رَأيتُ غُراباً ساقِطاً فَوقَ بانَةٍ

يُنَتِّفُ أَعلى ريشِهِ وَيُطايِرُه

I saw a fallen raven above a palm tree

Plucking its top feathers and shaking them off

فَقُلتُ وَلَو أَنّي أَشاءُ زَجَرتُهُ

بِنَفسي لِلنَهدِيِّ هَل أَنتَ زاجِرُه

I said, if I wanted, I would shoo it away

With my own breath, would I drive it away?

فَقالَ غُرابٌ لِاِغتِرابٍ مِنَ النَوى

وَفي البانِ بَينٌ مِن حَبيبٍ تُجاوِرُه

A raven said to one estranged from its nest

In the palm tree lies a dear one with whom it dwells

فَما أَعيفَ النَهدِيَّ لا دَرَّ دَرُّهُ

وَأَزجُرَهُ لِلطَيرِ لا عَزَّ ناصِرُه

So the palm tree did not sway or shed its fruit

And I did not shoo it for the sake of the bird, powerless to help it