Sol 6.1

  1. بضَّةٌ كحلاء أزرَت بالغزال

    قدّها كالغصن ليناً واعتدال

    A soft-skinned, plump, dark-eyed maiden outshines the gazelle.

    Her figure is like a branch in suppleness and proportion.

  2. لا تضاهيها مهاةٌ بالفلا

    وكذا في الحَضر ربّاتُ الدلالُ

    No oryx in the wilderness rivals her,

    Nor, in towns, do the mistresses of coquettish grace.

  3. ولها وجهٌ كبدرٍ لائحِ

    ولها شَعرٌ كمسوَدِ الليال

    She has a face like a shining full moon,

    And hair like the blackness of nights.

  4. صال يحكي طوله عن جيدها

    وعن القرطين مصحوب النعال

    It swept boldly, its length telling of her neck,

    And of her two earrings, accompanied by sandals [wording unclear].

  5. ولها خدٌّ أسيلٌ ماؤه

    لو تخلّيه يد الوجنات سال

    She has a smooth cheek whose moisture,

    Were the cheekbones' hand to release it, would flow.

  6. ولها خالٌ على وجنتها

    من جميع النقص في الأوصاف خال

    She has a mole upon her cheek,

    Free of every flaw in its attributes.

  7. فهي كالمِجمَر والخال البخور

    أو كزنجيٍّ على النيران صال

    She is like an incense burner, and the mole its incense,

    Or like a black African charging upon the flames,

  8. أو كلصٍ فوق نطعاة الدماء

    والعيون الدعج ترميه النبال

    Or like a thief upon a bloodied execution mat,

    While the large, dark eyes shoot arrows at him.

  9. كاعبٌ هيفاء أما ردفها

    جلَّ عن دعصٍ عظيم في المثال

    Round-breasted and slender-waisted—as for her rump,

    It surpasses a mighty sand dune in comparison.

  10. أبصَرتني يوم عيدٍ عَصرَه

    وأنا إذ ذاك فيها في وبال

    She saw me on the afternoon of a feast day,

    While I was then in misery over her.

  11. فَرَنَت نحوي بطرف ساحرٍ

    جاوز الحدَّ بتعذيب الرجال

    So she gazed toward me with a bewitching eye,

    That exceeded all bounds in tormenting men.

  12. ثم قالت رُح سليماً لا تكن

    كالذي مات بحسرات الوصال

    Then she said, 'Go unharmed; do not be

    Like one who died in anguished longing for union.

  13. معشر الغيد غدت عادتنا

    كلّها هجرٌ وعنّا لا تسال

    For us graceful women, our custom has become

    Nothing but estrangement; do not ask about us.'

  14. ثم سارت كغزالٍ نافرٍ

    من يد الصيّاد مغلول الحبال

    Then she departed like a fleeing gazelle,

    From the hunter's hand, bound fast with ropes.

  15. فاقتفى قلب المعنّى إثرها

    وتسلّى الكفُّ في نَتفِ السِّبال

    So the tormented lover's heart followed her trail,

    And the hand found solace in plucking moustache hairs.

  16. وجَرَت من عَينيَ اليمنى عيون

    ومن اليسرى سحابٌ متوال

    Springs flowed from my right eye,

    And from the left, clouds in endless succession.

  17. وزمان فيه قد قلّ الظهير

    وأنا البائس معدوم النوال

    And in an age in which supporters had grown scarce,

    I, the wretched one, was deprived of bounty.

  18. لم يكن لي خِلٌّ صادق

    وصديق لودادٍ ما أقال

    I had no true friend,

    Nor a friend to offer relief out of affection [wording uncertain],

  19. وكريم ارتجي منه الغنى

    كي اروم الريمَ أخذاً بالحلال

    Nor a generous man from whom I might hope for wealth,

    So that I might seek the gazelle and take her lawfully,

  20. غير رب المجد معطاء النوال

    أحمد الأفعال محمود الخصال

    Except the lord of glory, lavish in gifts,

    Most praiseworthy in deeds, praised for his qualities.

  21. حاتمٌ في الجُود بحرٌ ف يالكرم

    ملجأ الوفد إذا ما الخَطب جال

    A Hatim in generosity, an ocean—what munificence!

    A refuge for delegations whenever calamity rages.

  22. كم فقير بات منه حامداً

    مطمئن القلب مسرور العيال

    How many a poor man has spent the night giving thanks because of him,

    At peace in heart, with his dependents happy.

  23. إن ئنّي بالوزير أبن الوزير

    خير ما ظُنَّ بأرباب الكمال

    Indeed, my opinion [uncertain reading] of the minister, son of the minister,

    Is the best opinion held of masters of perfection.

