رُبَّ ذي شبلين قَسوَرَةٍ

رُبَّ ذي شبلين قَسوَرَةٍ

قد أَجَمَّ الحَينُ في أَجَمِه

قد أَجَمَّ الحَينُ في أَجَمِه

Many a fierce lion with two cubs,

Many a lion with sharp claws,

Whose doom had drawn near within his thicket;

Whose time has gathered during his days,

موتُ من يرديه عيشتهُ

موتُ من يرديه عيشتهُ

فهو مجبولٌ على رغمه

فهو مجبولٌ على رغمه

His livelihood is the death of those he slays,

The death of one whose life harms him,

So he is fashioned by nature, against his will.

So he is forcibly restrained.

لا ترى حَيّاً يُطيفُ بهِ

لا ترى حَيّاً يُطيفُ بهِ

لا ولا يدنو إلى حَرَمِه

لا ولا يدنو إلى حَرَمِه

You see no living creature circling him,

You do not see anyone circling around him,

No, nor approaching his sanctuary.

Nor coming near his sanctuary.

كمِجَنِّ الحربِ هامتُهُ

كمِجَنِّ الحربِ هامتُهُ

وكغَورِ الغارِ رَحبُ فَمِه

وكغَورِ الغارِ رَحبُ فَمِه

His head is like a shield of war,

Like the insane warrior is his madness,

And his broad mouth like the depths of a cave;

And like the spaciousness of the cave is the width of his mouth.

وكجدلِ الجذعِ قَصرَتُهُ

وكجدلِ الجذعِ قَصرَتُهُ

وكهضبٍ ضخمُ مُلتَزَمِه

وكهضبٍ ضخمُ مُلتَزَمِه

And his neck like the stout bulk of a tree trunk;

And like the shortness of the trunk is his shortness,

And his massive torso like a rocky hill;

And like the massiveness of the hill is his sturdiness.

وكضَّفرِ القِدِّ ساعِدُهُ

وكضَّفرِ القِدِّ ساعِدُهُ

وكَوَهدٍ رحبُ مُبتَسمه

وكَوَهدٍ رحبُ مُبتَسمه

And his forearm like a plait of rawhide;

And like the whiteness of old age are his forearms,

And his broad grin like a hollow;

And like the wideness of the meadow is his smile.

وكَوَقبِ الشِعبِ مُقلتُهُ

وكَوَقبِ الشِعبِ مُقلتُهُ

وَكَلِصبٍ شعب مُلتَهَمِهِ

وَكَلِصبٍ شعب مُلتَهَمِهِ

And his eye like a hollow in a ravine;

And like the cutting of a mountain pass is his wit,

And his gullet's cleft like a narrow pass.

And like a melting iceberg are his incisors.

وكأنَّ البرق ما قَدَحَت

وكأنَّ البرق ما قَدَحَت

عَينُه باللحظ من ضَرَمِه

عَينُه باللحظ من ضَرَمِه

And as though lightning were what was sparked

As if lightning kindled,

By his eye, with a glance, from his blaze;

His eyes in a glance from his eyelids.

وكناب النابِ مخلبُهُ

وكناب النابِ مخلبُهُ

حين يَنحيه بمُختَطَمِه

حين يَنحيه بمُختَطَمِه

And his claw like an old she-camel's fang,

And like the claw of a leopard are his claws,

When he directs it toward his muzzle.

When he waves them in his gathering.

وكأنَّ الموتَ معترضٌ

وكأنَّ الموتَ معترضٌ

بين لَحيَيهِ ومُلتَثَمِه

بين لَحيَيهِ ومُلتَثَمِه

And as though death lay athwart

As if death lies in wait,

Between his two jaws and his muzzle;

Between his cheeks and his pressed-together lips.

وكأن الرعد ما انتزعت

وكأن الرعد ما انتزعت

نفسه بالدار من سَدَمِه

نفسه بالدار من سَدَمِه

And as though thunder were what was wrested

And as if thunder had snatched away,

By his spirit, in the lair, from his fury;

His soul forcefully from his innards.

وكأجناد المحاسب ما

وكأجناد المحاسب ما

بين متنيه إلى قممه

بين متنيه إلى قممه

And like the reckoner's troops is what

And like the troops of the Reckoner are what is

Lies between his back's two sides, up to his crests.

Between his shoulders to his top.

وكوَشكِ الدهرِ خطفتهُ

وكوَشكِ الدهرِ خطفتهُ

حين تلفيه على وَجَمِه

حين تلفيه على وَجَمِه

And his snatch is like the swiftness of time,

And as if the days of life snatched him,

When you find him in his brooding silence;

When they wrapped around his body.

وكآجلٍ تسيرُ إلى

وكآجلٍ تسيرُ إلى

عُمُرٍ أمضاء معتزمه

عُمُرٍ أمضاء معتزمه

And like a coming doom advancing toward

And like an appointed time going

A lifespan is the carrying out of his resolve.

To the past days determined.

وكأنَّ السيفَ منصلتاً

وكأنَّ السيفَ منصلتاً

كَرُّهُ إذ ذادَ عن حرمه

كَرُّهُ إذ ذادَ عن حرمه

And as though a sword, unsheathed,

As if the sword unsheathed

Were his charge when he defended his sanctuary.

