Sol 6.1

  1. لَئِن عانِسٌ قَد شابَ بَينَ قَرنِها

    إِلى كَعبِها وَاِمتُصَّ عَنها شَبابُها

    If indeed a spinster has gone gray from her crown

    to her ankle, and her youth has been drained away,

  2. صَبَت في طِلابِ اللَهوِ يَوماً وَعَلَّقَت

    حِجاباً لَقَد كانَت سَتيراً حِجابُها

    she once grew amorous in pursuit of pleasure and hung

    a curtain; her veil had indeed kept her hidden.

  3. لَقَد مُتَّعَت في العَيشِ حَتّى تَمَتَّعَت

    مِنَ اللَهوِ إِذ لا يُنكِرُ اللَهوَ بابُها

    She was granted enjoyment in life until she took her fill

    of pleasure, when her door did not reject pleasure.

  4. فَبيني بِرَغمٍ ثُمَّ ظَلّي فَرُبَّما

    ثَوى الزَعمُ مِنها حَيثُ يَثوي نِقابُها

    So depart in humiliation, then remain—for often

    a claim of hers has rested where her face-veil rests.

  5. لِبَيضاءَ لَم تُنسَب لِجَدٍّ يَعيبُها

    هِجانٍ وَلَم تَنبَح لَئيماً كِلابُها

    For a fair-skinned woman, traced to no ancestor who disgraces her,

    of pure lineage, whose dogs never barked at an ignoble man.

  6. تَأَوَّدُ في المَمضى كَأَنَّ قِناعَها

    عَلى ظَبيَةٍ أَدماءَ طابَت ثِيابُها

    She sways as she walks, as though her head-veil were

    on a white, dusky-backed gazelle, her garments fragrant,

  7. مُهَفهَفَةِ الأَعطافِ خَفّاقَةِ الحَشا

    جَميلٍ مُحَيّاها قَليلٍ عِتابُها

    slender of flank and slim of waist,

    her face lovely, her reproaches few.

  8. إِذا ما دَعَت بِاِبنَي نِزارٍ وَنازَعَت

    ذُرا المَجدِ لَم يُردَد عَلَيها اِنتِسابُها

    When she invokes the two sons of Nizār and vies for

    the summits of glory, her claim of descent is not denied.