  24. كيف لا وهو الجود الذي حكى

    حاتمَ الطائيَّ في حسن الفعال

    How could it not, when he is generosity itself, who matched

    Hatim al-Ta'i in the excellence of his deeds,

  25. وحكى العيسيَّ واللائي غدوا

    مثلةً في كل ضربٍ من قتال

    And matched al-'Isi and those who became

    Exemplars in every kind of combat.

  26. فهو في الهيجاء مُسعر حربها

    كم إلى الرمضاء ألقى من جبال

    For in battle he is the kindler of its war;

    How many mountains he has cast onto the scorching earth!

  27. سَل عن الضرغام إبران فكم

    جرّعت من بأسه كأس الزوال

    Ask Ibran about the lion—how many

    Have been made by his might to drink the cup of destruction!

  28. يوم حرب الشاه تلقى ضَيغماً

    منه يسطو بسلاحٍ فوق رال

    On the day of war with the Shah, you meet a lion

    In him, attacking armed atop an ostrich-like mount [uncertain reading].

  29. شزرة الأذنين أما نَسرها

    فهو دامٍ من قتال للرعال

    With ears slanting; as for the frog of its hoof,

    It is bloodied from fighting the squadrons.

  30. قُبَّة الأيطل من خيل العِراب

    لا ترى الركل كورقاء الزجال

    Domed at the flank, of purebred Arabian stock,

    It knows no kicking, like a cooing grey dove [wording uncertain].

  31. في خميسٍ أرهبت راياته

    وجنودٍ عدُّها ريث الرمال

    Amid an army whose banners strike terror,

    And troops whose counting takes as long as counting the sands.

  32. دأبهم في الحرب كرٌّ دائماً

    لا مفرٌّ بل مَقَرٌّ لا محال

    Their way in war is always to charge;

    No flight, but standing firm, without fail.

  33. مرمغلّون إذا اشتدّ الوغى

    للأعادي في سيوفٍ ونبال

    Surging forward when battle grows fierce,

    Against enemies, amid swords and arrows.

  34. فهناك السُمر يوفي حقُّها

    منهم والبيض منهم في اشتغال

    There the brown lances receive their due

    From them, and the white swords are busy among them.

  35. يا لهم كم جندلوا من فارس

    كاشر عن نابِهِ مما ينال

    What men! How many a horseman they have felled,

    Baring his fang at what he suffers.

  36. شِلوُهُ فيما يُرى كالزندبيل

    أو كطودٍ من على الغبراء مال

    His carcass, as it appears, is like a basket,

    Or like a mountain toppled upon the dusty earth,

  37. في نجيع الحتف مطروحاً ودين

    هكذا دِينَ الذي عادى الرجال

    Thrown down in death's gore and requited.

    Thus was he requited who opposed the men.

  38. لا يَرَون الردع عن حرب العدى

    بل يرون الرَّصع بالسُّمر العوال

    They brook no restraint from war against their foes,

    But choose piercing with tall brown lances.

  39. مُشمَعِلّونَ إذا حلّ العدى

    شمعلٌ إمّا يلاقوا من نصال

    Swift and eager when the enemy arrives,

    Nimble whenever they encounter blades.

  40. كيف لا والسِّجلُ أضحى ربَّهم

    وهو في الهيجاء محمود

    How could they not, when 'the Register' has become their lord [unclear wording],

    And he is praised in battle.

  41. كاشف الصبل إن حلَّ الورى

    يوم فيه الرّوع في الرُّوعِ استحال

    Dispeller of [unclear word], should it befall mankind,

    On a day when terror is transformed within the heart.

  42. كعبةَ القصّاد أضحت داره

    منزل الوقد بها حَطُّ الرحال

    His house has become the Kaaba of those who seek him,

    A lodging for delegations [uncertain reading], where baggage is set down.

  43. يا أبا عدلٍ أبا عادلَ لا

    تردُدِ الكفَّ من الأصفر خال

    O Abu 'Adl, Abu 'Adil, do not

    Send the hand back empty of gold.

  44. واشبلن يا شبل إنّي مرملٌ

    وكن المِزوَعَ في بذل النوال

    And show compassion, O Shibl ('lion cub'), for I am penniless;

    And be nimble in bestowing bounty.

  45. دُمتَ في خيرٍ وعّزٍ وهَنا

    وسرورٍ وعلاءٍ واعتدال

    May you remain in goodness, honor, and ease,

    And joy, eminence, and balance.