قد أغْتِدي والليلُ في دُجاهُ

قد أغْتِدي والليلُ في دُجاهُ

والصبح لم يَنْهَضْ به سَناهُ

والصبح لم يَنْهَضْ به سَناهُ

Often I set out early, while night is still in its darkness,

I set out at night in its darkness,

and dawn's radiance has not yet raised it,

And morning had not yet emerged with its radiance,

على حِصَانٍ شَنِجٍ نَساهُ

على حِصَانٍ شَنِجٍ نَساهُ

أنْبَطَ نَهْدٍ عَبِلٍ شَواه

أنْبَطَ نَهْدٍ عَبِلٍ شَواه

on a stallion with taut thigh-sinews,

On a lively horse I had forgotten,

white-bellied, powerfully built, with sturdy limbs,

With protruding chest and sturdy build,

سامي التَّليلِ سالمٍ شَظَاهُ

سامي التَّليلِ سالمٍ شَظَاهُ

ذي غُرّة أوّلُها أُذْناه

ذي غُرّة أوّلُها أُذْناه

high-necked, his splint-bones sound,

Tall, complete, perfectly formed,

with a white blaze beginning at his ears;

Its four legs matching each other,

جاز بها مسيلُها مداه

جاز بها مسيلُها مداه

حتى لقد كادت تُغَطِّي فاه

حتى لقد كادت تُغَطِّي فاه

its descending course has carried it beyond its bounds,

Hind legs higher than forelegs,

until it has almost covered his mouth.

With a coat the color of dark night,

مُسْتكمِل التّحجِيلِ مُسْتَوْفَاه

مُسْتكمِل التّحجِيلِ مُسْتَوْفَاه

أربَعُه وبطنُه أشباه

أربَعُه وبطنُه أشباه

His white stockings are complete and full;

That had dyed its mane and tail,

his four legs and his belly are alike,

So it blended into the dark that carried the dawn,

مُخالِفٌ أسفلُه أعلاه

مُخالِفٌ أسفلُه أعلاه

بدُهْمةٍ قد ملأتْ قَراه

بدُهْمةٍ قد ملأتْ قَراه

his lower parts unlike his upper,

Its pace outpacing the glance of an eye,

with blackness filling his back,

Not touching the ground or feeling it,

وانصبغت منه أليَّتاه

وانصبغت منه أليَّتاه

فهو دُجىً يَحْمِله ضُحاهُ

فهو دُجىً يَحْمِله ضُحاهُ

and his two haunches dyed by it.

Its legs gliding as if flying,

He is darkness borne by his daylight.

If a lion roared calling its cubs, it would answer,

تَسْبِق أقصَى لحظِه خُطاه

تَسْبِق أقصَى لحظِه خُطاه

لا يَطَأُ التُّرْبَ ولا تَلْقاه

لا يَطَأُ التُّرْبَ ولا تَلْقاه

His strides outrun the farthest reach of his gaze.

Swifter to reach what it seeks,

He does not tread the dust, nor is it touched by

Than an arrow reaching its target,

رِجلاهُ في العَدْو ولا يَداهُ

رِجلاهُ في العَدْو ولا يَداهُ

كأنه يطير في مَجْرَاهُ

كأنه يطير في مَجْرَاهُ

his hind legs as he runs, nor his forelegs,

Its legs moving in accord with what it sees,

as though he flies along his course.

As if the word conforms to its meaning,

إذا دعا ليثُ الفَلاَ لبّاه

إذا دعا ليثُ الفَلاَ لبّاه

أسرعُ للشيء إذا ابتغاه

أسرعُ للشيء إذا ابتغاه

When the lion of the wilderness calls, he answers him.

Its legs match its hands in speed,

He reaches whatever he seeks more swiftly

As if when galloping in its stride,

منْ مَبْلَغ السَّهْم لُمنتهاه

منْ مَبْلَغ السَّهْم لُمنتهاه

مُرْتَبِطُ الرِّجْلِ بما يَراه

مُرْتَبِطُ الرِّجْلِ بما يَراه

than an arrow reaches the end of its flight.

Its hind legs precede its forelegs,

His foot is bound to what he sees,

Without tiring or flagging in zeal,

كالّلفظ ملتفّاً به معناه

كالّلفظ ملتفّاً به معناه

تحسُد منه يدَه رجلاه

تحسُد منه يدَه رجلاه

like a word with its meaning wrapped around it.

Or sweating moisture from its flank,

His hind legs envy his foreleg,

As if when it ran past others,

حتى يكاد وهو في مَعْدَاه

حتى يكاد وهو في مَعْدَاه

تَسْبِق أُخْراه به أُولاه

تَسْبِق أُخْراه به أُولاه

until, as he gallops, it is almost as though

Its master could sleep atop its back,

his hindmost leg outruns his foremost.

