Sol 6.1

  1. بقوامه والطلعة الغراء

    قد همت بالبيضاء والسمراء

    By his graceful stature and radiant countenance,

    I am enraptured by the fair one and the dark.

  2. من منذري من أسود الشامات في

    نعمان تلك الوجنة الحمراء

    Who will warn me against the lions of beauty-marks in

    the Nuʿmān of that crimson cheek?

  3. سلطان حسن قد بدا بجبينه

    يختال تحت عصابة بيضاء

    Beauty’s sultan has appeared upon his brow,

    strutting beneath a white headband.

  4. لما أتت زحفا جيوش عذراء

    هزم الكرى بكتيبة خضراء

    When virgin armies came advancing,

    he routed sleep with a green battalion.

  5. وبحلة صفراء لاح فحبذا

    بدر تشاهده من الصفراء

    In a yellow robe he shone—how lovely

    a full moon seen emerging from that yellow robe!

  6. وعليه أرخى الشعر مبتسما وما

    أحلى السرى في الليلة القمراء

    Over it he let his hair fall, smiling—and how

    sweet the night-journey on a moonlit night!

  7. يحكي الغزالة حين يبدو طلعة

    ويفوقها بالمقلة السوداء

    He resembles the sun when he reveals his face,

    yet surpasses her with his black eye.

  8. يحلو مشاهدة به قتلي عسى

    فيه أكون غدا من الشهداء

    My slaying at his hands is sweet to witness; perhaps

    for his sake tomorrow I shall be among the martyrs.

  9. في حبه والله مت صبابة

    فلذاك أدعى ميت الأحياء

    In his love, by God, I have died of longing;

    hence I am called the dead one among the living.

  10. او طي على جمر الغضا قلبي ولم

    يشعر بان اقوى على الايطاء

    I make my heart tread on ghaḍā embers, while he has not

    realized that I have the strength to make it tread.

  11. لا تعجبوا للتيه قلبي قد شوى

    بل فاعجبوا لمحاسن الشوّاء

    Do not marvel that disdain has roasted my heart;

    rather, marvel at the charms of the roaster!

  12. ما هاج جمر الشوق بين جوانحي

    الا لكوني مجمع الاهواء

    The embers of longing flared between my ribs

    only because I am a meeting-place of passions.

  13. بي مذ رأى الف السهاد فقال لي

    من صاد نومك قلت عين الراءي

    Since he saw in me a companion of sleeplessness, he said to me,

    "Who hunted down your sleep?" I said, "The beholder’s eye."

  14. ونعم يلذ لي الكرى لكن ارى

    مهري عليه الذ من اغفائي

    Yes, sleep is sweet to me, but I find

    my dowry for him sweeter than my slumber.

  15. ساق اذا ما لم تدر صهباؤه

    فيديرها من مقلة حوراء

    A cupbearer who, whenever his tawny wine is not passed round,

    pours it from a wide, dark eye.

  16. ما ازور الحاظا بمجلس لذة

    الا حلا شربي على الزوراء

    Whenever his glances turn aside at a gathering of delight,

    my drinking upon al-Zawrāʾ grows sweet.

  17. لام العذول وظن جهلا انه

    رشدي يريد فزاد في اغوائي

    The censor reproached me, ignorantly thinking that he

    meant to guide me rightly, but only led me farther astray.

  18. واتى يحذرني الغرام وما درى

    اني ارى التحذير كالاغراء

    He came to warn me against passion, unaware

    that I regard warning as enticement.

  19. قال اسله فبذاك لم يبق الهوى

    يوما بها شيئا من الاشياء

    He said, "Forget him: through this, passion has not left

    a single thing in your hand, ever."

  20. فاجبت ان كانت يدي صفرا فكم

    عندي لموسى من يد بيضاء

    I replied, "Though my hand is empty, how many

    a white hand Mūsā has extended to me!"

  21. من في بروج السعد اضحى طالعا

    حتى سما شرفا على الجوزاء

    He who has risen in the mansions of good fortune,

    till he soared in honor above al-Jawzāʾ.

  22. بالمال يفعل يوم معترك الندا

    ما تفعل الاعداء بالاعداء

    On generosity’s day of battle, he does to wealth

    what enemies do to enemies.

  23. فهو الجواد ولا جواد في الورى

    ابدا يجاريه على الغبراء

    For he is the generous one; no steed in all creation

    can ever keep pace with him on the dusty earth.

  24. كالنمل تأتيه الوفود لأنه

    بالحمد اضحى آية الشعراء

    Like ants the delegations come to him, for

    through praise he has become the poets’ marvel.

  25. بمديحه المتمسكون تعرفوا

    لكمال معرفة به وذكاء

    Those who hold fast to praising him have become known

    for perfect knowledge of him and discernment.

  26. وقعت مواهبه على فقري كما

    يقع الدواء على عظيم الداء

    His gifts fell upon my poverty as

    medicine falls upon a grievous disease.

  27. كم سر مشتاقا وضر مشاققا

    افديه في السراء والضراء

    How often he has gladdened one who yearned and harmed an adversary!

    I would ransom him in prosperity and adversity.

  28. يمناه لي بحر اذا ما عاهدت

    فتشير لي كل اصبع بوفاء

    His right hand is a sea to me; whenever it makes a pledge,

    each finger signals faithfulness to me.

  29. كم بالندا راي لها نشر الندى

    وطوى بها صاد حديث الطاءي

    How often, through giving, has a resolve of that hand spread bounty,

    and with it folded away the ṣād of al-Ṭāʾī’s tale!

  30. مولاي يا بحر المكارم والوفا

    واخا النوال وواحد العلياء

    My lord, O sea of noble virtues and fidelity,

    brother to bounty, peerless in the heights!

  31. خذها اليك عقيلة جاءتك من

    فرط الحيا تمشي على استحياء

    Take her to yourself: a noble maiden who has come to you,

    walking shyly from overwhelming modesty.

  32. وافتك تبدي العذر عن تأخيرها

    والعذر مقبول من العذراء

    She has come to you offering an excuse for her delay,

    and an excuse is accepted from a virgin.

  33. قد احسنت فيك المديح وابدعت

    في حسنها ناهيك بالحسناء

    She has praised you well and shown rare artistry

    in her beauty—a lovely maiden indeed!

  34. لا زلت في ميدان كل فصاحة

    طلق العنان وفارس الشعراء

    May you ever, in the arena of all eloquence,

    have free rein, the champion horseman of poets,

  35. والمحرز القصبات في سبق العلا

    لو نيط شأو المجد بالزرقاء

    winning the prize-reeds in the race for eminence,

    even if glory’s farthest goal were tied to the blue sky,

  36. ما حرك العود النسيم وصفّقت

    ورق الغصون على غنا الورقاء

    as long as the breeze stirs the bough, and

    the leaves of the branches clap to the gray dove’s song.