راح الحمار وخلى القيد في الوتد

راح الحمار وخلى القيد في الوتد

وما رأى أثْرَهُ في الناس من أحد

وما رأى أثْرَهُ في الناس من أحد

The donkey went off, leaving his tether on the peg;

The donkey went away and left his tether on the stake,

and not one among the people saw any trace of him.

and no one among the people saw a trace of him.

فهل أنا راكب من بعده وتداً

فهل أنا راكب من بعده وتداً

أم مجزئي قيده لو كان من مسد

أم مجزئي قيده لو كان من مسد

Am I, then, to ride a peg after him,

Am I, then, to ride a stake now he is gone?

or will his tether suffice me, though made of twisted palm fiber?

Or will his tether suffice me, even if made of twisted palm fiber?

أم كيف أدخل داراً كان لي سكناً

أم كيف أدخل داراً كان لي سكناً

فيها وأنزل عندي مُنْزل الولد

فيها وأنزل عندي مُنْزل الولد

Or how shall I enter a house that once was my dwelling,

Or how can I enter a house where he was my solace,

where I accorded him, in my own eyes, the station of a son?

and where he was lodged with me in the place of a son?

سرهدته بيدي كالطفل من شفق

سرهدته بيدي كالطفل من شفق

كالطفل من شفق سرهدته بيدي

كالطفل من شفق سرهدته بيدي

I nurtured him with my own hand like a child, out of tenderness;

I nurtured him with my own hand, like a child, out of tenderness;

like a child, out of tenderness, I nurtured him with my own hand.

like a child, out of tenderness, I nurtured him with my own hand.

وجثئته بشعير لا يخالطه

وجثئته بشعير لا يخالطه

ماس ولا عسجد خوفاً من الدرد

ماس ولا عسجد خوفاً من الدرد

I fed him barley with nothing mixed into it—

And I fed him barley, unmixed

neither diamond nor gold—for fear he might lose his teeth.

with diamond or gold, for fear of toothlessness.

وكان يوقظني منه النهاق إذا

وكان يوقظني منه النهاق إذا

استثقلت نوماً بصوت مطرب غَرد

استثقلت نوماً بصوت مطرب غَرد

His braying would wake me whenever

And his braying would wake me whenever

I sank heavily into sleep—a melodious, warbling voice.

I slept heavily, with a delightful, tuneful voice.

كم حاد بي عن مضيق حين أبصر من

كم حاد بي عن مضيق حين أبصر من

حول الجمال تبلّ الأرض بالزبد

حول الجمال تبلّ الأرض بالزبد

How often he turned me away from a narrow pass when he saw

How often he steered me from a narrow pass when he saw

those around the camels wetting the earth with foam;

camels all around, wetting the earth with foam.

وسار بي في طريق بلّ جانبها

وسار بي في طريق بلّ جانبها

أهل الجمال بماء الورد وهو ندي

أهل الجمال بماء الورد وهو ندي

and bore me down a road whose verge had been sprinkled

And he carried me along a road whose side

by the fair wedding throng with rosewater, while it was still dewy.

the fair folk had wetted with rosewater; it was still moist.

وكم جرى فارهاً إذ لاح عن بعد

وكم جرى فارهاً إذ لاح عن بعد

زفاف خود إليها بالغ الأمد

زفاف خود إليها بالغ الأمد

How often he ran spiritedly when, far away, there appeared

And how often he ran spiritedly when, far off, there appeared

a sheltered maiden’s bridal train, though the way to her stretched far.

a fair maiden's bridal procession—he went all the way to her.

وإذ تبين نعشا للجنازة لم

وإذ تبين نعشا للجنازة لم

يمرر به مع أليم النخس في الكتد

يمرر به مع أليم النخس في الكتد

And when he made out a funeral bier, he would not

And when he discerned a funeral bier, he would not

pass it, however painfully the goad pricked his withers.

pass it, despite painful prodding at his withers.

ما ضل يوما عن استقراء معلفه

ما ضل يوما عن استقراء معلفه

أكان في روضة غنّاء أم جَرَد

أكان في روضة غنّاء أم جَرَد

Not for a day did he cease taking stock of his manger,

He never once went astray in seeking out his manger,

whether it stood in a verdant garden or on barren ground.

whether in a lush meadow or on barren ground.

