1. يا رُبَّ خَرقٍ نازِحٍ حَديبِ

    أَخضَلَهُ السَحابُ بِالصَبيبِ

    Ah, many a far-off, hilly wilderness,

    Drenched by the clouds with pouring rain,

  2. غَزَوتُهُ بُمُخطَفٍ وَثَوبِ

    مُضَمَّرِ الكَشحَينِ كَاليَعسوبِ

    I forayed into it with a lean, bounding hound,

    Slender in both flanks, like a dragonfly,

  3. مُصَدَّرٍ مُلائِمِ العُرقوبِ

    كَأَنَّما يَفغَرُ عَن قَليبِ

    Broad-chested, with well-set hocks,

    As though his gaping jaws opened onto a well,

  4. أَو عَن وَجارِ ضَبُعٍ أَو ذيبِ

    يَعلو الإِكامَ في ذُرى الكَثيبِ

    Or a hyena's den, or a wolf's.

    He climbs the hillocks on the dune's crests,

  5. وَتارَةً يَنحَطُّ في الغُيوبِ

    كَعَومِ سُفنِ البَحرِ في الجَنوبِ

    And sometimes descends into hidden hollows,

    Like seagoing ships gliding in the south wind.

  6. رَأى ظِباءً ذُعُرَ القُلوبِ

    نائِيَةٍ عَن نَظَرِ المَهيبِ

    He saw gazelles with terrified hearts,

    Far from the fearsome one's gaze.

  7. فَاِعتاقُها بِالشَدِّ ذي اللَهيبِ

    كَأَنُّهُ في شِدَّةِ الهُبوبِ

    So he cut them off with a fiery sprint,

    As though, in the wind's fierce blowing,

  8. تَهوي بِهِ خافِيَتا رَقوبِ

    مُعتَمِداً لِتيسِها المَهيبُ

    A bereaved eagle's twin wings bore him down.

    Making straight for their formidable buck,

  9. فَصَكُّهُ بِزَورِهِ الرَحيبِ

    صَكّاً هَوى مِنهُ إِلى شَعوبِ

    He struck him with his broad chest,

    A blow that sent him plunging to Shaʿub—Death.

  10. فَقَضقَضَ العَجبَ إِلى الظُنبوبِ

    وَانتَهَسَ الأَرفاغَ بِالنُيوبِ

    Then he crushed the bones from tailbone to shinbone,

    And tore at the groins with his fangs.

  11. يَهوي بِهِ صَكّاً عَلى الجُنوبِ

    كَثائِرٍ أَمكَنَ مِن مَطلوبِ

    He hurled him down, battering his sides,

    Like an avenger with his quarry at his mercy.

  12. يا لَكَ مِن ذي حيلَةٍ كَسوبِ

    يا لَكَ مِن ذي حيلَةٍ كَسوبِ

    Ah, what a resourceful, successful hunter you are!

    Ah, what a resourceful, successful hunter you are!