لَمّا غَدا الثَعلَبُ مِن وِجارِهِ

يَلتَمِسُ الكَسبَ عَلى صِغارِهِ

When the fox emerged from his lair

When the fox went early from his lair,

Seeking sustenance for his cubs

Seeking provision for his young to share,

جَذلانَ قَد هَيَّجَ مِن دُوّارِهِ

عارَضتُهُ في سَنَنِ اِمتِيارِهِ

The hyena stirred up from his den

Joyful, stirred by hunger's dizzy round,

I confronted him in his habit of choice

I crossed his path upon his hunting ground,

بِضَرِمٍ يَمرَحُ في شِوارِهِ

في الحَلَقِ الصُفرِ وَفي أَسيارِهِ

With a young hound frolicking in his courtyard

With a fiery hound prancing in his gear,

With a yellow ring around his neck and on his forearms

Decked in brass rings and leathern straps severe.

مُضطَرِمَ القُصرى مِنَ اِضطِمارِهِ

قَد نَحَتَ التَلويحُ مِن أَقطارِهِ

Inflamed in his chest from his wrath

His flanks were burning, taut from discipline,

Carving warnings from his claws

Carved by the elements, polished and thin,

مِن بَعدِ ما كانَ إِلى أَصبارِهِ

غَضّاً كَسَتهُ الخورُ مِن عِشارِهِ

After he had been close to his burrow

After he had been full-fleshed to the bone,

His coat plucked by the thorns of his domain

Tender and sleek, on camel-milk grown,

أَيّامَ لا يُحبَسُ مِن عِثارِهِ

وَهوَ طَلىً لَم يَدنُ مِن شِفارِهِ

Days when he could not be restrained from his prey

In days he ran unchecked, though he might fall,

While he was a worn out fox not nearing his prime

A pampered pup, far from the butcher's stall.

في مَنزِلٍ يَحجُبُ عَن زُوّارِهِ

يُساسُ فيهِ طَرَفَي نَهارِهِ

In a dwelling screening him from visitors

Kept in a shelter, hid from prying eyes,

Where he spends both sides of his day

Tended with care beneath the changing skies,

حَتّى إِذا أَحمَدَ في اِبتِيارِهِ

وَآضَ مِثلَ القُلبِ مِن نُضارِهِ

Until when he excelled in his selection

Until, proved worthy in the testing field,

And picked his prey like a fresh heart

He shone like gold that pure refineries yield.

كَأَنَّما قُرِّبَ مِن هِجارِهِ

يَجمَعُ قُطرَيهِ مِنَ اِنضِمارِهِ

It was as if he was estranged from his companions

As though drawn tight upon a tethering rope,

Bringing his drops together from his concealment

He gathers his limbs to give his speed full scope.

وَإِن تَمَطّى تَمَّ في أَشبارِهِ

عَشرٌ إِذا قُدِّرَ في اِقتِدارِهِ

If he pounced, it would be into his prey

And when he stretches, vast is his span's extent,

Ten, if destined by his capability

Ten measured lengths, were one on measuring bent.

كَأَنَّ لَحيَيهِ لَدى اِفتِرارِهِ

شَكَّ مَسامِرٍ عَلى طِوارِهِ

It was as if his jaws upon his attack

As if his jaws, when he reveals his bite,

Were pegs upon his head

Were rows of nails driven in a rim tight.

كَأَنَّ خَلفَ مُلتَقى أَشفارِهِ

جَمرَ غَضىً يُدمِنُ في اِستِعارِهِ

As if behind where his lips met

As if beneath the meeting of his eyes,

Were embers he stirred up in his borrowing

The ember of Ghada wood forever lies.

سِمعٌ إِذا اِستَروَحَ لَم تُمارِهِ

إِلّا بِأَن يُطلَقَ مِن عِذارِهِ

A hearing that if given relief would not be confused

A wolf-born hunter; catch the wind, he flies,

Unless released from its deafness

Waiting only for the leash to let him rise.

فَاِنصاعَ كَالكَوكَبِ في اِنحِدارِهِ

لَفتَ المُشيرِ مَوهِناً بِنارِهِ

So he inclined like a planet in its descent

Then he swooped like a meteor from the height,

He turned the advisor spineless with his fire

Like a signaler's fire flashing in the night.

حَتّى إِذا أَخصَفَ في إِحضارِهِ

خَرَّقَ أُذنَيهِ شَبا أَظفارِهِ

Until when he pounced in his advance

Until, redoubling speed within the race,

He tore his ears with the tips of his claws

His sharp claw-tips pierced the ears in the chase.

حَتّى إِذا ما اِنشامَ في غُبارِهِ

عافَرَهُ أَخرَقُ في عِفارِهِ

Until when he pounced in his dust

And when he plunged into the dust's clouded sphere,

The gallant one churned him in his soil

A savage force wrestled the quarry near.

فَتَلتَلَ المِفصَلَ مِن فِقارِهِ

وَقَدَّ عَنهُ جانِبَي صِدارِهِ

So his joints were disjointed from his spine

He shook the very joints of the spine's thread,

And he shook off both his shoulders

And tore the vest from off the chest and head.

لا خَيرَ في الثَعلَبِ في اِبتِكارِهِ

لا خَيرَ في الثَعلَبِ في اِبتِكارِهِم

No good in the fox and his schemes

No good came to the fox in his early start,

No good in the fox and his schemes

No good came to the fox, for all their early heart.