وَهَذِهِ واقِعَةٌ مُستَغرَبَه

وَهَذِهِ واقِعَةٌ مُستَغرَبَه

في هَوَسِ الأَفعى وَخُبثِ العَقرَبَه

في هَوَسِ الأَفعى وَخُبثِ العَقرَبَه

And this is a strange occurrence,

This is a strange happening

Concerning the viper's madness and the scorpion's malice.

In the madness of the serpent and the malice of the scorpion

رَأَيتُ أَفعى من بَناتِ النيلِ

رَأَيتُ أَفعى من بَناتِ النيلِ

مُعجَبَةً بِقَدِّها الجَميلِ

مُعجَبَةً بِقَدِّها الجَميلِ

I saw a viper, one of the Nile's daughters,

I saw a serpent, daughter of the Nile

Proud of her beautiful figure,

Admiring her beautiful body

تَحتَقِرُ النُصحَ وَتَجفو الناصِحا

تَحتَقِرُ النُصحَ وَتَجفو الناصِحا

وَتَدَّعي العَقلَ الكَبيرَ الراجِحا

وَتَدَّعي العَقلَ الكَبيرَ الراجِحا

Scorning advice and rebuffing the adviser,

Scornful of advice and shunning the advisor

And claiming to possess a great and sound mind.

Claiming great mature wisdom

عَنَت لَها رَبيبَةُ السَباخِ

عَنَت لَها رَبيبَةُ السَباخِ

تَحمِلُ وَزنَيها مِنَ الأَوساخِ

تَحمِلُ وَزنَيها مِنَ الأَوساخِ

A fosterling of the salt marshes appeared before her,

A house lizard attacked her

Carrying twice her weight in filth.

Carrying the weight of its filth

فَحَسِبَتها وَالحِسابُ يُجدي

فَحَسِبَتها وَالحِسابُ يُجدي

ساحِرَةً مِن ساحِراتِ الهِندِ

ساحِرَةً مِن ساحِراتِ الهِندِ

So she thought her—and reckoning is useful—

And she deemed it, and reasonably so

A sorceress among the sorceresses of India.

A sorceress from the sorceresses of India

فَاِنخَرَطَت مِثلَ الحُسامِ الوالِجِ

فَاِنخَرَطَت مِثلَ الحُسامِ الوالِجِ

وَاِندَفَعَت تِلكَ كَسَهمٍ زالِجِ

وَاِندَفَعَت تِلكَ كَسَهمٍ زالِجِ

So she darted forward like a sword thrusting in,

So it darted like a sharp sword

And that one rushed off like a skimming arrow,

And the other rushed like a sliding arrow

حَتّى إِذا ما أَبلَغَتها جُحرَها

حَتّى إِذا ما أَبلَغَتها جُحرَها

دارَت عَلَيهِ كَالسِوارِ دَورَها

دارَت عَلَيهِ كَالسِوارِ دَورَها

Until, when she had driven her to her burrow,

Until when it brought her to her burrow

She made her circuit around it like a bracelet.

It circled her like a bracelet in its orbit

تَقولُ يا أُمَّ العَمى وَالطَيشِ

تَقولُ يا أُمَّ العَمى وَالطَيشِ

أَينَ الفِرارُ يا عَدُوَّ العَيشِ

أَينَ الفِرارُ يا عَدُوَّ العَيشِ

Saying: O mother of blindness and recklessness,

Saying: O mother of blindness and recklessness

Where can you flee, O enemy of life?

Where can you flee, O enemy of life?

إِن تِلجي فَالمَوتُ في الوُلوجِ

إِن تِلجي فَالمَوتُ في الوُلوجِ

أَو تَخرُجي فَالهُلكُ في الخُروجِ

أَو تَخرُجي فَالهُلكُ في الخُروجِ

If you enter, death lies in entering;

If you enter, death awaits in the entering

Or if you come out, ruin lies in coming out.

