قَدsometimes أَغتَديI set out at dawn وَاللَيلُwhile the night أَحوىdark-hued السُدِّthe veil
قَد أَغتَدي وَاللَيلُ أَحوى السُدِّ
وَالصُبحُand dawn فيin الظَلماءِthe darkness ذوpossessing تَقَدّيa kindling glow
وَالصُبحُ في الظَلماءِ ذو تَقَدّي
Sometimes I set out at dawn while night’s veil is black,
I have woken though night wraps its cloak
I venture forth while night draws tight its darkened veil,
And dawn is kindling in the darkness,
And dawn pierces the darkness, a flickering glow,
And dawn advances, cutting through the gloom,
مِثلُlike اِهتِزازِthe quivering العَضبِthe keen sword ذيbearing الفِرَندِwatered markings on steel
مِثلُ اِهتِزازِ العَضبِ ذي الفِرَندِ
بِأَهرَتِwith a wide-mouthed one الشِدقَينِthe two mouth-corners مُرمَئدِash-gray
بِأَهرَتِ الشِدقَينِ مُرمَئدِ
Like the quivering of a keen, watered blade,
Like the trembling of an adder’s crest
Like the shimmering of a sharp sword, rippled with patterns.
With a wide-mouthed, ash-gray beast,
When the two lips quiver, eyes aglow.
With a wide-jawed beast, trembling with eagerness,
أَزبَرَmassive-shouldered مَضبورِclosely knit القَراthe back عِلكَدِّsturdy
أَزبَرَ مَضبورِ القَرا عِلكَدِّ
طاويlean الحَشاthe belly فيwithin طَيِّthe folds of جِسمٍa body مَعدِtough
طاوي الحَشا في طَيِّ جِسمٍ مَعدِ
Massive-shouldered, compact-backed, sturdy,
A wasp shot forth, intent on its goal
Thick-maned, with a compact back, sturdy and strong,
Lean-bellied within a tough frame,
To the phantom blocking its onward tread,
Lean in the flank, his body coiled and muscular,
كَرهِugly الرِواoutward appearance جَمٍّabundant in غُضونِcreases الخَدِّthe cheek
كَرهِ الرِوا جَمٍّ غُضونِ الخَدِّ
دُلامِزٍstocky ذيhaving نَكَفٍglands beneath the jaw مُسوَدِّblackened
دُلامِزٍ ذي نَكَفٍ مُسوَدِّ
Ugly of aspect, with many creases in his cheeks,
Spied with sustained, unblinking gaze
Disdaining water, deep wrinkles lining his jowls,
Stocky, with blackened glands beneath his jaw,
Two gray serpents, forehead armored with lead.
Solid as a rock, with black knots behind his ears,
شَرَنبَثٍthick-pawed أَغلَبَthick-necked مُصمَعِدِّvigorous
شَرَنبَثٍ أَغلَبَ مُصمَعِدِّ
Thick-pawed, thick-necked, vigorous,
Then struck, no weakling in the fray,
Thick-clawed, heavy-necked, standing alert and high.
Through flames and ashes smoldering red,
كَاللَيثِlike a lion إِلّاexcept for نُمرَةًspotting بِالجِلدِon the hide
كَاللَيثِ إِلّا نُمرَةً بِالجِلدِ
لِلشَبَحِfor the distant shape الحائِلِmoving مُستَعِدِّready
لِلشَبَحِ الحائِلِ مُستَعِدِّ
Like a lion, save for the spots upon his hide,
Like an Arabian viper’s smooth glide
A match for the lion, save for the spots upon his hide,
Ready for the moving shape.
With each slight jerk and measured tread,
Poised and ready for the shifting silhouettes.
عايَنَhe sighted بَعدَafter النَظَرِthe gaze المُمتَدِّprolonged
عايَنَ بَعدَ النَظَرِ المُمتَدِّ
سِربَينِtwo herds عَنّاboth appeared بِجَبينٍon a hillside’s brow صَلدِbare and rocky
سِربَينِ عَنّا بِجَبينٍ صَلدِ
After a prolonged watch, he sighted
Until the cave of his wish drew near.
He spotted, after a long and piercing gaze,
Two herds that appeared upon a bare, rocky brow.
He blasted it with clamor untamed
Two herds appearing on the rugged hillside.
فَاِنقَضَّthen he darted forward يَأدوstalking غَيرَnot مُجرَهِدِّrushing headlong
فَاِنقَضَّ يَأدو غَيرَ مُجرَهِدِّ
فيin لَهَبٍa narrow ravine عَنهُaway from it وَخَتلٍand guile إِدِّformidable
في لَهَبٍ عَنهُ وَخَتلٍ إِدِّ
Then he darted forward, stalking, not rushing headlong,
And ravaged it with his might
He swooped down, creeping low before the sprint,
In a ravine apart from the quarry, with formidable guile,
After two faint gusts of greed and aim.
With burning speed and wondrous, cunning stealth,
مِثلَlike اِنسِيابِthe gliding الحَيَّةِthe snake العِربَدِّthe fierce viper
مِثلَ اِنسِيابِ الحَيَّةِ العِربَدِّ
بِكُلِّacross every نَشزٍrise وَبِكُلِّand across every وَهدِhollow
بِكُلِّ نَشزٍ وَبِكُلِّ وَهدِ
Like the gliding of a fierce viper,
No good the prey without steadfast hound.
Smooth as the slithering of a venomous viper,
Across every rise and every hollow,
Over every rise and through every hollowed dip.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen كانَhe was كَهافيlike one straying from القَصدِthe intended course
حَتّى إِذا كانَ كَهافي القَصدِ
صَعصَعَهاhe scattered them بِالصَحصَحانِon the open plain الجُردِbare
صَعصَعَها بِالصَحصَحانِ الجُردِ
Until, when he seemed to stray from his course,
Until, when close as an arrow to its mark,
He scattered them across the bare, open plain,
He scattered them across the barren, open plain,
وَعاثَand wreaked havoc فيهاamong them بِفَريغِwith sweeping الشَدِّrunning
وَعاثَ فيها بِفَريغِ الشَدِّ
بَعدَafter شَريجَيthe paired impulses of طَمَعٍdesire وَحَردِand fury
بَعدَ شَريجَي طَمَعٍ وَحَردِ
And ravaged them with a sweeping charge,
And wreaked havoc there with a furious charge,
After the twin impulses of desire and fury.
Driven by the twin spurs of hunger and of rage.
لاno خَيرَgood فيin الصَيدِhunting بِغَيرِwithout فَهدِa cheetah
لا خَيرَ في الصَيدِ بِغَيرِ فَهدِ
There is no good hunting without a cheetah.
For there is no virtue in the hunt without a cheetah.
Partial English translation: 16 of 22 Arabic lines translated.