لَمّا غَدا الثَعلَبُ في اِعتِدائِهِ

لَمّا غَدا الثَعلَبُ في اِعتِدائِهِ

وَالأَجَلُ المَقدورُ مِن وَرائِهِ

وَالأَجَلُ المَقدورُ مِن وَرائِهِ

When the fox set out to do harm,

When the fox went too far in his transgression

When the fox went forth in his transgression,

with its destined death behind it,

And his predestined end was behind him

With destined fate pursuing close behind,

صَبَّ عَلَيهِ اللَهُ مِن أَعدائِهِ

صَبَّ عَلَيهِ اللَهُ مِن أَعدائِهِ

سوطَ عَذابٍ صُبَّ مِن سَمائِهِ

سوطَ عَذابٍ صُبَّ مِن سَمائِهِ

God poured upon it, from among its enemies,

Allah poured upon him from his enemies

God unleashed upon him, from his foes,

a scourge of torment poured from His heaven:

A whip of torment, poured from the heavens

A scourge of torment poured down from the skies:

مُبارَكاً يُكثِرُ مِن نَعمائِهِ

مُبارَكاً يُكثِرُ مِن نَعمائِهِ

تَرى لِمَولاهُ عَلى جِرائِهِ

تَرى لِمَولاهُ عَلى جِرائِهِ

Mubarak, who multiplies his blessings.

Blessed is He who gives abundantly of His bounty

Mubarak, a hound abounding in his grace,

You see in his master, toward his pups,

You see him tending to his flock in their pens

Whose master tends his whelps with tender care,

تَحَدُّبَ الشَيخِ عَلى أَبنائِهِ

تَحَدُّبَ الشَيخِ عَلى أَبنائِهِ

يُكِنُّهُ بِاللَيلِ في غِطائِهِ

يُكِنُّهُ بِاللَيلِ في غِطائِهِ

an old man's tenderness toward his sons.

The old shepherd huddling his sons

Like an elder father doting on his sons.

At night he shelters him beneath his covering,

Cradling them at night in their blankets

He shelters him by night beneath his quilts,

يوسِعُهُ ضَمّاً إِلى أَحشائِهِ

يوسِعُهُ ضَمّاً إِلى أَحشائِهِ

وَإِن عَرى جَلَّلَ في رِدائِهِ

وَإِن عَرى جَلَّلَ في رِدائِهِ

lavishing embraces upon him, close to his breast;

Drawing them close to his bosom

And draws him deep into a warm embrace;

and if he is uncovered, he wraps him in his cloak,

And if one was bare, he would wrap them in his cloak

And should a storm arise, he cloaks him well

مِن خَشيَةِ الطَلِّ وَمِن أَندائِهِ

مِن خَشيَةِ الطَلِّ وَمِن أَندائِهِ

يَضُنُّ بِالأَرذَلِ مِن أَطلائِهِ

يَضُنُّ بِالأَرذَلِ مِن أَطلائِهِ

for fear of dew and its dampness.

Fearing hunger's pangs and their cries

Against the fear of dew and damp night air.

He is loath to part with the lowliest of his pups,

He scrimps on the coarsest food for his dependents

He guards the smallest portion of his flock,

ضَنَّ أَخي عُكلٍ عَلى عَطائِهِ

ضَنَّ أَخي عُكلٍ عَلى عَطائِهِ

يَبيعُ بِاِسمِ اللَهِ في أَشلائِهِ

يَبيعُ بِاِسمِ اللَهِ في أَشلائِهِ

as a man of Ukl hoards his stipend.

My brother Ukul scrimped on his provisions

As miserly as 'Ukl with his gifts.

He sells in God's name amid its severed limbs [wording unclear].

Selling in the name of Allah his worthless wares

He trades in God's name with the slaughtered parts,

تَكبيرُهُ وَالحَمدُ مِن دُعائِهِ

تَكبيرُهُ وَالحَمدُ مِن دُعائِهِ

حَتّى إِذا ما اِنشامَ في مَلائِهِ

حَتّى إِذا ما اِنشامَ في مَلائِهِ

His cries of 'God is greatest' and praise are among his prayers.

His exaltations and praises were his prayers

And sanctifies his prayers with praise and chant.

Until, when he plunged into its coverings,

Until when he was laid out in his death shroud

Until, when he had slipped into the fold,

وَصارَ لَحياهُ عَلى أَنسائِهِ

وَصارَ لَحياهُ عَلى أَنسائِهِ

وَلَيسَ يُنجيهِ عَلى دِهائِهِ

وَلَيسَ يُنجيهِ عَلى دِهائِهِ

and his two jaws were upon its haunch-sinews—

And his beard was upon his loved ones

The guardian’s jaws snapped tight upon his back.

nor, for all its cunning, was it saved

And nothing could save him from his illness

And all his cunning could not save him then,

تَنَسَّمُ الأَرواحِ في اِنبِرائِهِ

تَنَسَّمُ الأَرواحِ في اِنبِرائِهِ

خَضخَضَ طُبيَيهِ عَلى أَمعائِهِ

خَضخَضَ طُبيَيهِ عَلى أَمعائِهِ

by scenting the winds in its headlong rush—

The breaths exhaled in their relief

As life's breath gasped amidst the violent clash.

he shook its two teats against its entrails,

His lungs gurgled upon his bowels

The dog shook his chest against the wretch's guts,

وَشَدَّ نابَيهِ عَلى عِلبائِهِ

وَشَدَّ نابَيهِ عَلى عِلبائِهِ

كَدَجِّكَ القِفلَ عَلى أَشبائِهِ

كَدَجِّكَ القِفلَ عَلى أَشبائِهِ

and clamped his two fangs upon its neck-sinew,

And his jaws clamped upon his gums

And clamped his fangs around the sinewy neck,

as you fasten a lock upon its pins.

Like a padlock clasping its hoop

Tight as a lock snaps shut upon its hasp.

كَأَنَّما يَطلُبُ في عِفائِهِ

كَأَنَّما يَطلُبُ في عِفائِهِ

دَيناً لَهُ لا بُدَّ مِن قَضائِهِ

دَيناً لَهُ لا بُدَّ مِن قَضائِهِ

As though he sought amid its shaggy fur

As if seeking acquittal in his demise

As if he sought to find, beneath the fur,

a debt owed him that must be paid.

Of a debt that he had no choice but to pay

A distinct debt that must be paid in full.

فَفَحَصَ الثَعلَبُ في دِمائِهِ

فَفَحَصَ الثَعلَبُ في دِمائِهِ

يا لَكَ مِن عادٍ إِلى حَوبائِهِ

يا لَكَ مِن عادٍ إِلى حَوبائِهِ

Then the fox scrabbled in its blood—

So the fox probed in his blood

And so the fox lay thrashing in his blood—

what an assailant you are, reaching for its very life!

What a return to your ruins!

What a wretched end for one who seeks to sin!