Sol 6.1

  1. لِعَزَّةَ هاجَ الشَوقَ فالدَمعُ سافِحُ

    مَغانٍ وَرَسمٌ قد تَقادَمَ ماصِحُ

    Longing for 'Azza is stirred, and tears pour forth—

    by dwelling sites and an ancient, fading trace,

  2. بِذي المَرخِ وَالمَسروحِ غَيّرَ رَسمَها

    ضَروبُ النَدى قَد أَعتَقَتها البَوارِحُ

    at Dhu al-Markh and al-Masruh; her traces have been changed

    by repeated falls of dew, and scorching winds have weathered them.

  3. لِعَينيكَ مِنها يومَ حَزمِ مَبَرَّةٍ

    شَريجانِ مِن دَمعٍ نَزيعٌ وَسافِحُ

    On the day at Hazm Mabarra, because of her, your eyes had

    two kinds of tears: welling up and pouring down,

  4. أَتيٌّ وَمَفعومٌ حَثيثٌ كَأَنَّهُ

    غُروبُ السَواني أَترَعَتها النَواضِحُ

    a rushing flood and a brimming, swift flow, as though they were

    the great buckets of drawing camels, filled by the water-hauling camels.

  5. إِذا ما هَرَقنَ الماء ثُمَّ اِستَقينَهُ

    سَقاهُنَّ جَمٌّ مِن سُميحَةَ طافِحُ

    Whenever they emptied their water, then drew it again,

    an overflowing pool at Sumayha replenished them.

  6. لَيالي مِنها الوادِيانِ مَظِنَّةٌ

    فَبُرَقُ العُنابِ دارُها فَالأَباطِحُ

    In nights when the Two Valleys were where she might be found,

    then the rocky rises of al-'Unab were her abode, then the broad streambeds;

  7. لَيالِيَ لا أَسماءُ قالٍ مُوَدِّع

    وَلا مُرهِنٌ يومًا لَكَ البَذلَ جارِحُ

    nights when Asma was not disdainful, bidding farewell,

    nor one who pledged you favors one day, yet wounded you:

  8. صَديقٌ إِذا لاقَيتَهُ عَن جَنابَةٍ

    أَلَدُّ إِذا ناشَدتَهُ العَهدَ بائِحُ

    a friend when you met him from a distance,

    but fiercely contentious, divulging secrets when you invoked his pledge.

  9. وَإِذ يُبرِىءُ القَرحى المِراضَ حَديثُها

    وَتَسمو بِأَسماءَ القُلوبُ الصَحائِحُ

    And when her talk would heal the wounded and sick,

    and healthy hearts would soar through Asma.

  10. فَأُقسِمُ لا أَنسى وَلو حالَ دونَها

    مَعَ الصَرمِ عَرضُ السَبسَبِ المُتَنازِحُ

    So I swear I will not forget, even if between me and her there lies,

    along with estrangement, the breadth of a far-flung wasteland.

  11. أَمنيّ صَرَمتِ الحَبلَ لَمّا رَأَيتني

    طَريدَ حُروبٍ طَرَّحَتهُ الطَوارِحُ

    Was it from me that you severed the bond, when you saw me

    a fugitive of wars, tossed about by calamities?

  12. فَأَسحَقَ بُرداهُ وَمَحَّ قَميصَه

    فَأَثوابُهُ لَيسَت لَهُنَّ مَضَارِحُ

    His two mantles grew threadbare, and his shirt was worn away,

    so his garments have nowhere to be laid aside.

  13. فَأَعرَضتِ إِنَّ الغَدرَ مِنكُنَّ شيمَةٌ

    وَفَجعَ الأَمينِ بَغتَةً وَهوَ ناصِحُ

    Then you turned away; treachery is a habit among you women,

    as is suddenly devastating a faithful man who means you well.

  14. فَلا تَجبَهيهِ وَيبَ غيرِكِ إِنَّهُ

    فَتىً عَن دَنِيّاتِ الخَلائِقِ نازِحُ

    Do not rebuff him—woe to another, not you!—for he is

    a young man far removed from baseness of character.

  15. هُوَ العَسَلُ الصافي مِرارًا وَتارَةً

    هُوَ السُمُّ تَستَدمي عَلَيهِ الذَرارِحُ

    He is pure honey time and again, but at times

    he is poison upon which even blister beetles bleed.

