Stolen Kiss

A story of a Scholar joking with his wife.

القاضي عبد الوهاب المالكي

Qādhi ‘Abd’l-Wahhāb al-Māliki said:

ونائمةٍ قبَّلتها فتنبَّهَتْ … وقالَتْ تعالَوْا فاطلُبُوا اللِّصَّ بالحدِّ

She was asleep, so I kissed her, and She awoke.
She shouted, “Help! Establish the law against this thief!”

فقلتُ لها إنِّي فَدَيتكِ غاصبٌ … وما حكمُوا في غاصبٍ بسوَى الرَّدِّ

So I said to her, “But I sacrifice myself for you! I took it by force I admit!
But they didn’t rule on the Usurper (the one who has taken something ) other than it is to be given back!

خُذيها وكُفِّي عنْ أَثيمٍ ظلامة … وإن أَنتِ لم ترضَيْ فأَلف على عدِّ

Take it and stop punishing this oppressive soul!
If that doesn’t satisfy you, then take a thousand instead!

فقالتْ قصاصٌ يشهدُ العقلُ أَنَّه … على كبدِ الجاني أَلذُّ من الشَّهْدِ

She said, “This punishment, all who posses intellect will testify
is sweeter for the Criminal than honey itself!

فباتَتْ يَميني وهي هميانُ خصرها … وباتَتْ يَساري وهي واسطَةُ العقدِ

So my right hand spent the night and it was her waist belt.
And my left hand spent the night and it was her necklace.

فقالتْ أَلم أخْبَرْ بأَنَّكَ زاهدٌ … فقلتُ بلَى ما زلتُ أَزهدُ في الزُّهْدِ

She said, “Was I not told that you were a pious man?!”
So I said, “Indeed! I am still a pious man when it comes to piety!”

Kira

There’s this woman I’ve met
She crept quietly into what seemed to me to be
A place in my heart that she was intimately familiar with
At first I was leery, so with I kept her at an arm’s length with my speech
But she continued to reach
And when she touched me I felt helpless
And I felt restless
As she danced through my thoughts
So gorgeous, so graceful

There’s this woman I’ve met
She’s taken my heart to a secret and secluded place
Where hate dissipates and love songs originate
And I don’t know the scenery
And the feelings are unfamiliar
But I’m not afraid, so I gravitate toward her light
She calls and I come, unable to resist
And unwilling to desist
So I move closer because I want to be close to her

There’s this woman I’ve met
I don’t know this woman, but I KNOW this woman
I didn’t see her coming
But I felt her near me
And I was ready to receive her
With all that I am and all that I hope to be
And she sat with me
Saying whatever came to mind
Her words are a different kind
Not hurting, but healing
Nurturing and shielding
My soul from the pain of the past and fright of the future

There’s this woman I’ve met
And I just want to love her
Deeply, passionately, irrationally
And I feel brave in her presence
And saved by her essence
She is the response to prayers I don’t deserve to have answered
So I strive to be worthy
Because I am past grateful
And I know that life is fleeting
And I know that our meeting
Is ordained like the predestined path of the stars
And if she lives on Venus I am ready to leave Mars
To be the companion of this woman I’ve met… forever