Brains Confounded by the Ode of Abū Shādūf Expounded. Yūsuf al-Shirbīnī

of form, comely of feature, to his lover obedient, sincere, and compliant, whose genial body has not been denied, and who to his lover has been gathered like a bride, the lover of his beloved being thus fully possessed, the place free of tattletale, nosy parker or other pest. Then for kissing there is no number firm—it knows no bounds nor any term. As the poet says:

      “One kiss!” I asked the full moon high in the sky.

      “By Him who draped the clouds,”⁶³ he said, “I will comply!”

      But when we met with none about,

      I reckoned wrong and lost all count!

      ١٢،١،١١

11.1.12

      وقلت في المعنى [طويل]

رَأيتُ لَه شَرْطًا عَلى الخَدِّ قَد حَوَى	جَمالًا وَقَد زانَ المَلاحَةَ بالقُرْطِ
فَقُلتُ مُرادي اللَّثْمُ قالّ بخَلْوَةٍ	فَقَبَّلتُهُ أَلفًا عَلَى ذلك الشَّرْطِ

      اللهمّ إلّا أن يكون المحلّ غير قابل للمحبّ والحبيب * بأن يكون ثَمَّ خوف من واشٍ أو رقيب * فيكون الضمّ في تلك الحالة والتقبيل * بحسب أمن العاشق في الكثرة والتقليل * ومنهم من لا يعتريه في ذلك وَهْمٌ ولا إلباس * ويقبّل محبوبه ولو بحضرة الناس * ولو نفر منه وفرّ * ربّما مال نحوه ومرّ * قال الشاعر [رمل]

لو تراني وحبيبي عِندَما	فَرَّ مِثلَ الظَبْيِ مِن بَينِ يَدَيْ
وغَدا يَعدو وأعدو١ خَلْفَهُ	وكِلانا قَد طَوَينا الأرضَ طَيْ
قالَ ما تَرجِعُ عنّي قُلتُ لا	قالَ ما تَطلُبُ منَي قُلتُ شَيْ
فَنَأى عنَي وَوَلّى خَجَلًا	وانثَنَى بالتّيهِ عنّي لا إلَيْ
كِدتُ بَينَ النّاسِ أنْ ألْثِمَهُ	آهِ لَو أفعلُ ما كان علَيْ

      ١ بي: يغدو وأغدو.

      And I myself said on the same theme:⁶⁴

      I saw upon his cheek a stippled mark that beauty held—

      He whom an earring had made yet sweeter to behold.

      “I want a kiss,” I said. Said he, “When we’re alone!”

      And on that “stipulation” I kissed a thousandfold!

      —unless the place be unsuitable for a lover and the object of his adoration, in that there’s a fear of tattletales or of observation, in which case any hugging and kissing will depend on how comfortable the lover feels—as to whether it be quite a lot or almost completely missing—though there are a few who have, in this regard, no doubt or fear and will kiss their loved ones in front of anyone who’s there, and, even though the latter turn and flee, chase after him relentlessly. As the poet says:

      Would that you’d seen me and my darling

      When, like a deer, he from me fled

      And ran away, and I gave chase;

      Would you’d seen us when after hot pursuit he said,

      “Will you not leave me be?” and I said, “No!”

      And he, “What would you of me?” and I, “You know!”

      And he then stayed aloof and shyly turned his back,

      And proudly turned, not to me, but away—

      For then I almost kissed him, right in front of everyone.

      Ah, would I now could do what then I should have done!

      ١٣،١،١١

11.1.13

      ومن اللطائف أنّ أبا نواس مرّ يومًا في شوارع بغداد فرأى غلامًا جميلًا فقبّله عِيانًا فترافع الغلام هو وإيّاه على يد القاضي يحيى بن أكثم وادّعى عليه بما وقع قال فأطرق القاضي ساعة وأنشد يقول [طويل]

إذا كنتَ للتَّجميشِ والبَوسِ مانِعا	فلا تَدخلِ الأسواقَ إلّا منقَّبا
ولا تُرْخِيَ الأهدابَ مِن فَوقِ طُرّةٍ	ولا تُظْهِرَنْ مِن فَوقِ صُدغِكَ عَقربا
فتَقتُلَ مِسْكيناً وتُهْجِرَ عاشِقًا	وتَتركَ قاضِي المسلمينَ معذَّبا

      قال فأطرق الغلام ساعة وأنشد يقول [طويل]

وكُنّا نرجّي أن نَرَى العَدلَ بَينَنا١	فأَعْقَبَنَا بَعدَ الرَّجاءِ قُنوطُ
مَتى تَصلُح الدُّنيا ويَصلُحُ أَهلُها	إِذا كان قاضي المسلِمين يَلوطُ

      ١ بي: وكنا إذا نرجو انتهاء العدل بيننا؛ ب: وكنا اذا نرجوك للعدل بيننا؛ ك با م: وكنا اذا نرجوك انتها للعدل بيننا.

      An amusing story has it that Abū Nuwās was one day walking in the streets of Baghdad when he saw a beautiful youth and kissed him in front of everyone. He and the youth were brought before the judge Yaḥyā ibn Aktham, and the youth brought charges against Abū Nuwās. After bowing his head in silence for a moment, the judge recited:⁶⁵

      If you object to being groped and kissed

      Don’t go to market without a veil;

      Don’t lower lashes o’er a forelock

      And don’t display upon your temple a scorpion curl,

      For