صَيدُ السُرورِ أَجَلَّ مِن ال
مَعقولِ مِن صَيدِ الطُيورِ
To capture joy is nobler than what
the mind conceives in hunting birds.
هَذا شِفاءٌ لِلعُيو
نِ وَذا شِفاءٌ لِلصُدورِ
This is healing for the eyes,
and that is healing for the heart.
كَم بَينَ حَملِكَ لِلكُؤو
سِ وَبَينَ حَملِكَ لِلصُقورِ
What a gulf between your bearing cups
and your bearing falcons!
أُطلُب لِروحِكَ راحَةً
بِالإِقتِصارِ عَلى القُصورِ
Seek repose for your soul
by confining yourself to palaces.
وَإِذا أَرَدتَ تَنَزُّهاً
فَاِشرَب عَلى نَقشِ الحَصيرِ
And when you desire recreation,
drink upon the patterned mat.
فَلَنَظرَةٌ في مَجلِسِ
خَيرٌ مِنَ الرَوضِ النَضيرِ
For one glance within a gathering
is better than the verdant meadow;
وَلِجامَةٌ مَملوءَةٌ
أَبهى وَأَحسَنُ مِن غَديرِ
and a brimming drinking vessel
is lovelier and fairer than a stream.
لا تَثنِ سَمعَكَ شَهوَةً
لِلطَيرِ عَن مَثنى وَزيرِ
Do not turn your ear, from longing
for birds, away from Muthannā and Wazīr.
فَالمَرءُ لَيسَ يَراهُما
دونَ الهَديرِ مَعَ الصَفيرِ
For no man deems those two inferior
to cooing joined with chirping—
إِلّا وَنَجمُ قِياسِهِ
قَد غابَ في فَلَكِ الغُرورِ
unless the star of his judgment
has vanished in the sphere of delusion.
Sol 5.6