وما شكا قط من وخز ولا ضعفت

وما شكا قط من وخز ولا ضعفت

رجلاه عن جوب وعَث طال أو جدد

رجلاه عن جوب وعَث طال أو جدد

He never complained of a prick, nor did

He never complained of a prick, nor did

his legs weaken from crossing rough ground, however prolonged or renewed.

his legs weaken in crossing deep sand, however long, or firm ground.

شلت يدا من به ولىّ وغادرني

شلت يدا من به ولىّ وغادرني

أمشي وأنشب في أوحال ذا البلد

أمشي وأنشب في أوحال ذا البلد

May both hands of whoever went off with him be palsied—he abandoned me

May both hands be palsied of whoever made off with him, leaving me

to walk and bog down in the mire of this land.

walking and stuck in this town's mire!

أعالم أنني من بعده جزع

أعالم أنني من بعده جزع

وأن فرقته نار على كبدي

وأن فرقته نار على كبدي

Does he know that, since his departure, I am distraught,

Does he know that I am distraught now he is gone,

and that separation from him is a fire upon my heart?

and that separation from him is a fire upon my liver,

وأن صوت المنادي اليوم يزعق أن

وأن صوت المنادي اليوم يزعق أن

البس إكافك في جنح الدجى وعُد

البس إكافك في جنح الدجى وعُد

And that today the crier’s voice shouts:

and that the crier's voice today bellows:

“Put on your packsaddle in the cover of darkness, and return!

Put on your pack-saddle under cover of darkness and return!

لا يغررنك رغد أنت واجده

لا يغررنك رغد أنت واجده

عند الحرامي خصمي فيك من حسد

عند الحرامي خصمي فيك من حسد

Let not the comfort you find deceive you

Let no comfort you find beguile you

with the thief, my rival for you out of envy;

with the thief, my rival for you out of envy.

قائما ذا لحين أنت تعلمه

قائما ذا لحين أنت تعلمه

ما دام شهرا على طرف ولا عَتَد

ما دام شهرا على طرف ولا عَتَد

this comfort will last only until a time you know—

This lasts for a spell that you know;

he has never remained a month on either thoroughbred or sturdy steed.

it has not lasted a month for a noble steed or a sturdy horse.

يفديك كل حمار ندّ من بطر

يفديك كل حمار ندّ من بطر

أوضحّ من لغب أو خار من جهد

أوضحّ من لغب أو خار من جهد

May every donkey ransom you—one that bolted in wantonness,

May every donkey ransom you that bolts from wantonness,

or blanched with weariness, or gave out from exertion;

or flags from fatigue, or weakens from exertion,

أو حار من شبق قلاّب جحفلة

أو حار من شبق قلاّب جحفلة

كرّاف بول قديم جفّ كالقدد

كرّاف بول قديم جفّ كالقدد

or one maddened by lust, forever curling back his lip,

or is bewildered by lust, forever curling its lip,

sniffing stale urine dried hard like strips of hide.

sniffing stale urine, dried like strips of leather,

مصنبع الرأس ممشوق القوائم لم

مصنبع الرأس ممشوق القوائم لم

يحرن إذا سُمته خَسْفا ولم يجد

يحرن إذا سُمته خَسْفا ولم يجد

Well-fashioned of head and slender-limbed, he never

head drawn in and legs long and slender, who never

balked when I set him to drudgery; nor would one find

balked when you subjected him to humiliation, nor grew angry.

ألية إنه بالطرق أعْرف من

ألية إنه بالطرق أعْرف من

مولاه إن لم يَعُقه القيد ذو العقد

مولاه إن لم يَعُقه القيد ذو العقد

a fat rump on him. Indeed, he knows the roads better than

I swear, he knows the roads better than

his master—unless the knotted tether holds him back.

his master, if the knotted tether does not hinder him.

يا ليت لي خصلة من ذيله أثراً

يا ليت لي خصلة من ذيله أثراً

أرنو إليها كما يرنى إلى الخرد

أرنو إليها كما يرنى إلى الخرد

Oh, would that I had a tuft of his tail as a keepsake,

Oh, if only I had a tuft from his tail as a keepsake,

to gaze upon as one gazes at bashful, sheltered maidens.

to gaze upon as one gazes at shy maidens.