فَجالَ أَكدُرُ مُختالاً كَعادَتِهِ

فَجالَ أَكدُرُ مُختالاً كَعادَتِهِ

حتى إِذا كانَ بَينَ الحَوضِ وَالعَطنِ

حتى إِذا كانَ بَينَ الحَوضِ وَالعَطنِ

Then Akdar roamed, swaggering as was his habit,

The gloomy one stalked with his usual swagger,

Until, when he was between the trough and the camels’ resting-place,

Until he was between the pond and the bluff.

لاقى لَدى ثُلَلِ الأَطواءِ داهِيَةً

لاقى لَدى ثُلَلِ الأَطواءِ داهِيَةً

أَسرَت وَأَكدَرَ تَحتَ اللَيلِ في قَرَنِ

أَسرَت وَأَكدَرَ تَحتَ اللَيلِ في قَرَنِ

He met beside the crumbling wells a calamity

There he encountered at the foot of the dunes, a beast

That journeyed with Akdar through the night, paired together.

That pounced and disturbed him in the dark of the night.

حَطَّت بِهِ سُنَّةٌ وَرهاءَ تَطرُدُه

حَطَّت بِهِ سُنَّةٌ وَرهاءَ تَطرُدُه

حَتّى تَناهى إِلى الأَهوالِ في سُنَنِ

حَتّى تَناهى إِلى الأَهوالِ في سُنَنِ

A witless drowsiness descended upon him, driving him onward,

It drove him with constant harassment,

Until he came straight into terrors,

Until he reached the most dreadful perils.

إِلى مُقارِبِ خَطوِ الساعِدَينِ لَهُ

إِلى مُقارِبِ خَطوِ الساعِدَينِ لَهُ

فَوقَ السَراة كَذِفري القارِحِ الغِضنِ

فَوقَ السَراة كَذِفري القارِحِ الغِضنِ

Toward one whose forelegs took short strides, who had

Up to the vicinity of the elbow’s stride for him,

Above his back ridges like the nape-bones of a stocky, full-grown horse:

Above the flat plain like the ferocious, angry lion.

ريبالُ ظَلماء لا قَحمٌ وَلا ضَرَعُ

ريبالُ ظَلماء لا قَحمٌ وَلا ضَرَعُ

كَالبَغلِ خَطَّ بِهِ العِجلانُ في سَكَنِ

كَالبَغلِ خَطَّ بِهِ العِجلانُ في سَكَنِ

A lion of darkness, neither decrepit nor weak,

A pitch-black zebra, no muzzle or udder,

Like a mule urged quietly onward by a hurried man.

Like a mule that gallops with him into stillness.

فَأَسرِيا وَهُما سَنّا هُمومِهِما

فَأَسرِيا وَهُما سَنّا هُمومِهِما

إِلى عِرينِ كَعُشِّ الأَرمَلِ اليَفنِ

إِلى عِرينِ كَعُشِّ الأَرمَلِ اليَفنِ

So the two journeyed by night, alike in their cares,

So the two creatures, set forth with their worries,

To a lair like the shelter of a destitute old man.

To a den, like the nest of a bereaved owl.

هَذا بِما عَلِقَت أَظفارُهُ بِهِم

هَذا بِما عَلِقَت أَظفارُهُ بِهِم

وَظَنُّ أَكدَرَ غَيرُ الأَفَنِ وَالحَتنِ

وَظَنُّ أَكدَرَ غَيرُ الأَفَنِ وَالحَتنِ

This one intent on those to whom his claws were bound,

This is what its claws clung to,

And Akdar’s thinking free of folly and error.

And the gloomy one thought it was no use to struggle or resist.

حَتّى إِذا وَرَدَ الغَزوالُ وَانتَبَهَت

حَتّى إِذا وَرَدَ الغَزوالُ وَانتَبَهَت

لِحِسِّهِ أُمُّ أَجرٍ سِتَّةٍ شُزُنِ

لِحِسِّهِ أُمُّ أَجرٍ سِتَّةٍ شُزُنِ

Until, when the lion arrived, there awoke

Until when the gazelles arrived and became alert

At his sound the mother of six sturdy cubs,

To its scent, the mother of a herd of six shuddered.

بادٍ جَناجِنُها حَصّاءَ قَد أَفَلَت

بادٍ جَناجِنُها حَصّاءَ قَد أَفَلَت

لَهُنَّ يَبهَرنَ تَعبيراً عَلى سَدنِ

لَهُنَّ يَبهَرنَ تَعبيراً عَلى سَدنِ

Her breastbones showing, sparse-haired; she had wasted away

Whose wings had shed their feathers,

For them, as they panted, whimpering upon their bedding.

So they were dazzled by its approach over the hillside.

وَظَنَّ أَكدَرُ أَن تَموا ثمانِيَةَ

وَظَنَّ أَكدَرُ أَن تَموا ثمانِيَةَ

أَن قَد تَجَلَّلَ أَهلَ البَيتِ بِاليُمنِ

أَن قَد تَجَلَّلَ أَهلَ البَيتِ بِاليُمنِ

And Akdar thought, since they numbered eight,

And the gloomy one thought that together they were eight,

That he had enveloped the household in good fortune.

That the people of the house were blessed with good fortune.

فَخافَ غرَّتَهُم لَمّا دَنا لَهُم

فَخافَ غرَّتَهُم لَمّا دَنا لَهُم

فَحاصَ أَكدَرَ مَشفِيّاً مِنَ الوَسَنِ

فَحاصَ أَكدَرَ مَشفِيّاً مِنَ الوَسَنِ

So he feared their surprise attack when he drew near them,

So he feared their attack when he drew near them,

And Akdar swerved aside, roused from drowsiness,

And the gloomy one quickly fled from the middle aged one.

بِأَربَعِ كُلُّها في الخَلقِ داهِيَةٌ

بِأَربَعِ كُلُّها في الخَلقِ داهِيَةٌ

غُضفٍ عَلَيهِنَّ ضافي اللَحمِ وَاللَبَنِ

غُضفٍ عَلَيهِنَّ ضافي اللَحمِ وَاللَبَنِ

On four limbs, each formidable in its form,

With four calves, all huge in physique

Drooping, with ample flesh and milk upon them.

Plump with layers of fat and milk.

أَلقاهُ مُتَّخِذَ الأَنيابِ جُنَّتَهُ

أَلقاهُ مُتَّخِذَ الأَنيابِ جُنَّتَهُ

وَكانَ بِاللَيلِ ولّاجاً إِلى الجَنَنِ

وَكانَ بِاللَيلِ ولّاجاً إِلى الجَنَنِ

He cast him down, taking his fangs as his shield,

It left the one with fangs his prey,

And at night he was ever entering coverts.

And it had wandered insane in the night.