Sol 6.1

  1. عوجا خَليلَيَّ لَقينا حَسبا

    مِن زَمَنٍ أَلقى عَلَينا شَغبا

    Turn aside, my two friends: we have had enough

    of an age that has cast turmoil upon us.

  2. ما إِن يَرى الناسُ لِقَلبي قَلبا

    كَلَّفَني سَلمى غَداةَ أنبا

    People see no change of heart in me;

    it bound me to Salma the morning it brought tidings,

  3. وَقَد أَجازَت عيرُها الأَجَبّا

    أَصبَحتُ بَصريّاً وَحَلَّت غَرباً

    when her caravan had already crossed al-Ajabb.

    I found myself in Basra, while she settled in the west.

  4. فَالعَينُ لا تُغفي وَفاضَت سَكبا

    أَمَّلتُ ما مَنَّيتُماني عُجبا

    My eye does not sleep, and has overflowed in torrents.

    I hoped for the marvels you two promised me:

  5. بِالخِصبِ لَو وافَقتُ مِنهُ خِصبا

    فَلا تَغُرّاني وَغُرّا الوَطبا

    abundance—if only I could find abundance in it!

    Do not deceive me, you two; deceive the milk-skin instead.

  6. إِنّي وَحَملي حُبَّ سَلمى تَبّا

    كَحامِلِ العِبءِ يُرَجّي كَسبا

    I, bearing love for Salma—what ruin!—

    am like a burden-bearer hoping for gain,

  7. فَخابَ مِن ذاكَ وَلاقى تَعبا

    وَقَد أَراني أَريَحِيّاً نَدبا

    only to find disappointment and encounter toil.

    I remember myself generous and quick to answer,

  8. أَروي النَدامى وَأَجُرُّ العَصبا

    أَزمانَ أَغدو غَزِلاً أَقَبّا

    giving my drinking-companions their fill and trailing striped robes,

    in days when I went forth amorous and slender-waisted.

  9. لا أَتَّقي دونَ سُلَيمى خَطبا

    وَما أُبالي الدَهَيانَ الصَقبا

    I shunned no peril for Sulayma's sake,

    nor did I heed the formidable, towering one.

  10. يا سَلمَ يا سَلمَ دَعي لي لُبّا

    أَو ساعِفينا قَد لَقينا حَسبا

    Salma, Salma, leave me some wits,

    or grant us your favor: we have suffered enough.

  11. ما هَكَذا يَجزي المُحِبُّ الحِبّا

    وَصاحِبٍ أَغلَقَ دوني دَربا

    This is not how a lover repays the beloved.

    And a companion who barred a path against me—

  12. قُلتُ لَهُ وَلَم أُحَمحِم رُعبا

    إِنَّ لَنا عَنكِ مِساحاً رَحبا

    I told him, without a murmur of fear:

    “We have ample room away from you.

  13. فَأَحمِ جَنباً سَوفَ نَرعى جَنبا

    وَفِتيَةٍ مِثلِ السَعالي شُبّا

    Reserve one side; we shall graze another.”

    And youths, like she-ghouls in their prime,

  14. مِنَ الحُماةِ المانِعينَ السَربا

    تَلقى شَبا الكَأسِ بِهِم وَالحَربا

    among the defenders who protect the flock:

    with them you face the cup's sting and war.

  15. كَلَّفتُهُم ذا حاجَةٍ وَإِربا

    عِندِيَ يُسرٌ فَعَبَبنا عَبّا

    I made demands upon them, needy and eager;

    I had the means, so we drank in deep draughts

  16. مِن مَقَدِيٍّ يُرهِقُ الأَطِبّا

    أَصفَرَ مِثلِ الزَعفَرانِ ضَربا

    of Maqadi drink that overwhelms physicians,

    yellow like saffron in hue,

  17. كَأسِ اِمرِىءٍ يَسمو وَيَأبى جُدبا

    مالَ عَلَينا بِالغَريضِ ضَهبا

    the cup of a man who aspires high and scorns scarcity.

    He turned toward us with fresh meat, lightly roasted,

  18. وَالراحِ وَالرَيحانِ غَضّاً رَطبا

    وَالقَينَةِ البِكرِ تُغَنّي الشَربا

    and wine and fragrant herbs, fresh and moist,

    and a virgin songstress singing to the drinkers.

  19. وَالعِرقُ لا نَدري إِذا ما جَبّى

    أَضاحِكاً يَحكي لَنا أَم كَلبا

    And al-ʿIrq—when he bent down, we could not tell:

    was he mimicking a laughing man for us, or a dog?

  20. يَسجُدُ لِلكَأسِ إِذا ما صُبّا

    كَقارِىءِ السَجدَةِ حينَ اِنكَبّا

    He prostrated before the cup whenever it was poured,

    like a reciter of the prostration verse falling face-down.

  21. حَتّى إِذا الدِرياقُ فينا دَبّا

    وَجَنَّ لَيلٌ وَقَضَينا نَحبا

    Until that antidote had crept through us,

    and night closed in, and we fulfilled our vow,

  22. رُحنا مَعَ اللَيلِ مُلوكاً غُلبا

    مِن ذا وَمِن ذاكَ أَصَبنا نَهبا

    we went forth with the night, mighty kings.

