A Hunting Trip Poem by Abu Firas al-Hamadani

A man's age is not to be measured by his long years,
But by how happily he lives his life.
The days of my glory and unlimited authority
Are the ones I consider truly lived by me.
O how unfair fate can be to its children,
How treacherous to those who put their trust in it

لو شئتُ ممّا قد قللنَ جـِدّا
عددتُ أيامَ السرورِ عدّا

If I wish to count my happy days,
I will find them to be very few in number

أنعتُ يوماً مرَّ لي بالشامِ
ألذ ُ ما مرَّ منَ الأيامِ

The happiest of all those days,
Was a day I spent in Damascus

دعوتَ بالصقارِ ذاتَ يومِ
عند انتباهي سَحراً من نومي

One day, upon awakening from my sleep at dawn,
I forthwith called the falcon trainer

قلتُ لهُ: اخترْ سبعةً كبارا
كلٌّ نجيبُ يردُ الغـُبارا

I said to him: select seven big ones,
Each of superior, noble breed,
Able to close in on its prey,
Even in midst of a sandy storm

يكونُ للأرنبِ منها اثنانِ
وخمسة ٌ تـُفردُ للغزلان ِ

Let two be used for hunting hares,
And five for going after the gazelles

واجعلْ كِلابَ الصيدِ نوبتين ِ
تـُرسِلُ منها اثنينِ بعدَ اثنينِ

Divide the dogs into two groups;
Sending two dogs at a time, followed by another two

ولا تؤخّر أكلبُ العِراضِ
فهنَّ حتفٌ للظباءِ قاضِ

ثم تقدمتُ إلى الفهّادِ
والبازريانَ بالاستعدادِ

وقلتُ: إن خمسة ً لتـُقنعُ
والزرّقانِ: الفرخُ والملمّعُ

Make sure you also bring along the most vicious dogs,
For they are undisputed deer killers.
Then I turned to the leopard and buzzard trainers,
And told them to get ready for the trip.
I said: five of each will be needed,
Along with some bright feathered hawks

وأنتَ يا طبّاخُ لا تباطا
عجّل لنا اللباتِ والأوساطا

ويا شرابيَّ المُصفيّاتِ
تكونُ بالراحِ مُيسّراتِ

باللهِ لا تستصحبوا ثقيلا
واجتنبوا الكثرةَ والفضولا

I said to the chef: Don't be slow in cooking our meals;
Make sure you prepare for us
Breasts and inside organs as well.
And to the liquid refreshment man, I said:
See to it you we have our libation at hand.
Let no dull person accompany us,
Nor any talkative, inquisitive folks

ردّوا فلاناً وخذوا فلانا
وضمّنوني صَيدكُم ضمانا!

فاخترتُ لما وقفوا طويلا
عشرينَ أو فويقها قليلا

عِصابةٌ أكرم بها عِصابهْ
معروفةٌ بالفضلِ والنجابهْ

Reject so and so, take in so and so,
And be sure to bring all the catch before me.
They stood long, awaiting my picking;
I chose twenty or a little over.
An incredible band of people,
Well recognized for keenness of intellect;
Generosity of spirit

ثم قصدنا صيدَ عينِ قاصِرِ
مظنةَ الصيدِ لكلِ خابرِ

جئناهُ والشمسُ قبيلَ المغربِ
تختالُ في ثوب الأصيلِ المُذهَبِ

وأخذ الدرّاجُ في الصياحِ
مكتنفاً من سائر النواحي

We presently headed for the hunting grounds of Ein Qasir,
Where game is in abundance,
As all expert hunters attest.
We reached our destination shortly before sunset;
As the Sun was sporting its late afternoon golden robe.
Pheasants started passionately calling;
Their loud cackle heard all around

Deluded, oblivious of our presence,
Yet our visit to their habitation will prove devastating.
They rejoice for the break of day,
Not knowing that death lurks at dawn.
When I sensed it was morning,
I awoke my companions, saying: It is prayer time

While engaged in prayer, falcons were released,
Ready for action; horses saddled.
To the leopard trainer I said:
Proceed singly and watch carefully,
Be diligent and call out to us when a deer appears.
He took a position not too far from us,
Having easy access to whatever game escapes us

Then I moved with a group of men,
As if advancing to the battlefield, in one row.
While marching evenly, a young lad halted;
He was in close proximity to Sharaf.
He rushed toward me, saying: Dash!
I said: Only if you are seeing right

I walked to him, he showed it to me:
It was motionlessly sitting;
I thought it awake, it was asleep.
I took an arrow I had on me,
Turned twice in place and aimed.
When I was certain of the target, I shot, scoring a direct hit.
Death indeed has many reasons and ways

The leashed hounds were in sheer excitement,
Rushed on the prey, now struggling hard.
I called a bird, swallow-like in color,
Neither whitish honey buzzard, nor blackish caracara,
Then I called out to all, saying:
Behold my noble bird! Who among you accepts the challenge

One of them retorted, I can! I can!
Yet had he known better, he would have surrendered !
I said, very well, meet me beyond the river.
You stand on one bank, I on the other.
A female pheasant flew in his direction,
He let loose his hawk, it handled it gracefully, with tact

He caught the pheasant; a great commotion broke out
Screaming and howling are part of hunting!
I said, What the excitement is all about?
Celebrating the catch of a bird?
He said: the dog beat the hawk to it;
Now it is his prey

He continued screaming: Master! Master!
In full agitation as fire in dry bush.
Lo, a quail took off, winging its way,
I sent my bird after it; it met with misfortune
Before having a chance to get away.
As soon as I released the hawk,
Another bird flew off from the opposite direction,
Trying to get clear of danger, seeking freedom

Donning various varieties of attire
Ornaments of brocade with dazzling colors
It zoomed up while my hawk swooped down
Mindful of gaining supremacy in the match