noble qualities are gathered in him, and his wealth

    is plunder shared out in the hands of those who seek it.

  31. أَفنى أَمانِيَّ النُفوسِ فَلَم يَدَع

    في الناسِ مَن يَرجو وَلا يَتَوَقَّعُ

    He has fulfilled every wish of the soul, leaving

    none among people still hoping or expecting.

  32. لِلَّهِ مِنهُ إِذا تَصَدَّرَ مَجلِسٌ

    هُوَ لِلسِيادَةِ وَالسِياسَةِ مَجمَعُ

    How splendid the gathering when he presides,

    a meeting-place of lordship and statecraft!

  33. هُوَ مَطلَعُ القَمَرِ المُنيرِ إِذا بَدا

    في صَدرِهِ وَهُوَ العَرينُ المُسبِعُ

    It is the rising-place of the radiant moon when he appears

    at its head, and it is a lion-haunted lair.

  34. يَفدي أَبا الفَرَجِ الجَوادَ مُبَخَّلٌ

    ثَوبُ العُلى خَلَقٌ عَليهِ مُرَقَّعُ

    Let one branded miserly be a ransom for generous Abu al-Faraj,

    whose robe of glory is threadbare and patched.

  35. أَلِفَ الوِسادَةَ مَضجَعا وَسَهِرتَ في

    طَلَبِ المَعالي ما لِجَنبِكَ مَضجَعُ

    He grew used to the pillow as his bed, while you stayed awake in

    pursuit of high honors, with no resting-place for your side.

  36. لِلجودِ مِنهُ راحَةٌ شَلّا وَمُق

    لَةُ ناظِرٍ أَعمى وَأَنفٌ أَجدَعُ

    In generosity, his is a palsied palm, and the pupil

    of a blind eye, and a mutilated nose.

  37. مِن مَعشَرٍ سَفَروا لِطالِبِ رِفدِهُم

    وَجهاً عَليهِ مِنَ الكَآبَةِ يُرقُعُ

    He comes of a people who unveil to seekers of their aid

    a face patched over with gloom.

  38. وَجهاً أُريقَ حَياؤُهُ فَكَأَنَّهُ

    شِنٌّ إِذا اِستَخدَمتَهُ يَتَقَعقَعُ

    A face whose modesty has been spilled away, as though it were

    a worn-out waterskin that rattles when you use it.

  39. مَرَنوا عَلى حُبِّ النِفاقِ فَكُلُّهُم

    عَذبُ المُجاجَةِ وَهُوَ سُمٌّ مِنقِعُ

    They have grown practiced in loving hypocrisy, so each of them

    is sweet of spittle, yet a deadly poison.

  40. كَثَروا وَقَلَّ حِباؤُهُم فَدِيارُهُم

    مِنهُم وَإِن أَهِلَت خَلاءٌ بَلقَعُ

    They are many and their gifts few; their dwellings

    are empty of them, though inhabited—a barren waste.

  41. أَمسَت عَلى وَجهِ اللَيالي مِنهُم

    سِمَةٌ يُعابُ بُها الزَمانُ وَيُشنَعُ

    The face of the nights now bears, because of them,

    a mark for which time is blamed and vilified.

  42. يا مَن إِذا طُرُقُ العَلاءِ تَوَعَّرَت

    فَطَريقُهُ مِنها الطَريقُ الهِيَّعُ

    O you, when the paths of glory grow rugged,

    your path among them is the broad highway.

  43. وَإِذا المُلوكُ تَنازَعوا في مَفخَرٍ

    فَإِلَيهِ يَنتَسِبُ الفِخارُ وَيَنزَعُ

    And when kings vie over a proud distinction,

    it is to you that glory traces its lineage and inclines.

  44. حَسَدَت مَواهِبَكَ الغُيومُ لِأَنَّها

    مِنها أَعَمُّ عَلى البِلادِ وَأَنفَعُ

    The clouds envy your gifts, for they

    spread more widely over the lands than clouds, and bring greater benefit.

  45. هِيَ تارَةً تَهمي وَتُقلِعُ تارَةً

    وَأَرى عَطاءَكَ دائِماً لا يُقلِعُ

    They pour down sometimes, and sometimes cease,

    while I see your giving constant, never ceasing.

  46. خُلِقَت يَداكَ عَلى النَدى مَطبوعَةً

    كَرَماً وَغَيرُكَ بِالنَدى يَتَطَبَّعُ

    Your hands were created naturally disposed to giving,

    out of nobility, while others must cultivate generosity.

  47. لَكَ ذُروَةُ البَيتِ الَّذي لا يُرتَقى

    هَضَباتُهُ وَلَكَ المَحَلُّ الأَرفَعُ

    Yours is the summit of the house where none can scale

    its heights, and yours is the loftiest station.

