فَأرٌ رَأى القِطَّ عَلى الجِدارِ

فَأرٌ رَأى القِطَّ عَلى الجِدارِ

مُعَذَّباً في أَضيَقِ الحِصارِ

مُعَذَّباً في أَضيَقِ الحِصارِ

A mouse saw the cat on the wall,

A mouse saw a cat on the wall

Tormented, under the tightest siege,

Trapped in the tightest blockade

وَالكَلبُ في حالَتِهِ المَعهودَه

وَالكَلبُ في حالَتِهِ المَعهودَه

مُستَجمِعاً لِلوَثبَةِ المَوعودَه

مُستَجمِعاً لِلوَثبَةِ المَوعودَه

While the dog, in his usual state,

And the dog in his usual state

Gathered his strength for the promised leap.

Preparing for the promised leap

فَحاوَلَ الفَأرُ اِغتِنامَ الفُرصَه

فَحاوَلَ الفَأرُ اِغتِنامَ الفُرصَه

وَقالَ أَكفي القِطَّ هَذي الغُصَّه

وَقالَ أَكفي القِطَّ هَذي الغُصَّه

So the mouse tried to seize the chance,

So the mouse tried to seize the chance

And said, “I shall spare the cat this anguish,

And said, I will end the cat's torment

لَعَلَّهُ يَكتُبُ بِالأَمانِ

لَعَلَّهُ يَكتُبُ بِالأَمانِ

لي وَلِأَصحابي مِنَ الجيرانِ

لي وَلِأَصحابي مِنَ الجيرانِ

Perhaps he will write a pledge of safety

Perhaps he would guarantee safety

For me and my companions among the neighbors.”

For me and my fellow rodents

فَسارَ لِلكَلبِ عَلى يَدَيهِ

فَسارَ لِلكَلبِ عَلى يَدَيهِ

وَمَكَّنَ التُرابَ مِن عَينَيهِ

وَمَكَّنَ التُرابَ مِن عَينَيهِ

So he went to the dog on his forepaws,

He went to the dog with his hands up

And let dust get into the dog's eyes.

And threw dirt in his eyes

فَاِشتَغَلَ الراعي عَنِ الجِدارِ

فَاِشتَغَلَ الراعي عَنِ الجِدارِ

وَنَزَلَ القِطُّ عَلى بِدارِ

وَنَزَلَ القِطُّ عَلى بِدارِ

So the guard was distracted from the wall,

Thus the shepherd got distracted from the wall

And the cat came down in haste,

And the cat descended to the ground

مُبتَهِجاً يُفَكِّرُ في وَليمَه

مُبتَهِجاً يُفَكِّرُ في وَليمَه

وَفي فَريسَةٍ لَها كَريمَه

وَفي فَريسَةٍ لَها كَريمَه

Delighted, thinking of a feast,

Elated, thinking of a feast

And of a choice victim for it.

And a generous prey for his conquest

يَجعَلُها لِخَطبِهِ عَلامَه

يَجعَلُها لِخَطبِهِ عَلامَه

يَذكُرُها فَيَذكُرُ السَلامَه

يَذكُرُها فَيَذكُرُ السَلامَه

He would make it a token of his ordeal,

To make it a sign of his sermon

Recalling it, he would recall his deliverance.

And remember the safety he had earned

فَجاءَ ذاكَ الفَأرُ في الأَثناءِ

فَجاءَ ذاكَ الفَأرُ في الأَثناءِ

وَقالَ عاشَ القِطُّ في هَناءِ

وَقالَ عاشَ القِطُّ في هَناءِ

Just then, that mouse arrived,

The mouse came meanwhile and said

And said, “May the cat live in bliss!

Long live the cat in comfort and glee

رَأَيتَ في الشِدَّةِ مِن إِخلاصي

رَأَيتَ في الشِدَّةِ مِن إِخلاصي

ما كانَ مِنها سَبَبَ الخَلاصِ

ما كانَ مِنها سَبَبَ الخَلاصِ

In your distress, you saw the loyalty I showed,

You saw my loyalty in hardship

Which brought about your deliverance from it.

Which caused this deliverance to be

وَقَد أَتَيتُ أَطلُبُ الأَمانا

وَقَد أَتَيتُ أَطلُبُ الأَمانا

فَاِمنُن بِهِ لِمَعشَري إِحسانا

فَاِمنُن بِهِ لِمَعشَري إِحسانا

And I have come to ask for safety;

I have come to ask for safety

So kindly grant it to my people.”

So oblige my folks generously

فَقالَ حَقّاً هَذِهِ كَرامَه

فَقالَ حَقّاً هَذِهِ كَرامَه

غَنيمَةٌ وَقَبلَها سَلامَه

غَنيمَةٌ وَقَبلَها سَلامَه

Then he said, “Truly, this is a blessing:

He said, Indeed this is nobility

A prize, and before it, a safe escape!

A gain preceded by security

يَكفيكَ فَخراً يا كَريمَ الشيمَه

يَكفيكَ فَخراً يا كَريمَ الشيمَه

أَنَّكَ فَأرُ الخَطبِ وَالوَليمَه

أَنَّكَ فَأرُ الخَطبِ وَالوَليمَه

It is glory enough for you, O noble-natured one,

It suffices you pride, O noble in manner

That you are the mouse of both ordeal and feast!”

That you're the mouse of speech and feast

وَاِنقَضَّ في الحالِ عَلى الضَعيفِ

وَاِنقَضَّ في الحالِ عَلى الضَعيفِ

يَأكُلُهُ بِالمِلحِ وَالرَغيفِ

يَأكُلُهُ بِالمِلحِ وَالرَغيفِ

And at once he pounced on the weak creature,

Then he instantly pounced on the weak one

Eating him with salt and a loaf of bread.

And ate him with salt and loaf

فَقُلتُ في المَقامِ قَولاً شاعا

فَقُلتُ في المَقامِ قَولاً شاعا

مَن حَفِظَ الأَعداءَ يَوماً ضاعا

مَن حَفِظَ الأَعداءَ يَوماً ضاعا

So on that occasion I uttered a saying that spread:

So I said at that point words well known

“Whoever protects enemies for a day comes to ruin.”

He who spares enemies one day is gone