Sol 6

  1. O Yusuf, may you endure for the kingdom, raising its edifice,

    And clothing it in a keen sword from your adornments and in brocade.

  2. You raised above the Alhambra a jeweled crown

    And hung upon its neck a many-colored necklace:

  3. A garden of flowers by day when it is viewed,

    And a place where moons rise when night grows dark;

  4. A field for good fortune and a stronghold for glory,

    A prayer niche for religion and a court for kingship;

  5. A spring for rain and a rising place for the sun,

    A dense grove for the gazelle and a lair for the lion.

  6. And here is a maiden that plays with minds:

    When unveiled, she revives hearts and souls.

  7. You would take her meanings for the finest aged wine,

    And her words, in the king’s assembly, for cups.

  8. When ink lays a bandage of her words across the page,

    You see the robe of dawn embroidered with dusk.

Sol 6