كقِصَّة البَعير وَالجمال
وَالشَّيء قَد يعرف بِالمثال
Like the story of the camel and the camel-calf
And a thing may be known through a parable
أوقره مِن الشآم ميرة
فاستقبلا سرية مغيره
He brought it from Syria, a she-camel
So they met a raiding party on the way
لم يَرها مِن بَعدِها وَغفلته
عَن أمرها وَشغله بفكرته
He did not see it because of his heedlessness
Of its matter and his preoccupation with his thoughts
فأبصر البَعير ما لَم يبصره
فَقالَ للجمال وَهوَ ينذره
So the camel saw what he did not see
And said to the camel-calf, warning it
إِني أَرى الخَيل إلينا تقبل
وَإِنَّني عَن النَجاة مثقل
“I see the horses coming towards us
And I am too heavy to escape
فَألق عَن ظَهري هَذا واركب
وانج وَإِن عز النجاء فاذهب
“So unload this off my back and mount it
And flee, go if escape is dear
قالَ لَهُ الجمال إفكاً تذكر
ضجرت إِذ أنتَ ثَقيل موقر
The calf said to it, remembering laziness
“I’m weary as you are heavy and honored
تريد أَن أطرح عَنكَ الحملا
لأجل هَذا قَد سئِمت الثقلا
“You want me to unload the burden
Just for this, I’m tired of the weight already”
قال لَه انظر إِلى العجاج
قال لَه وجد في اللجاج
It said to it “Look at the dust cloud”
It said “It’s the mirage in the glance”
ذاك غُبار عانة أو قافله
أَو خلسة عَن العَدو جافِله
“That is the dust of a caravan or a regiment
Or a band fleeing from the enemy, speeding”
قالَ وَهذِه نواصي الخَيل
قَد أقبَلَت مُسرِعَة كَالسيل
It said “And these are the forelocks of horses
Coming fast like a torrent”
قالَ عَسى فيهم لَنا معارف
أَو عَرَبي أَو فَتى محالف
It said “Maybe there are acquaintances among them
Or a Bedouin or allied youth”
قال لَه البَعير خل الهوسا
لا يَدفع الخَطب لعلَ وَعَسى
The camel said “Stop the delusions
‘Maybe’ does not ward off calamity”
قال لَه أخذي دون راحتك
مِن ثقله فخل عَن وَقاحتك
It said “Take your luggage off me
And leave your insolence”
قالَ له البَعير وَهوَ يَضحَك
هَذا الرَقيع في كيادي يهلك
The camel said, laughing
“This fool is destroyed by my plots”
وَأدركته الخَيل في مَكانه
وَشَد في الأَوثق مِن أَشطانه
And the horses caught up to it where it was
And it was tied up tightly from its armpits
وَهَكذا خَليقة الصَّياد
لا يَقبَل الصحيح للكياد
And so is the nature of the hunter
He does not accept the truth for plotting
فَلَو أَردت لأقمت شاهِدا
ألفا كَما يَرضى بِه وَلا واحِداً
“If I wanted, I would have presented
A thousand witnesses, as one is not enough
لَكنه يَقتلني فَما لي
أدله عَلى كُنوز المال
“But he would kill me, so I have not
Guided him to the treasures of wealth”
قال لَه الشَّيخ وَقَد تَحَيرا
وَاِرتاعَ مِن مَقالِهِ لَما اِفتَرى
The Shaykh said, confused
And startled by its invented words
دَلَلتَني فَما أُبالي الآنا
أقمت أم لَم تقم البُرهانا
“You have led me, so I do not care now
If you presented proof or not”
فَلا تكايدني فَما أُبالي
صَدقت أَم كَذَبت في المَقال
“So do not deceive me, I do not care
If you spoke truth or lies in your words
مثلي لا يَغتر بِالمحال
فالاغترار أقبح الخلال
“The likes of me are not fooled by the absurd
For being fooled is the ugliest trait
فَإِنَّما أَنت ظَليم نازح
مَع الوحوش سائر ورائح
“You are just a wicked charlatan
Walking with the beasts, going and coming
مِن أَين تَدري علم ما في منزلي
مِن الكُنوز في الزَّمان الأَول
“How do you know what is in my home
Of treasures, in earlier times?
