لَستُ بِناسٍ لَيلَةً

مِن رَمَضانَ مَرَّتِ

I'm not one on a Ramadan night

Whose length ever competed with this night's

تَطاوَلَت مِثلَ لَيا

لي القُطبِ وَاِكفَهَرَّتِ

When I slipped away from my friends and entered my room

I looked in the Diwan of a poet or the Sirat of a biography

إِذِ اِنفَلَتُّ مِن سُحو

ري فَدَخَلتُ حُجرَتي

But nothing attracted me except the sound of the cat on the prowl

So I started to listen in the rooms and bedrooms

أَنظُرُ في ديوانِ شِع،

،رٍ أَو كِتابِ سيرَةِ

Until I found the one who had snuck up on me

Since she appeared before me and our gazes met

فَلَم يَرُعني غَيرَ صَو

تٍ كَمُواءِ الهِرَّةِ

The ashes of her eyes returned like embers

And she let out her meows like a tomcat in wasteland

فَقُمتُ أَلقي السَمعَ في

السُتورِ وَالأَسِرَّةِ

And from behind the curtain she wore for me the skin of a leopard

She turned away but like a still rock she fled

حَتّى ظَفِرتُ بِالَّتي

عَلَيَّ قَد تَجَرَّتِ

Her whiskers shook like the eye of a needle

And she raised a paw and waved her tail like a snake

فَمُذ بَدَت لي وَاِلتَقَت

نَظرَتُها وَنَظرَتي

Then she leapt from the roof and howled and fled

I didn't blame her for anger and wickedness

عادَ رَمادُ لَحظِها

مِثلَ بَصيصِ الجَمرَةِ

Nor underestimate her weakness or forget my ability

I saw nothing but a mother caring for her children

وَرَدَّدَت فَحيحَها

كَحَنَشٍ بِقَفرَةِ

I saw what captures the soul of a poet in imagery

I saw the essence of motherhood in building a family

وَلَبِسَت لي مِن وَرا

ءِ السِترِ جِلدَ النَمرَةِ

So I stayed until her trembling calmed and she settled

I brought her a drink and a morsel

كَرَّت وَلَكِن كَالجَبا

نِ قاعِداً وَفَرَّتِ

And I protected the sides of her bedding with my cloak

And I increased her warmth so I kindled my embers

وَاِنتَفَضَت شَوارِباً

عَن مِثلِ بَيتِ الإِبرَةِ

Had I found game I'd have brought her a mouse

So she lay under the shade of safety and stretched out

وَرَفَعت كَفّاً وَشا

لَت ذَنَباً كَالمِذرَةِ

And she recited her devotions though she knew not what she uttered

While the little ones suckled at her teats and she gently turned

ثُمَّ اِرتَقَت عَنِ المُوا

ءِ فَعَوَت وَهَرَّتِ

Like chicks protected in the folds of her gown

They bumped into each other blindly around the meal

لَم أَجزِها بِشِرَّةٍ

عَن غَضَبٍ وَشِرَّةِ

You'd think them frogs she'd sent hopping in a jar

And I said, no harm upon your child, my little neighbor

وَلا غَبيتُ ضَعفَها

وَلا نَسيتُ قُدرَتي

Deliver five or ten if you wish

You and your children will be protected in my vigil until they grow up

وَلا رَأَيتُ غَيرَ أُمٍّ

بِالبَنينَ بَرَّةِ

رَأَيتُ ما يَعطِفُ نَفـ

ـسَ شاعِرٍ مِن صورَةِ

رَأَيتُ جِدَّ الأُمَّها

تِ في بِناءِ الأُسرَةِ

فَلَم أَزَل حَتّى اِطمَأَنَّ

جَأشُها وَقَرَّتِ

أَتَيتُها بِشَربَةٍ

وَجِئتُها بِكِسرَةِ

وَصُنتُها مِن جانِبَي

مَرقَدِها بِسُترَتي

وَزِدتُها الدِفءَ فَقَر

رَبتُ لَها مِجمَرَتي

وَلَو وَجَدتُ مِصيَداً

لَجِئتُها بِفَأرَةِ

فَاِضطَجَعَت تَحتَ ظِلا

لِ الأَمنِ وَاِسبَطَرَّتِ

وَقَرَأَت أَورادَها

وَما دَرَت ما قَرَّتِ

وَسَرَحَ الصِغارُ في

ثُدِيِّها فَدَرَّتِ

غُرُّ نُجومٍ سُبَّحٌ

في جَنَباتِ السُرَّةِ

اِختَلَطوا وَعَيَّثوا

كَالعُميِ حَولَ سُفرَةِ

تَحسَبُهُم ضَفادِعاً

أَرسَلتَها في جَرَّةِ

وَقُلتُ لا بَأسَ عَلى

طِفلِكِ يا جُوَيرَتي

تَمَخَّضي عَن خَمسَةٍ

إِن شِئتِ أَو عَن عَشرَةِ

أَنتِ وَأَولادُكِ حَـ

ـتى يَكبُروا في خُفرَتي