وَلَقَد قُلتُ حينَ أَجحَرني البَر

دُ كَما تَجحَرُ الكِلابُ ثعالَه

I spoke when the bitter cold drove me to hide,

As the hounds drive the fox to his lair,

في بَيتٍ مِنَ الغَضارَةِ قَفرٌ

لَيسَ فيهِ إِلّا النَوى وَالنِخالَه

In a house that is stripped of all comfort and joy,

Holding nothing but date-stones and bran.

عَطَّلَتهُ الجِرذانُ مِن قِلَّةِ الخَي

ر وَطارَ الذُبابُ نَحوَ زُبالَه

Even rats have annulled it for lack of all food,

And the flies have taken wing to the dump;

هارِباتٌ مِنهُ إِلى كُلِّ خصبٍ

حينَ لَم يَرتَجينَ مِنهُ بَلالَه

Escaping its walls for more fertile domains,

Finding no hope of sustenance there.

وَأَقامَ السُنورُ فيهِ بشر

يَسأَلُ اللَهَ ذا العُلا وَالجَلالَه

Yet the cat remained stationed in misery there,

Beseeching the Lord of High Majesty's grace,

أَن يَرى فارَةً فَلَم يَرَ شَيئاً

ناكِساً رَأسَهُ لِطولِ المَلالَه

To grant him a mouse—yet he sighted not one,

Bowing low from the weight of despair.

قُلتُ لَمّا رَأَيتُهُ ناكِسَ الرَأ

س كَئيباً يَمشي عَلى شَرِّ حالَه

I spoke when I saw how he lowered his head,

Walking on in a wretched and sorrowful state,

قُلتُ صَبراً نازَ رَأس السَنانيرِ

وَعَلَلتهُ بِحُسنِ مَقالَه

"Have patience," I told him, "O chieftain of cats,"

As I soothed him with words soft and fair.

قالَ لا صَبرَ لي وَكَيفَ مَقامي

في قِفارٍ كَمِثلِ بيدٍ تُبالَه

He replied, "I have no patience left; how can I stay

In a wasteland as barren as deserts of dread?

قَد أَراني أَنفُضُ الرَأسَ جوعا

ثَمَّ أَمشي في البَيتِ مَشيَ خَيالَه

I perceive myself shaking my head from the pangs,

As I stalk through the house like a ghost on the air.

قُلتُ سِر راشِداً فَخارَ لَكَ الل

ه وَلا تَعُد كَرَبَجِ البَقالَه

I said, "Go in peace, may God guide your path,

And return not like pests to a grocery stall."

فَإِذا ما سَمِعتُ أَنا بِخَيرٍ

في نَعيمٍ مِن عَيشة وَمَنالَه

"But if ever I hear that some fortune has come,

Bringing comfort of life and a share of its ware,

فَائِتَنا راشِداً وَلا تَعدونا

إِن مَن جازَ رَحلنا في ضَلالَه

Then come back to us straight, do not pass by our door,

For who passes our dwelling is surely in err."

قالَ لي قَولَةً عَلَيكَ سَلامٌ

غَيرَ لُعبٍ مِنهُ وَلا بِبَطالَه

He offered a statement: "Upon you be peace,"

With no hint of a jest to declare,

ثُمَّ وَلّى كَأَنَّهُ شَيخُ سوءٍ

أَخرَجوهُ مِن مَحبَسٍ بِكَفالَه

Then he turned and departed, like a scoundrel of age

Who was released from his cell upon posting his bail.