Sol 6.1

  1. أَلَم يُسلكَ عَن نُعم

    وَلا عَن جارَتي نُعمِ

    Has it not distracted you from Nuʿm,

    or from Nuʿm’s two neighbors—

  2. طِرادُ الخَيلِ يَحميها

    غَداةَ الرَّوعِ مَن يَحمِي

    the skirmishing of horses, defended

    on terror’s morning by whoever defends them?

  3. إِذا دارَت رَحى الحَرْ

    بِ وَعَضَّ الحَرب بِالسِّلمِ

    When war’s millstone turns

    and war bites into peace,

  4. فَها هنَّاكَ إِما

    تَشهَديني تَعلَمي عِلمي

    there, then, if indeed

    you witness me, you will know my skill.

  5. فَقَد أَختلِسُ الطَّعْ

    نَةَ بَينَ الرَّأيِ وَالوَهمِ

    For I snatch a thrust

    between judgment and conjecture—

  6. نَحيبَ الثّاكِلِ الوا

    لِهِ أَو غاشِيَة الهَدمِ

    the wail of one bereaved and distraught,

    or an overwhelming collapse.

  7. وَأَغشى القَومَ بِالقَومِ

    وَأَلقى الهَمَّ بِالهَمِّ

    And I assail one host with another,

    and meet care with care.

  8. وَأَحميهِم فَإِن غِبتُ

    حَموا أَنفُسَهُم بِاِسمي

    And I defend them; if I am absent,

    they defend themselves with my name.

  9. تَقولُ الكاعِبُ الحَسنا

    ءُ لَمَّا أَزمَعَت صَرمِي

    The beautiful, budding-breasted maiden says,

    when she has resolved to forsake me:

  10. أَما يَخرُجُ مِن لَح

    ظِكَ أَعطافي عَلى رُغمي

    “Will there be no escape from your gaze

    for my curves, against my will?”

  11. فَما إِن بَرِحَت حَتّى اِشْ

    تَرَكنا وَهيَ في الإِثمِ

    She did not leave until we had joined together,

    while she was in sin,

  12. وَحَتّى اِنصَرَفَت تَجري

    بِوَجهٍ مُشرِقٍ فَخمِ

    and until she turned away, running,

    with a radiant, stately face,

  13. كَما تَنصَرِفُ الخَيلُ

    إِلى قَعقَعَةِ اللُّجمِ

    as horses turn

    toward the clatter of bridles.