Sol 6.1

  1. وَأَنمَر موشِيَّ القَميص مُوَلَّعٍ

    كأنَّ عَلَيهِ مِنهُ رَقماً مُوَشَّما

    And a spotted beast, its coat embroidered and mottled,

    as though its pattern were tattooed upon it.

  2. يلوح على خدَّيه خطّان عُرِّجا

    قليلاً ورُدّا هابطين فقوَّما

    On its cheeks two lines appear, bent

    slightly, then turned back downward and straightened.

  3. مُفَتَّل عُضدَي ساعِدَيهِ كأنَّما

    أُعيرا بقِدٍّ ثُمَّ شُدّا فأبرِما

    Its upper forelegs are tightly corded, as though

    furnished with a leather thong, then bound and twisted tight.

  4. وَنيطت فُضول الساعِدَينِ فألحمت

    برُسغَينِ لُزّا بالوصول فالحما

    The projecting ends of its forelegs are attached and knit

    to two wrists, clamped fast at the joints and fused.

  5. وَقَد أُنشِرا عَن بُرثُنَينِ مُزيَّلٍ

    لحومهما شَثنَين لُمّا وَسُنِّما

    And they open onto two paws, with separated

    flesh—thick and rough, compacted and raised into humps.

  6. تَكنَّفنَ أَظفاراً كأنَّ حجونَها

    حجونُ الصياصي أعجَزَت أن تُقَلَّما

    They enclose claws whose hooked curves resemble

    the curves of horns, impossible to clip.

  7. له هامة لو أنَّ كفا رهيشة

    دحتها على صمِّ الصفا لتهدَّما

    It has a head that, were a feeble hand

    to fling it against solid, smooth rock, the rock would shatter.

  8. بعَينَينِ لَو يُدنى إلى قَبسَيهما

    ذُبالٌ تذكّى منهُما وتضَرَّما

    With two eyes—if wicks were brought near their flames,

    they would ignite from them and blaze.

  9. وَنابَينِ لو يَسطو الزمانُ على الورى

    بحدَّيهما كانَ الحمامُ مُقدَّما

    And two fangs—were Time to assault all creatures

    with their edges, death would be hastened.

  10. ووجه يجديل الخير في صفحاته

    أبى كَيدُه للخلقَ أن يتبسَّما

    And a face that [unclear verb] goodness upon its features,

    whose malice toward creatures would not let it smile.

  11. وجفنان يغتال الردى لحظتاهما

    فلا يمكنان النفس أن تتلوما

    And two eyelids whose glances ambush death itself,

    giving the soul no chance to linger.

  12. وَشِدقَين كالغارَينِ يَلتَهِمانِ ما

    مِنَ الرُبدِ والخُنس الأوابدِ أُلهِما

    And two jaws like caverns, devouring whatever

    gray ostriches and snub-nosed wild beasts they are given.

  13. أجدَتُ له التقويم حتى كففته

    عن الشيم اللائي أبت أن تقوَّما

    I trained it well until I restrained it

    from habits that refused to be corrected.

  14. فَعَلَّمتُهُ الإمساك للصَيدِ بعدما

    يئستُ لجهلِ الطَبعِ أن يتعلَّما

    So I taught it to hold the quarry, after

    I had despaired, because of its ignorant nature, of its learning.

  15. فجاءَ على ما شئتُهُ وَوَجدتُهُ

    مُحِلّاً لما قَد كان مِن قبلُ حَرَّما

    Then it did as I wished, and I found it

    making lawful what it had previously made forbidden.

  16. إذا ما غَدَونا نبتَغي الصَيدَ أسمَحت

    لنا نَفسُهُ إلّا تُريق لَهُ دما

    When we go out in the morning seeking game, willing

    is its spirit, for our sake, not to spill the quarry's blood.

  17. وَلا يتَوَلّى مِنهُ إِزهاقَ نفسِهِ

    وَلكِن يُؤَدّيه صَحيحاً مُسلَّما

    Nor does it undertake to take the quarry's life,

    but brings it sound and hands it over.

  18. إذا لا حِظت عيناه شخصاً ترومه

    تنمَّر في اكفهراره وترغَّما

    When its eyes notice a figure you seek,

    it turns leopard-fierce in its scowl and grows wrathful.

  19. يرومُ لنا في ذاك سمعاً وَطاعَةً

    حِفاظاً على ذِمّاتِنا وتذَمُّما

    It seeks in this to heed and obey us,

    in honor of our covenants, and to avoid blame.

  20. فيكفيه من إحضارِه وَثَباتُهُ

    وَمِن روعاتِ الصَيدِ أن يتجهَّما

    So its leaps suffice it instead of swift running,

    and to terrify the quarry, it need only scowl.

  21. فَلسنا نرُدُّ الطرف إلا بأن نرى

    لقبضتِهِ في جُثَّةِ الصَيد ميسَما

    So we never turn our gaze back without seeing

    the brand of its grip upon the quarry's body.

  22. كأن آله الخلقِ أَصافهُ رِقَّةً

    وَحَكَّمَهُ في نَفسِهِ فتحَكَّما

    As though the God of creation had granted it gentleness [reading uncertain],

    and made it master of itself, so it took command.