His Dark Elation
Translated By James Montgomery
As my comrades dozed off
talking late into the night
I taught the wolf a lesson
when he put me to the test.
I saw my sheep bolting off
and, barely dressed, drowsily
got to my feet. Thrilled
with his kill, he loped away
in his dark elation, like a pillar
of dust kicked up by the wind.
Several times I chased him
away and several times
he came back. Then I knew
I had no choice—my flock
would be wiped out. He lunged
at my hand and my heart missed
a beat. I steadied myself
and fired an arrow—with a limp
he slinked away. That night,
safe and sound, I said,
God be praised!
Translated from the Arabic, below
____
وقال الشمردل بن شريك
[مشطور الرجز]
هَلْ خُبِّرَ ٱلسِّرْحَانُ إِذْ يَسْتَخْبِرُ
عَنِّي وَقَدْ نَامَ ٱلصِّحَابُ ٱلسُّمَّرُ
لَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ٱلضَّأْنَ مِنْهُ تَنْفَرُ
نَهَضْتُ وَسْنَانَ وَطَارَ ٱلْمِئْزَرُ
وَرَاحَ مِنْهَا مَرِحٌ مُسْتَيْهِرُ
كَأَنَّهُ إِعْصَارُ رِيحٍ أَغْبَرُ
فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَطْرُدُهُ وَيَعْكِرُ
حَتَّى إِذَا ٱسْتَيْقَنْتُ أَلَّا أُعْذِرُ
وَأَنَّ عَقْرَى غَنَمِي سَتَكْثُرُ
طَارَ بِكَفِّي وَفُؤَادِي أَوْجَرُ
ثُمَّتَ أَهْوَيْتُ لَهُ لَا أَزْجُرُ
سَهْمًا فَوَلَّى عَنْهُ وَهْوَ يَعْثُرُ
فَبِتُّ لَيْلِي آمِنًا أُكَبِّرُ
Source: Poetry (May 2022)