مِن أَعجَبِ الأَخبارِ أَنَّ الأَرنَبا

مِن أَعجَبِ الأَخبارِ أَنَّ الأَرنَبا

لَمّا رَأى الديكَ يَسُبُّ الثَعلَبا

لَمّا رَأى الديكَ يَسُبُّ الثَعلَبا

One of the strangest tales is that the rabbit,

Among the strangest tales, a rabbit spied

When he saw the rooster insulting the fox,

A cock insulting fox, from high astride

وَهوَ عَلى الجِدارِ في أَمانِ

وَهوَ عَلى الجِدارِ في أَمانِ

يَغلِبُ بِالمَكانِ لا الإِمكانِ

يَغلِبُ بِالمَكانِ لا الإِمكانِ

While the rooster was safe upon the wall,

A wall. Though safe, the rabbit wondered whether

Prevailing through position, not ability,

The mocker's impotence allowed his tether

داخَلَهُ الظَنُّ بِأَنَّ الماكِرا

داخَلَهُ الظَنُّ بِأَنَّ الماكِرا

أَمسى مِنَ الضَعفِ يُطيقُ الساخِرا

أَمسى مِنَ الضَعفِ يُطيقُ الساخِرا

Was seized by the thought that the cunning fox

Of weakness to now tolerate the jeerer.

Had grown so weak that he could tolerate a mocker.

So to the fox it drew, with curses nearer,

فَجاءَهُ يَلعَنُ مِثلَ الأَوَّلِ

فَجاءَهُ يَلعَنُ مِثلَ الأَوَّلِ

عِدادَ ما في الأَرضِ مِن مُغَفَّلِ

عِدادَ ما في الأَرضِ مِن مُغَفَّلِ

So he came to him, cursing like the first,

Like the cock's, describing all earth's duped souls.

As many times as there were fools on earth.

The fox then rent the feeble prey in holes,

فَعَصَفَ الثَعلَبُ بِالضَعيفِ

فَعَصَفَ الثَعلَبُ بِالضَعيفِ

عَصفَ أَخيهِ الذيبِ بِالخَروفِ

عَصفَ أَخيهِ الذيبِ بِالخَروفِ

Then the fox savaged the weakling,

As his brother the wolf would rend a lamb.

As his brother the wolf savages a lamb.

He said, feasting on blood, to the cock's slam,

وَقالَ لي في دَمِكَ المَسفوكِ

وَقالَ لي في دَمِكَ المَسفوكِ

تَسلِيَةٌ عَن خَيبَتي في الديكِ

تَسلِيَةٌ عَن خَيبَتي في الديكِ

And said, “In your spilled blood I find

"Your death consoles me for the cock's rude jest."

Consolation for my disappointment with the rooster.”

The cock then turned and spoke with chest out-dressed:

فَاِلتَفَتَ الديكُ إِلى الذَبيحِ

فَاِلتَفَتَ الديكُ إِلى الذَبيحِ

وَقالَ قَولَ عارِفٍ فَصيحِ

وَقالَ قَولَ عارِفٍ فَصيحِ

Then the rooster turned to the slaughtered one,

"Not all are helped by a loose tongue. Mankind

And spoke the words of one wise and eloquent:

Often speaks only by the state we're in."

ما كُلُّنا يَنفَعُهُ لِسانُه

ما كُلُّنا يَنفَعُهُ لِسانُه

في الناسِ مَن يُنطِقُهُ مَكانُه

في الناسِ مَن يُنطِقُهُ مَكانُه

“Not all of us are helped by our tongues;

Among people, some owe their speech to their position.”