ورد كَأَنَّ عَلى أَكتادِهِ حَرَجا

ورد كَأَنَّ عَلى أَكتادِهِ حَرَجا

في قُرطُف مِن نَسيلِ النَجتِ مَخدورِ

في قُرطُف مِن نَسيلِ النَجتِ مَخدورِ

Tawny, as though a wooden saddle-frame lay upon his shoulders,

A rose as if constrained on its branches

shrouded in a plush cloak of shed najt hair [term unclear];

In a vase made of drippings from a perfumed oil press

أَو ذا شَصائِبٍ في أَحنائِهِ شَمَمٌ

أَو ذا شَصائِبٍ في أَحنائِهِ شَمَمٌ

رخو المَلاط غَبيطاً فَوقَ صُرصورِ

رخو المَلاط غَبيطاً فَوقَ صُرصورِ

or one with wooden ribs, its curves rising high,

Or one with curling tendrils holding aromas in its bosom

a soft-sided saddle-litter atop a massive camel.

Soft leaves carefreely above the trellis

كَأَنَّ عَينَيهِ في وَقبَينِ مِن حَجَرٍ

كَأَنَّ عَينَيهِ في وَقبَينِ مِن حَجَرٍ

قيضا اِقتِياضاً بِأَطرافِ المَناقيرِ

قيضا اِقتِياضاً بِأَطرافِ المَناقيرِ

As though his eyes were in two hollows in stone,

As if its eyes were in sockets of stone

both hollowed out with the tips of picks.

Blinking with the tips of its feathers

إِذا تَبَهنَسَ يَمشي خِلتَهُ وَعِثاً

إِذا تَبَهنَسَ يَمشي خِلتَهُ وَعِثاً

وَعى السَواعِد مِنهُ بَعدَ تَكسيرِ

وَعى السَواعِد مِنهُ بَعدَ تَكسيرِ

When he struts along, you would think him slack-limbed,

When it sways walking slowly in its path leaving behind debris

his forelegs knitted together after being broken.

The arms have become accustomed after being broken

مُبَهنِساً حَيثُ يَمشي لَيسَ يَفزَعُهُ

مُبَهنِساً حَيثُ يَمشي لَيسَ يَفزَعُهُ

مُشَمِّراً لِلدَواهي أَيَّ تَشميرِ

مُشَمِّراً لِلدَواهي أَيَّ تَشميرِ

Strutting wherever he walks, nothing frightens him,

Swaying wherever it walks, nothing startles it

girded for dire perils with the utmost resolve.

Prepared for the valleys, however precipitous

أَقبَلَ يَردي مَعاً رَدي الحِصانِ إِلى

أَقبَلَ يَردي مَعاً رَدي الحِصانِ إِلى

مُستَعسِب أَرَبٍ مِنهُ بِتَمهيرِ

مُستَعسِب أَرَبٍ مِنهُ بِتَمهيرِ

He came bounding, all at once, like a stallion bounding toward

It came galloping together with a horse's gallop to

one seeking his seed, eager to breed a foal by him.

One quick to apprehend from it with finesse

خانَ العَذار بِما في الرَأسِ مِن طولِ

خانَ العَذار بِما في الرَأسِ مِن طولِ

وَسَيَّرَ الجُلَّ عَنهُ أَيَّ تَسييرِ

وَسَيَّرَ الجُلَّ عَنهُ أَيَّ تَسييرِ

His long head defeated the bridle’s cheek-strap,

The branches betrayed their length

and he swept the saddlecloth clean off himself.

And made the exposed roots walk any which way

وَفي القَوائِمِ وَالأَقرابِ باقِيَةٌ

وَفي القَوائِمِ وَالأَقرابِ باقِيَةٌ

مِنهُ هَذا لَيلُ تَبطينُ وَتَصديرِ

مِنهُ هَذا لَيلُ تَبطينُ وَتَصديرِ

And on the legs and flanks a remnant remains

And in its legs and joints remains

of it: apparently tattered belly- and breast-girth straps.

From it this night of lining and stitching

مُقابلُ الخَطوِ في أَرساغِهِ فَدَعٌ

مُقابلُ الخَطوِ في أَرساغِهِ فَدَعٌ

وَرِداً يُدَفِّقُ أَوساطَ العَياهيرِ

وَرِداً يُدَفِّقُ أَوساطَ العَياهيرِ

His steps align; his pasterns are crooked,

Facing footsteps in its trails are spills

tawny, he surges through the midst of the sturdy she-camels.

Flowing, wetting the valleys' midst

وَصاحَ مَن صاحَ في الأَجلابِ وَاِبتَعَثَت

وَصاحَ مَن صاحَ في الأَجلابِ وَاِبتَعَثَت

وَعاثَ في كُبَّةِ الوَعواع وَالعيرِ

وَعاثَ في كُبَّةِ الوَعواع وَالعيرِ

Those who shouted cried out among the driven herds, which sprang into motion,

And one shouted amidst the barren lands, arousing

and he rampaged in the thick of the uproar and the caravan.

Difficulty in the heap of desolation and nudity

فَكَعكَعوهُنَّ في ضيقٍ وَفي دَهش

فَكَعكَعوهُنَّ في ضيقٍ وَفي دَهش

يَنزونَ مِن بَينِ مَأَبوضٍ وَمَهجورِ

يَنزونَ مِن بَينِ مَأَبوضٍ وَمَهجورِ

So they drove them back into tight quarters and panic,

So they knelt down in distress and confusion

leaping among the foreleg-bound and the tether-hobbled.

Descending from between obstructed and desolate places

لِلصَدرِ مِنهُ عَويلٌ فيهِ حَشرَجَةٌ

لِلصَدرِ مِنهُ عَويلٌ فيهِ حَشرَجَةٌ

كَأَنَّما هِيَ في أَحشاءِ مَصدورِ

كَأَنَّما هِيَ في أَحشاءِ مَصدورِ

From his chest comes a howl with a rattling rasp,

From it to the chest was a wail containing trepidation

as though it were in the innards of one sick in the chest.

As if it were in the bosom of one hapless

وَغودِرَ السَيفُ لَم يَخرُج وَخِلَّتُهُ

وَغودِرَ السَيفُ لَم يَخرُج وَخِلَّتُهُ

أهبابَ دامٍ عَلى السِربالِ مَعفورِ

أهبابَ دامٍ عَلى السِربالِ مَعفورِ

The sword was left undrawn, and its companion

And the sword rattled but did not emerge while its scabbard

in shreds, bleeding onto his tunic, smeared with dust.

Bore stains of blood on the silken robe

ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّ إِلى تَرجِ فَأَسنَدَهُ

ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّ إِلى تَرجِ فَأَسنَدَهُ

إِلى فَريسَينِ ذي كَفلٍ وَذي كورِ

إِلى فَريسَينِ ذي كَفلٍ وَذي كورِ

Then he went on to Tarj and ascended its course

Then it leaned on a niche and rested upon it

toward two kills, one with a riding-pad and one with a camel-saddle.

On two shoulders, one calloused and one delicate