لَمّا طَوى اللَيلُ حَواشي بُردِهِ

لَمّا طَوى اللَيلُ حَواشي بُردِهِ

عَن واضِحِ اللَونِ نَقِيِّ وَردِهِ

عَن واضِحِ اللَونِ نَقِيِّ وَردِهِ

When night folded back the edges of its mantle,

When night folded up the hems of its dark cloak,

Revealing the bright-hued dawn, pure in its rosy glow,

Unveiling a face of clear hue, pure in its roseate glow,

نادَيتُ فَهّادي بِرَدِّ فَهدِهِ

نادَيتُ فَهّادي بِرَدِّ فَهدِهِ

نِداءَ مَن جادَ لَهُ بِوُدِّهِ

نِداءَ مَن جادَ لَهُ بِوُدِّهِ

I called my cheetah-keeper to bring back his cheetah,

I called to my keeper to bring forth his cheetah,

With the call of one who freely bestowed his affection on him.

With the call of a friend bestowing kindness upon him.

فَجاءَ يُزجيهِ عَلى سَمَندِهِ

فَجاءَ يُزجيهِ عَلى سَمَندِهِ

أَصفَرَ أَحوى بَينَ بَينَ وِردِهِ

أَصفَرَ أَحوى بَينَ بَينَ وِردِهِ

He came, guiding it along upon his dun steed:

He arrived, urging it forward upon his dun steed,

Yellow and dusky, its tawny coloring somewhere between,

A tawny beast, dark-marked, of blended shades,

واحِدَ قَدٍّ في اِكمِلالِ قَدِّهِ

واحِدَ قَدٍّ في اِكمِلالِ قَدِّهِ

قُلتَ اِرتَدِفهُ فَاِنثَنى لِزَندِهِ

قُلتَ اِرتَدِفهُ فَاِنثَنى لِزَندِهِ

Peerless in build, its stature fully perfected.

Singular in form, absolute in the perfection of its build.

You said, “Take it up behind you”; he bent toward his forearm.

I said, "Mount him behind you," and he bent to his arm,

ما كانَ إِلّا نَظرَةً مِن بَعدِهِ

ما كانَ إِلّا نَظرَةً مِن بَعدِهِ

وَنَظرَةً أُخرى بِأَدنى جُهدِهِ

وَنَظرَةً أُخرى بِأَدنى جُهدِهِ

After that, there was only a glance,

It was but a fleeting glance that followed,

And another glance with the least of its effort,

And another glance, taken with the slightest of effort,

حَتّى أَرانا العينَ دونَ وِردِهِ

حَتّى أَرانا العينَ دونَ وِردِهِ

مُطَرَّداً يَحسو بِشُفرَي عِدِّهِ

مُطَرَّداً يَحسو بِشُفرَي عِدِّهِ

Until it showed us a wide-eyed wild bull this side of its watering place,

Before he showed us the wild ox, short of the water,

An outcast, sipping at the two edges of its spring.

A solitary bull, driven off as it sipped from the edge.

فَاِنصاعَ مُرقَدّاً عَلى مُرقَدِّهِ

فَاِنصاعَ مُرقَدّاً عَلى مُرقَدِّهِ

كَأَنَّهُ حينَ اِنفَرى في شَدِّهِ

كَأَنَّهُ حينَ اِنفَرى في شَدِّهِ

Then it darted off, racing at its swift-running quarry,

Then the cheetah broke loose, speeding toward his quarry,

As though, when it burst forth in its sprint

As though, when he burst forth in his violent charge,

وَاِمتَدَّ لِلناظِرِ في مَرتَدِّهِ

وَاِمتَدَّ لِلناظِرِ في مَرتَدِّهِ

كَوكَبُ عِفريتَ هَوى لِعِدِّهِ

كَوكَبُ عِفريتَ هَوى لِعِدِّهِ

And stretched before the watcher in its recoil,

And stretched himself out to the beholder in his leap,

It were a demon’s star plunging toward its foe.

He was a demon's star, plummeting to its mark,

كَما اِنطَوى العاقِدُ مِن ذي عَقدِهِ

كَما اِنطَوى العاقِدُ مِن ذي عَقدِهِ

خَمسينَ عاماً بِيَدي مُعتَدِّهِ

خَمسينَ عاماً بِيَدي مُعتَدِّهِ

Like the counting finger curled by one reckoning

Curved like the finger of one counting on hands,

Fifty years in the reckoner’s two hands,

Shaping 'fifty' within the palm of the reckoner,

حَتّى اِحتَوى العَينَ وَلَمّا يُردِهِ

حَتّى اِحتَوى العَينَ وَلَمّا يُردِهِ

فَنَحنُ أَضيافُ حُسامَي غِمدِهِ

فَنَحنُ أَضيافُ حُسامَي غِمدِهِ

Until it caught the wild bull, not yet having slain it;

Until he seized the wild ox, holding it fast from death,

So we are guests of the two swords in its sheath.

And now we are guests of the twin swords in his sheath.