Leg over Leg. Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq

the town’s population as might a she-cat being robbed of her kittens. Consequently, the Fāriyāq left these tomcats and their females behind—a decision whose correctness was confirmed in his view when he came across the proverb that says, “When you enter the land of al-Ḥuṣayb, run!”⁸¹—and stayed in London for close to a month.

      وصف لندن او لندرة عن الفارياق

      A Description of London, or Londra,⁸² according to the Fāriyāq

      4.5.8

      ها هى ذات التيه والدلال * الخاطرة على الفحول من الرجال * تنظر اليهم شزرا * وتجرّ اذيالها وشالها جرا * كما قلت من قصيدة

قامت تجرّ من الدلال ذيولا

جرّا اضاف الى العميد نحولا

      وهى لا ترى لها من بينهم كفؤا * وتهلس منهم سخرية وهزؤا * اَلا فاذكرى ان بينم الاقوى الاقدر * الاسرى الايسر * الاسرع الاعسر * الاقرش الاقشر * الاصرع الاعصر * الاسرد الادسر * الارشف الاشفر * الابرز الازبر * الذى اذا ضمّ زفر * واذا شمّ نخر * واذا هيج زأر * او غُمز بدر * واذا راى طبلا زمّر * او ذات تدهكر دهشر *

      See the proud and capricious lady in her duds, strutting before the manly studs! With a furious stare she gives them a zap, dragging behind her her skirts and her wrap. As I say in a poem of mine

      Coquettishly she set off, dragging her train,

      Causing the suffering lover yet more pain.

      Among them she finds no match and mocks them with her smiles—they’re not up to scratch. Be mindful, fair lady, that among them is to be found the strongest and the ablest, the manliest and the wealthiest, the speediest and the toughest, the strongest and at stripping the quickest, the best at felling and the pressingest, the proddingest and the pokiest, the lippiest and labia-lovingest, the sticky-outy-est and the largest thingy-est, who, when he hugs, moans, when he smells, snorts and when aroused, groans; who if winked at, responds in a flash and, the moment he sees a drum, plays on his pipe; who on seeing a woman with body lavish is quick to ravish.

      4.5.9

      اذكرى ان بينهم عربيا ذا غرام * وهيام وأوام * ومغازلة وبغام * ومداعبة وكعام * وتمشير وانكماش * واندساس فى الاعشاش * علامَ نتملّقك وانت معرضة كبرا * ونعدك فتتخذين كلامنا هِترا * الم تعلمى انّا اليك متودّدون * وعلى مثلك متعوّدون * كم من صعب رُضْناه * ومتحكّم ارضيناه * واَبِىّ اَمَلْناه * وقَرِم اشبعناه * وجامح استوقفناه * وشاكٍ اشكيناه * وعاتب اعتبناه * وكم من متعنّتة آبت وهى شاكره * ثم انثنت زائره * اَلا لا يغوينّك الشطاط الى الشطط * والعَيَن الى الشَحَط * والعَيَط الى اللغط * وصهوبة الشعر* الى انكار القدر * وتفليج الثنايا * الى اَلْت المزايا * وتورد الخدين * الى احتقار اللجين * وتفليك الكُعب * الى التيه والعجب * وبضاضة البشره * الى النهم والشره * وفعومة الساعدين * الى عنجرة الشفتين * وجدل الساقين * الى الاستنكاف من مِضّ لناقد عين * وعميد غين * يكفتهما ويتطوق بهما * او يعتمّ بهما على زَنَبهما * وينزه زغبهما عن الحلت والنتف * والحصّ والحفّ * وعن مسّ السقف * اَلا ولا يضلنّك الجاهض من ورآ * الى الازدرآ * ولا النافج من امام * الى منع التحية والسلام *

      Be mindful that among them is an Arab who with passion yearns, with thirst and torment burns, one quick to make love and quick to lay, to devour with kisses and engage in play, energetic in bed and nimble, ever ready to hunt the thimble. With what can we flatter you, when haughtily you turn aside your eyes, with what entice you, when you treat our words as lies? Are you not aware that not only do we seek your kindnesses but also that of your kind we’ve known our share? How many a headstrong woman we’ve been able to pacify! How many a willful woman we’ve known how to gratify! How many a disdainful one have we bent to our will! To how many a love-hungry one have we given her fill! How many a bolter have we given reason to pause! To how many a love-sick complainer have we given cause! How many a prude have we, to their satisfaction, screwed! How many an obdurate woman has sung our praises while homeward bound, returning later for a second round! Let not your stately stature seduce you into being stiff, your wide eyes into staying aloof, your swanlike neck into churlish demurral, into denying your fate that auburn curl, your gap-teeth into a refusal of men’s due, into contempt for lucre your cheeks’ rosy hue, your swelling breasts into pride and vanity, your firmness of skin into voracity and avidity, the curves of your hips⁸³ into a pursing of lips! Let not firmness of calf tempt you to haughtiness in the form of an expression of half-hearted disdain for a peek-sneaker or love-sick swain—an expression that closes said calves tight and wraps itself around them to keep them out of sight, or envelops them despite their plumpness and spares their down from any shearing or peeling, any shaving or plucking, or from touching the ceiling! Let not what sticks out behind make you to proper respect be blind, or what lifts your bosom’s sheeting into refusing salutation or greeting!

      4.5.10

      ان لدينا من المِزْر والفُقّاع * ما يروى كل مَقّاع * ويسكر كل ذات قناع * ومن الشِوآ * ما يزيل الخَوآ * ومن الدينار * ما ينفث فى عقد الازار * فيحلها حلّا * ويبلّها بلّا * فمن البلّ بَلَل * ومن الحَلّ حُلَل * فبحق من اولاك هذه المحاسن * فتنة كل سامع ومعاين * الّا ما احسنت فى عشاقك الظنّ * واقللت لهم من هذا التزليق والفَتْن * فكلهم الى وصالك حنّ * ومن صلفك اَنّ *

      We have enough shandy and champagne every thirsty drinker to inebriate, every veiled lady to intoxicate, enough meat from the grill every empty belly to fill, enough coin to blow the knots of every lady’s waist wrapper from off her groin and undo them utterly and moisten them mightily—and with moistening comes munificence, with undoing, dresses.⁸⁴ By Him who conferred