يا لحدب الظهور فصع الرقاب
لدقاق الأنياب والأذناب
O hump-backed, crook-necked creatures,
Oh, those humped backs and short necks,
with tiny teeth and slender tails!
those slender fangs and tails!
خلقت للفساد مذ خلق الخل
ق وللعيث والأذى والخراب
Created for corruption from the moment creation
Created for mischief ever since creation began,
was made—for havoc, harm, and ruin;
and for havoc, harm, and ruin.
ناقبات في الأرض والسقف والحي
طان نقبا أعيا على النقاب
boring through earth, ceilings, and walls—
Burrowing in the earth, the roof, and the walls,
tunnels that baffle even master tunnelers;
with burrows beyond the skill of the expert digger.
أكلات كل المآكل لاتا
منها شاربات كل الشراب
devourers of every kind of food—none of it
Devourers of every food—you are not safe from
can be kept safe from them—and drinkers of every drink;
them—drinkers of every drink.
آلفات قرض الثياب وقد يع
دل قرض القلوب قرض الثياب
addicted to gnawing clothes, though the gnawing
Accustomed to gnawing clothes; and sometimes
of clothes may equal the gnawing of hearts.
gnawing hearts equals gnawing clothes.
زال همي منهنّ أزرق ترك
ي السبالين أنمر الجلباب
My worry over them was dispelled by a blue-gray cat,
A blue-eyed one dispelled my worry about them—Turkish
Turkish-whiskered, in a leopard-spotted coat—
in his whiskers, leopard-spotted in his cloak.
ليث غاب خلقا وخلقا فمن لا
ح لعينيه خاله ليث غاب
a jungle lion in form and temper: whoever
A lion of the thickets in form and nature; whoever
caught sight of him took him for a jungle lion.
catches sight of him takes him for a lion of the thickets.
ناصب طرفه إزاء الروايا
وإزاء السقوف والأبواب
He fixes his gaze upon the water-jars,
His gaze fixed toward the waterskins,
the ceilings, and the doors.
and toward the ceilings and the doors.
يتتضي الظفر حين يطفر للصي
د وإلا فظفره في قراب
His claw springs unsheathed when he leaps for his
He unsheathes his claw when he leaps for prey;
prey; otherwise his claw stays sheathed.
otherwise his claw is in its sheath.
لا ترى اخبثيه عين ولا يع
لم ما جثتاه غير التراب
No eye ever sees his two foul deposits, nor does anyone
No eye sees his two unclean parts, nor does
know what his two deposits are, save the dust.
anything but earth know what they have deposited.
قرطوه وشتفوه وحلو
ه أخيرا وأولا بالخضاب
They hung earrings on him, bedecked him, and adorned
They put earrings and ear-pendants on him, and adorned
him, hind and fore, with henna.
him, first and last, with dye.
فهو طورا يمشي بحلى عروس
وهو طورا يحطو على عتاب
Now he walks arrayed in a bride’s jewelry,
So at times he walks in a bride's jewelry,
and now he ambles over thresholds.
and at times he steps upon thresholds.
حبذا ذاك صاحبا هو في الصح
بة أوفى من اكثر الأصحاب
How excellent a companion he is! In companion—
What a fine companion that one is! In companionship,
ship, more faithful than most companions.
he is more faithful than most companions.
Sol 6.1