رَأَيتُ لِقَوسِ أَيّوبٍ سِهاماً

رَأَيتُ لِقَوسِ أَيّوبٍ سِهاماً

مُثَقَّفَةَ السَوالِفِ ما تَطيشُ

مُثَقَّفَةَ السَوالِفِ ما تَطيشُ

I saw arrows for Ayyub's bow,

I saw the arrows of Job's bow,

I saw that Ayyub's bow lets fly with arrows,

Straightened at the foreparts, never flying wide:

Well-versed in conversation, unerring,

Expertly honed, darts that never miss their mark.

سِهامٌ لا يَذوبُ لَها غِراءٌ

سِهامٌ لا يَذوبُ لَها غِراءٌ

وَلَم يُشدَد لَها عَقِبٌ وَريشُ

وَلَم يُشدَد لَها عَقِبٌ وَريشُ

Arrows for which no glue is melted,

Arrows no resin can melt,

Arrows for which no craftsman's glue is melted,

Nor have sinew and feathers been fastened to them.

With no feathers fixed or quills attached.

Nor are they bound with sinew or with plumes.

يُباكِرُ جَيبَهُ فَيَصيدُ مِنهُ

يُباكِرُ جَيبَهُ فَيَصيدُ مِنهُ

وَلا يَبغي عَلَيهِ مَن يَحوشُ

وَلا يَبغي عَلَيهِ مَن يَحوشُ

He goes early to his shirtfront and hunts from it,

He reaches into his quiver and hunts,

He raids his collar early, hunting the catch,

And seeks no one to drive the game for him.

Without needing anyone to flush his prey,

Requiring none to drive the prey toward him.

وَلا يُنجي الصَوايَةَ أَن يَراها

وَلا يُنجي الصَوايَةَ أَن يَراها

تَضاءَلَ فَوقَها دَرزٌ جُحَيشُ

تَضاءَلَ فَوقَها دَرزٌ جُحَيشُ

No nit escapes him once he sees it,

Nor can crags grant the ibex respite

The louse finds no escape in being spotted,

Though a squat little seam crouches above it.

When above it hangs a threadbare old cloak.

Though a rough seam constricts to shelter it.

يَزِرُّ رِعالَها بِالسِنِّ زَرّاً

يَزِرُّ رِعالَها بِالسِنِّ زَرّاً

وَلا تَشقى بِغَدوَتِهِ الوُحوشُ

وَلا تَشقى بِغَدوَتِهِ الوُحوشُ

He crunches their flocks with his teeth,

He visits the meadows to gently graze them,

He nips their herds with his tooth, a fatal snapping,

And wild beasts suffer nothing from his morning outing.

Yet the beasts are untroubled by his passing.

While wild beasts wander safe from his morning hunt.