قَد كادَ هَذا الفَخُّ أَن يَعقِرا

قَد كادَ هَذا الفَخُّ أَن يَعقِرا

وَاِنحَرَفَ العُصفورُ أَن يَنقِرا

وَاِنحَرَفَ العُصفورُ أَن يَنقِرا

This trap had almost maimed him,

This trap almost maimed me

The trap was poised to snap and strike its prey,

And the sparrow turned aside to peck.

And the sparrow almost pecked me

Just as the sparrow swerved and turned away.

غَيَّبتُ بِالتُربِ عَلَيهِ لَهُ

غَيَّبتُ بِالتُربِ عَلَيهِ لَهُ

بِالمُستَوى خَشيَةَ أَن يَنفِرا

بِالمُستَوى خَشيَةَ أَن يَنفِرا

I had hidden it for him beneath the soil,

I buried it with dirt afraid

I had concealed it deep beneath the sand,

On level ground, for fear he might flee.

It might frighten and repel

On level ground, lest fear should force his hand.

كَما رَأى التُربَ رَأى جُثوَةً

كَما رَأى التُربَ رَأى جُثوَةً

مائِلَةَ الشَخصِ فَما اِستَنكَرا

مائِلَةَ الشَخصِ فَما اِستَنكَرا

When he saw the soil, he saw a mound,

Seeing the dirt it saw a body

He saw the earth; he saw the gathered heap,

Sloping in outline; he found nothing strange,

Slanted yet paid it no attention

A sloping mound—no secret did it keep?

حَتّى إِذا أَشرَفَها موفِياً

حَتّى إِذا أَشرَفَها موفِياً

وَعايَنَ الحَبَّ لَهُ مُظهَرا

وَعايَنَ الحَبَّ لَهُ مُظهَرا

Until, when he looked over it from above,

Until when overlooking satisfied

Until he stood directly overhead,

And saw the grain exposed for him,

And seeing the grain appear

And eyed the grain, plainly before him spread.

خاطَبَهُ مِن نَفسِهِ زاجِرٌ

خاطَبَهُ مِن نَفسِهِ زاجِرٌ

قَد كُنتُ لا أَرهَبُ أَن يَزجُرا

قَد كُنتُ لا أَرهَبُ أَن يَزجُرا

A warning voice within him addressed him—

It scolded itself, preventing

An inner voice then warned him to beware,

I had not feared it would warn him off.

I did not fear it would deter

A caution I had not foreseen was there.

فَأَعمَلَ الفِكرَ قَليلاً فَلا

فَأَعمَلَ الفِكرَ قَليلاً فَلا

يَقتُلُهُ الرَحمَنُ ما فَكَّرا

يَقتُلُهُ الرَحمَنُ ما فَكَّرا

So he pondered a little—may he not

So it thought a little, thus

He worked his mind a moment—swift and deep,

Be killed by the Merciful so long as he thinks!

The Merciful will not kill a thinker

May God preserve him for the wits he keeps!

فَاِحتَرَبَت لا وَنَعَم ساعَةً

فَاِحتَرَبَت لا وَنَعَم ساعَةً

ثُمَّ اِنجَلى جُندُ نَعَم مُدبِرا

ثُمَّ اِنجَلى جُندُ نَعَم مُدبِرا

So 'no' and 'yes' battled for a while,

It debated "no" and "yes" for a while

Then 'No' and 'Yes' waged war a little while,

Then the army of 'yes' withdrew in retreat.

Then the army of "yes" retreated

Till 'Yes's' troops retreated in exile.

فَضَمَّ كَشحَيهِ إِلى جُؤجُؤٍ

فَضَمَّ كَشحَيهِ إِلى جُؤجُؤٍ

كانَ إِذا اِستَنجَدَهُ شَمَّرا

كانَ إِذا اِستَنجَدَهُ شَمَّرا

So he drew his two flanks against his breast,

So it drew its cheeks to chirping

He tucked his flanks tight to his chested frame,

Which rallied whenever he called on it for help.

That when called upon it twittered

A form that rallied when the summons came.

فَلَم يَرُعني غَيرُ تَدويمِهِ

فَلَم يَرُعني غَيرُ تَدويمِهِ

آمِنَ ما كُنتُ لَهُ مُضمِرا

آمِنَ ما كُنتُ لَهُ مُضمِرا

And nothing startled me but his circling flight,

Nothing worried me but its persistence

Naught startled me but his swift, soaring flight,

Safe from what I had secretly intended for him.

Safe, I had not betrayed it

Safe from the hidden doom I held from sight.