طوى وده الملحي عني فانطوى
وقد كان لي خلا فأعرض والتوى
Al-Milḥī folded his affection away from me, and it lay folded away.
He folded away his salty wit from me, so I folded away,
He had been a close friend to me, but turned away and twisted aside.
Though he had been intimate, I turned aside and withdrew.
دعاني فغداني بإنشاد شعره
فلولا انصرافي عنه بت على الطوى
He invited me, then fed me his recited verse for lunch.
He called me over, so I spent time with his verse reciting,
Had I not left him, I would have spent the night hungry.
Else, had I not humored him, I would have kept to seclusion.
وقال أتاك الحلي قلت مداعيا
أتاني النوى من بائع الملح بالنوى
He said, “Jewels have come to you.” I said, countering,
He said "Did the trinkets reach you?" I responded evasively,
“Date stones came to me from a seller of salt for date stones.”
"The purpose came to me from the seller of salt with purpose."
وناولني مسودة لو قرنتها
إلى القار كانا في سوادهما سوا
And he handed me a rough draft: had I placed it
And he offered me a draft - if I had appended it
Beside pitch, the two would have been equal in their blackness.
To tar, they would have matched in their blackness.
وقال أرى هذا الشراب لصفوه
ورقته كالنجم قلت إذا هوى
And he said, “I find this drink, for its clarity
He said "I see this drink is pure for its clarity
And delicacy, like a star.” I said, “When it falls.”
And smoothness like a star." I said "Yes, when it descends."
وفضل في الشعر آمرأً غير فاضل
فقلت له أمسك نطقت عن الهوى
He favored in poetry a man without distinction.
And he praised a man's poetry though he was no poet,
So I said to him, “Stop! You have spoken out of bias.”
So I said to him "Hold your words - I have turned from passion."
ولو أنني أحمي الثقاف لميله
وأعمل فيه الغمز لانصات واستوى
And were I to heat the spear-straightener for his crookedness
Had I guarded my bowling for his leaning,
And apply pressure to him, he would yield and straighten.
Working in some winks, he would have listened and calmed.
Sol 6.1