Sol 6.1

  1. طالعاه نَقبَ الغُوَير وَرَيعَهُ

    وَدَعاهُ يُبدي هَواهُ مُذيعَه

    Meet him at al-Ghuwayr’s pass and upland path,

    and let him reveal his passion, proclaiming it.

  2. خَلِّياهُ وَوَقفةٍ في طُلولٍ

    دارِساتٍ يَقضي بِهِنَّ وُلُوعَه

    Leave him to pause among ruins,

    long effaced, where he may satisfy his longing.

  3. مَعهَدٍ مِن شَبابِهِ كانَ قِدماً

    مَعهَد الغانيات يَسلُكنَ رَيعَه

    A haunt from his youth, which long ago was

    a haunt of beauties who trod its upland path.

  4. كلُّ خَمصانَةِ الوِشاح دَعاها

    لِلتَصابي هَوىً فَلَبّت مُطيعَه

    Each slender-waisted beauty was summoned

    to youthful dalliance by passion, and answered willingly.

  5. صَبَّت في عِطفها الصِبا ماءَ حُسنٍ

    وَكَساها رَيطَ الجَمالِ بَديعَه

    Youth poured beauty’s water into her form

    and clothed her in beauty’s wondrous robes.

  6. فَبَراها قَيد النَواظر تُزهى

    رَوضَةً غَضّةَ النَباتِ مُريعَه

    Thus it fashioned her, a fetter for eyes, resplendent—

    a fertile garden of tender growth.

  7. ذاتَ لُطفٍ كَأَنَّما أَلبَسَتها

    حليُ يَدِ أَبي الصَفاءِ وَشيعَه

    Graceful, as though she had been clothed

    in woven finery by the jewels of Abu al-Safa’s hand.

  8. مُحرِزُ السَبقِ يَومَ حُضرِ المَعالي

    بِبَيانٍ تَلا النِظامُ بَديعَه

    Winner of first place in the race for high honors,

    with eloquence whose wonders poetry recited.

  9. ماجِدٌ مُذ تَفوّق الفَضل طِفلاً

    قَد أَبى مَشرَعِ المِجَنّ شَريعَه

    A noble man who, since he sipped excellence as a child,

    has rejected wantonness’s watering-place as his own.

  10. ذُو سَجايا تُرى كَزَهرِ رِياضٍ

    وَكَزُهرِ السَماء تُلفى مَنيعَه

    Possessed of qualities seen as garden blossoms,

    and found, like heaven’s stars, beyond reach;

  11. أَو كبَكرٍ أَبَت مَواقعة الشر

    ب فشُجَّت عَمداً بِماءِ وَقيعَه

    or like virgin wine that refused the drinkers’ embrace,

    so was deliberately cut with water from a rock-pool.

  12. عَلّنيها بُعَيد هَدءٍ نَدِيمي

    وَالثُرَيّا لِلغَربِ تَهوى سَريعَه

    Give me another draught of it soon after night grows still, my companion,

    while the Pleiades plunge swiftly westward.

  13. إِيه فاِسمَع يا مَن لَهُ سَعدُ جَدٍّ

    سَعدُهُ نِيط بِالسعُودِ الرَفيعَه

    Ah, then listen, you of fortunate lot,

    whose luck is bound to the lofty stars of good fortune.

  14. قَد أَتَت يَمّك الفُراتَ قَوافٍ

    صَدَرت خِلّ عَن كِلالِ طَبيعَه

    Verses have come to your sweet-watered sea,

    born, my friend, of a weary poetic gift.

  15. وَرَدتهُ ظَمأى لِتَصدُرَ عَنهُ

    بَعدَ برح رِوىً بِصَدرِ الشَريعَه

    They reached it thirsty, to depart from it

    after anguish, sated at the head of the watering-place.

  16. وَاِبقِ لا يُغبَب السَحابُ هَزيماً

    لَكَ رَبعاً يُوَلّي عَلَيهِ رَبيعَه

    And live on; may the thundering clouds never neglect

    your dwelling, bestowing their spring rain upon it;

  17. وَكَساهُ الرَبيعُ وَشياً يُحاكِي

    وَشيَ صَنعاءَ بَل يَفوقُ صَنيعَه

    and may spring clothe it in brocade that rivals

    Sana'a’s brocade—indeed, surpasses its workmanship—

  18. ما تَغنّى قُمرِيّ مُقرى بِرَوضٍ

    رَقرَق الطَلّ في رُباهُ دُمُوعَه

    as long as a turtledove sings, a guest in a garden

    over whose slopes the dew makes its tears shimmer.