رأيتُ جحظةَ يخشى الناسَ كلَّهُمُ

رأيتُ جحظةَ يخشى الناسَ كلَّهُمُ

إذا همُ عاينوه الفالج الذكرا

إذا همُ عاينوه الفالج الذكرا

I saw Jaḥẓa fearing everyone,

I saw Jahza: all the people fear,

whenever they beheld him—that hulking two-humped male camel.

when they behold him, the male palsy.

تخال ما برقاب الناس من مَيَلٍ

تخال ما برقاب الناس من مَيَلٍ

عنه إذا ما تراءى وجْهُهُ صَعَرا

عنه إذا ما تراءى وجْهُهُ صَعَرا

You would think the bend in people’s necks away from him,

You would take the tilt in people's necks

whenever his face came into view, was a case of wry neck.

away from him, when his face appears, for wryneck.

وإن تبدّى بصوتٍ خَرَّ سامعُهُ

وإن تبدّى بصوتٍ خَرَّ سامعُهُ

للبرد مَيْتاً ولو درَّعتَه سقرا

للبرد مَيْتاً ولو درَّعتَه سقرا

And should he break forth with his voice, his hearer drops

And if he makes his voice heard, his listener falls

dead from the cold—even if you armored him in Saqar.

dead from cold, even if you armored him in Saqar.

تخاله أبداً من قبح منظره

تخاله أبداً من قبح منظره

مُجاذباً وتراً أو بالعاً حجرا

مُجاذباً وتراً أو بالعاً حجرا

You always imagine him, because of his hideous appearance,

From his ugly appearance, you always imagine him

locked in a tug-of-war—or you see him swallowing a stone.

tugging at a string or swallowing a stone.

كأنه ضِفدعٌ في لُجةٍ هَرمٌ

كأنه ضِفدعٌ في لُجةٍ هَرمٌ

إذا شدا نغماً أو كررَ النظرا

إذا شدا نغماً أو كررَ النظرا

He is like an aged frog in a deep pool

He is like an aged frog in deep water,

when he sings a tune or casts another glance.

when he sings a melody or looks again.

لو كان للَه في تخليدنا قدَرٌ

لو كان للَه في تخليدنا قدَرٌ

مَعْ قُرْبه ما أردنا ذلك القدرا

مَعْ قُرْبه ما أردنا ذلك القدرا

If God had decreed that we should live forever,

Had God decreed immortality for us,

with him nearby, we would not wish for that decree.

with him nearby, we would not want that fate.