رُبَّما أَغدو مَعي كَلبي

رُبَّما أَغدو مَعي كَلبي

طالِباً لِلصَيدِ في صَحبي

طالِباً لِلصَيدِ في صَحبي

Often I set out at dawn, my hound with me,

Perhaps I'll go out with my dog

Oft I go forth early, my hound at my side,

seeking game among my companions.

Seeking game with my companion

Seeking the hunt among my companions,

فَسَمَونا لِلحَزيزِ بِهِ

فَسَمَونا لِلحَزيزِ بِهِ

فَدَفَعناهُ عَلى أَظبِ

فَدَفَعناهُ عَلى أَظبِ

Then we climbed to the stony ridge with him,

So we headed for the rough ground with him

We ascended the rocky ridges with him,

and sent him against gazelles.

And set him on a gazelle

And unleashed him upon a herd of gazelles,

فَاستَدَرَّتهُ فَدَرَّ لَها

فَاستَدَرَّتهُ فَدَرَّ لَها

يَلطِمُ الرِفقَينِ بِالتُربِ

يَلطِمُ الرِفقَينِ بِالتُربِ

They spurred him on, and he sped after them,

She circled around so he circled her

They provoked his speed, and he poured it forth,

slapping dust against both elbows.

Pawing the ground on both sides

Striking his flanks with the flying dust,

فَادَّراها وَهيَ لاهِيَةٌ

فَادَّراها وَهيَ لاهِيَةٌ

في جَميمِ الخاذِ وَالغَربِ

في جَميمِ الخاذِ وَالغَربِ

Then he stole upon them while they were heedless,

He harried her while she was distracted

He overtook them while they grazed unawares,

amid the fresh growth of khādh and gharb.

In the sands of dawn and dusk

Amidst the lush growth of the box-thorn and willows,

فَفَرى جَمّاعُهُنَّ كَما

فَفَرى جَمّاعُهُنَّ كَما

قُدَّ مَخلولانِ مِن عُصبِ

قُدَّ مَخلولانِ مِن عُصبِ

He ripped their herd-leader open, as

Her companions fled like

He tore through their gathering, just as one,

two pin-fastened wraps of striped cloth are slit,

Two intertwined cables undone

Rends two loose strands from a twisted cord,

غَيرَ يَعفورٍ أَهابَ بِهِ

غَيرَ يَعفورٍ أَهابَ بِهِ

جابَ دَفَّيهِ عَنِ القَلبِ

جابَ دَفَّيهِ عَنِ القَلبِ

besides a fawn he cried out at,

Except for a little doe that lingered

Save for a buck which he singled out,

whose flanks he split, laying its heart bare.

With her heart pounding in her chest

Piercing his ribs to reach the heart,

ضَمَّ لَحيَيهِ بِمِخطَمِهِ

ضَمَّ لَحيَيهِ بِمِخطَمِهِ

ضَمُّكَ الكَسرَينِ بِالشَعَبِ

ضَمُّكَ الكَسرَينِ بِالشَعَبِ

He clamped his jaws together at his muzzle,

He held his jaws together on her throat

Clamping his jaws tight upon its snout,

as you join two broken pieces in mending.

As you would clasp your hands together

As you would bind a fracture with a splint,

وَانتَهى لِلباهِياتِ كَما

وَانتَهى لِلباهِياتِ كَما

كُسِرَت فَتخاءُ مِن لَهَبِ

كُسِرَت فَتخاءُ مِن لَهَبِ

And he reached the lovely does as

And it ended with her collapse just as

He brought down the fair beasts, striking like,

a broad-winged eagle folds her wings to swoop from a mountain cleft.

A flame is extinguished by the wind

A broad-winged falcon swooping from flame,

فَتَعايا التَيسُ حينَ كَبا

فَتَعايا التَيسُ حينَ كَبا

وَدَنا فوهُ مِنَ العَجبِ

وَدَنا فوهُ مِنَ العَجبِ

Then the buck was helpless when it stumbled,

The billy goat approached when she fell

The buck grew weary as he stumbled,

and his mouth drew near its tail-root.

And drew near in wonder

And his mouth drew near to his tail in agony,

ظَلَّ بِالوَعساءِ يُنغِصُهُ

ظَلَّ بِالوَعساءِ يُنغِصُهُ

أَزَماً مِنهُ عَلى الصُلبِ

أَزَماً مِنهُ عَلى الصُلبِ

On the soft sand he kept tormenting it,

Remaining by the fallen doe, annoyed

In the soft sands, the hound continued to harry him,

with his fierce biting along its backbone.

By her burden across his shoulders

With a crushing bite upon the spine,

تِلكَ لَذّاتي وَكُنتُ فَتىً

تِلكَ لَذّاتي وَكُنتُ فَتىً

لَم أَقُل مِن لِذَّةٍ حَسَبي

لَم أَقُل مِن لِذَّةٍ حَسَبي

Those were my pleasures, and I was a youth

Those were my pleasures when I was a youth

Such were my pleasures when I was a youth,

who never said of any pleasure, 'Enough for me.'

Never tiring of such delights

Never saying of any joy, "I have had my fill."