وَأَدكنَ مثل الطَودِ أمّا سراتُهُ
فَفَيحاءُ يَعلوها عَديدٌ مِن الرجلِ
His body is like a mountain, dark and towering,
With a sweet fragrance rising above it.
لَهُ جُثَّةٌ عُظمى كَأنَّ إِهابَهُ
صَفيحُ حَديدٍ لا يُخَرَّقُ بِالنَبلِ
He has a huge frame, as if his coat of mail
Were iron armor that no arrows can pierce.
لموحٌ بِلخصاوَينِ كَالنار أُشعِلَت
يَرى بِهما ما كانَ أَخفى مِن النَملِ
His tusks gleam like kindled flames,
Revealing what ants had hidden from sight.
وَيردى عَلى غُلبٍ غِلاظٍ كَأَنَّها
عوامِدُ صَخرٍ قَد غَنِينَ عَن النَقلِ
He charges at mighty, stalwart elephants
As if they were pillars of rock beyond moving.
إِذا هَزَّ ما بِالأَرضِ مادَت بِأَهلها
كَأنَّ بِها الزِلزالَ مِن وَطأةِ الثِقلِ
When he shakes the ground, those on it sway
As in an earthquake from his massive weight.
سَفينةُ بَرٍّ قَلعها أذُنٌ لَهُ
تُراوِحُ جَنبيهِ فَيَمشي عَلى رَسلِ
A landship whose sail is one large ear,
Flapping at his sides as he strides on long legs,
وَخُرطومُه قَد قامَ فيما يَرومُهُ
مَقامَ يَدٍ في الأَخذِ وَالرَميِ وَالأَكلِ
His trunk serves the tasks of hands—
Grasping, throwing, and filling his mouth.
عجِبتُ لَهُ مِن جِلدَةٍ لانَ مسُّها
وَيَقوى عَلى قَلعِ العَظيمِ مِن النَخلِ
I marveled at his thick hide, which no touch can harm,
And empowered him to uproot the tallest palm.
وَيَملؤُه ماءً يبخُّ بِهِ الوَرى
كَأَنَّهُم قَد رَشَّهُم مِنهُ بِالعطلِ
He sprays water to soak all the land around,
As if raining down showers on them.
وَيَلعَبُ بِالأَسيافِ حَتّى كَأَنَّها
مَخاريقُ بِالأَيدي تُحَفُّ فَتَستعلي
He plays with swords as if they were
Shovels wielded by hands that rise up high.
إِذا ما رَأى السُلطانَ قَد خَرَّ بارِكاً
لَهُ خدمة غَرزاً بِأَنيابِهِ العُصلِ
When he sees the sultan dismount to honor him,
He kneels in service, tusks probing the ground.
ذَكيٌّ أَخوفَهمٍ عَلى عظمِ جسمِهِ
يَكادُ يُباري في الذَكاءِ ذَوي العَقلِ
Wisest of beasts for his giant size,
His intellect rivals that of rational minds.
فَلَو صَحَّ قَولٌ بِالتَناسُخِ قُلتُ قَد
سَرَت رَوحُ أَرسطو لِجُثمانِهِ العَبلِ
If reincarnation were true, I’d say
Aristotle’s soul inhabited his mighty frame.
غَريب بِلادٍ قَد تَأنَّسَ بَعد ما
تَوحَّشَ دَهراً في يَبابٍ وَفي أَهلِ
A strange creature, now tamed though long
Savage in wilderness and among kin.
تَعالى الَّذي أَنشاهُ شكلَ بَعوضَةٍ
فَلا فَرقَ إِلا بِالتَكثُّرِ وَالقِلِّ
Exalted is He who created him with the form
Of a gnat—no difference but abundance or lack.
