Sol 6.1

  1. هَلِ الأُسى واقِيَه فَلَيسَ لي

    مِن قِبَلِ بِالوَجدِ

    Is sorrow a shield? For I have no

    strength against passion.

  2. إِنَّ الثَنايا أَمان لِذي سَقَم

    قَدِ اِبتُلي بِالصَدِّ

    Those teeth are indeed a refuge for one who is ill,

    who has been afflicted by rejection.

  3. إِذا أَعَدّوا الأَرَق

    فَفي الطِلا سِرُّ جَليل

    When they prepare sleeplessness,

    then in wine lies a mighty secret:

  4. نارٌ تُزيلُ الحُرَق

    كَأَنَّها نارُ الخَليل

    a fire that dispels burning anguish,

    as though it were Abraham's fire;

  5. شَمسٌ تَبُثُّ الشَفَق

    في وَجنَةِ الساقي الجَميل

    a sun that spreads twilight's glow

    over the handsome cupbearer's cheek.

  6. اِختَرتُها فانِيَه مِن أَنمُلِ

    مُعتَدِلِ القَدِّ

    I chose it, fleeting, from the fingers

    of one of graceful stature.

  7. فَجَرَت في غُصنِ بانٍ فيهِ العَنَم

    أَثمَرَ لي بِالوَردِ

    Then it flowed through a bān bough bearing ʿanam,

    which bore roses for me.

  8. فَتَنتُ في ذي حَوَرِ

    صِفاتُهُ السِحرُ العَجيب

    I was bewitched by a dark-eyed one,

    whose qualities are wondrous magic.

  9. يُدينُ فيهِ بَصَري

    بِدينِ عَبّادِ الصَليب

    My gaze, for his sake, professes

    the faith of the worshippers of the cross,

  10. إِذ ثُلِّثَت بِالقَمَرِ

    وَالحَقفِ وَالغُصنِ الرَطيب

    for they became a trinity of the moon,

    the sand dune, and the supple bough.

  11. أَلحاظُهُ العادِيَه لا تَأتَلي

    عَن مَقتَلِ بِالقَصدِ

    His assailing glances never hold back

    from deliberate killing.

  12. أَما عَلَيها ضَمان هَل مِن حَكَم

    أَو مِن وَلي أَو مُعدِ

    Are they not liable? Is there any judge,

    or protector, or one to grant redress?

  13. لا تَرمِني بِالعِتاب

    مالي عَنِ الحُبِّ مَتاب

    Do not assail me with reproach;

    I have no turning away from love.

  14. جَرَّعتَني الهَجرَ صاب

    فَلتَرثِ لِلصَبِّ المُصاب

    You made me swallow estrangement's bitter sap;

    so pity the stricken lover.

  15. تِلكَ الثَنايا العِذاب

    ثَنَت نَعيمي لِلعَذاب

    Those sweet teeth

    have turned my bliss to torment.

  16. لَو أَنَّها شافِيَه مِن عِلَل

    بِعَلَلِ أَو وِردِ

    If only they could cure ailments

    with another draught or a visit to drink,

  17. في جائِلٍ مِن جُمان قَدِ اِنتَظَم

    في السَلسَلِ كَالعِقدِ

    in a circling strand of pearls, arrayed

    in limpid water like a necklace.

  18. رِفقاً بِصَبِّ عَشَق

    خَذَلتَهُ بِلا مُعين

    Be gentle with a lover, deep in love,

    whom you abandoned with no one to help.

  19. إِن لَم تَجِد لي رَمَق

    فَاِطلُب مَكاني بِالأَنين

    If you find no spark of life in me,

    then find my place by the moaning.

  20. شَيَّبَت لي مَفرِق

    وَالحُبُّ في قَلبي جَنين

    My hair's parting has been turned grey,

    while love is still an embryo in my heart.

  21. هَل لَكَ مِن راضِيَه في رَجُلِ

    مُمتَثِلِ عَن عَبدِ

    Have you any liking for a man

    obedient in a slave's stead?

  22. خُذني بِعَينِ اِمِتِنان وَلا نَدَم

    وَالحُكمُ لي في الرَدِّ

    Take me with an eye of favor and no regret;

    and the ruling on return is in my favor.

  23. هُوَ أَبا الطاهِرِ

    قَد صَحَّ نَصّاً وَقِياس

    It, O Abu al-Tahir,

    has been established by text and analogy.

  24. أَفديهِ مِن سامِري

    خِطابُهُ بِلا مَساس

    I would ransom him—what a Samiri!

    His speech is 'No touching.'

  25. فَإِنَّما زاجِري

    يَبني عَلى غَيرِ أَساس

    For my rebuker merely

    builds on no foundation.

  26. ما حَظُّ عُذّالِيَه في عَذَلي

    مِن زَلَلِ أَو رُشدِ

    What gain have my reproachers in reproaching me,

    whether in error or sound judgment?

  27. إِنّي رَضيتُ الهَوانَ أَرضى نَعَم

    بِالحَنظَلِ عَن شَهدِ

    Indeed, I have accepted abasement; I am content—yes—

    with colocynth instead of honey.