His stubbornness when he protected his sanctuary.

إن يكن رزقُ الورى قِسماً

إن يكن رزقُ الورى قِسماً

فجميعُ الخلقِ من قِسَمِه

فجميعُ الخلقِ من قِسَمِه

If the sustenance of creatures comes in shares,

If the sustenance of life is apportioned,

Then all creation is among his portions.

Then all creation is from His apportioning.

عبثت كفُّ المنون به

عبثت كفُّ المنون به

فأباته على نِقَمِه

فأباته على نِقَمِه

The hand of death toyed with him,

The hand of death toyed with him,

So made him pass the night amid his torments,

So he resisted it in his vengeance.

بضئيل الحال مُعترضٍ

بضئيل الحال مُعترضٍ

وخَفيَّ الآل مُكتَتِمِه

وخَفيَّ الآل مُكتَتِمِه

Through one of lowly station, barring his path,

With meager condition, suffering,

And one whose faint figure was concealed.

And supporters subtly concealing him.

ذا عليه طِمرُ ذي شَعَثٍ

ذا عليه طِمرُ ذي شَعَثٍ

مَلَّت الأيامُ من قِدَمِه

مَلَّت الأيامُ من قِدَمِه

This one wore an unkempt man's threadbare garment;

Upon him is the dust of the disheveled,

The days had grown weary of its age.

The days have become long from his feet.

ولذا درعٌ مُلَبَّدَةٌ

ولذا درعٌ مُلَبَّدَةٌ

طال ما يلقاه من كَلَمِه

طال ما يلقاه من كَلَمِه

And that one had a matted coat of armor;

So his coat of mail is corroded,

Long had he endured the wounds dealt him.

Prolonged by what he meets of his word.

من لباس الشاء موثقه

من لباس الشاء موثقه

وظهيرُ الشيح ملتئمه

وظهيرُ الشيح ملتئمه

His fastening came from the covering of sheep,

Fastened with the clothing of sheep,

And his fitted covering had wormwood for backing.

And the leather of Shim* adhering to him.

لم يرعه غير فجأته

لم يرعه غير فجأته

باركاً يسعى إلى وَقَمه

باركاً يسعى إلى وَقَمه

Nothing startled him but the man's sudden arrival,

None cautioned him but suddenly

Crouching, striving to bring him down.

Barel** came seeking his elevation.

وازبأرَّ الليثُ واعتَوَرَت

وازبأرَّ الليثُ واعتَوَرَت

بالَهُ الأوجالُ من لَمَمِه

بالَهُ الأوجالُ من لَمَمِه

And the lion bristled, and in turn was assailed

And the lion roared and the plains

In his mind by fears at the other's approach.

Were disturbed by his violence.

ثمَّ دَكَّتهُ حفيظتُه

ثمَّ دَكَّتهُ حفيظتُه

واعاد النار من عزمه

واعاد النار من عزمه

Then his fierce anger battered him,

Then his anger subdued him

And rekindled the fire of his resolve.

And returned the fire from his resolve.

فأحسَّ الكفُّ ضِلَّتَهُ

فأحسَّ الكفُّ ضِلَّتَهُ

منعتها سوء مقتحمه

منعتها سوء مقتحمه

Then the hand perceived his error,

So the palm sensed its misguidance,

Which spared it the harm of his headlong rush.

Depriving it of the evil of its undertakings.

وسعى المُخفي مكيدتَه

وسعى المُخفي مكيدتَه

بكبولٍ مُنَّ في حزمه

بكبولٍ مُنَّ في حزمه

And the one concealing his stratagem set to work

And the deceitful one sought his schemes

With fetters that weakened his resolve,

With fetters refined in his bundle.

ومُكِمَّاتٍ واكسية

ومُكِمَّاتٍ واكسية

فأجادَ الشدَّ من خَطَمِه

فأجادَ الشدَّ من خَطَمِه

And muzzles and coverings;

And mufflers and garments,

So he tightened the bonds well at his muzzle.

So he excelled in firmness from his mouth.

واغضَّ الكبلُ نخوتَهُ

واغضَّ الكبلُ نخوتَهُ

ثم تلَّ القيدَ في قَدَمِه

ثم تلَّ القيدَ في قَدَمِه

And the fetter humbled his pride,

And the shackles subdued his haughtiness,

Then he cast the shackle upon his foot.

Then the chains dragged in his feet.

فرأيت الليثَ منجدلاً

فرأيت الليثَ منجدلاً

لائذاً من هَضمِ مُهتَضِمِه

لائذاً من هَضمِ مُهتَضِمِه

So you saw the lion lying felled,

Thus I saw the lion fallen,

Seeking refuge from his oppressor's oppression.

Taking refuge from his destructive destroyer.

إنَّ في هذا لمعتَبَراً

إنَّ في هذا لمعتَبَراً

لسديد الرأي مُنبَرِمِه

لسديد الرأي مُنبَرِمِه

Surely in this there is a lesson

Verily in this is a lesson,

For one of sound, firmly settled judgment.

For the judicious one, denouncing.