If you exit, ruin awaits in the exiting

فَسَكَتَت طَريدَةُ البُيوتِ

فَسَكَتَت طَريدَةُ البُيوتِ

وَاِغتَرَّتِ الأَفعى بِذا السُكوتِ

وَاِغتَرَّتِ الأَفعى بِذا السُكوتِ

So the outcast from houses fell silent,

So the hunted of homes fell silent

And the viper was deceived by this silence,

And the serpent was fooled by this silence

وَهَجَعَت عَلى الطَريقِ هَجعَه

وَهَجَعَت عَلى الطَريقِ هَجعَه

فَخَرَجَت ضَرَّتُها بِسُرعَه

فَخَرَجَت ضَرَّتُها بِسُرعَه

And took a nap upon the path.

And slept a sleep on the road

Then her rival came out swiftly,

But its enemy quickly emerged

وَنَهَضَت في ذِروَةِ الدِماغِ

وَنَهَضَت في ذِروَةِ الدِماغِ

وَاِستَرسَلَت في مُؤلِمِ التَلداغِ

وَاِستَرسَلَت في مُؤلِمِ التَلداغِ

And climbed to the summit of her head,

And rose at the peak of fury

And went on with her painful stinging.

And unleashed the agony of its sting

فَاِنتَبَهَت كَالحالِمِ المَذعورِ

فَاِنتَبَهَت كَالحالِمِ المَذعورِ

تُصيحُ بِالوَيلِ وَبِالثُبورِ

تُصيحُ بِالوَيلِ وَبِالثُبورِ

So she awoke like a terrified dreamer,

So she awoke like a terrified dreamer

Crying out, 'Woe! Ruin!'

Shrieking with woe and ruin

حَتّى وَهَت مِنَ الفَتاةِ القُوَّه

حَتّى وَهَت مِنَ الفَتاةِ القُوَّه

فَنَزَلت عَن رَأسِها العُدُوَّه

فَنَزَلت عَن رَأسِها العُدُوَّه

Until the maiden's strength gave out;

Until the strength of the young woman weakened

Then the foe descended from her head,

And the enemy descended from her head

تَقولُ صَبراً لِلبَلاءِ صَبرا

تَقولُ صَبراً لِلبَلاءِ صَبرا

وَإِن وَجَدتِ قَسوَةً فَعُذرا

وَإِن وَجَدتِ قَسوَةً فَعُذرا

Saying: Patience with affliction—patience!

Saying: Patience for the test, patience

And if you find harshness, then forgive me.

And if you find it harsh, excuse it

فَرَأسُكِ الداءُ وَذا الدَواءُ

فَرَأسُكِ الداءُ وَذا الدَواءُ

وَهَكَذا فَلتُركَبُ الأَعداءُ

وَهَكَذا فَلتُركَبُ الأَعداءُ

For your head is the disease, and this is the cure.

For your head is the disease, and this is the cure

And thus let enemies be ridden!

And so must enemies be ridden

مَن مَلَكَ الخَصمَ وَنامَ عَنهُ

مَن مَلَكَ الخَصمَ وَنامَ عَنهُ

يُصبِحُ يَلقى ما لَقيت مِنهُ

يُصبِحُ يَلقى ما لَقيت مِنهُ

Whoever masters his foe and sleeps heedless of him

Whoever spares an opponent and sleeps from him

Will wake to suffer what you have suffered from him.

Awakens to find what I found from him

لَولا الَّذي أَبصَرَ أَهلُ التَجرِبَه

لَولا الَّذي أَبصَرَ أَهلُ التَجرِبَه

مِنّي لَما سَمّوا الخَبيثَ عَقرَبَه

مِنّي لَما سَمّوا الخَبيثَ عَقرَبَه

Were it not for what people of experience have seen

If not for those with experience who saw

Of me, they would not have called a villain a scorpion.

What malice lies in me, the scorpion