رَأَيتُ لِقَوسِ أَيّوبٍ سِهاماً

مُثَقَّفَةَ السَوالِفِ ما تَطيشُ

I saw the arrows of Job's bow,

I saw that Ayyub's bow lets fly with arrows,

Well-versed in conversation, unerring,

Expertly honed, darts that never miss their mark.

سِهامٌ لا يَذوبُ لَها غِراءٌ

وَلَم يُشدَد لَها عَقِبٌ وَريشُ

Arrows no resin can melt,

Arrows for which no craftsman's glue is melted,

With no feathers fixed or quills attached.

Nor are they bound with sinew or with plumes.

يُباكِرُ جَيبَهُ فَيَصيدُ مِنهُ

وَلا يَبغي عَلَيهِ مَن يَحوشُ

He reaches into his quiver and hunts,

He raids his collar early, hunting the catch,

Without needing anyone to flush his prey,

Requiring none to drive the prey toward him.

وَلا يُنجي الصَوايَةَ أَن يَراها

تَضاءَلَ فَوقَها دَرزٌ جُحَيشُ

Nor can crags grant the ibex respite

The louse finds no escape in being spotted,

When above it hangs a threadbare old cloak.

Though a rough seam constricts to shelter it.

يَزِرُّ رِعالَها بِالسِنِّ زَرّاً

وَلا تَشقى بِغَدوَتِهِ الوُحوشُ

He visits the meadows to gently graze them,

He nips their herds with his tooth, a fatal snapping,

Yet the beasts are untroubled by his passing.

While wild beasts wander safe from his morning hunt.