Sol 5.6

  1. Old haunts and sheepfolds stirred the heart,

    effaced, with trees grown high above them.

  2. Summer winds have worn them down,

    weaving patterns through the earth, together with the rain.

  3. I stood there once, lingering,

    asking the dwelling whether it held any news—

  4. the dwelling of her who said to companions of hers,

    coy maidens graced with warmth and modesty,

  5. as they strolled through a lovely meadow,

    its radiant herbage mantled in blossom,

  6. over soft, level ground adorned

    by a cloudy day untainted by dust:

  7. “We are alone, so each of you make a wish;

    alone today, let us reveal what we conceal.”

  8. They read the longing in her eyes,

    for the gaze reveals love’s bubbling.

  9. Seeking to please her, they said, “Our wish is:

    if only ʿUmar came to us today in secret!”

  10. While they were speaking of me, they caught sight of me,

    less than a mile away, my white-blazed steed bearing me at a gallop.

  11. The eldest said, “Do you recognize the young man?”

    The middle one said, “Yes—this is ʿUmar.”

  12. The youngest—whom I had enthralled—said,

    “We know him! Can the moon ever be hidden?

  13. Here is a lover who did not turn aside before reaching us;

    his doom has driven him to us—and destiny.”

  14. So he came to us when the camel of night lowered its breast,

    settling over him and stretching full length.

  15. The dewy fragrance of musk from his garments

    rippled over him like water, leaving him fresh and radiant.

  16. “What we wished for has come to us, and now

    the stingy boors and filthy fellows are kept away.”

Sol 5.6