قَد طالَما أَفلَتَّ يا ثُعالا

قَد طالَما أَفلَتَّ يا ثُعالا

وَطالَما وَطالَما وَطالا

وَطالَما وَطالَما وَطالا

Indeed, how often you have escaped, O Thu‘āl the fox!

O rabbit, long have you escaped,

For long indeed you have slipped away, O fox,

And often, and often—and for so long!

Again and again and again,

And for so long, and so long, and longer still,

جُلتُ بِكَلبي يَومَكَ الأَجوالا

جُلتُ بِكَلبي يَومَكَ الأَجوالا

ماطَلتَ مَن لا يَسأَمُ المِطالا

ماطَلتَ مَن لا يَسأَمُ المِطالا

I roamed with my dog through your day, round after round.

I've searched for you with my dogs day after day,

I roamed with my hound through the rounds of your day,

You stalled one who never tires of delay.

You evade those who tire not of the chase,

You sought to outlast one who never tires of the wait,

حَتّى إِذا اليَومَ حَدا الآصالا

حَتّى إِذا اليَومَ حَدا الآصالا

أَتاكَ حينٌ يَقدُمُ الآجالا

أَتاكَ حينٌ يَقدُمُ الآجالا

Until, when the day drove the late-afternoon hours onward,

Until this day when fate decrees,

Until, when the day drove the evening shadows on,

A fatal hour came upon you, outstripping the appointed times of death.

A time comes that brings an end.

There came to you the hour that summons the end.