Galloping strongly, unstoppable,

لا يَشْتكي من تَعَبٍ وجَاه

لا يَشْتكي من تَعَبٍ وجَاه

ولا تَنَدّى عَرَقاً جَنْباه

ولا تَنَدّى عَرَقاً جَنْباه

He never complains of hoof soreness from fatigue,

Without an eyelid flinching in displeasure,

nor do his flanks grow damp with sweat.

Deliberate in its smooth gait, wandering,

كأنّه إذا جرى سواه

كأنّه إذا جرى سواه

لو نام فوق مَتْنِه مولاه

لو نام فوق مَتْنِه مولاه

When he runs, it is as though another were running.

Chasing the deer wherever they fled,

If his master slept upon his back,

With claws like those of a creature of prey,

وهو شديد العَدْوِ لاسْتَوطاه

وهو شديد العَدْوِ لاسْتَوطاه

ولم يَطِرْ عن جفنه كَراه

ولم يَطِرْ عن جفنه كَراه

even at a hard gallop, he would find it soft,

All winged creatures flee from its onslaught,

and his slumber would not fly from his eyelid.

It spends the night restless with hunger at dawn,

أشْوسُ في مِشْيته تيّاه

أشْوسُ في مِشْيته تيّاه

يُطاولِ الجوزاءَ مَن مَطَاه

يُطاولِ الجوزاءَ مَن مَطَاه

Fierce-eyed in his gait, swaggering,

Its eyes like chiseled gold,

whoever mounts him rivals al-Jawza in height.

In a forehead protruding behind,

وأشْهبٍ مِخْلَبُهُ شَبَاهُ

وأشْهبٍ مِخْلَبُهُ شَبَاهُ

كلُّ ذوات الرِّيش مِن عِدَاه

كلُّ ذوات الرِّيش مِن عِدَاه

And with a gray hawk, his talon his blade,

Guiding those lost from its path,

all feathered creatures among his enemies.

Its intelligence almost burning it,

بات يَهِيج جوعَه غَدَاه

بات يَهِيج جوعَه غَدَاه

كأنّ فَصَّيْ ذهبٍ عيناه

كأنّ فَصَّيْ ذهبٍ عيناه

All night his morning meal stirs his hunger.

If it sought a planet it would reach it,

His eyes are like two gems of gold,

Never tired or exhausted by it,

في هامةٍ قد بَرزتْ وَراه

في هامةٍ قد بَرزتْ وَراه

هادِيَةٍ مَنْ ضَلّ عن سُراه

هادِيَةٍ مَنْ ضَلّ عن سُراه

set in a head that juts out behind him,

Its eyelids never closed in the air,

guiding whoever loses his way by night.

While seeking its food yearningly,

يكاد أن يَحْرِقه ذَكاه

يكاد أن يَحْرِقه ذَكاه

لو طلب الكوكبَ لاَنتهاه

لو طلب الكوكبَ لاَنتهاه

His brilliance almost burns him;

When the partridge appeared before it,

if he sought a star, he would reach it.

And it descended upon it from its right,

ما غاله يوماً ولا أعياه

ما غاله يوماً ولا أعياه

ما رَمَقتْ في الجوّ مُقْلتَاه

ما رَمَقتْ في الجوّ مُقْلتَاه

Nothing has ever overcome or exhausted him

Rushing down towards it to engulf it,

that his two eyes have spied in the sky.

Until when it drew near towering over it,

بيناهُ يبغي جائعاً قِرَاه

بيناهُ يبغي جائعاً قِرَاه

إذ وقع الحُبْرُج في رُؤْياه

إذ وقع الحُبْرُج في رُؤْياه

While he hungrily sought his meal,

With a swoop demonstrating its strength,

a male bustard suddenly came into his sight,

Spraying it with what it had gathered of dust,

وحلّه القانصُ من يُسْراه

وحلّه القانصُ من يُسْراه

وطار يَهْوِي نَحْوَه يَغْشَاه

وطار يَهْوِي نَحْوَه يَغْشَاه

and the hunter loosed him from his left hand.

Then it appeared standing over its prey,

He flew, swooping toward it, bearing down upon it,

And terror poured from its heart,

حتَّى إذا قارَبه عَلاَه

حتَّى إذا قارَبه عَلاَه

بَوَقْعةٍ بَزّ بها قُوَاه

بَوَقْعةٍ بَزّ بها قُوَاه

until, when he drew near, he overcame it

Covered in its blood dripping,

with a blow that stripped away its strength,

Oh what an ill-fated partridge it was!

كما وَهي من شَطَنٍ رِشَاهُ

كما وَهي من شَطَنٍ رِشَاهُ

ثم بَدَا وهْو على قَفَاه

ثم بَدَا وهْو على قَفَاه

as though its cord had broken loose from a long tether.

