باقانُ باقانُ لا أَلمَّت

باقانُ باقانُ لا أَلمَّت

بِكَ السَواري لَها طَشيشُ

بِكَ السَواري لَها طَشيشُ

Baqan, Baqan—may they never alight

Bāqān, O Bāqān, you suffered no harm

Upon you, those night clouds with their drizzle.

When the horses brushed against you.

أَلا ترى كَيفَ حَتى

أَلا ترى كَيفَ حَتى

فارَقَكَ الراشِنُ الحَريشُ

فارَقَكَ الراشِنُ الحَريشُ

Do you not see how even

Don’t you see how the fine stallion

The sponger, that rhinoceros, has left you?

Left you, the old nag without verve?

فَدَبَّ نَحوَ الشامِ يَسعى

فَدَبَّ نَحوَ الشامِ يَسعى

عَلى اِرتِهاشٍ لَهُ قَشيشُ

عَلى اِرتِهاشٍ لَهُ قَشيشُ

So he crept toward al-Sham, making his way,

He trotted off towards Syria, hastening

Trembling, with a rustling sound.

On dancing hooves that tap the earth.

أَلَم تَكُن جَلبَهاكَ ضَمّت

أَلَم تَكُن جَلبَهاكَ ضَمّت

ماءً وَعُشباً مِنهُ يَنوشُ

ماءً وَعُشباً مِنهُ يَنوشُ

Had not Jalbahak contained

Did not his neighing beside you enfold

Water and grass from which he could forage,

Grass and water that he could slurp down,

فَيَنضَوي في حِماكَ يَرعى

فَيَنضَوي في حِماكَ يَرعى

حَيثُ اِنضَوَت حَولَكَ الوُحوشُ

حَيثُ اِنضَوَت حَولَكَ الوُحوشُ

So he might shelter in your preserve and graze,

Then snuggle next to your warmth to graze

Where the wild beasts have gathered around you?

While beasts crowded around you?

لَقَد شَكَت جِلَّقٌ عَناها

لَقَد شَكَت جِلَّقٌ عَناها

مِن رَعشنٍ ما لَهُ بطيشُ

مِن رَعشنٍ ما لَهُ بطيشُ

Jillaq has indeed complained of her suffering

An old crony complained bitterly

From a trembling wretch with no vigor.

About some doddering wretch’s worthlessness.

شَيخٌ قَديم يَروي حَديثاً

شَيخٌ قَديم يَروي حَديثاً

عَن شَيخِ ساسانَ ما يَميشُ

عَن شَيخِ ساسانَ ما يَميشُ

An ancient sheikh, relating a tale

An ancient shaykh tells tales

From Sasan's sheikh, without garbling it.

Of Shaykh Sāsān, who cannot walk.

هردِبةٌ كَندشُ الجِرشيّ

هردِبةٌ كَندشُ الجِرشيّ

خَرّاءُ فِسقٍ مَضغُهُ جَريشُ

خَرّاءُ فِسقٍ مَضغُهُ جَريشُ

A lumbering hulk, coarse of soul,

A herdbeast, lice egg-laying bitch,

A debauched shitter, coarse in his chewing.

A worn-out hack chewing on twigs.

يَخالَهُ الغِرُّ في اِزدِرادٍ

يَخالَهُ الغِرُّ في اِزدِرادٍ

سَعلى رَماها خُبثٌ خَميشُ

سَعلى رَماها خُبثٌ خَميشُ

The gullible, seeing him gulp, would take him

Old age makes the wretch despised

For a she-ghoul assailed by savage evil.

Though his shooting was famed unerring.

هنته قَوس الكرات قَوساً

هنته قَوس الكرات قَوساً

وَهوَ سِهامُ المُنا يَريشُ

وَهوَ سِهامُ المُنا يَريشُ

The bow of repeated turns has bent him into a bow,

Bāqān once drew a mighty bow;

While he feathers the arrows of wishes.

His arrows flew unerring.

يَرقبُ لَيلاً بناتِ نَعشٍ

يَرقبُ لَيلاً بناتِ نَعشٍ

حَتّى تُخلّى لَهُ النُعوشُ

حَتّى تُخلّى لَهُ النُعوشُ

At night he watches the Daughters of Naʿsh,

By night he waits to snatch the biers

Until the biers are emptied for him.

When mourners leave the sepulchered.

فَينتَحيها عَلى عصاةٍ

فَينتَحيها عَلى عصاةٍ

ضمّت لِكَرشٍ فيها خدوشُ

ضمّت لِكَرشٍ فيها خدوشُ

Then he makes for them, leaning on a staff,

He drags them off on his staff

Pressed to a paunch marked with scratches.

