Sol 6.1

  1. أقولُ لهُ ولم أَنفَسْ بنَفْسي

    عليهِ ولا التّليدِ ولا الطرّيفِ

    I say to him, not having begrudged my own life

    to him, nor inherited wealth, nor newly acquired wealth:

  2. فدىً لكَ ما تُزَرُّ عليهِ قًمْصي

    وقُمْصي لا تُزرُّ على سَخيفِ

    May what my shirts are buttoned over be a ransom for you;

    and my shirts are not buttoned over a worthless man.

  3. فإني منكَ في روضٍ أَريضٍ

    دُللتُ بهِ على خصبٍ وَريفِ

    For through you I dwell in a fertile, spacious garden,

    through which I was guided to luxuriant abundance.

  4. ومن زَهَراتِ حظِّكَ في ربيعٍ

    ومن ثَمَراتِ لفظكَ في خَريفِ

    And through the blossoms of your fortune, I am in spring,

    and through the fruits of your speech, in autumn.

  5. وكم عاشرتُ من عُصَبٍ ولكنْ

    تَخذْتُكَ من أُلوفهُمُ أَليفي

    And how many groups I have kept company with—but

    from their thousands I have chosen you as my close companion.

  6. وما أنا من رجالكَ في القوافي

    وأصلُ اللِّعْبِ عرفانُ الحَريفِ

    And I am no match for you in rhyme,

    and the basis of play is knowing one's opponent.

  7. وأنتَ إذا ركبتَ الصّعبَ منْها

    سَبقْتَ إلى مَداكَ بلاد رَدِيف

    And when you mount the unruly one among them,

    you race ahead to your goal, without a rider behind you.

  8. ولي حَشَفٌ وبي تَطْفيفُ كيلٍ

    وها حَشَفي مَعَ الكَيلِ الطّفيفِ

    And I have shriveled dates, and I give short measure;

    and here are my shriveled dates, with the scant measure.

  9. فإن تَرْدُدْ عليَّ فرَهْبتي منْ

    وإنْ تُحسنْ إليَّ فَرَغبتي في

    So if you send it back to me, then my fear is of...

    and if you are kind to me, then my longing is for...