1. بَرَزَ الثَعلَبُ يَوماً

    في شِعارِ الواعِظينا

    The fox appeared one day

    In the garb of preachers.

  2. فَمَشى في الأَرضِ يَهذي

    وَيَسُبُّ الماكِرينا

    Then he walked the earth, babbling

    And reviling the schemers,

  3. وَيَقولُ الحَمدُ لِل

    هِ إِلَهِ العالَمينا

    And saying, “Praise be to

    God, the God of all the worlds.

  4. يا عِبادَ اللَهِ توبوا

    فَهوَ كَهفُ التائِبينا

    O servants of God, repent,

    For He is the refuge of the repentant.

  5. وَاِزهَدوا في الطَيرِ إِنَّ الـ

    ـعَيشَ عَيشُ الزاهِدينا

    And abstain from birds, for

    Life is the life of ascetics.

  6. وَاطلُبوا الديكَ يُؤَذِّن

    لِصَلاةِ الصُبحِ فينا

    And summon the rooster to give the call

    For the dawn prayer among us.”

  7. فَأَتى الديكَ رَسولٌ

    مِن إِمامِ الناسِكينا

    Then a messenger came to the rooster

    From the imam of the devout.

  8. عَرَضَ الأَمرَ عَلَيهِ

    وَهوَ يَرجو أَن يَلينا

    He presented the matter to him,

    While hoping that he would yield.

  9. فَأَجابَ الديكُ عُذراً

    يا أَضَلَّ المُهتَدينا

    Then the rooster replied, “Pardon me,

    O most misguided of the rightly guided!

  10. بَلِّغِ الثَعلَبَ عَنّي

    عَن جدودي الصالِحينا

    Tell the fox on my behalf,

    On the authority of my righteous ancestors,

  11. عَن ذَوي التيجانِ مِمَّن

    دَخَلَ البَطنَ اللَعينا

    On the authority of the crowned ones among those who

    Entered the accursed belly,

  12. أَنَّهُم قالوا وَخَيرُ ال

    قَولِ قَولُ العارِفينا

    That they said—and the best

    Speech is the speech of those who know—

  13. مُخطِئٌ مَن ظَنَّ يَوماً

    أَنَّ لِلثَعلَبِ دينا

    ‘Mistaken is anyone who ever thought

    That the fox has any faith.’”