Sol 6

  1. تلك نارٌ توقدت

    أم سنى بارق لمع

    Is that a fire blazing,

    or the glow of a flashing lightning bolt,

  2. أم فتاةٌ تجردت

    لحبيبٍ بها اجتمع

    or a girl who has unveiled herself

    for a lover who has met with her?

  3. زرتها خافق الحشا

    خائفاً صولة الغفر

    I visited her, my heart fluttering,

    afraid of the watchmen’s wrath.

  4. وهي في آسة العشا

    مثل نسرينة السحر

    There she was among the evening myrtles,

    like a wild rose at dawn.

  5. ثم ناديتها الرشا

    أنت يا مي أم قمر

    Then I called to her, “Gazelle,

    are you Mayy, or are you the moon?”

  6. فتلاهت وأنشدت

    ما أنا الريم يا جدع

    She acted coy and replied,

    “I am no gazelle, young man,

  7. لا ولا البدر وابتدت

    تمزج التيه بالجزع

    nor am I the full moon,” and she began

    to mingle pride with alarm.

  8. قلت حوريةٌ إذن

    أنت يا غاية المنى

    “Then you are a heavenly maiden,” I said,

    “you who are all I desire.

  9. من رأى وجهك الحسن

    فارق الهم والعنا

    Whoever sees your beautiful face

    leaves worry and hardship behind.

  10. بددي لاعج الحزن

    واغنمي الأجر والثنا

    Dispel the burning pain of sorrow,

    and earn reward and praise.”

  11. فاستغاثت وجندت

    لي جنوداً من الورع

    She cried for help and marshaled

    an army of modesty against me.

  12. واستدارت فشيدت

    ما بقلبي من الطمع

    She turned away, stirring

    the longing in my heart.

  13. فتنتني بظرفها

    وهي في دهشة الكرى

    Her grace captivated me

    while she was still dazed with sleep.

  14. واتقتني بردفها

    يغفر اللَه ما جرى

    She warded me off with her hips;

    may God forgive what happened.

  15. ثم أومت بطرفها

    إن رب الحمى عرى

    Then she signaled with a glance:

    “The master of this place has appeared.”

  16. وتثنت وأبعدت

    وهي في حالة الفزع

    She swayed and drew away

    in a state of fear,

  17. كقناة تأودت

    أو شهابٍ قد اندفع

    like a reed bending,

    or a shooting star rushing past.

  18. ثم قال خف الردى

    إن بعلي له عيون

    Then came the warning, “Fear death;

    my husband has eyes.”

  19. قلت روحي لك الفدا

    كللي رأسه قرون

    I said, “My life is yours to take;

    crown his head with horns.

  20. ما عرانا سوى صدى

    نوح قمرية الغصون

    Nothing has reached our ears but the echo

    of a turtledove’s lament in the branches.

  21. فاسمعي كيف أنشدت

    عندما ألفها هجعْ

    Listen to what she sang

    when her mate fell asleep:

  22. كل خودٍ تشددت

    قطَّعت حظها قطعْ

    ‘Every maiden who holds herself aloof

    cuts her own good fortune to pieces.’”

  23. فابتدا خدها النقي

    يحجب الورد بالبردْ

    Then her pure cheek began

    to veil its roses with frost.

  24. ثم قالت قم ارتقي

    صهوةَ الريم يا أسد

    Then she said, “Rise and mount

    the gazelle’s back, O lion.

  25. فالذي كنت أتقي

    شر عدوانه شرد

    The one whose aggression

    I feared has gone away.”

  26. واستكانت وبردت

    نار قلبي بما جرعْ

    She yielded, and the fire

    in my heart cooled with what it drank

  27. من شفاهٍ تفردت

    بالجمال الذي سطع

    from lips set apart

    by their radiant beauty.

  28. ليت ليلي الذي مضى

    دام ليلاً بلا سحرْ

    If only my night that has passed

    had lasted without dawn.

  29. فهو لما مضى قضى

    بانصرافي عن القمر

    For when it passed, it condemned me

    to leave the moon,

  30. وابتعادي عن الرضا

    واقترابي من الضجر

    to move away from contentment,

    and to draw near to distress.

  31. فانتهت مثل ما ابتدت

    ليلة الوصل بالجزع

    So, as it began, it ended:

    the night of union, in alarm.

  32. وانثنينا وما هدت

    نار قلبي من الولع

    We turned away, yet the fire

    of longing in my heart did not subside.