To a gut with gashes deep as furrows.

بِها يَجوبُ الفَلاة دَوماً

بِها يَجوبُ الفَلاة دَوماً

يَبغي مَعاشاً بِهِ يَعيشُ

يَبغي مَعاشاً بِهِ يَعيشُ

With it he always roams the wilderness,

With them he roams the wilderness,

Seeking a livelihood on which to live.

Seeking a livelihood by which to live.

قال خَليلي لَمّا رآهُ

قال خَليلي لَمّا رآهُ

وَقَد تَلاهُ فرعٌ نَؤُوشُ

وَقَد تَلاهُ فرعٌ نَؤُوشُ

My friend said, when he saw him,

My friend said, when he saw him come,

With a grasping offshoot already following him,

A young foal prancing behind:

يَنسابُ مِن خَلفِهِ كَأَيم

يَنسابُ مِن خَلفِهِ كَأَيم

يَنسابُ ذُعراً لَهُ كَشيشُ

يَنسابُ ذُعراً لَهُ كَشيشُ

Slithering behind him like a snake,

It flowed along like a torrent

Slithering in terror, with a hiss:

Coursing wildly into a wadi.

سَدَّ لَطُعم أَحدَّ ناباً

سَدَّ لَطُعم أَحدَّ ناباً

مِنَ السَبَندى مَتى يَجيشُ

مِنَ السَبَندى مَتى يَجيشُ

Intent on food, sharper of fang

He barred with his fangs the swift bite

Than the lion whenever it rages;

Of a viper about to strike.

أَوعى لنَجو شَيخ سَرُوجٍ

أَوعى لنَجو شَيخ سَرُوجٍ

مِنَ اِبنِهِ حينَ يَستَجيشُ

مِنَ اِبنِهِ حينَ يَستَجيشُ

More retentive of the private words of Saruj's sheikh

Beware old Sarrūj’s son, I say,

Than his son when he calls for aid.

When rage seizes the whelp!

إِن كادَ يُبليكَ صَرفُ دَهرٍ

إِن كادَ يُبليكَ صَرفُ دَهرٍ

سِهامُ مَرماهُ لا تَطيشُ

سِهامُ مَرماهُ لا تَطيشُ

If the vicissitudes of time nearly wear you out—

Though the turns of fate almost finished you off,

Whose arrows never miss—

His shots fly unerring.

فَاِبن بِي زَيدٍ كَبشُ ساسا

فَاِبن بِي زَيدٍ كَبشُ ساسا

ن بَعدَ أَبيهِ حَزقٌ كَميشُ

ن بَعدَ أَبيهِ حَزقٌ كَميشُ

Then Abu Zayd's son, the ram of Sasa—

Ibn Zayd’s son is a ram, Sāsān’s

—n after his father, is stocky and nimble.

Whelp a mangy cur when his sire’s gone.

وَأَنتَ يا شَيخُ كَم تُعاني

وَأَنتَ يا شَيخُ كَم تُعاني

سورَةَ دَهرٍ لَها كَشيشُ

سورَةَ دَهرٍ لَها كَشيشُ

And you, old man, how much you endure

As for you, O Shaykh, how much you suffer

The fury of an age with its hiss!

Destiny’s wiles, which never cease!

خَلفتَ تَسعينَ خَلفَ ظَهرٍ

خَلفتَ تَسعينَ خَلفَ ظَهرٍ

حَكَته في شَكلِها الرَهيشُ

حَكَته في شَكلِها الرَهيشُ

You have left ninety years behind your back,

You’ve left ninety generations behind

Whose shape the bow has copied.

Whose tale wrinkles recorded.

وَعَشَّشَ الهامُ فَوقَ هامٍ

وَعَشَّشَ الهامُ فَوقَ هامٍ

مِنكَ وَصَرفُ الرَدى يَنوشُ

مِنكَ وَصَرفُ الرَدى يَنوشُ

And owls have nested upon a head

And the dynasts have nested atop dynasts

Of yours, while death's onslaught reaches out.

While you drink the lethal draft.

إِلى مَتى تُتعِبُ البَرايا

إِلى مَتى تُتعِبُ البَرايا

يا نَسرُ لُقمان كَم تَعيشُ

يا نَسرُ لُقمان كَم تَعيشُ

How long will you weary creation,

How long will you torment the wilderness,

O Luqman's vulture—how long will you live?

O eagle of Luqmān? How long will you live?