يَحكونَthey tell أَنَّthat أُمَّةَthe nation of الأَرانِبِthe rabbits
يَحكونَ أَنَّ أُمَّةَ الأَرانِبِ
قَدhad أَخَذَتit took مِنَfrom الثَرىthe earth بِجانِبِin a corner
قَد أَخَذَت مِنَ الثَرى بِجانِبِ
They tell how the nation of rabbits
Had settled in a corner of the earth,
وَاِبتَهَجَتand it rejoiced بِالوَطَنِin the homeland الكَريمِnoble
وَاِبتَهَجَت بِالوَطَنِ الكَريمِ
وَمَوئِلِand a haven for العِيالِthe children وَالحَريمِand the womenfolk
وَمَوئِلِ العِيالِ وَالحَريمِ
And rejoiced in its noble homeland,
And in a haven for its children and womenfolk.
فَاِختارَهُthen he chose it الفيلُthe elephant لَهُfor himself طَريقاa road
فَاِختارَهُ الفيلُ لَهُ طَريقا
مُمَزِّقاًtearing apart أَصحابَناour friends تَمزيقاto pieces
مُمَزِّقاً أَصحابَنا تَمزيقا
Then the elephant chose it as a road for himself,
Tearing our friends to pieces.
وَكانَand there was فيهِمamong them أَرنَبٌa rabbit لَبيبُwise
وَكانَ فيهِم أَرنَبٌ لَبيبُ
أَذهَبَstripped away جُلَّmost of صوفِهِhis fur التَجريبُexperience
أَذهَبَ جُلَّ صوفِهِ التَجريبُ
Among them was a wise rabbit;
Experience had stripped him of most of his fur.
نادىhe called out بِهِمto them ياO مَعشَرَcompany of الأَرانِبِthe rabbits
نادى بِهِم يا مَعشَرَ الأَرانِبِ
مِنfrom among عالِمٍa scholar وَشاعِرٍand a poet وَكاتِبِand a writer
مِن عالِمٍ وَشاعِرٍ وَكاتِبِ
He called to them, “O company of rabbits,
Scholars, poets, and writers alike,
اِتَّحِدواunite ضِدَّagainst العَدُوِّthe enemy الجافيcruel
اِتَّحِدوا ضِدَّ العَدُوِّ الجافي
فَالاتِّحادُfor unity قُوَّةُthe strength of الضِعافِthe weak
فَالاتِّحادُ قُوَّةُ الضِعافِ
Unite against the cruel enemy,
For unity is the strength of the weak.”
فَأَقبَلواso they came forward مُستَصوِبينَdeeming sound رايَهhis opinion
فَأَقبَلوا مُستَصوِبينَ رايَه
وَعَقَدواand they raised لِلاجتِماعِfor the assembly رايَهa banner
وَعَقَدوا لِلاجتِماعِ رايَه
They came forward, approving his opinion,
And raised a banner for their assembly.
وَاِنتَخَبواand they elected مِنfrom بَينِهِمamong themselves ثَلاثَهthree
وَاِنتَخَبوا مِن بَينِهِم ثَلاثَه
لاneither هَرَماًold age راعَواthey heeded وَلاnor حَداثَهyouth
لا هَرَماً راعَوا وَلا حَداثَه
And elected three from among themselves,
Heeding neither old age nor youth.
بَلrather نَظَرواthey looked إِلىto كَمالِthe soundness of العَقلِthe mind
بَل نَظَروا إِلى كَمالِ العَقلِ
وَاِعتَبَرواand they considered فيin ذاكَthat سِنَّseniority in الفَضلِmerit
وَاِعتَبَروا في ذاكَ سِنَّ الفَضلِ
Rather, they looked to soundness of mind,
And measured seniority by merit.
فَنَهَضَthen rose الأَوَّلُthe first لِلخِطابِto speak
فَنَهَضَ الأَوَّلُ لِلخِطابِ
فَقالَand said إِنَّindeed الرَأيَthe course of action ذاpossessing الصَوابِcorrectness
فَقالَ إِنَّ الرَأيَ ذا الصَوابِ
Then the first rose to speak,
And said, “The sound course of action
أَنthat تُترَكَbe left الأَرضُthe land لِذيto the bearer of الخُرطومِthe trunk
أَن تُترَكَ الأَرضُ لِذي الخُرطومِ
كَيso that نَستَريحَwe may rest مِنfrom أَذىthe harm of الغَشومِthe tyrant
كَي نَستَريحَ مِن أَذى الغَشومِ
Is to leave the land to the trunk-bearer,
So we may be spared the tyrant’s harm.”
فَصاحَتِthen cried out الأَرانِبُthe rabbits الغَواليdear
فَصاحَتِ الأَرانِبُ الغَوالي
هَذاthis one أَضَرُّmore harmful مِنthan أَبيthe father of الأَهوالِterrors
هَذا أَضَرُّ مِن أَبي الأَهوالِ
Then the dear rabbits cried,
“This one is worse than the Father of Terrors!”
