يا بُؤسَ كَلبي سَيِّدِ الكِلابِ
قَد كانَ أَعناني عَنِ العُقابِ
Oh, the misery of my dog, the master of all hounds,
Who had spared me the trouble of keeping hunting eagles,
وَكانَ قَد أَجزى عَنِ القَصّابِ
وَعَن شِراءِ الجَلَبِ الجَلّابِ
And served me well in place of the butcher,
And saved me from buying livestock from the drover.
يا عَينُ جودي لي عَلى حَلّابِ
مَن لِلظِباءِ العُفرِ وَالذِئابِ
O eye, weep generously for me over Hallab,
Who is left now for the dust-colored gazelles and the wolves,
وَكُلُّ صَقرٍ طالِعٍ وَثّابِ
يَختَطِفُ القُطّانَ في الرَوابي
And to chase every soaring, pouncing falcon?
He would snatch up the dwellers of the hills,
كَالبَرقِ بَينَ النَجمِ وَالسَحابِ
كَم مِن غَزالٍ لاحِقِ الأَقرابِ
Like lightning flashing between the stars and the clouds.
How many a gazelle with sleek, lean flanks,
ذي جيئَةٍ صَعبٍ وَذي ذَهابِ
أَشبَعَني مِنهُ مِنَ الكَبّابِ
Elusive in its coming and its going,
Did he sate me with, turning it into roast meat.
خَرَجتُ وَالدُنيا إِلى تَبابِ
بِهِ وَكانَ عِدَّتي وَنابي
I went forth while the world drifted toward ruin,
With him—for he was my arsenal and my fang.
أَصفَرُ قَد خُرِّجَ بِالمُلابِ
كَأَنَّما يُدهَنُ بِالزِريابِ
A tawny beast, patterned as if with saffron,
As though he were anointed with liquid gold.
فَبَينَما نَحنُ بِهِ في الغابِ
إِذ بَرَزَت كالِحَةُ الأَنيابِ
Then, while we were with him in the thicket,
There emerged a grim-faced terror with bared fangs,
رَقشاءُ جَرداءُ مِنَ الثِيابِ
كَأَنَّما تُبصِرُ مِن نِقابِ
A speckled viper, smooth and stripped of raiment,
Watching as if peering from behind a veil.
فَعَلِقَت عُرقوبَهُ بِنابِ
لَم تَرعَ لي حَقّاً وَلَم تُحابِ
She fastened her fang into his hock,
Observing no right of mine, showing no favor.
فَخَرَّ وَانصاعَت بِلا ارتِيابِ
كَأَنَّما تَنفُخُ مِن جِرابِ
He fell, and she slunk away without hesitation,
Hissing as though blowing from a puffed waterskin.
لا أُبتُ إِن أُبتُ بِلا عِقابِ
حَتّى تَذوقي أَوجَعَ العَذابِ
I shall not return—if I return at all—without retribution,
Until you taste the most agonizing torment.
