وَذِي نَعَرَاتٍ يَقْطَعُ الأَرْضَ سَارِياً
عَلَى غَيْرِ سَاقٍ وَهْوَ بِالأَرْضِ أَعْرَفُ
With nostrils flaring, he crosses the land,
On legs not his own, though better known to earth,
لَهُ فَوْقَ أَعْنَاقِ الرِّيَاحِ سَبَائِبٌ
مُحَبَّرَةٌ مِنْهَا قَصِيرٌ وَمُسْدَفُ
Over the winds’ necks his forelocks blow,
Fringed some short, some long, down swept.
كَأَنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ دَاوُدَ فَوْقَهُ
عَلَى عَرْشِهِ وَالْجِنُّ بِالْجِنِّ تَعْزِفُ
As though King Solomon aloft
On his throne with jinn entertaining jinn,
يَجِدُّ بِنَا فِي أَمْرِهِ وَهْوَ لاعِبٌ
وَيَضْحَكُ أَحْيَاناً وَعَيْنَاهُ تَذْرِفُ
Toying with us though relaxed,
At times laughing with eyes that weep,
تَلَهَّبُ فِيهِ النَّارُ وَالْمَاءُ سَافِحٌ
فَلا الْمَاءُ يُطْفِيهَا وَلا النَّارُ تَضْعُفُ
Flames kindle in him, water gushes out,
Nor can water quench or flames enfeeble,
إِذَا سَارَ عَنْ أَرْضٍ غَدَتْ وَهْيَ جَنَّةٌ
وَإِنْ حَلَّ عَمَّهَا مِنْهُ زُخْرُفُ
When he leaves a land, a paradise it becomes,
Adorned, embellished, wherever he settles,
يَكُونُ حَيَاةً لِلنُّفُوسِ وَرُبَّما
ضَبَتْ مِنْهُ نَارٌ أَوْ سَطَا مِنْهُ مُرْهَفُ
To souls bringing life, though sometimes
Fires erupt, weapons are loosed from his grip,
لَهُ زَفْرَةٌ تَتْرَى وَعَيْنٌ سَخِيَّةٌ
وَقَلْبٌ كَزَهْرَاءِ الْمَصَابِيحِ يَرْجُفُ
He bellows, eyes generous, heart aquiver
Like lamps flickering in the gloom,
يَسِيرُ عَلَى مَتْنِ الْهَوَاءِ وَتَارَةً
يُخَضْخِضُ سَجْلاً فِي الْبِحَارِ فَيَغْرِفُ
Gliding on air, crashing in ocean deeps,
Scooping in the waters that he then would sip,
أَضَرَّ بِأَعْنَاقِ النَّعَائِمِ حَمْلُهُ
فَأَلْقَتْ بِهِ عَنْ ظَهْرِهَا فَهْوَ يَرْسُفُ
His burden harmed the mounts’ necks until
They cast him off, disdainful of his heft,
لَهُ هَيْدَبٌ مِلْءُ الْفَضَاءِ كَأَنَّهُ
مَنَاكِبُ أَطْوَادٍ عَلَى الأَرْضِ تَزْحَفُ
With bulk filling skies as though a line
Of moving hills spreads over earth adrift.
فَزِعْنَا إِلَيْهِ نَحْسَبُ الْجَوْنَ عَسْكَراً
يَسِيرُ فَشِمْنَا بَرْقَهُ وَهْوَ يَخْطَفُ
Deeming an army the approaching throng,
We sniffed lightning in his swift approach
فَقُلْنَا سَحَابٌ يَا سَقَى اللَّهُ أَرْضَنَا
بِهِ وَرَوَانَا فَهْوَ بِالنَّاسِ أَرْأَفُ
“A rain cloud!” we said. “May Allah water our land,
Quench us with it, kinder to man than any could be.”
فَمَا تَمَّ أَنْ سَارَتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ سَيْرَةً
إِلَيْنَا وَوَافَى رَائِدُ الْحَيِّ يَحْلِفُ
No sooner the wind had borne him along
Than the herald of good tidings came to give oath:
فَقُمْنَا إِلَيْهِ وَاثِقِينَ بِجَوْدِهِ
نَسِيرُ وَيَعْرُونَا السُّرُورُ فَنَهْتِفُ
We rose to meet him, trusting his nobility,
Elation leading us as cries we lift,
دَنَا فَتَنَاوَلْنَا خَيَاشِيمَ مُزْنِهِ
قُعُوداً فَظَلَّتْ وَهْيَ بِالْمَاءِ تَرْعُفُ
We came close, held his muzzle ropes secure,
As the sands about him dampness did sift.
وَطَافَتْ بِهِ الْوِلْدَانُ يَخْلِجْنَ مَاءَهُ
بِأَكْوَابِهَا وَالْهمُّ يَدْنُو فَيَغْرِفُ
Lads circled, disturbing his water
Filling cups, while yearning drew ever nearer to sip.
فَلأْياً بِلأْيٍ مَا تَوَلَّتْ حُدَاءَهُ
مُزَمْجِرَةٌ هَوْجَاءُ بِالْقَاعِ تَعْصِفُ
Not a she-camel in rut turned from his pool,
Bellowing, pounding the hollows in wanton drift.
فَأَبْقَى لَنَا أَثْراً حَمِيداً وَنِعْمَةً
لَهَا مَسْحَبٌ نَضْرٌ وَجَيْبٌ مُفَوَّفُ
So he left us fair memory and gift—
Verdant meadows, provisions poured forth and heaped.
كَذَلِكَ مَا كُنَّا لِنَكْفُرَ صُنْعَهُ
عَلَى أَنَّ بَعْضَ النَّاسِ بِالشَّرِّ أَكْلَفُ
For that we refusal of thanks to him kept,
Though some men only of evil are deft.
