Sol 6.1

  1. كأنّ غديرَ الماءِ جوشنُ فضةٍّ

    من السّردِ محبوكٌ عليها مضاعَفُ

    As though the pool of water were a silver cuirass,

    of linked mail, tightly woven over it in double layers.

  2. يجورُ على العشّاق في الحُكم مثلما

    تجورُ على تلكَ الخصورِ الروادفُ

    He judges lovers unjustly, just as

    the buttocks oppress those waists.

  3. كأن رؤوسَ الصِّيد في ساعةِ الوغَى

    هَبيدٌ له السيفُ الشهابيُّ ناقفُ

    As though the heads of proud nobles in the hour of battle

    were colocynth seeds, split by the meteor-like sword.

  4. كأنّ رماحَ الخطِّ أقلامُ كاتبٍ

    براحةِ بدرٍ والقلوبُ مَعارفُ

    As though the spears of al-Khatt were a scribe’s pens

    in Badr’s palm, and hearts were their familiar targets.

  5. ويومٍ كأنّ النقعَ فيه ستائرُ

    له وصليلُ المرهَفات معازِفُ

    And a day when the battle-dust was like curtains

    for him, and the ringing of keen blades was music.

  6. فيا فلكاً بالخير والشرّ دائرا

    ويا ملِكا في راحتيه العَوارِفُ

    So, O heavenly sphere revolving with good and evil,

    and O king, in whose two palms lie bounties,

  7. وصفتُكَ فاعذرني على قِدرِ طاقتي

    وإنّكَ حقا فوق ما أنا واصفُ

    I have described you—so pardon me—to the best of my ability,

    and you are truly beyond what I describe.

  8. ولمّا انتقدتُ الناسَ جَمعاً نبذتُهم

    كما نَبذَ الفَلسَ الرديءَ الصيارِفُ

    And when I appraised all people, I cast them aside,

    as money-changers discard an inferior copper coin.

  9. ولم أَرضَ إلا القاسميَّ لمقصدي

    فتىً عنده ظلُّ المكارِم وارِفُ

    And for my purpose I accepted none but al-Qasimi,

    a youth with whom the shade of noble deeds spreads wide.