هَل مُخطِئٌ حَتفَهُ عُفرٌ بِشاهِقَةٍ

رَعى بِأَخيافِها شَثّاً وَطُبّاقا

Can the young ibex on a soaring peak evade his death?

Grazing in its ravines on bitter wormwood and mountain-tobacco,

مُسَوَّرٌ مِن حَباءِ اللَهِ أَسوِرَةً

يَركَبنَ مِنها وَظيفَ القَينِ وَالساقا

Adorned with ringed bracelets, a gift from God upon his horns,

Which reach down to cover the pastern of the hoof and the shank?

أَو لَقوَةٍ أُمِّ اِنهيمَينِ في لُجُفٍ

شَبيهَتَيها شَفا خَطمٍ وَآماقا

Or an eagle, mother to two chicks in a rocky hollow,

Who resemble her in the sharp edge of the beak and the corners of the eyes?

مُهَبَّلٌ دينُها يَوماً إِذا قَلَبَت

إِلَيهِ مِن مُستَكَفِّ الجَوِّ حِملاقا

Bereft is her nature on the day she turns

Towards him, from the high breadth of the sky, a piercing stare.

أَو ذو شِياهٍ أَغَنِّ الصَوتِ أَرَّقَهُ

وَبلٌ سَرى ماخِضَ الوَدقَينِ غَيداقا

Or the lord of ewes, with a nasal cry, kept sleepless

By a night-traveling storm, churning with abundant rain?

حَتّى إِذا جَعَلَ الإِظلامُ يَعرِضُهُ

شَمائِلاً وَرَأى لِلصُبحِ إيلاقا

Until, when the darkness began to expose him

To the north winds, and he saw the lightning-flash of dawn,

غَدا كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ مِن قَواطِرِهِ

بِحَيثُ يَستَودِعُ الأَسرارَ أَخلاقا

He went forth as if bearing the weight of the dripping rain

Upon his chest—where secrets are kept—like worn-out rags.

أَو ذو نَحائِصَ أَشباهٍ إِذا نَسَقَت

مَناسِجاً وَثَنَت مَلطاً وَأَطباقا

Or the leader of wild she-asses, alike in form when they line up,

Shoulder to shoulder, folding their smooth coats and layers of fat?

شَتَونَ حَتّى إِذا ما صِفنَ ذَكَّرَها

مِن مَنهَلٍ مَورِداً فَاِشتَقنَ وَاِختاقا

They wintered there, until the summer winds blew, and he reminded them

Of a watering place to descend to, so they yearned, and he yearned too.

يَؤُمُّ عَيناً بِها زَرقاءَ طامِيَةً

يَرى عَلَيها لُجَينَ الماءِ أَطراقا

He leads them toward a spring, blue and brimming,

Seeing upon its surface the liquid silver of water in still layers.

زارَ الحَمامُ أَبا البَيداءِ مُختَرِماً

وَلَم يُغادِر لَهُ في الناسِ مِطراقا

Death visited Abu al-Baida, snatching him away,

And left no equal for him among all mankind.

وَيلُمِّهِ صِلُّ أَصلالٍ إِذا جَفَلوا

يَرَونَ كُلَّ مُعَيِّ القَولِ مِغلاقا

Woe to his mother! What a viper among vipers he was when men fled in panic,

When they found every difficult matter locked tight.

يا رُبَّ عَوراءَ ذي قُربى كَتَمتُ وَلَو

فَشَت لَأَلقَت عَلى الأَعناقِ أَطواقا

How many a shameful slip of a kinsman have I concealed—though if

It had spread, it would have cast collars of disgrace upon their necks.

وَمِن قَوارِعَ قَد أَخرَستَ ناطِقَها

يَحمِلنَ مِن مُخطَفاتِ القَومِ أَوساقا

And how many striking calamities whose speakers you silenced,

While they bore the heavy burdens of the people's snatched rights.

وَمِن قَلائِدَ قَد قَلَّدتَ باقِيَها

مِن أَهلِ فَنِّكَ أَجياداً وَأَعلاقا

And how many necklaces of praise you have bestowed upon the survivors

Of your peers, adorning their necks and precious possessions.

فَقُلتُ لا حَصِراً بِما وَعَت أُذُنا

داعٍ وَلا نَدُساً لِلإِفكِ خَلّاقا

So I spoke, not stumbling over what the ear of a caller

Has retained, nor skilled in fabricating lies.

صِلٌّ إِذا ما رَآهُ القَومُ عامِدَهُم

أَزاحَ ناطِقَهُم صَمتاً وَإِطراقا

A viper he was—when the people saw him making for them,

He struck their speaker dumb, silencing him into submission.

فَلَيسَ لِلعِلمِ في الأَقوامِ باقِيَةٌ

عاقَ العَواقي أَبا البَيداءِ فَاِنعاقا

So there is no remnant of knowledge left among the tribes;

The hinderers of fate hindered Abu al-Baida, and he was held back.