Sol 5.6

  1. A love-wasted man, his heart melted by an excess of sorrow—

    They set forth at dawn, having drawn their veils at dusk:

  2. the gazelle-maidens of Wadi al-Nayrabayn and its slope,

    likened there to gracefully swaying boughs;

  3. unveiled from their chambers like crescent moons,

    letting deepest night stream from their tresses;

  4. smiling, revealing pearls

    beyond even the thread of longing’s touch.

  5. I conjured their images in the wine, seeking solace,

    then sipped the ruby of their lips, setting my teeth to it.

  6. They surpassed gardens in tender freshness and bloom,

    wine in its effect, and the breeze in its breathing.

Sol 5.6