ومستحلمand a youth come of age بخشىfears اللحاقbeing overtaken وقدand already تلاhas lagged behind
ومستحلم بخشى اللحاق وقد تلا
بهcarrying him مبطيءa sluggish mount قدalready مَنَّهhas exhausted him الجريُrunning فاترflagging
به مبطيء قد مَنَّه الجريُ فاتر
And a youth come of age fears being overtaken, lagging behind
Despairing of rejoining his companions, though slackened
on a sluggish, flagging mount, worn out by running—
By a mount worn out by the journey, lacking strength,
ضعيفweak القوىin strength رخوloose العظامin the bones كأنّهاas though they
ضعيف القوى رخو العظام كأنّها
حبالٌropes نضتهhave outstripped him مبطئاتslow-moving مَحامُرdonkey-like horses
حبالٌ نضته مبطئات مَحامُر
weak in strength, loose of bone, as though his bones were
Its limbs all loose-jointed as if they were ropes
ropes; even slow, donkey-like horses have outstripped him.
Braiding and hampering its slow pace.
عَلىon صَلَوَيهhis two haunches مرهفاتsharpened shafts كأنهاas though they
عَلى صَلَوَيه مرهفات كأنها
قوادمprimary wing feathers دلَّتهاhave lowered them نسورٌvultures نواشِرspreading their wings
قوادم دلَّتها نسورٌ نواشِر
On his two haunches are sharpened shafts, as though they were
Its knee joints seem
flight feathers lowered by vultures with outspread wings.
As though vultures' talons had hammered them in.
فنهنهتso I held back عنهfrom him القومthe men حتّىuntil كانّماas though
فنهنهت عنه القوم حتّى كانّما
حَباcrept دُونَهbefore him ليثٌa lion بخفَانin Khaffān خادِرُdwelling in its lair
حَبا دُونَه ليثٌ بخفَان خادِرُ
So I held the men back from him, until it was as though
The tribe held back from it until it was as though
a lair-dwelling lion of Khaffān had crept before him:
Amid weaklings a lion ambled halting, subdued.
شتيمgrim-faced أبوfather of شبلينtwo cubs اخضلdrenched مَتْنهُhis back
شتيم أبو شبلين اخضل مَتْنهُ
منfrom الدَّجنdark rainclouds يومٌa day ذوhaving أهاضيبtorrential downpours ماطِرrainy
من الدَّجن يومٌ ذو أهاضيب ماطِر
grim-faced, father of two cubs, his back drenched
Damn you, ragamuffin Abu Shiblyn, what a sight!
by a cloud-dark, rainy day of torrential downpours.
A day dark with pouring rain on Dajan's expanse
تَظَلُّkeep تغنيهsinging to him الغرانيقthe cranes فوقهabove him
تَظَلُّ تغنيه الغرانيق فوقه
أَباءٌreed beds وغيلٌand a thicket فوقَهُabove him متآصِرُintertwined
أَباءٌ وغيلٌ فوقَهُ متآصِرُ
Cranes above him keep singing to him,
While cranes floating above it intone their elegy-As though united in grieving for what they look down on:
reed beds and an intertwined thicket above him.
Loving companions parted from their Saalim, now left
مُحِبَاlying motionless كاحبابlike the prostration of السَّليمthe snake-bitten man وماand nothing بهin him
مُحِبَا كاحباب السَّليم وما به
سِوىexcept أَسَفٍfrustration ألاَthat ... not يَرىhe sees منanyone whom يُساوِرُhe can assail
سِوى أَسَفٍ ألاَ يَرى من يُساوِرُ
Lying still like a snake-bitten man, yet he suffers
With no more than grief that none remains to console.
nothing but frustration at seeing no one to assail.
Partial English translation: 13 of 14 Arabic lines translated.