Sol 6.1

  1. أَلَمّا عَلى سَلمى نُسَلِّم وَنَسأَلِ

    سُؤالَ حَفِيٍّ بِالحَبيبِ مُوَكَّلِ

    Call on Salma, you two, that we may greet her and inquire,

    with the inquiries of one solicitous for his beloved, wholly devoted.

  2. سَبَتهُ بِعَذبِ الريقِ صافٍ غُروبُهُ

    رَقيقِ الثَنايا بارِدٍ لَم يُفَلَّلِ

    She captivated him with a mouth of sweet saliva, its tooth-edges bright,

    with delicate front teeth, cool and unchipped;

  3. وَأَسوَدَ مَيّالٍ عَلى جيدِ ظَبيَةٍ

    مِنَ الُدمِ حَوراءِ المَدامِعِ مُغزِلِ

    and black hair swaying upon a gazelle's neck,

    one of the tawny does, dark-eyed, with a fawn;

  4. وَأَتلَعَ بَرّاقٍ كَأَنَّ اِهتِزازَهُ

    إِذا اِنتَصَفَت لِلرَوعِ هِزَّةُ مُنصلِ

    and a long, gleaming neck, whose swaying resembles,

    when she rises in alarm, a sword-blade's quiver.

  5. وَما قَرقَفٌ مِن أَذرُعاتٍ كَأَنَّها

    إِذا سُكِبَت مِن دَنِّها ماءُ مَفصِلِ

    And no wine from Adhriʿat, which seems,

    when poured from its cask, like water from Mafsil,

  6. يُصَبُّ عَلى ناجودِها ماءُ بارِقٍ

    وَعاهُ صَفاً في رَأسِ عَنقاءَ عَيطَلِ

    with water from a flashing cloud poured into its wine-vessel,

    caught by smooth rock atop a lofty, towering peak,

  7. بِأَطيَبَ مِن فيها لِمَن ذاقَ طَعمَهُ

    وَقَد لاحَ ضَوءُ النَجمِ أَو كادَ يَنجَلي

    is sweeter than her mouth to one who has tasted it,

    when the star's light had appeared, or was about to shine clear.

  8. أَخاضَت إِلَيَّ اللَيلَ خَودٌ غَريرَةٌ

    جَبانُ السُرى لم تَنتَطِق عَن تَفَضُّلِ

    A tender, innocent maiden crossed the night to reach me,

    fearful of night journeys, still ungirdled in her single robe.

  9. إِلَيكَ اِبنَ مَروانَ الأَغرَّ تَكَلَّفَت

    مَسافَةَ ما بَينَ البُضَيعِ فَيَليَلِ

    To you, illustrious son of Marwan, I undertook

    the distance between al-Buḍayʿ and Yalyal.

  10. جَرى ناشِياً لِلمَجدِ في كُلِّ حَلبَةٍ

    فَجاءَ مَجيءَ السابِقِ المُتَهَلِّلِ

    As a youth he raced for glory in every arena,

    and came in like a beaming victor.

  11. مَتى يَعتَهِدهُ الراغِبونَ فَيُكثِروا

    عَلى بابِهِ يَكثُر قِراهُ فَيَعجَلِ

    Whenever seekers of favors visit him and throng

    his door, his hospitality grows, and he hastens to offer it.

  12. وَيُعطي عَطاءً تَنتَهي دونَهُ المُنى

    عَطاءَ وَهوبٍ لِلرَغائِبِ مُجزِلِ

    And he gives a bounty beyond the reach of wishes,

    the bounty of a lavish giver, generous with coveted gifts.

  13. أَشَدُّ حَياءً مِن فَتاةٍ حَيِيَّةٍ

    وَأَمضى مَضاءً مِن سِنانٍ مُؤَلَّلِ

    More modest than a bashful maiden,

    and more piercing than a finely pointed spearhead,

  14. وَأَخوَفُ في الأَعداءِ مِن ذي مَهابَةٍ

    بِخَفّانَ وَردٍ واسِعِ العَينِ مُطفِلِ

    and more dreaded by enemies than a fearsome lion

    in Khaffan, tawny, wide-eyed, with cubs.

  15. لَهُ جَزَرٌ في كُلِّ يَومٍ يَجُرُّهُ

    إِلى لَبواتٍ في العَرينِ وَأَشبُلِ

    Each day he has a kill, which he drags

    to lionesses in the den and cubs.

  16. إِذا وَفَدَت رُكبانُ كَعبٍ وَعامِرٍ

    عَلَيكَ وَأَردوا كُلَّ هَوجاءَ عَيهَلِ

    When the riders of Kaʿb and ʿAmir come as envoys

    to you, having worn out every headlong, swift she-camel,

  17. لَقوكَ بِقَولٍ مِن ثَنائِيَ صادِقٍ

    تَخَيَّرتُهُ حُرَّ القَصيدِ المُنَخَّلِ

    they meet you with truthful words of my praise,

    which I chose, the finest of carefully sifted verse—

  18. ثَناءً يُوافي بِالمَواسِمِ أَهلَها

    وَيُنشِدُهُ الرُكبانُ في كُلِّ مَحفَلِ

    praise that reaches the people at their seasonal gatherings,

    and which riders recite at every assembly.