على مثلهِ ثَوراً بُكايَ يَزيدُ
فَلا بَرَدا جفنايَ وهو يجودُ
Like it, a bull would cry out in rage
My eyelids know no respite as it flows on
رزِئنا بذي القَرنَيْنِ بأساً وَنَجْدَةً
لهُ عَدَدٌ من بأسهِ وعديدُ
With the two-horned one we were provided might and deliverance
His might has a number and so does his abundance
بدا وَهلالُ الأُفقِ تاجٌ لرأسهِ
وَمْن شَفَق دِرْعٌ لهُ وَبُرودُ
The new moon rose like a crown on his head
And the afterglow was his coat of armor and refuge
فَلَو أنّه في ليلة العيد لاحَ لي
لَقُلْتُ هلالٌ قد أطلَّ وعيدُ
Had he appeared to me on the night of Eid
I would have said a new moon has risen and the feast commenced
وذي أربَعٍ قد قُمِّعَتْ بزَبَرْ جَدٍ
وَهيهاتَ يحكي ما أقلَّ عمودُ
The one with four legs whose youth was trimmed with a blade of steel
Alas, how brief are the pillars of glory!
وفي الجزعِ من رَوْقيه شبْهٌ ولَوْنُه
عقيقٌ وَنَظْمُ الوَدْعِ منه عقودُ
In the hardness of his stance there is resemblance and color
Carnelian, and the rhythm of farewells knitted into necklaces
خَلا منهُ برجُ الثّورِ والشّرَفُ الذي
سعودٌ لهُ نحو العُلا وصعودُ
The constellation Taurus and the honor that
Brought him ascension and rise are devoid of him
فَكمْ لرِهانٍ منهُ فَرَّ محاربٌ
هزيماً وأدنى ما وراهُ بَريدُ
How many a warrior has fled from his charge
Vanquished, with destruction in his wake!
وَقالوا نَراهُ يَبحثُ الأرضَ ناطحاً
فَيَصْعَدُ نحوَ الجوِّ منه صعيدُ
They said we see him stamping the ground with his horns
And ascending toward the sky on the dust flung up
فقلتُ لَهم يبغي الذي يحملُ الثرى
بقَرنيه فالأرضونَ منه تَميدُ
I said to them: he who carries soil on his horns
Seeks it, and the earth yields to him
وما زالَ يسقي الحرثَ رَيّاً فأخصَبَت
مرابعُ فيها قائمٌ وَحَصيد
He went on watering the soil until it flourished
With meadows in it, settled and harvested
فآهاً لهُ رودَ الشّبابِ أخا لمى
شهيُّ رضابِ المرشِفَينِ بَرودُ
Alas for him! The freshness of youth has departed, O tribesman
Yearned for is the chill of the noble ones' spears
إذا اجتازَ في ساجِ الزرائبِ خلتهُ
مُسبِّحَ صبْحٍ قَدْ عراهُ سجودُ
When he passed through the paddocks of the mares
Greeted by the prostrations of a morning disrobed
رَمَتهُ عُيونُ الحاسدينَ بنظرَةٍ
فَلَيتْتَ بَقَى دهراً وَماتَ حسودُ
The eyes of the envious shot him a glance
Would that it had persisted and the envious died!
وَمنْ أجلهِ قد حَرّمتْ لحمَ مثلهِ
بَراهِمةٌ في شَرْعِها وَهنودُ
Because of him, Brahmins made taboo the flesh of his like
In their law—and Indians too
بكتهُ قَواديسُ السّواقي بأدمُعٍ
غِزارٍ لَها بَيْنَ الحياضِ مُدودُ
The ponds of watering places wept for him
With copious tears flowing in the hollows
وأنّت لهُ الأتراسُ حُزناً وحرقةً
وَذابَ لهُ قلبٌ عليهِ جَريدُ
The citadels grieved for him intensely
And a heart that loved him melted away
وَمن بَعدِهِ ما عانَقَ البابُ سيِّداً
تلهُ كلّ أبقارِ البلادِ عَبيدُ
After him no lord embraced the gate
All the cows of the land became slaves
ولا جازَ من تحتِ الجوائزِ مثلُهُ
وسرقينُه مِسْكٌ يفوحُ وعودُ
None passed beneath the banners like him
His musk was diffused, exuding fragrances
فلو كانَ في أيامِ موسى صبَا إلى
عبادَتهِ في المشركين يهودُ
Had he lived in the days of Moses
Jews would have worshipped him among the polytheists!