  16. لَعَلَّكِ يوماً أَن تَريهِ بِغِبطَةٍ

    تَوَدِّينَ لَو يَأتيكُمُ وَهو صافِحُ

    Perhaps one day you will see him in enviable fortune,

    wishing he would come to you, forgiving.

  17. يَروقُ العُيونَ الناظِراتِ كَأَنَّهُ

    هِرَقلِيُّ وَزنٍ أَحمَرُ التَّبرِ راجِعُ

    He delights the eyes that gaze upon him, as though

    he were a Heraclian-weight coin of red gold refined anew.

  18. وَآخِرُ عَهدٍ مِنكِ يا عِزُّ إِنَّهُ

    بِذي الرَمثِ قولٌ قُلتِهِ وَهوَ صالِحُ

    And my last encounter with you, O 'Azz—it was

    at Dhu al-Ramth: a word you spoke, and it was kindly,

  19. مُلاحُكِ بالبَردِ اليَماني وَقَد بَدا

    مِن الصَرمِ أَشراطٌ لَهُ وَهوَ رائِحُ

    your banter over the Yemeni cloak, though there had appeared

    signs of estrangement for him as he departed.

  20. وَلَم أَدرِ أَنَّ الوَصلَ مِنك خلابَةٌ

    كَجاري سَرابٍ رَقرَقَتهُ الصَحاصِحُ

    I did not know that union with you was deception,

    like a flowing mirage made to shimmer by the open plains.

  21. أَغَرَّكِ مِنّا أَنَّ دَلَّكِ عِندَنا

    وَإِسجادَ عَينيكِ الصَيودَينِ رابِحُ

    Did it embolden you toward us that your coquetry with us

    and the languid gaze of your two hunting eyes yield profit,

  22. وَأَن قَد أَصَبتِ القَلبَ مِنّي بِغُلَّةٍ

    وَحُبٍّ لَهُ في أُسوَدِ القَلبِ قادِحُ

    and that you have struck my heart with burning thirst

    and a love kindling sparks in the heart's dark core?

  23. وَلَو أَنَّ حُبّي أُمَّ ذي الوَدعِ كُلَّهُ

    لِأَهلِكِ مالٌ لَم تَسَعهُ المَسارِحُ

    Were all my love, O mother of the cowrie-wearer,

    wealth for your people, the grazing grounds could not contain it.

  24. يَهيمُ إِلى أَسماءَ شوقًا وَقَد أَتى

    لَهُ دونَ أَسماءَ الشَغولُ السَوانِحُ

    He wanders distractedly toward Asma in longing, though there have come

    between him and Asma engrossing cares that arise.

  25. وَأَقصَرَ عَن غَربِ الشَبابِ لِداتُهُ

    بِعاقِبَةٍ وَاِبيَضَّ مِنهُ المَسائِحُ

    His age-mates have ceased their youthful impetuousness

    at last, and his temple-locks have turned white.

  26. وَلكِّنَهُ مِن حُبِّ عَزَّةَ مُضمِرٌ

    حَباءَ بِهِ قَد بُطِّنَتهُ الجَوانِحُ

    But from his love of 'Azza he still harbors

    an affection that his ribs have enfolded within him.

  27. تُصَرِّدُنا أَسماءُ دامَ جَمالُها

    وَيَمنَحُها مِنّي المَوَدَّةَ مانِحُ

    Asma gives us scant favors—may her beauty endure!—

    while a giver within me grants her affection.

  28. خَليليَّ هَل أَبصَرتُما يَومَ غَيقَةٍ

    لِعَزَّةَ أَظعانًا لَهُنَّ تَمايِحُ

    My two friends, did you see, on the day at Ghayqa,

    'Azza's traveling litters, swaying to and fro?

  29. ظَعائِنُ كَالسَلوى الَّتي لا يَحُزنَها

    أَو المَنَّ إِذ فاحَت بِهِنَّ الفَوائِحُ

    Women in litters, like honey they do not possess,

    or manna, as fragrances wafted about them.

  30. كَأَنَّ قَنا المِرّانِ تَحتَ خُدورِها

    ظِباءُ المُلا نِيطَت عَليها الوَشائِحُ

    As though the ashwood spear-shafts beneath their curtains

    were gazelles of al-Mula with jeweled sashes hung upon them.

