Sol 6.1

  1. يَقولُ أَبو عَمروٍ غَداةَ تَهَلَّلَت

    مِنَ العَينِ دَرّاتٌ وَفاضَ سَفوحُها

    Abu Amr says, one morning when tears streamed

    in drops from the eye, and its flowing tears overflowed:

  2. أَجِدَّكَ مِن رَيحانَةٍ طابَ ريحُها

    ظَلِلتَ تُبَكّي خُلَّةً وَتَنوحُها

    Is it truly for a basil sprig whose scent was sweet

    that you kept weeping for a beloved and lamenting her?

  3. فَقُلتُ لَهُ لا تُكثِر اللَومَ إِنَّني

    أَتى مِن هَوى نَفسي عَلَيَّ جُموحُها

    So I told him: Do not heap blame on me, for

    my soul's headstrong passion has overwhelmed me.

  4. كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَعلَم لِعَبدَةَ حُرمَةً

    وَأَسرارَ حُبِّ عِندَنا لا نُبيحُها

    As though you did not know the reverence owed to Abda,

    and the secrets of love we hold and do not reveal.

  5. تَثاقَلَتِ الذَلفاءُ عَنّي وَما دَرَت

    بِذي كَبِدٍ حَرّى يَغَصُّ قَريحُها

    The snub-nosed beauty held back from me, unaware

    of one with a burning liver—her wounded lover, choking.

  6. وَقَد كادَت الأَيّامُ دونَ لِقائِها

    تَصَرَّمُ إِلّا أَن يَمُرَّ سَنيحُها

    And the days, without a meeting with her, have almost

    run out, save when her auspicious apparition passes by.

  7. يُذَكِّرُني الرَيحانُ رائِحَةَ الَّتي

    إِذا لَم تَطَيَّب وافَقَ المِسكَ ريحُها

    Sweet basil reminds me of the scent of the one

    whose fragrance matches musk even when she wears no perfume.

  8. عُبَيدَةُ هَمُّ النَفسِ إِن يَدنُ حُبُّها

    وَإِن تَنأَ عَنها فارَقَ النَفسَ روحُها

    Ubayda is the soul's concern if her love draws near;

    and if she goes far from it, its spirit deserts the soul.

  9. فَلا هِيَ مِن شَوقٍ إِلَيها تُريحُني

    وَلا أَنا مِن طولِ الرَجاءِ أُريحُها

    So my soul gives me no relief from longing for her,

    nor do I relieve it of prolonged hope.

  10. هَواكِ غَبوقُ النَفسِ في كُلِّ لَيلَةٍ

    وَذِكرُكُمو في كُلِّ يَومٍ صَبوحُها

    Love for you is the soul's evening draught every night,

    and remembrance of you is its morning draught every day.

  11. وَلِلنَفسُ حاجاتٌ إِلَيكِ إِذا خَلَت

    سَيَعيا بِها عِندَ اللِقاءِ فَصيحُها

    And the soul has needs of you when it is alone;

    its eloquent speaker will be tongue-tied over them when we meet.

  12. فَلَستُ بِسالٍ ما تَغَنَّت حَمامَةٌ

    وَما شاقَ رُهبانَ النَصارى مَسيحُها

    So I shall not forget, as long as a dove sings,

    and as long as their Messiah stirs longing in Christian monks.