وَكَأَنَّما تِبَعَ الفوارِسُ أرْنَباً

وَكَأَنَّما تِبَعَ الفوارِسُ أرْنَباً

أو ظَبْيَ رابِيَةٍ خُفاَفاً أَشْعباَ

أو ظَبْيَ رابِيَةٍ خُفاَفاً أَشْعباَ

And as though the horsemen pursued a hare,

As if the horsemen had chased a rabbit,

Or a light-footed, wide-horned gazelle of a hill.

Or a young gazelle with slender legs up the slopes -

وكأَنَّما طَردُوا بِجنْبَيْ عاقِلٍ

وكأَنَّما طَردُوا بِجنْبَيْ عاقِلٍ

صَدْعاً من الأرْوىَ أُحِسَّ مكُلِّبا

صَدْعاً من الأرْوىَ أُحِسَّ مكُلِّبا

And as though, on either side of ʿĀqil, they chased

And as if they had hunted down by a wise man's side

A young ibex among the mountain goats, sensing a hunter with hounds.

A piece of the lofty cliffs where echo beats.

أِعْجَزْتُ منهمْ والأكُفُّ تنالُني

أِعْجَزْتُ منهمْ والأكُفُّ تنالُني

وَمضَتْ حِياضُهُمُ وآبوا خُيبَّاَ

وَمضَتْ حِياضُهُمُ وآبوا خُيبَّاَ

I eluded them, though their hands were reaching me;

I was too weak for them, though fists were ready;

And their watering pools fell behind, and they returned disappointed.

Their onslaught passed and back they went, denied.

أَدْعوشَنوءَةَ غَثَّها وسَمِينهَا

أَدْعوشَنوءَةَ غَثَّها وسَمِينهَا

ودَعا المُرَقِّعُ يومَ ذلِكَ أَكْلُبا

ودَعا المُرَقِّعُ يومَ ذلِكَ أَكْلُبا

I call upon Shanūʾa, its lean and its fat,

I called on Shanwah, though her tribe were no use,

And al-Muraqqiʿ called upon Aklub that day.

And that day the patched cloak called for dogs to eat.