  31. تَحَمَّلُ في نَحرِ الظَهيرَةِ بَعدَما

    تَوَقَّدَ مِن صَحنِ السُريرِ الصَّرادِحُ

    They set out at high noon, after

    the bare flats of al-Sarir's basin had blazed with heat,

  32. عَلى كُلِّ عَيهامٍ يَبُلُّ جَديلَهُ

    يُجيلُ بِذِفراهُ وَباللِّيتِ قامِحُ

    upon each mighty camel, wetting its braided rein,

    tossing its poll and the side of its neck, head held high.

  33. خَليليَّ روحا وَاِنظُرا ذا لُبانَةٍ

    بِهِ باطِنٌ مِن حُبِّ عَزَّةَ فادِحُ

    My two friends, go forth at evening and behold a man of longing:

    within him is a heavy, hidden ache from love of 'Azza.

  34. سَبَتني بِعَينَي ظِبيَةٍ يَستَنيمُها

    أَغَنُّ البُغامِ أَعيَسُ اللَّونِ راشِحُ

    She captured me with a doe's two eyes, a doe sought for shelter

    by a nasal-bleating, pale-coated fawn, newly walking,

  35. إِلى أُرُكٍ بالجَزعِ مِن بَطنِ بيشَةٍ

    عَليهنَّ صَيّفنَ الحَمامُ النَوائِحُ

    beside arak trees at the bend in Bisha's valley,

    upon which lamenting doves have spent the summer.

  36. كَأَنَّ القَماريّ الهَواتِفَ بِالضُّحى

    إِذا أَظهَرَت قيناتُ شربٍ صَوادِحُ

    As though the turtle-doves calling at forenoon,

    when they reach midday, were clear-voiced singers for a band of drinkers.

  37. وَذي أُشُرٍ عَذبِ الرُضابِ كَأَنَّهُ

    إِذا غارَ أَردافُ الثُريّا السَوابِحُ

    And with a mouth of finely serrated teeth and sweet saliva, as though it were—

    when the swimming stars behind the Pleiades set—

  38. مُجاجَةُ نَحلٍ في أَباريقَ صُفّقَت

    بِصَفقِ الغَوادي شَعشَعتهُ المَجادِحُ

    the honey poured forth by bees into pitchers, blended

    with morning rainwater and diluted by stirring rods.

  39. تَرُوقُ عُيونَ اللائي لايَطمَعونَها

    وَيروى بِرَيّاها الَجيعُ المُكافِحُ

    She delights the eyes of those who do not hope to win her,

    and her fragrance slakes the hungry man who meets her face to face.

  40. وَغُرٍّ يُغادي ظَلمَهُ بِبَنانِها

    مَعَ الفَجرِ مِن نَعمانَ أَخضَرُ مَائِحُ

    And gleaming teeth whose enamel her fingers tend each morning,

    at dawn, with a green, swaying twig from Na'man.

  41. قَضى كُلَّ ذي دَينٍ وَعَزَّةُ خُلَّةٌ

    لَهُ لَم تُنِلهُ فَهوَ عَطشانُ قامِحُ

    He has paid every creditor, yet 'Azza is a beloved

    of his who has granted him nothing; he is thirsty, head raised.

  42. وَإِني لأَكمي الناسَ ما تَعِدينَني

    مَنَ البُخلِ أَن يَثري بِذَلكَ كاشِحُ

    I surely hide from people what you promise me,

    out of miserliness, lest an enemy grow rich through it.

  43. وَأَرضى بِغَيرِ البَذلِ مِنها لَعَلَّها

    تُفارِقُنا أَسماءُ وَالوِدُّ صالِحُ

    I am content without gifts from her, in the hope that

    Asma may part from us while love remains unspoiled.

  44. وَأَصبَحتُ وَدَّعتُ الصِبا غَيرَ أَنَّني

    لِعَزَّةَ مُصفٍ بالمناسِبِ مادِحُ

    I have now bid farewell to youthful folly, except that

    I remain devoted to 'Azza, praising her lineage.

  45. أَبائنةٌ يا عَزُّ غَدواً نَواكُمُ

    سَقَتكِ الغَوادي خِلفَةً وَالرَوائِحُ

    Will your journey take you far away tomorrow, O 'Azz?

    May morning and evening rainclouds water you in succession.

  46. مِن الشُمِّ مِشرافٌ يُنيفُ بِقُرطِها

    أَسيلٌ إِذا ما قُلِّدَ الحَليَ واضِحُ

    A neck, towering among the lofty, lifts her earring high,

    smooth and radiant whenever it is hung with jewels.