The hawk did no wrong in what it attained,

Then he appeared astride its nape,

When the partridge returned to what it faced,

وسلَّ من فؤاده حشاه

وسلَّ من فؤاده حشاه

مُخَضَّباً من دمه ثَراه

مُخَضَّباً من دمه ثَراه

and drew its entrails out from its heart,

Then it saw behind it another of its brothers,

its earth stained with its blood.

And a doe following with its female,

يا شِقْوَة الحُبْرُج ما دَهاه

يا شِقْوَة الحُبْرُج ما دَهاه

لم يَسُؤ البازِيَ ما جناه

لم يَسُؤ البازِيَ ما جناه

Alas for the male bustard—what had befallen it!

And a ram stubborn in its zeal,

What he had reaped did not displease the hawk,

And every hawk with its companion,

إذ رَجَع الحبرجُ ما لاَقاه

إذ رَجَع الحبرجُ ما لاَقاه

ثم رأى من بعده أخاه

ثم رأى من بعده أخاه

as the bustard returned what it had encountered.

Until the leader made them its spoils,

Then he saw, after it, its brother,

And the four were left by its killing,

وبركةً تَتْبَعُه أُنْثاه

وبركةً تَتْبَعُه أُنْثاه

وكرّ لا يجبُن عن هَيْجاه

وكرّ لا يجبُن عن هَيْجاه

and a drake, his female following him.

So our hearty feast was from its catch,

He charged again, not shrinking from his battle,

And every good thing we grant it,

وكلُّ بازٍ معه فتاه

وكلُّ بازٍ معه فتاه

حتى سَقَاها المُرَّ من جَناه

حتى سَقَاها المُرَّ من جَناه

and each hawk had his young attendant with him,

So some of what it brought back in its endeavor,

until he made them drink the bitter draught of his harvest.

It gave to the hawks what God granted in its meaning,

فأَضحتِ الأَرْبَعُ من قَتْلاَه

فأَضحتِ الأَرْبَعُ من قَتْلاَه

فَلَحْمُنا الغَريضُ من صَرْعاه

فَلَحْمُنا الغَريضُ من صَرْعاه

So all four became numbered among his slain.

What no falcon attained or saw before,

Our fresh meat comes from those he felled,

The day of the hawks was altogether joyous,

وكلُّ خيرٍ عندنا نؤتاه

وكلُّ خيرٍ عندنا نؤتاه

فبَعْضُ ما عاد به مَسْعاه

فبَعْضُ ما عاد به مَسْعاه

and every bounty we are given here

I am the son of him who honor adorned,

is but part of what his pursuit brings back.

And the son of him whose renown filled the world,

أعطى البُزاةَ اللهُ من معناه

أعطى البُزاةَ اللهُ من معناه

ما لم يَحُزْ صَقْرٍ ولا رآه

ما لم يَحُزْ صَقْرٍ ولا رآه

God gave the hawks a share of his qualities,

And established the kingdom it encompassed,

which no falcon ever possessed or beheld.

And was protector from every harm,

يومُ البُزاة كلّه أُسَاه

يومُ البُزاة كلّه أُسَاه

أنا ابن مَنْ زينتْ به عُلاَه

أنا ابن مَنْ زينتْ به عُلاَه

The hawks' entire day follows his example.

That magnificent, glorious supporter,

I am the son of one who graced his lofty station,

Whom ambition never motivated,

وابنُ الذي عتم الورى نَدَاه

وابنُ الذي عتم الورى نَدَاه

وشيّد المُلْكَ الذي حواه

وشيّد المُلْكَ الذي حواه

and of him whose bounty overshadowed mankind,

Nor did sin obscure his piety,

who built up the kingdom he possessed,

Nor did the world change his faith,

وكان من كلّ أذىً حِمَاه

وكان من كلّ أذىً حِمَاه

ذاك المُعِزُّ الماجد الأَوّاه

ذاك المُعِزُّ الماجد الأَوّاه

and was its refuge from every harm.

May God bless and choose him,

That was al-Muʿizz, the noble, the devout supplicant,

مَنْ لم يكَدّر مَنُّهُ جَدْوَاه

مَنْ لم يكَدّر مَنُّهُ جَدْوَاه

ولم يُمَحِّص إثْمُه تَقْواه

ولم يُمَحِّص إثْمُه تَقْواه

whose reminders of favors never clouded his bounty,

and whose sin never put his piety to the test,

ولم تغير دينَه دنياه

ولم تغير دينَه دنياه

صلى عليه الله واصطفاه

صلى عليه الله واصطفاه

and whose worldly life never altered his faith.

May God bless him and choose him.