Sol 6.1

  1. طالعاه نَقبَ الغُوَير وَرَيعَهُ

    وَدَعاهُ يُبدي هَواهُ مُذيعَه

    Take him up al-Ghuwayr's pass and its mountain path,

    and let him reveal his love, proclaiming it.

  2. خَلِّياهُ وَوَقفةٍ في طُلولٍ

    دارِساتٍ يَقضي بِهِنَّ وُلُوعَه

    Leave him to linger among ruins,

    effaced, where he satisfies his ardent longing:

  3. مَعهَدٍ مِن شَبابِهِ كانَ قِدماً

    مَعهَد الغانيات يَسلُكنَ رَيعَه

    a haunt of his youth, which long ago was

    the haunt of beauties who trod its mountain path.

  4. كلُّ خَمصانَةِ الوِشاح دَعاها

    لِلتَصابي هَوىً فَلَبّت مُطيعَه

    Each beauty, slender beneath her sash, was called

    by passion to youthful dalliance, and so answered obediently.

  5. صَبَّت في عِطفها الصِبا ماءَ حُسنٍ

    وَكَساها رَيطَ الجَمالِ بَديعَه

    Youth poured beauty's water into her form,

    and clothed her in beauty's wondrous robes.

  6. فَبَراها قَيد النَواظر تُزهى

    رَوضَةً غَضّةَ النَباتِ مُريعَه

    Thus it fashioned her, a fetter for eyes, resplendent

    as a fertile garden of tender growth.

  7. ذاتَ لُطفٍ كَأَنَّما أَلبَسَتها

    حليُ يَدِ أَبي الصَفاءِ وَشيعَه

    So delicate, as though she had been clothed

    in woven finery by the ornaments of Abu al-Safa's hand.

  8. مُحرِزُ السَبقِ يَومَ حُضرِ المَعالي

    بِبَيانٍ تَلا النِظامُ بَديعَه

    He takes first place on the day of the race for high honors,

    with eloquence whose wondrous artistry verse has recited.

  9. ماجِدٌ مُذ تَفوّق الفَضل طِفلاً

    قَد أَبى مَشرَعِ المِجَنّ شَريعَه

    A noble man who, since he sipped excellence as a child,

    has refused to make debauchery's watering-place his path.

  10. ذُو سَجايا تُرى كَزَهرِ رِياضٍ

    وَكَزُهرِ السَماء تُلفى مَنيعَه

    His qualities appear like the flowers of gardens,

    and, like heaven's stars, are found beyond reach.

  11. أَو كبَكرٍ أَبَت مَواقعة الشر

    ب فشُجَّت عَمداً بِماءِ وَقيعَه

    Or like a virgin who refused the drinkers' embrace,

    and so was deliberately wounded with water from a rock-pool.

  12. عَلّنيها بُعَيد هَدءٍ نَدِيمي

    وَالثُرَيّا لِلغَربِ تَهوى سَريعَه

    Serve her to me again, my boon companion, just after a quiet spell of night,

    while the Pleiades sink swiftly toward the west.

  13. إِيه فاِسمَع يا مَن لَهُ سَعدُ جَدٍّ

    سَعدُهُ نِيط بِالسعُودِ الرَفيعَه

    Come now, listen, you who enjoy good fortune,

    whose luck is bound to the lofty auspicious stars.

  14. قَد أَتَت يَمّك الفُراتَ قَوافٍ

    صَدَرت خِلّ عَن كِلالِ طَبيعَه

    Rhymes have come to your sea of sweet water,

    issuing, my friend, from a weary poetic gift.

  15. وَرَدتهُ ظَمأى لِتَصدُرَ عَنهُ

    بَعدَ برح رِوىً بِصَدرِ الشَريعَه

    They reached it thirsty, to depart from it

    after distress, with thirst quenched at the head of the watering-place.

  16. وَاِبقِ لا يُغبَب السَحابُ هَزيماً

    لَكَ رَبعاً يُوَلّي عَلَيهِ رَبيعَه

    Live on; may the thunderous cloud never cease visiting

    your dwelling, showering its spring rains upon it.

  17. وَكَساهُ الرَبيعُ وَشياً يُحاكِي

    وَشيَ صَنعاءَ بَل يَفوقُ صَنيعَه

    And may spring clothe it in brocade resembling

    Sanaa's brocade—indeed, surpassing its workmanship,

  18. ما تَغنّى قُمرِيّ مُقرى بِرَوضٍ

    رَقرَق الطَلّ في رُباهُ دُمُوعَه

    as long as a turtle-dove sings, welcomed in a garden

    where the dew ripples its tears over its knolls.