وَوَثَبَand sprang up الثانيthe second فَقالَthen said إِنّيindeed I
وَوَثَبَ الثاني فَقالَ إِنّي
أَعهَدُI know فيin الثَعلَبِthe fox شَيخَthe master of الفَنِّthe craft
أَعهَدُ في الثَعلَبِ شَيخَ الفَنِّ
The second sprang up and said, “I
Know the fox to be a master of cunning.
فَلنَدعُهُso let us call him يُمِدُّناhe will aid us بِحِكمَتِهِwith his wisdom
فَلنَدعُهُ يُمِدُّنا بِحِكمَتِهِ
وَيَأخُذُand he takes اِثنَينِtwo جَزاءَas payment for خِدمَتِهِhis service
وَيَأخُذُ اِثنَينِ جَزاءَ خِدمَتِهِ
Let us call him to lend us his wisdom,
And let him take two as payment for his service.”
فَقيلَthen it was said لاno ياصاحِبَO possessor of السُمُوِّhighness
فَقيلَ لا ياصاحِبَ السُمُوِّ
لاnot يُدفَعُis driven off العَدُوُّthe enemy بِالعَدُوِّby the enemy
لا يُدفَعُ العَدُوُّ بِالعَدُوِّ
The answer came, “No, Your Highness!
One enemy is not driven off by another.”
وَاِنتَدَبَand volunteered الثالِثُthe third لِلكَلامِto speak
وَاِنتَدَبَ الثالِثُ لِلكَلامِ
فَقالَand said ياO مَعاشِرَassemblies of الأَقوامِthe peoples
فَقالَ يا مَعاشِرَ الأَقوامِ
The third volunteered to speak,
And said, “O assembled peoples,
اِجتَمِعواcome together فَالاِجتِماعُfor coming together قُوَّهstrength
اِجتَمِعوا فَالاِجتِماعُ قُوَّه
ثُمَّthen احفِرواdig عَلىon الطَريقِthe road هُوَّهa pit
ثُمَّ احفِروا عَلى الطَريقِ هُوَّه
Come together, for unity is strength;
Then dig a pit in the road,
يَهويwill fall إِلَيهاinto it الفيلُthe elephant فيduring مُرورِهِhis passage
يَهوي إِلَيها الفيلُ في مُرورِهِ
فَنَستَريحُso we shall rest الدَهرَforever مِنfrom شُرورِهِhis evils
فَنَستَريحُ الدَهرَ مِن شُرورِهِ
Into which the elephant will fall as he passes,
And we shall be free of his evils forever.
ثُمَّthen يَقولُwill say الجيلُgeneration بَعدَafter الجيلِgeneration
ثُمَّ يَقولُ الجيلُ بَعدَ الجيلِ
قَدindeed أَكَلَdevoured الأَرنَبُthe rabbit عَقلَthe wits of الفيلِthe elephant
قَد أَكَلَ الأَرنَبُ عَقلَ الفيلِ
Then generation after generation will say,
‘The rabbit has devoured the elephant’s wits!’”
فَاِستَصوَبواso they approved مَقالَهُhis words وَاِستَحسَنواand admired them
فَاِستَصوَبوا مَقالَهُ وَاِستَحسَنوا
وَعَمِلواand they worked مِنfrom فَورِهِمtheir first moment فَأَحسَنواand did well
وَعَمِلوا مِن فَورِهِم فَأَحسَنوا
They approved his words and admired them,
And set to work at once, doing it well.
وَهَلَكَand perished الفيلُthe elephant الرَفيعُlofty in الشانِstanding
وَهَلَكَ الفيلُ الرَفيعُ الشانِ
فَأَمسَتِso became الأُمَّةُthe nation فيin أَمانِsafety
فَأَمسَتِ الأُمَّةُ في أَمانِ
And the elephant of lofty standing perished,
So the nation lived in safety.
وَأَقبَلَتand it came لِصاحِبِto the deviser of التَدبيرِthe plan
وَأَقبَلَت لِصاحِبِ التَدبيرِ
ساعِيَةًhastening بِالتاجِwith the crown وَالسَريرِand the throne
ساعِيَةً بِالتاجِ وَالسَريرِ
And it came to the deviser of the plan,
Hastening with the crown and throne.
فَقالَand said مَهلاًwait ياO بَنيsons of الأَوطانِthe homelands
فَقالَ مَهلاً يا بَني الأَوطانِ
إِنَّindeed مَحَلّيmy place لَلمَحَلُّsurely the place الثانيsecond
إِنَّ مَحَلّي لَلمَحَلُّ الثاني
He said, “Wait, sons of the homelands:
My place is surely second.
فَصاحِبُfor the possessor of الصَوتِthe voice القَوِيِّstrong الغالِبِtriumphant
فَصاحِبُ الصَوتِ القَوِيِّ الغالِبِ
مَنthe one who قَدindeed دَعاcalled out ياO مَعشَرَcompany of الأَرانِبِthe rabbits
مَن قَد دَعا يا مَعشَرَ الأَرانِبِ
For the one with the strong, triumphant voice
Is he who called, ‘O company of rabbits!’”
Sol 6.1