Sol 6.1

  1. فَلا يَعلِقَنكُم مِهصَرُ النابِ عَنبَسٌ

    عَبوسٌ لَهُ خَلقٌ غَليظٌ غَضَنفَرُ

    So let no fierce lion with crushing fangs seize you,

    grim-faced, massive in build, a mighty lion.

  2. مُبِنُّ بِأَعلى خَلِّ رَمّان مُخدِرٌ

    عَفَرنِي مذاكي الأَسَدِ مِنهُ تَحجرُ

    He dwells at the head of Rammān's sandy pass, keeping to his lair,

    a formidable beast from whom full-grown lions take shelter.

  3. لَهُ زُبَرٌ كاللبد طارَت رَعابِلاً

    وَكَتِفانِ كَالشَرخَينِ عَبَلٌ مُضَبَّرُ

    He has tufts of mane like felt, flying in tatters,

    and shoulders like saddle-bows; he is thickset and compact.

  4. كَأَنَّ غُضوناً مِن لَهاهُ وَحَلقِهِ

    مُغارٍ هَيامُ عُدمُلِيٌّ مَنهورُ

    The folds of his soft palate and throat seem

    hollows in an ancient bank of loose sand, undercut by water.

  5. يُعَرِّدُ مِنهُ ذو الحِفاظِ مُدَجَّجاً

    وَيَحبِقُ مِنهُ الأَحمَرِيُّ المدورُ

    Even the fully armored defender of honor flees from him,

    and the ruddy, stocky man breaks wind in fear of him.

  6. رَحيرُ مَشَقِّ الشِدقِ أَغضَفُ ضَيغَمٌ

    لَهُ لَحَظاتٌ مُشرِفاتٌ وَمَحجَرُ

    A wide-mouthed, droop-eared lion,

    his glances commanding, his eye-sockets prominent.

  7. وَعَينانِ كَالوَقبَينِ في قُبلِ صَخرَةٍ

    يُرى فيهِما كَالحَمرَتَينِ التَبَصُّرُ

    And two eyes like hollows in the face of a rock,

    in which his watchful gaze shows like two red gleams.

  8. مِنَ الأسد عادِيُّ يَكادُ لِصَوتِهِ

    رُؤوسَ الجِبالِ العادِياتِ تَقَعَّرُ

    A primeval giant among lions, whose voice all but

    uproots the summits of the age-old mountains.

  9. كَأَنَّ اِهتِزامَ الرَعدِ خالَطَ جَوفَهُ

    إِذا حَنَّ فيهِ الخَيزَرانُ المُثَجَّرُ

    It is as though thunder's crash mingles within his belly

    when his broad, reedlike windpipe moans within him.

  10. يَظَلُّ مُغِبّاً عِندَهُ مِن فَرائِسٍ

    رُفاتُ عِظامٍ أَو غَريضٌ مُشَرشَرُ

    Remnants of his prey lie beside him, left overnight—

    crumbled bones or fresh meat torn into strips.

  11. وَخَلقانُ دَرسانٍ حَوالي عَرينِهِ

    وَرَفضُ سِلاحٍ أَو قُنانِ مُقَتَّرُ

    And threadbare, worn-out garments around his lair,

    and scattered weapons, or a smoke-darkened quiver.

  12. أَقَلَّ فَأَقوى ذاتَ يَومٍ وَخَيبَةٌ

    لِأَوَّلِ مَن يَلقى وَغَيُّ مُيَسَّرُ

    One day his food ran short and he went hungry—and woe

    to the first he meets, and destruction lies ready.

  13. فَأَبصَرَ رَكباً رائِحين عَشِيَّةً

    فَقالوا أَبَغلٌ مائِل الجَلِّ أَشقَرُ

    Then he saw a band of riders travelling one evening,

    and they said, 'Is that a chestnut mule, its saddlecloth askew?'

  14. بَلِ السَبعُ فَاِستَنجوا وَأَينَ نَجاؤُكُم

    فَهَذا وَرَبِّ الراقِصاتِ المُزَعفَرُ

    'No, a lion! Flee for your lives—but where can you escape?

    For this—by the Lord of the dancing camels—is the saffron-hued one!'

  15. فَوَلّوا سِراعاً يَندَهونَ مَطِيَّهُم

    وَراحَ عَلى أَثارِهِم يَتَقَمَّرُ

    They turned and fled swiftly, shouting their mounts onward,

    and he followed their tracks, stalking by moonlight.

  16. فَساراهُم ما إِن لِحَسِّ حَسيسِهِ

    مَدى الصَوتِ لا يَدنو وَلا يَتَأَخَّرُ

    He kept pace with them by night, his faint rustling not carrying

    a voice's distance; he neither drew near nor fell behind.

  17. فَلَمّا رَأَوا أَن لَيسَ شَيءٌ يُريبُهُم

    وَقَد أَدلَجوا اللَيلَ التَمامَ وَأَبكَروا

    When they saw that nothing was alarming them,

    having travelled the whole night and on into early morning,

  18. وَقَد بَرَّدَ اللَيل الطَويل عَلَيهِم

    وَمَرَّ بِهِم لَفحُ مِنَ القَرِّ أَعسَرُ

    and the long night had chilled them,

    and a harsh blast of bitter cold had swept over them,

  19. تَنادوا بِأَن حَلّوا قَليلاً وَعَرّسوا

    وَحَفّوا الرِكابَ حَولَكُم وَتَيَسَّروا

    they called to one another, 'Dismount awhile and rest;

    gather the riding camels around you and make ready.'

  20. بِعَينَيهِ لَمّا عَرَّسوا وَرِحالَهُم

    وَمَسقِطَهُم وَالصُبحُ قَد كادَ يَسفرُ

    He had them in sight when they rested—their saddles

    and their resting place—as dawn was about to break.

  21. فَفاجَأَهُم يَستَنُّ ثاني عَطفِهِ

    لَهُ غَبَبٌ كَأَنَّما باتَ يَمكُرُ

    Then he burst upon them at a run, his flank arched,

    a dewlap at his throat, as though he had plotted all night.

  22. فَنادوا جَميعاً بِالسِلاحِ مُيَسَّراً

    وَأَصبَحَ في حافّاتِهِم يَتَنَّمَروا

    They all cried out for weapons to be readied,

    and at dawn he raged like a panther at their fringes.

  23. وَنَدَّت مَطاياهُم فَمِن بَينِ عاتِقٍ

    وَمِن بَينِ مودٍ بِالبَسيطِ يَعجرُ

    Their mounts bolted, some breaking free,

    others perishing on the open plain, floundering.

  24. وَطاروا بِأَسيافٍ لَهُم وَقَطائِف

    وَكُلُّهُم يَخفي الوَعيدَ وَيَزجُرُ

    They leapt up with their swords and heavy cloaks,

    each voicing threats and shouting him back.

  25. فَأَوَّلُ مَن لاقى يَجولُ بِسَيفِهِ

    عَظيمِ الحَوايا قَد شَتا وَهوَ أَعجَرُ

    The first man he met was circling with his sword,

    big of gut, having wintered with a bulging belly.

  26. فَقَضقَضَ بِالنابَينِ قُلَّةَ رَأسِهِ

    وَدَقَّ صَليفَ العُنقِ وَالعُنقُ أَصعَرُ

    Then with his two fangs he crushed the crown of his head,

    and smashed the side of his neck, leaving it twisted awry.

  27. وَوافى بِهِ مَن كانَ يَرجوإيابَهُ

    فَصادَفَ مِنهُ بَعضَ ما كادَ يَحذَرُ

    And one who had hoped for his return came bearing him,

    and found in him some of what he had almost feared.