  48. وَمُصَرِّدينَ عَنِ المَآثِرِ ما سَعوا

    لِفَضيلَةٍ صُمِّ المَسامِعِ ما دُعوا

    And those holding back from noble exploits have never striven

    for excellence, deaf of hearing whenever called.

  49. يُعطي الكَثيرَ وَيَمنَعونَ وَيَست

    َقيمُ وَيَعدِلونَ وَيَجبُنونَ فَيَشجُعُ

    He gives abundantly while they withhold; he stands

    upright while they turn aside; they cower while he is brave.

  50. راموا النِضالَ وَما لَهُم بِكِنانَةٍ

    سَهمٌ وَلا فيهِم لِقَوسٍ مِنزَعُ

    They sought an archery contest, though in their quiver

    there is no arrow, nor among them anyone who draws a bow.

  51. فَسَلَلتَ عَضباً مِن لِسانِكَ مُرهَفاً

    يُفرى بِهِ يَومَ الخِصامِ وَيَقطَعُ

    You drew from your tongue a keen-edged sword,

    with which one rends and cuts on the day of dispute.

  52. وَوَقَفتَ مَرهوباً وَبَحرُكَ زاخِرٌ

    طامٍ وَريحُكَ زَعزَعُ

    You stood feared, your sea surging,

    overflowing, and your wind a violent gale,

  53. في مَوقِفٍ لَو شاهَدَتهُ جَلالَةً

    شُمُّ الجِبالِ لَأَوشَكَت تَتَصَدَّعُ

    in a stance of such majesty that, had they seen it,

    the lofty mountains would nearly have split apart.

  54. حاروا وَقَد حارَت لَديكَ قُلوبُهُم

    مِمّا رَأَوا فِرَقاً وَقَلبُكَ أَصَمَعُ

    They were bewildered, their hearts bewildered before you,

    by what they saw, in terror, while your heart was resolute.

  55. فَتَطَأطَأوا حَتّى حَسِبتُكَ بَينَهُم

    ثَهلانَ أَو ذا الهَضبِ لا يَتَضَعضَعُ

    They bowed low, until I thought you, amid them,

    were Thahlan, or Dhu al-Hadb, immovable.

  56. ظَهَرَت عُيوبُهُم لَدَيكَ وَلَيسَتِ ال

    حَسناءُ طَبعاً كَالَّتي تَتَصَنَّعُ

    Their flaws were exposed before you; no

    natural beauty is like one who contrives her beauty.

  57. طَلَبوا مَداكَ عَلى تَقاصُرِ خَطوهِم

    لَو أَدرَكَت شَأوَ الضَليعِ الضُلَّعُ

    They sought your reach despite their shortened stride,

    as though the lame could attain the strong runner's course.

  58. أَيَنالُ غاياتِ الجِيادِ وَقَد شَأَت

    دامي المَناسِم وَالأَظَلِّ مَوقَّعُ

    Can it reach the goals of the steeds that have raced ahead—

    one with bleeding footpads and a bruised sole?

  59. آلَ المُظَفَّرِ أَنتُمُ الأَصلُ الَّذي

    مِنهُ المَكارِمُ وَالعُلى تَتَفَرَّعُ

    House of al-Muzaffar, you are the root

    from which noble virtues and glory branch out.

  60. قَومٌ إِذا دَجَتِ الخُطوبُ رَأَيتَهُم

    وَوُجوهُهُم وَضّاحَةٌ تَتَشَعشَعُ

    A people whom, when calamities grow dark, you see

    with radiant faces shining brightly.

  61. وَإِذا سِنو الأَزَماتِ صَوَّحَ نَبتُها

    فَلَديهِمُ يُلغى الخَصيبُ المُمِرِعُ

    And when the growth of years of hardship withers,

    among them fertile, luxuriant pasture is found.

  62. نيرانُهُم مَشبوبَةٌ وَشِفارُهُم

    مَشحوذَةٌ وَجِفانُهُم تَتَدَعدَعُ

    Their fires are kindled, and their blades

    sharpened, while their great bowls sway to and fro.

  63. تَشكو السُيوفُ إِلَيهِم يَومَ الوَغى

    قِصراً فَيَشكيها الخُطا وَالأَذرُعُ

    On the day of battle, swords complain to them

    of shortness; their strides and arms redress the complaint.

  64. راضوا الأُمورَ فَأَصبَحَت مُنقادَةً

    لَهُمُ وَكانَت شُمَّساً لا تَبتَعُ

    They tamed affairs until these became obedient

    to them, though once restive and unwilling to follow.

  65. سَبَقوا الزَمانَ بِمُلكِهِم فَاِستَأثَروا

    بِفَضيلَةِ السَبقِ الَّتي لا تُدفَعُ

    They preceded time with their kingship, securing for themselves

    the virtue of precedence that cannot be denied.