لَو كُنتَ تَدري الغَيب أَو علمتا
سعدت بالعلم وَما شَقيتا
“If you knew the unseen or had knowledge
You would have prospered with it, not suffered”
جَهلت أَمرَ نفسك المسكينة
حَتّى غَدَت موثوقة رَهينه
“You were ignorant of your own miserable state
Until you became a hostage, pledged”
وَتدعي العلم بِما في داري
لا يَعلم الغيوب إِلا الباري
“And you claim to know what is in my house
None knows the hidden but the Creator”
قال لَه جَهلك بِالأَسرار
أرداكَ في مَواقع البوار
It said “Your ignorance of secrets
Has brought you to the pits of destruction
أعرفها معرفة صحيحة
وَالحر لا يكذب في النصيحة
“I know them with true knowledge
And the free man does not lie in advice
فَوافق المَعروف مِن صفاتِها
ما ذكر الظليم مِن سماتِها
“So the description of its traits
Matched what the wicked one spoke of its features”
ثُم كناه مُسرِعاً وَنسبه
وَقَص كُل أمرِه وَمكسبه
Then it hastily named and described it
And told every aspect of its affair and livelihood
تَهوراً فَوافق السعادة
قال صدقت وَبغى الزيادة
Recklessly, and it matched good fortune
He said “You speak truth,” and he wanted more
قال لَه الآن تَرى إِنساناً
مُعارِضاً يُنشدنا قعدانا
It said “Now you see a man
Singing a poem, facing us while sitting
يَقود مِن أَولادِها فَصيلاً
تَحسبه مِن ضَعفِه عَليلا
“He leads a small herd of its offspring
You'd think them weak and infirm from their look”
يتبع فحلاً داعِرياً أَعورا
وَإِنَّها مِنهُ قَريباً لَو دَرى
“And he follows a pockmarked stud donkey
Though it is near him, if he but realized”
وَكان قَد أَبصَر قَبل ذَلِكا
تِلكَ الجمال شرداً رواتكا
“And before that he had seen
Those camel-calves wandering parentless”
تذكر حال رَبِها وَسقبها
وَأمه تَشكو غَرام قَلبِها
“Remembering their owner's absence and loss
And their mother complaining of her heart's love”
فانطلق الشيخ بِهِ قَليلا
ثَم رَأى الناشد وَالفَصيلا
So the Shaykh went with it a little
Then saw the singer and the small herd
فأطلق الظَّليم إِذ رآه
مُصَدقاً للحين ما حَكاه
And when the wicked one saw him
He verified what it had narrated
وَجد في رَواحه فَجاء
لحرصه أَولاده عَشاء
He found nothing in the burrow, so he came
To feast on his children out of greed
فَلم يُكلمهم وَبات يَحفر
فَخرب الدار كَذاكَ المدبر
So he did not speak to them, but spent the night digging
And thus destroyed the house, that fool
وَلامهُ الناس وَقالوا جَنا
في أَي شَيء طمع المعنى
And people blamed him and said he’d gone mad
“What treasure did the fool hope for?”
وَلَم يَزَل في حَفرِها يَجتَهد
فَلَم يَجد شَيئاً وَكَيفَ يَجد
And he kept digging with great effort
But found nothing, and how could he?
وَهَكَذا تريد أَن تَخدَعني
بِقَولك الحُلو وَإِن تَصرَعني
“And so you want to trick me
With your sweet words, even if they slay me”
قالَ لَه الشيخ وَما تُريد
مِن قَتل مثلي إنهُ بعيد
The Shaykh said “What do you want
From killing the likes of me? That's far-fetched
ما لي في رحلي مَع الأَصحاب
وَما مَعي شَيء سِوى ثِيابي
“I have nothing with me in my bags
Except these clothes, as you can see
وَهيَ كَما تبصرها أَسمال
يَقبح في أَمثالها القِتال
“And they are, as you observe, rags
Killing is ugliest for their like”
إِنكَ إِن كَفَفت عَن أَذاتي
أَعطيتك المَفروض مِن ذَكاتي
“If you spare me from harm
I will give you the alms duty owed from my wealth
وَقُلت للرفقة هَذا طالب
وَحقه مِن الزكاة وَاجب
“And I told the company ‘This man
Is entitled to zakat, it's obligatory’
وَهيَ لما أَقولهُ مصدقه
نلتُ كَثيراً طَيباً مِن صدقه
“And when I say this, they'll believe me
And you'll get much good from their charity”
وَكانَ خَيراً لَكَ في الدارين
مِما تَرى في مَوتتي وَحيني
“It would be better for you in both abodes
Than you see in slaying me at my time”
فَاِنخدع الفاتك بالمحال
وَقالَ هَل تصدق في المَقال
So the killer was fooled by the absurdity
And said “Will you swear to your words?”
