مِن أَعجَبِ الأَخبارِ أَنَّ الأَرنَبا

لَمّا رَأى الديكَ يَسُبُّ الثَعلَبا

Among the strangest tales, a rabbit spied

A cock insulting fox, from high astride

وَهوَ عَلى الجِدارِ في أَمانِ

يَغلِبُ بِالمَكانِ لا الإِمكانِ

A wall. Though safe, the rabbit wondered whether

The mocker's impotence allowed his tether

داخَلَهُ الظَنُّ بِأَنَّ الماكِرا

أَمسى مِنَ الضَعفِ يُطيقُ الساخِرا

Of weakness to now tolerate the jeerer.

So to the fox it drew, with curses nearer,

فَجاءَهُ يَلعَنُ مِثلَ الأَوَّلِ

عِدادَ ما في الأَرضِ مِن مُغَفَّلِ

Like the cock's, describing all earth's duped souls.

The fox then rent the feeble prey in holes,

فَعَصَفَ الثَعلَبُ بِالضَعيفِ

عَصفَ أَخيهِ الذيبِ بِالخَروفِ

As his brother the wolf would rend a lamb.

He said, feasting on blood, to the cock's slam,

وَقالَ لي في دَمِكَ المَسفوكِ

تَسلِيَةٌ عَن خَيبَتي في الديكِ

"Your death consoles me for the cock's rude jest."

The cock then turned and spoke with chest out-dressed:

فَاِلتَفَتَ الديكُ إِلى الذَبيحِ

وَقالَ قَولَ عارِفٍ فَصيحِ

"Not all are helped by a loose tongue. Mankind

Often speaks only by the state we're in."

ما كُلُّنا يَنفَعُهُ لِسانُه

في الناسِ مَن يُنطِقُهُ مَكانُه