Sol 6.1

  1. ما هاجَ حَسّانَ رُسومُ المَقام

    وَمَظعَنُ الحَيِّ وَمَبنى الخِيام

    The campsite's traces did not stir Hassan,

    nor the tribe's departure-ground, nor the site of the tents,

  2. وَالنُؤيُ قَد هَدَّمَ أَعضادَهُ

    تَقادُمُ العَهدِ بِوادٍ تَهام

    nor the trench, whose sides were broken down

    by the long lapse of time in a Tihamah valley.

  3. قَد أَدرَكَ الواشونَ ما حاوَلوا

    فَالحَبلُ مِن شَعثاءَ رَثُّ الرِمام

    The tale-bearers have attained what they sought;

    so the bond with Sha‘tha’ is worn, its strands decayed.

  4. جِنِّيَّةٌ أَرَّقَني طَيفُها

    تَذهَبُ صُبحاً وَتُرى في المَنام

    A jinn-woman—her phantom has kept me awake;

    she departs at dawn and is seen in dreams.

  5. هَل هِيَ إِلّا ظَبيَةٌ مُطفِلٌ

    مَألَفُها السِدرُ بِنَعفي بَرام

    Is she anything but a doe with a fawn,

    whose haunt is the lote trees on Baram's two slopes?

  6. تُزجي غَزالاً فاتِراً طَرفُهُ

    مُقارِبَ الخَطوِ ضَعيفَ البُغام

    She urges along a fawn with a languid gaze,

    short-stepping, with a feeble bleat.

  7. كَأَنَّ فاها ثَغَبٌ بارِدٌ

    في رَصَفٍ تَحتَ ظِلالِ الغَمام

    As though her mouth were a cool rock-pool

    among close-set stones beneath the shade of clouds,

  8. شُجَّت بِصَهباءَ لَها سَورَةٌ

    مِن بَيتِ رَأسٍ عُتِّقَت في الخِتام

    blended with tawny wine of fierce potency,

    from Bayt Ra’s, aged under seal.

  9. عَتَّقَها الحانوتُ دَهراً فَقَد

    مَرَّ عَلَيها فَرطُ عامٍ فَعام

    The wine-seller aged it long, for indeed

    year upon year has passed over it.

  10. نَشرَبُها صِرفاً وَمَمزوجَةً

    ثُمَّ نُغَنّى في بُيوتِ الرُخام

    We drink it neat and mixed,

    then are sung to in marble houses.

  11. تَدِبُّ في الجِسمِ دَبيباً كَما

    دَبَّ دَبىً وَسطَ رِقاقٍ هَيام

    It creeps through the body, creeping as

    young locusts crawl through fine, loose sands.

  12. كَأساً إِذا ما الشَيخُ والى بِها

    خَمساً تَرَدّى بِرِداءِ الغُلام

    A cup: when an old man drinks it in succession,

    five times, he dons a young man's cloak.

  13. مِن خَمرِ بَيسانَ تَخَيَّرتُها

    دِرياقَةً توشِكُ فَترَ العِظام

    I chose it from the wine of Baysan,

    an antidote, quick to slacken the bones.

  14. يَسعى بِها أَحمَرُ ذو بُرنُسٍ

    مُحتَلَقُ الذِفرى شَديدُ الحِزام

    A ruddy man in a hooded cloak hastens with it,

    shaven at the nape, his belt drawn tight,

  15. أَروَعُ لِلدَعوَةِ مُستَعجِلٌ

    لَم يَثنِهِ الشَأنُ خَفيفُ القِيام

    quick-witted, swift to answer the summons;

    no business has held him back; he is quick to rise.

  16. دَع ذِكرَها وَاِنمِ إِلى جَسرَةٍ

    جُلذِيَّةٍ ذاتِ مَراحٍ عَقام

    Leave off mentioning her, and turn to a sturdy she-camel,

    tough-built, possessed of fierce vigor,

  17. دِفَقَّةِ المِشيَةِ زَيّافَةٍ

    تَهوي خَنوفاً في فُضولِ الزِمام

    swift in gait, striding briskly;

    she rushes, swaying sideways, on a slack rein.

  18. تَحسِبُها مَجنونَةٌ تَغتَلي

    إِذ لَفَّعَ الآلُ رُؤوسَ الأَكام

    You would think her mad, seething,

    when the mirage wraps the hilltops.

  19. قَومي بَنو النَجّارِ إِذ أَقبَلَت

    شَهباءُ تَرمي أَهلَها بِالقَتام

    My people are Banu al-Najjar, when there advances

    a gray host, flinging dust upon its men.

  20. لا نَخذُلُ الجارَ وَلا نُسلِمُ ال

    مَولى وَلا نُخصَمُ يَومَ الخِصام

    We do not forsake the neighbor, nor abandon the

    ally, nor are we bested on the day of dispute.

  21. لا تَعدَمي فينا فَتىً ماجِداً

    يَضرِبُ بِالسَيفِ ثَبيتَ المَقام

    Among us you will not lack a noble youth,

    who strikes with the sword, steadfast at his post.

  22. مِنّا الَّذي يُحمَدُ مَعروفُهُ

    وَيَفرُجُ اللَزبَةَ يَومَ الزِحام

    Among us is he whose kindness is praised,

    and who relieves distress on the day of the crush,

  23. وَالواهِبُ البازِلُ يَوماً إِذا

    ما ضاقَ بِالعُرفِ صُدورُ اللِئام

    and he who gives a full-grown camel on a day when

    the breasts of the mean tighten at generosity.