    From this one and that we took plunder,

  23. وَحَلَبَت كَفّي لِقَومٍ حَلبا

    فَلَم أُرَشِّح لِعَشيرٍ ضَبّا

    and my hand milked out a yield for others;

    nor did I rear a lizard of spite for a kinsman.

  24. وَرُبَّما قُلتُ لِعَمري نَسبا

    العَضبُ أَشهى فَأَذِقني القَضبا

    And often, by my life, I spoke love verse:

    “The keen sword is sweeter; let me taste the blades.”

  25. فَالآنَ وَدَّعتُ الفُتُوَّ الحُزبا

    أَعتَبتُ مَن عاتَبَني أَو سَبّا

    But now I have bidden farewell to the bands of youths.

    I appeased whoever reproached or reviled me,

  26. وَراجَعَت نَفسي حِجاها عُقبا

    فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي أَهَبّا

    and my soul at last recovered its good sense.

    So praise be to God, who roused us

  27. مِن فُرقَةٍ كانَت عَلَينا قَضباً

    أَتى بِها الغِيُّ فَأَغضى الرَبّا

    from a separation that had cut into us.

    Folly brought it about, but the Lord overlooked it.

  28. وَمَلِكٍ يَجبي القُرى لا يُجبى

    نَزورُهُ غِبّاً وَنُؤتي رَهبا

    And a king who levies tribute from towns and pays none:

    we visit him at intervals and give in awe.

  29. ضَخمِ الرَواقَينِ إِذا اِجلَعَبّا

    يَخافُهُ الناسُ عِدىً وَصَحبا

    Vast in his twin pavilions when he stretches out,

    people fear him, enemies and companions alike,

  30. كَما يَخافُ الصَيدَنُ الأَزَبّا

    صَبَّ لَنا مِن وُدِّهِ وَاِصطَبّا

    as the fox fears the shaggy lion.

    He poured us his affection and drew in return

  31. وُدّاً فَما خُنتُ وَلا أَسَبّا

    ثَبَّتَ عَهداً بَينَنا وَثَبّا

    affection; I neither betrayed nor gave cause for abuse.

    He made a covenant between us firm and held fast,

  32. حَتّى اِفتَرَقنا لَم نُفَرِّق شَعبا

    كَذاكَ مَن رَبَّ كَريماً رَبّا

    until we parted without sundering our bond.

    Thus does one who nurtures the noble nurture well.

  33. وَالناسُ أَخيافٌ نَدىً وَزَبّا

    فَصافِ ذا وُدٍّ وَجانِب خِبّا

    People are of many kinds: generous and bristling.

    Be sincere with the affectionate, and shun the deceiver.

  34. يا صاحِ قَد كُنتَ زُلالاً عَذبا

    ثُمَّ اِنقَلَبتَ بَعدَ لينٍ صَعبا

    Friend, you were once clear, sweet water;

    then, after gentleness, you turned harsh.

  35. مالي وَقَد كُنتُ لَكُم مُحِبّاً

    أُقصى وَما جاوَزتُ نُصحاً قَصبا

    Why, when I have been loving toward you,

    am I kept away, though I never passed from counsel to abuse?

  36. يا صاحِ هَل بُلِّغتَ عَنّي ذَنبا

    وَهَل عَلِمتَ خُلُقي مُنكَبّا

    Friend, have you been told of any fault of mine?

    Have you known my character to stray?

  37. وَهَل رَأَيتَ في خِلاطي عَتبا

    أَلَم أُزَيِّن تاجَكَ الذَهَبّا

    Have you found cause for blame in my dealings?

    Did I not adorn your golden crown

  38. بِالباقِياتِ الصالِحاتِ تُحبى

    أَضَأنَ في الحُبِّ وَجُزنَ الحُبّا

    with enduring, worthy works bestowed upon you?

    They shone in love and surpassed love,

  39. مِثلَ نُجومِ اللَيلِ شُبَّت شَبّا

    أَحينَ شاعَ الشِعرُ وَاِتلَأَبّا

    like the stars of night, kindled into flame.

    Was it when the poetry spread and became established,

  40. وَنَظَرَ الناسُ إِلَيَّ أَلبا

    أَبدَلتَني مِن بَعدِ إِذنٍ حَجبا

    and people looked toward me in a throng,

    that you replaced my admission with exclusion?

  41. بِئسَ جَزاءُ المَرءِ يَأتي رَغبا

    لَمّا رَأَيتَ زائِراً مُرِبّا

    What a wretched reward for a man who comes in hope!

    When you saw a visitor who called often,

  42. باعَدتَّهُ وَكانَ يَرجو القُربا

    فَزارَ غِبّاً كَي يُزادَ حُبّا

    you kept him distant, though he hoped for closeness.

    So he visited at intervals, to be loved the more.

  43. كَذَلِكَ المَحفوظُ يَطوي سَربا

    Thus the cherished man travels along his path.