Sol 6.1

  1. تَاللَهِ يَبقى عَلى الأَيّامِ مُبتَقِلٌ

    جَونُ السَراةِ رَباعٍ سِنُّهُ غَرِدُ

    By God, no grazing beast outlasts the days—

    Dark-backed, four years old by his teeth, loudly braying,

  2. في عانَةٍ بِجُنوبِ السِيِّ مَشرَبُها

    غَورٌ وَمَصدَرُها عَن مائِها نُجُدُ

    In a herd south of al-Siyy, whose watering place

    Is lowland, while its path from the water leads uphill.

  3. يَقضي لُبانَتَهُ بِاللَيلِ ثُمَّ إِذا

    أَضحى تَيَمَّمَ حَزماً حَولَهُ جَرَدُ

    He satisfies his desire at night; then, when

    Forenoon comes, he heads toward a rocky height surrounded by bare ground.

  4. فَاِمتَدَّ فيهِ كَما أَرسى الطِرافَ بِدَو

    داةِ القَرارَةِ سَقبُ البَيتِ وَالوَتِدُ

    He stretches himself there, like a leather tent anchored on the open

    Ground of the basin by the tent's upright pole and peg.

  5. مُستَقبِلَ الريحِ تَجري فَوقَ مِنسَجِهِ

    إِذا يُراحُ اِقشَعَرَّ الكَشحُ وَالعَضُدُ

    Facing the wind as it streams over his withers,

    When its breeze strikes him, his flank and upper foreleg bristle.

  6. يَرمي الغُيوبَ بِعَينَيهِ وَمَطرِفُهُ

    مُغضٍ كَما كَسَفَ المُستَأخِذُ الرَمِدُ

    He scans hidden places with his eyes, while his gaze

    Is lowered like that of a sore-eyed man stricken with illness.

  7. فَاِختارَ بَعدَ تَمامِ الظِمءِ ناجِيَةً

    مِثلَ الهِراوَةِ ثَنياً بِكرُها أَبِدُ

    Then, after the full interval between waterings, he chose a swift she-ass,

    Sturdy as a club, twice a mother, her firstborn fiercely wild.

  8. إِذا أَرَنَّ عَلَيها طارِداً نَزَقَت

    فَالفَوتُ إِن فاتَ هادي الصَدرِ وَالكَنَدُ

    When he brays at her, driving her on, she bolts;

    If he gains a lead, it is only by his neck and shoulders.

  9. وَلا شَبوبٌ مِنَ الثيرانِ أَفرَدَهُ

    عَن كَورِهِ كَثرَةُ الإِغراءِ وَالطَرَدُ

    Nor a full-grown bull, driven apart

    From his herd by much goading and pursuit,

  10. مِن وَحشِ حَوضى يُراعي الصَيدَ مُبتَقِلاً

    كَأَنَّهُ كَوكَبٌ في الجَوِّ مُنَجَرِدُ

    From Hawda's wild beasts, watching the hunters as he grazes,

    Like a star standing clear in the sky,

  11. في رَبرَبٍ يَلَقٍ حورٍ مَدامِعُها

    كَأَنَّهُنَّ بِجَنبَي حَربَةَ البَرَدُ

    Among a gleaming-white herd of dark-eyed cows,

    Like hailstones on either side of Harbah.

  12. أَمسى وَأَمسَينَ لا يَخشَينَ بائِجَةً

    إِلّا الضَوارِيَ في أَعناقِها القِدَدُ

    He reached evening, and they too, fearing no calamity

    Except the hunting hounds, leather thongs about their necks.

  13. وَكُنَّ بِالرَوضِ لا يُرغَمنَ واحِدَةً

    مِن عَيشِهِنَّ وَلا يَدرينَ كَيفَ غَدُ

    And in the meadow they were denied not a single thing

    Of their livelihood, nor knew what tomorrow held.

  14. حَتّى اِستَبانَت مَعَ الإِصباحِ رامِيَها

    كَأَنَّهُ في حَواشي ثَوبِهِ صُرَدُ

    Until, at dawn, she made out her archer,

    Like a shrike within the folds of his robe.

  15. فَسَمِعَت نَبأَةً مِنهُ وَآسَدَها

    كَأَنَّهُنَّ لَدى أَنسائِهِ البُرَدُ

    She heard a faint sound from him, and he urged the hounds on;

    They seemed like striped cloaks beside his haunches.

  16. حَتّى إِذا أَدرَكَ الرامي وَقَد عَرِسَت

    عَنهُ الكِلابُ فَأَعطاها الَّذي يَعِدُ

    Until, when the archer caught up and the dogs had hung back

    From him, he gave them what he had promised.

  17. غادَرَها وَهِيَ تَكبو تَحتَ كَلكَلِهِ

    يَكسو النُحورَ بِوَردٍ خَلفَهُ الزَبَدُ

    He left them stumbling beneath his breast,

    Clothing their throats in rose-red blood, followed by foam.

  18. حَتّى إِذا أَمكَنَتهُ كانَ حينَئِذٍ

    حُرّاً صَبوراً فَنِعمَ الصابِرُ النَجِدُ

    Until, when an opening was offered him, he was then

    Noble and steadfast—how fine that brave, steadfast one!