  66. وَاِستَخدَموا الأَيّامَ وَاِقتَعَدوا عَلى

    صَهَواتِها وَالدَهرُ طِفلٌ يَرضَعُ

    They pressed the days into service and mounted

    their saddle-backs, while time was a suckling infant.

  67. قَدُمَت مَآثِرُهُم فَذو وَزَنٍ يُنا

    فِسُهُم عَلى الشَرَفِ القَديمِ وَتُبَّعُ

    Their exploits are ancient; Dhu Wazan vies

    with them in age-old nobility, as does Tubba'.

  68. إِن لَم أَرُدَّ بِكَ الخُطوبَ وَلَم أُدا

    فِعها بِكُم فَبِمَن أَرُدُّ وَأَدفَعُ

    If I cannot repel calamities through you, nor ward

    them off through you all, through whom shall I repel and ward them off?

  69. إِن المَعالي هَضبَةٌ بِسِواهُمُ

    لا تُرتَقى وَبِغَيرِهِم لا تُفرَعُ

    Indeed, high honors are a mountain that through any but them

    cannot be scaled, and without them its summit cannot be reached.

  70. جُلِيَت بِمَجدِ الدينِ حالي بَعدَ ما

    كادَت لِغَمرِ الحادِثاتِ تَضَعضَعُ

    My condition was brightened by Majd al-Din after it

    had nearly collapsed beneath the flood of calamities.

  71. حاشا لِمَجدِكَ أَن أُضامَ وَأَنتَ لي

    جارٌ وَأَن أَظما وَبَحرُكَ مَشرَعُ

    Your glory forbids that I be wronged while you are my

    protector, or that I thirst while your sea is open for drinking.

  72. آلَيتُ لا أَمدُد إِلى أَمدٍ يَدي

    إِلّا إِلَيكَ وَلا لَواها مَطمَعُ

    I swore never to stretch out my hand, at any time,

    except toward you; no hope of gain has turned it aside.

  73. أَوسَعتَها نِعماً أَضيقُ بِحَملِحا

    ذَرَعاً عَلى أَنّي أَقولُ فَأوسِعُ

    You lavished blessings on it, whose burden exceeds

    my strength, though my words range far and wide.

  74. ذُدتُّ القَوافي أَن تُذالَ لِباخِلٍ

    وَلَها مَرادٌ مِن نَداكَ وَمَنجَعُ

    I kept my rhymes from being debased for a miser,

    for they have a grazing-ground and fruitful pasture in your bounty,

  75. مِن كُلِّ مَرعىً لا يُساغُ هَضيمُهُ

    وَخمٍ وَوِردٍ ماؤُهُ لا يَنقَعُ

    away from every pasture whose tender fodder cannot be swallowed,

    unwholesome, and every watering-place whose water does not quench.

  76. غَنَيت بِطولِكَ أَن تُرى مَمطولَةً

    تُلوى عَلى أَبياتِهِم أَو تُدفَعُ

    Your bounty has spared me seeing them kept waiting,

    held back at their houses or rebuffed.

  77. قَيَّدتَّها بِالجودِ إِلّا إِنَّها

    شَرَدٌ تَخُبُّ لَها الرُواةُ وَتوضِعُ

    You bound them with generosity, yet they

    are strays for which the reciters trot and gallop.

  78. لَم يَخلُ مِنها مَن يُحَصِّنُها كَما

    لَم يَخلُ مِن أَلطافِ بِرِّكَ مَوضِعُ

    None who safeguards them is without them, just as

    no place is without the gentle kindnesses of your beneficence.

  79. فَلَأُلبِسَنَّ الدَهرَ فيكَ مَدائِحاً

    تَحلى الشُهورُ بِمِثلِها وَتُرَصَّعُ

    So I shall surely clothe time in praises of you,

    with whose like the months are adorned and set with jewels.

  80. تَضفو عَلى الأَعيادِ مِنها حُلَّةٌ

    لا تُستَعارُ وَلِبسَةٌ لا تُنزَعُ

    A robe of them drapes the festivals,

    never borrowed, a garment never taken off.

  81. مِدَحٌ يَفوحُ لَها إِذا ما أُنشِرَت

    أَرَجٌ بِنَشرِ صِفاتِكُم يَتَضَوَّعُ

    Praises that, when spread abroad, give off

    a fragrance wafting with the proclamation of your qualities.

  82. لا زِلتَ تُبلي ما يُجَدُّ وَتَلبَسُ الأَ

    َيّامُ مُمتَدَّ البَقاءِ وَتَخلَعُ

    May you ever wear out what is renewed, putting on

    the days and casting them off, enduring long.