Sol 6.1

  1. هِمْ بالغزالة والغزلْ

    واترك ملامةَ من عذلْ

    Be enamored of the gazelle and love verse,

    and leave the blame of those who reproach.

  2. واشرب على ورد الخدو

    د رضابَ فاترة المُقَل

    And drink, over the roses of her cheeks,

    the nectar of a languid-eyed beauty—

  3. هيفاء يصبغ ياسمي

    نَ خدودِها وردُ الخجل

    slender-waisted, with the jasmine

    of her cheeks dyed by the roses of bashfulness.

  4. فتخال ياقوتَ الشرا

    ب لماس وجنتها انتقل

    So you imagine the wine's ruby

    has passed into the diamond of her cheek.

  5. حل النشاطُ بعطفها

    وبردفها اجتمع الكسل

    Liveliness dwells in her flank,

    and languor gathers in her hips.

  6. وحبا الفتور جفونها

    عللاً تصح بها العلل

    And languor has endowed her eyelids

    with ailments by which ailments are healed.

  7. سل وصلها فإذا أبت

    عج نحو محبوب وصل

    Seek union with her; if she refuses,

    turn toward a beloved who grants union.

  8. وخذ الصبوح من الصبي

    ح لتستريح من الوجل

    And take the morning draught from a handsome youth,

    that you may find relief from fear.

  9. فإذا نهاك مغفلٌ

    قل عادة الشمس النقل

    And if a fool forbids you,

    say: the sun's habit is to move.

  10. أإذا الغزالة لم تُنل

    تستقبح القمر المقل

    If the sun cannot be won,

    must eyes then deem the moon ugly?

  11. كلٌ له زمن يشا

    ر إليه والدنيا دول

    Each has a season when attention turns

    to him; the world has its turns of fortune.

  12. لا عيب في قمرٍ تمل

    لُ النيرات ولا يُمَل

    There is no fault in a moon: one tires

    of other lights, but never of him.

  13. حلو الحديث كأن في

    ألفاظه جرع العسل

    Sweet in speech, as though within

    his words were draughts of honey.

  14. بجبينه أثر السجو

    د وخده أثر القبل

    On his brow is the mark of prostration,

    and on his cheek the trace of kisses.

  15. فضحت لواحظه السيو

    فَ وقدُّه فضح الأسل

    His glances have put swords to shame,

    and his stature has shamed the spears.

  16. كتب العذار بخده

    إن الظريف من امتثل

    The down has written on his cheek:

    The charming one is he who yields.

  17. هب ما ادخرت من الحُلَى

    لهما ومن خير الحلل

    Give what ornaments you have stored

    to them both, and your finest robes.

  18. أما النسيب فزد به ال

    مولى سليمان البطل

    As for love verse, regale with it

    the lord Sulayman, the hero,

  19. الشهم دفتردارنا

    خير الأواخر والأول

    the magnanimous, our treasury administrator,

    the best of later and earlier generations;

  20. من لا يزول الحمد عن

    ه ولا يميل إلى الزلل

    one from whom praise never departs,

    and who never inclines toward error;

  21. من سارت الركبان تن

    شر فضله بين الدول

    one whose excellence the caravans have journeyed

    to proclaim among the realms;

  22. من ساد نور الشمس في

    برج السياسة والحمل

    one who surpasses the sun's light in

    the sign of statecraft and the Ram.

  23. وسمت سيول سماحه

    سيل المُلثّ إذا هطل

    And the torrents of his generosity rise above

    the flood of unceasing rain when it pours.

  24. العادل البر البري

    ع الفاضل الشهم الأجل

    The just, the benevolent, the outstanding,

    the excellent, the magnanimous, the most august;

  25. رجلٌ إذا عادلته

    بفطاحل الدنيا اعتدل

    a man who, if you weigh him

    against the world's giants, equals them.

  26. سبَّاق غاياتٍ زكٍ

    ما خاض فكرتَه خلل

    Foremost in reaching goals, upright,

    no flaw has entered his thought.

  27. إن قال قط يراعهُ

    قط المشاكل والحيل

    If ever his reed-pen speaks,

    it cuts through difficulties and stratagems.

  28. وإذا انتضى صمصامه

    ضحَّى به الخطب الجلل

    And when he unsheathes his keen sword,

    he sacrifices grave calamity with it.

  29. سودي بسودي يا دمش

    ق وسبحي اللَه الأزل

    Reign supreme through my lords, O Damascus,

    and glorify God, the Eternal.

  30. فلقد أفادك حكمةً

    رب البساط بها احتفل

    For he has imparted to you a wisdom

    that the master of the carpet held in honor.

  31. يا خير من شق اليرا

    عَ وشق بالسيف القلل

    O best of those who split reed-pens

    and cleave heads with the sword,

  32. والحاسب المنشي البلي

    غ المصقع الدرِب الأجل

    and the accountant, the prose-master, the eloquent,

    the resounding orator, the seasoned, the most august:

  33. أهديك بكراً حجلها ال

    غرِّيد أطربَ من حجل

    I offer you a maiden poem, whose anklet

    sings more delightfully than a partridge.

  34. شاميةٌ برضابها

    ضربٌ به ضُرِبَ المثل

    A Damascene, whose nectar holds

    white honey that has become proverbial.

  35. فاقبل بها كرماً وقل

    كم لي بمثلك من قبل

    Then accept her graciously, and say:

    How many like you have I had before?

  36. واسلم لنا واعظُمْ ودُمْ

    ما لاح نجمٌ أو أفل

    Remain safe for us, grow great, and endure,

    as long as a star shines or sets.