غدونا وطرفُ الليلِ وسنانُ غابرُ

غدونا وطرفُ الليلِ وسنانُ غابرُ

وقد نزل الأصابح والليل سائرُ

وقد نزل الأصابح والليل سائرُ

We set out at dawn, while night's edge lingered drowsily,

We set out at dawn, when night's hem was fading,

And dawn had descended, while night was passing on,

As dawn broke and night took its leave.

بأجدلَ من حُمر الصقور مؤدَّب

بأجدلَ من حُمر الصقور مؤدَّب

وأكرمُ ما جرَّبتَ منها الأحامر

وأكرمُ ما جرَّبتَ منها الأحامر

With a trained falcon from among the red falcons;

With a smooth-gaited steed, chestnut as a hawk,

And the finest you have tested among them are the red ones.

The finest I've tried of racers.

جريءٌ على قتل الظباء وأنني

جريءٌ على قتل الظباء وأنني

ليعجبني أن يقتل الوحش طائرُ

ليعجبني أن يقتل الوحش طائرُ

Bold in killing gazelles; and indeed I

Bold to slaughter gazelles, yet I delight

Am truly amazed that a bird should kill wild beasts.

To see the wild beast take wing.

قصير الذنابى والقُدامى كأنها

قصير الذنابى والقُدامى كأنها

قوادم نسرٍ أو سيوف بواتر

قوادم نسرٍ أو سيوف بواتر

Short-tailed, his primary feathers seem

Short-tailed, compact, as though his forelegs

A vulture's flight-feathers, or cleaving swords.

Were an eagle's talons or Indian blades.

ورُقِّشِ منه جؤجؤٌ فكأنما

ورُقِّشِ منه جؤجؤٌ فكأنما

أعارته أعجام الحروفِ الدفاترُ

أعارته أعجام الحروفِ الدفاترُ

And his breast was speckled, as though

His flanks are dappled as if the scrolls

The notebooks had lent it the dots of their letters.

Of calligraphy lent him their patterned pages.

وما زالت بالأضمار حتى صنعتهُ

وما زالت بالأضمار حتى صنعتهُ

وليس يحوز السبق إلا الضوامر

وليس يحوز السبق إلا الضوامر

And lean conditioning continued until I had trained him;

He kept to the valley-beds until I shaped him,

And none but the lean win the race.

None can outstrip him but the full-moon racer.

وتحمله منا أكفٌّ كريمةٌ

وتحمله منا أكفٌّ كريمةٌ

كما زُهِيَت بالخاطبين المنابر

كما زُهِيَت بالخاطبين المنابر

And noble hands of ours carry him,

He bears me onward, held in honored hands,

As pulpits are made proud by their orators.

As pulpit platforms are graced by the preacher.

فعنَّ لنا من جانب السفح ربربٌ

فعنَّ لنا من جانب السفح ربربٌ

على سَنَنٍ تستنُّ فيه الجآذر

على سَنَنٍ تستنُّ فيه الجآذر

Then a herd of wild cattle appeared to us from beside the slope,

From a hillside a small flock sprang up

Along a path where the wild calves bounded.

On paths well-trodden where sheep gather.

فجَلّى وحُلَّت عقدة السير فانتحى

فجَلّى وحُلَّت عقدة السير فانتحى

لأولها إذ أمكنته الأواخر

لأولها إذ أمكنته الأواخر

Then he sped ahead; his leash-knot was loosed, and he headed

He pulled clear and loosened the knot of his pace—

For the foremost of them, when the hindmost were within his reach.

The lead ones, when he got among them, scattered.

يحثُّ جناحيه على حرِّ وجهه

يحثُّ جناحيه على حرِّ وجهه

كما فصِّلت فوق الخدود المغافر

كما فصِّلت فوق الخدود المغافر

He drove his two wings over the front of his face,

His wings churning the air by his cheeks

As mail coifs are fitted over cheeks.

As turbans' crepelike folds flutter free.

فما تمَّ رجعُ الطرفِ حتى رأيتُها

فما تمَّ رجعُ الطرفِ حتى رأيتُها

مصرَّعة تهوي إليها الخناجر

مصرَّعة تهوي إليها الخناجر

And before a blink of the eye was over, I saw it

Scarcely had my gaze flickered back when I saw

Felled, with daggers descending toward it.

The flock studded with blades plunging among them.

كذلك لذاتي وما نالَ لذةً

كذلك لذاتي وما نالَ لذةً

كطالب صيدٍ ينكفي وهو ظافر

كطالب صيدٍ ينكفي وهو ظافر

Such are my pleasures; no one has gained delight

Even so is my delight as I close to pursue,

Like a seeker of game returning victorious.

Like a hunter exulting, sure of his quarry!