لَقَد أَصبَحَ الجُرَذُ المُستَغيرُ

لَقَد أَصبَحَ الجُرَذُ المُستَغيرُ

أَسيرَ المَنايا صَريعَ العَطَب

أَسيرَ المَنايا صَريعَ العَطَب

The raiding rat has indeed become

The wretched rat, once an impudent thief,

The raiding rat has surely come to be

Death's captive, struck down by ruin.

Now lies dead, victim of cruel fate.

A prisoner of death, by ruin felled.

رَماهُ الكِنانِيُّ وَالعامِرِيُّ

رَماهُ الكِنانِيُّ وَالعامِرِيُّ

وَتَلّاهُ لِلوَجهِ فِعلَ العَرَب

وَتَلّاهُ لِلوَجهِ فِعلَ العَرَب

Al-Kinani and al-Amiri struck it,

The Kenani struck him down in battle,

The Kinani and the Amiri struck him down,

And both flung it face down, as Arabs do.

While the Amiri finished him off in haste.

And flung him on his face, in Arab style.

كِلا الرَجُلَينِ اِتَّلا قَتلَهُ

كِلا الرَجُلَينِ اِتَّلا قَتلَهُ

فَأَيُّكُما غَلَّ حُرَّ السَلَب

فَأَيُّكُما غَلَّ حُرَّ السَلَب

Both men claimed credit for killing it;

Both men attacked and righteously slew him,

Both men have claimed the credit for his death,

So which of you two pilfered the choicest spoils?

But which of them robbed him, that daring knave?

So which of you made off with the choice spoils?

وَأَيُّكُما كانَ مِن خَلفِهِ

وَأَيُّكُما كانَ مِن خَلفِهِ

فَإِنَّ بِهِ عَضَّةً في الذَنَب

فَإِنَّ بِهِ عَضَّةً في الذَنَب

And which of you two was behind it?

And which gave chase from behind, evilly eager?

And which of you was pressing from behind?

For it bears a bite upon its tail.

For in his tail remains a bitter sting.

For look, he bears a bite upon his tail.