قَد أَغتَدي وَاللَيلُ ذو غَياطِلِ

قَد أَغتَدي وَاللَيلُ ذو غَياطِلِ

هابي الدُجى مُضَرَّجِ الخَصائِلِ

هابي الدُجى مُضَرَّجِ الخَصائِلِ

Sometimes I set out early, while night holds dense shadows,

The night has arrived clouded with darkness

I sally forth while night still holds its heavy folds,

Its gloom hazy, its tresses streaked with red,

Enveloping the horizon with its black hair

A formidable dark with streaks of crimson hue,

بِتَوِّجِيٍّ مُرهَفِ المَعاوِلِ

بِتَوِّجِيٍّ مُرهَفِ المَعاوِلِ

حامي الحُمَيّا مُخلِطٍ مُزايِلِ

حامي الحُمَيّا مُخلِطٍ مُزايِلِ

With a Tawwaji hawk whose pickaxe-talons are keen,

Bearing a diadem with sharp tools

Bearing a crowned hawk with talons honed and sharp,

Fiery with fury, engaging and drawing away,

Guarding the village, mixing with the dwellings

Fierce in his spirit, mingling force with guile,

يوفي اِنتِصابَ المَلِكِ الحُلاحِلِ

يوفي اِنتِصابَ المَلِكِ الحُلاحِلِ

فَوقَ شِمالِ القانِصِ المُخاتِلِ

فَوقَ شِمالِ القانِصِ المُخاتِلِ

Standing upright like a mighty king,

Fulfilling the uprightness of the everlasting King

He holds the posture of a sovereign king,

Above the cunning hunter’s left hand,

Above the left of the entrenched fighter

Upon the left hand of the cunning hunter,

أَفحَجَ مَخشِيِّ الشَذى قُصائِلِ

أَفحَجَ مَخشِيِّ الشَذى قُصائِلِ

حَتّى إِذا أَطلَقَ غَيرَ آئِلِ

حَتّى إِذا أَطلَقَ غَيرَ آئِلِ

Splay-legged, feared for his violence, massive,

It wandered freely with its dangling braids

Bow-legged, feared in might, and stout of build,

Until, when loosed, he will not return

Until when it let loose without returning

Until, when launched, he fails not to return

إِلّا بِما اِعتامَ مِنَ المَعاقِلِ

إِلّا بِما اِعتامَ مِنَ المَعاقِلِ

صِلُّ المَغالي هَدَفُ المَخاصِلِ

صِلُّ المَغالي هَدَفُ المَخاصِلِ

Except with what he chose from the strongholds.

Except by what the fortresses hid

Save with the quarry chosen from the heights,

A viper among far-flung arrows, a target for cutting blades,

The desires are fulfilled, the joints affected

A striking viper, the wager's winning aim,

وَالسِربُ بَينَ خارِقٍ وَوائِلِ

وَالسِربُ بَينَ خارِقٍ وَوائِلِ

كَأَنَّهُ حينَ سَما كَالخائِلِ

كَأَنَّهُ حينَ سَما كَالخائِلِ

And the flock divides between those breaking through and those seeking refuge.

And the flock between the piercing and the wailer

Leaving the flock 'twixt pierced and seeking shelter,

He seems, when he rises like a proud strutter,

As if when it rose like the departer

As though, when he soared up, he was a cloud,

مُنقَلِبُ الحِملاقِ غَيرُ غافِلِ

مُنقَلِبُ الحِملاقِ غَيرُ غافِلِ

مُنكَفِتاً لِسِربِهِنَّ الجافِلِ

مُنكَفِتاً لِسِربِهِنَّ الجافِلِ

His inner eyelid turned back, never heedless,

Returning burdened, not heedless

With rolling eye, alert and never dull,

Darting toward their fleeing flock,

Lowering to their fluttering flock

Diving swiftly upon their frightened drove,

جَندَلَةٌ تَهوي إِلى جَنادِلٍ

جَندَلَةٌ تَهوي إِلى جَنادِلٍ

يَدوينَ بَينَ دَنِفٍ مُناقِلِ

يَدوينَ بَينَ دَنِفٍ مُناقِلِ

A boulder plunging toward boulders.

A crested one glides down to the crested

A massive boulder crashing onto stones,

They wheel between an ailing one shifting his steps

Resounding between the beating and transporting

They cry aloud, between the dying and the fleet,

وَبَينَ مُفَرّي القَرا خَرادِلِ

وَبَينَ مُفَرّي القَرا خَرادِلِ

كَأَنَّهُ في جِلدِهِ الرَعابِلِ

كَأَنَّهُ في جِلدِهِ الرَعابِلِ

And a massive one that rends the back;

And the trotting coursers' galloping

And those with spines torn open, cut to shreds,

As though, in his ragged hide,

As if in its supple skin

As though within his loose and layered skin,

لابِسِ فَروٍ نائِسِ الذَلاذِلِ

لابِسِ فَروٍ نائِسِ الذَلاذِلِ

He wears a fur coat with swaying hems.

Wearing a coat of hanging humility

He wears a fur coat with its tassels swaying.