قد أغتدِي قبل الصباح المسفِر

قد أغتدِي قبل الصباح المسفِر

والليلُ في ديجوجه المعسكِرِ

والليلُ في ديجوجه المعسكِرِ

Often I set out before the radiant dawn,

At times I set out before the morning brightens,

while night lay encamped in its deepest gloom,

While night lies in its encamped darkness,

وأنْجُم الجوزاء لم تغوِّر

وأنْجُم الجوزاء لم تغوِّر

كأنها تحت الرواق الأخضرِ

كأنها تحت الرواق الأخضرِ

and Orion’s stars had not yet sunk from sight,

And the stars of al-Jawzāʾ have not yet set,

as though beneath the green canopy

As though beneath the green canopy

تَسْبَح في باطِنيةٍ من عنبر

تَسْبَح في باطِنيةٍ من عنبر

والأُفْق قد غرَّب فيه المشترِي

والأُفْق قد غرَّب فيه المشترِي

they swam within a lining of ambergris.

They swim in a bowl of ambergris.

The horizon—Jupiter had already set within it,

And Jupiter has moved westward along the horizon,

كدرّة في أذْن أحوى أحور

كدرّة في أذْن أحوى أحور

وافترقت بيضُ النجوم السُّمَّرِ

وافترقت بيضُ النجوم السُّمَّرِ

like a pearl in the ear of a dark-hued, wide-eyed beauty;

Like a pearl in the ear of a dusky, bright-eyed beauty.

and the white stars stood apart from the dusky ones,

And the white stars, companions of the night, spread apart,

كما زهت قِلادةٌ من جوهر

كما زهت قِلادةٌ من جوهر

سبقتُ أوُلي فجرها المنوِّر

سبقتُ أوُلي فجرها المنوِّر

as a necklace of jewels gleams.

As a necklace of jewels shines resplendent.

I outstripped the first gleam of its radiant dawn

I outpaced the first glow of its radiant dawn

بأكْلُبٍ مخرنطِمات ضُمَّر

بأكْلُبٍ مخرنطِمات ضُمَّر

مهروتة أشداقُها للحنجرِ

مهروتة أشداقُها للحنجرِ

with lean, hollow-bellied hounds,

With lean hounds, their muzzles raised,

their jaws stretched open to their throats,

Their jaws slit wide as far as the throat—

من كل مفتول الذراع قَسْرِ

من كل مفتول الذراع قَسْرِ

ليس بمسبوقٍ ولا مقصّر

ليس بمسبوقٍ ولا مقصّر

each sinewy of foreleg and powerfully built,

Each a powerful hound with sinewy forelegs,

none outstripped by another, none falling short,

Never outstripped, never falling short,

مستأسِد مؤيّد مظفّر

مستأسِد مؤيّد مظفّر

يلاحِظ الوحش بعين المثأرِ

يلاحِظ الوحش بعين المثأرِ

lion-bold, mighty, dust-covered,

Lion-fierce, strengthened, victorious,

watching the game with an avenger’s eye,

Eyeing the wild beasts with a blood-avenger's gaze.

كأنه من لونه المشهَّر

كأنه من لونه المشهَّر

ملتحِف بحُلَّة من عَبْقَر

ملتحِف بحُلَّة من عَبْقَر

as though, in its conspicuous coloring,

As though, judging by his striking coloring,

it were wrapped in a robe from ʿAbqar.

He were wrapped in a robe from ʿAbqar.

لو مرَّ يخطو في الكثيب الأعفرِ

لو مرَّ يخطو في الكثيب الأعفرِ

وهْو شديد العَدْو لم يؤثّر

وهْو شديد العَدْو لم يؤثّر

If one crossed the pale dune at a stride,

Were he to stride over the tawny dune,

swift though its running was, it would leave no trace.

Even running at full speed, he would leave no trace.

يكاد من سرعته في العِثْيَر

يكاد من سرعته في العِثْيَر

يسبِق ألي زَوره بالمُؤْخِر

يسبِق ألي زَوره بالمُؤْخِر

Such was its speed through the churned-up dust

So swift is he amid the dust, he almost

that its hindquarters almost outstripped the forepart of its chest.

Outruns the forepart of his chest with his hindquarters.

لو سار يجري سَنَةً لم يفتُر

لو سار يجري سَنَةً لم يفتُر

فصاد عشرا في الفضاء المقفرِ

فصاد عشرا في الفضاء المقفرِ

Were it to run for a year, it would never tire.

Were he to keep running for a year, he would not tire.

Thus it caught ten beasts in the barren waste;

So he caught ten in the deserted open plain.

لا يضع الناب بغير منخر

لا يضع الناب بغير منخر

فأيّ جأْب عانةٍ لم يَجزُر

فأيّ جأْب عانةٍ لم يَجزُر

its fang fastened nowhere but a nostril.

He sinks his fang nowhere but a nostril.

What stout wild ass of a herd did it not bring down?

What wild ass of a herd did he not slaughter?

وأيّ ثور للمَهَا لم يَنْحَرِ

وأيّ ثور للمَهَا لم يَنْحَرِ

ضرَّجها من دمها المثعنجِرِ

ضرَّجها من دمها المثعنجِرِ

What bull of the oryx did it not slaughter,

And what oryx bull did he not slay?

drenching it in its own gushing blood?

He stained them red with their gushing blood.

حبائل للوحش قَيدُ الجؤذر

حبائل للوحش قَيدُ الجؤذر

أنا ابن من شُفِّع يوم المحشر

أنا ابن من شُفِّع يوم المحشر

Snares for wild game, fetters for the gazelle fawn—

Snares for wild beasts, a fetter for the oryx calf.

I am the son of him who will intercede on the Day of Gathering,

I am the son of him whose intercession is accepted on the Day of Gathering,

وابن الذي خُصَّ بنهر الكوثر

وابن الذي خُصَّ بنهر الكوثر

وابن المعالي والفخار الأشهر

وابن المعالي والفخار الأشهر

and the son of him singled out for the River Kawthar;

And the son of him singled out for the river al-Kawthar,

the son of loftiest honors and most renowned glory,

And the son of high honors and most renowned glory,

مباركُ الفرعِ زكيّ العُنْصُر

مباركُ الفرعِ زكيّ العُنْصُر

سُدْنا الورى سيادة لم تنكَرِ

سُدْنا الورى سيادة لم تنكَرِ

blessed in branch and pure in stock.

Blessed in branch, pure in stock.

We ruled humankind with a sovereignty none denied,

We ruled humankind with a sovereignty never denied,

ولم يزل فيها عذاب المُجْتَرِي

ولم يزل فيها عذاب المُجْتَرِي

فسل بنا آيَ الكِتاب تُخْبَرِ

فسل بنا آيَ الكِتاب تُخْبَرِ

and within it the punishment of the insolent aggressor has never ceased.

And punishment for the defiant never ceased within it.

Ask the verses of the Book about us, and you will be told.

So ask the Book's verses about us: you will be told.