أحلف على ما قُلت مِنهُ فحلف
وَانصرف الشيخ الشديد وَانحرف
And he swore to what he had said, so he swore
And the mighty Shaykh turned away and diverted
حَتَّى إِذا ما لَحِقا بالركب
قالَ اربطوه جَيداً يا صَحبي
Until when he reached the caravan
He said “Tie him up tight, O companions
فَإِنَّهُ لص خَبيث حارب
للمسلمين ناهب وَسالب
“For he is a wicked, vile thief
Who robs and plunders the Muslims”
فَرَبط الفاتك رَبطاً مُحكَماً
وَعادَ فيهِ خَصمهُ محكما
So the killer was bound very tightly
And his adversary gained power over him
قالَ لَه الناسك وَهوَ يَضحك
بغيت وَالبَغي مشوم مهلك
The holy man said, laughing
“You sought evil, and evil is deadly
وَقَعت بعد ضَربك الأَمثالا
وَذكرك الظليم وَالجَمالا
“You have become a parable after your proverbs
And mention of the wicked one and the calf
قال لَه الفاتك كَيفَ أفتك
بِمَن أراني في يَديهِ أَهلك
It said “How can I escape
One whom I see has power over me to kill me?”
مِن أَمن القَضاء فَهوَ مُشرك
إِن القَضاء لِلعباد أَملك
“He who feels safe from destiny is an idolator
Destiny is mightier over men”
لا تَفرَحن فَالحَديث سائر
إِنِّي مَخدوع وَأنتَ غادِر
“Do not rejoice, for talk goes on
I am tricked and you are treacherous
وَالغَدر بِالعَهد قَبيح جدا
شَر الوَرى من لَيسَ يَرعى عَهدا
“Betrayal of covenant is very ugly
The worst of creation are those who do not keep covenant”
إِنكَ قَد مَلَكتَني فَأَسجح
وَامح حَديث غَدرك المستقبح
“You have power over me, so I plead
And overlook your ugly betrayal”
إِني أَسير لا أَرى نَصيراً
وَذو العلا لا يقتل الأَسيرا
“I am a captive, I see no helper
The exalted does not kill prisoners
شر خِلال المَرء قَتل الأَسرى
أَول مَقتول يُقال صَبرا
“Killing prisoners is the evilest of traits
The first martyr is called 'the patient'
حجرٌ وَحجرٌ صاحب النَّبي
وَكان في الأَحوال مَع علي
“He was a rock, a companion of the Prophet
And he was with Ali in all conditions”
وَقَد بَلَغت ما أَردت مِني
فامنن فَهَذا الوَقت وَقت المن
“I have gotten what I wanted from you
So favor me, for now is the time for favor”
قال لَه تب مخلصاً فَتابا
فَجمع الرفاق وَالأَصحابا
It said “Repent sincerely,” and he repented
And gathered the companions and comrades
وَقَص ما كان مِن الحَديث
وَقالَ إِن الغَدر للخبيث
And related what had occurred of the affair
And said “Treachery is for the wretched”
وَالآن قَد تاب مِن الفَساد
وَصارَ في الدين مِن العِباد
“And now he has repented of corruption
And become a worshipper in religion”
فَجَمعوا شَيئاً مِن الزكاة
وَبادَروا إَلَيهِ بِالهبات
So they collected some zakat
And were quick to give donations to him
وَأطلقوه فَغَدا يَقول
خَدعت عَن رايك يا جَهول
And released him, so the next day he said
“I have outwitted you, O fool
مَن نالَ ما يُريده فَقَد غَلَب
قَد اِتَفَقنا وَاِختَلَفنا في السَّبب
“He who gets what he wants has won
We agreed and differed in the cause”
