كانَ عَلى بَعضِ الدُروبِ جَمَلُ

حَمَّلَهُ المالِكُ ما لا يُحمَلُ

There was a camel on a road

Whose owner had overloaded beyond what could be borne

فَقالَ يا لِلنَحسِ وَالشَقاءِ

إِن طالَ هَذا لَم يَطُل بَقائي

He said: Oh what ill-luck and misery is mine

If this continues, my life will not last long

لَم تَحمِلِ الجِبالُ مِثلَ حِملي

أَظُنُّ مَولايَ يُريدُ قَتلي

Mountains could not carry a load like mine

I think my owner wants me dead

فَجاءَهُ الثَعلَبُ مِن أَمامِه

وَكانَ نالَ القَصدَ مِن كَلامِه

Then a fox came in front of him

And grasped the meaning of his words

فَقالَ مَهلاً يا أَخا الأَحمالِ

وَيا طَويلَ الباعِ في الجِمالِ

He said: Gently O burden-laden brother

And O tall of stature among camels

فَأَنتَ خَيرٌ مِن أَخيكَ حالا

لِأَنَّني أَتعَبُ مِنكَ بالا

You are better off than your brother presently

For I struggle more than you do

كَأَنَّ قُدّامِيَ أَلفَ ديكِ

تَسأَلُني عَن دَمِها المَسفوكِ

It's as if a thousand roosters are before me

Asking about their spilled blood

كَأَنَّ خَلفي أَلفَ أَلفِ أَرنَبِ

إِذا نَهَضتُ جاذَبتني ذَنَبي

It's as if a thousand thousand rabbits behind

Pulling my tail when I get up

وَرُبَّ أُمٍّ جِئتُ في مُناخِها

فَجعتُها بِالفَتكِ في أَفراخِها

And many a mother whose abode I visited

I made weep for the slaughter of her chicks

يَبعَثُني مِن مَرقَدي بُكاها

وَأَفتَحُ العَينَ عَلى شَكواها

Her crying wakes me from my slumber

And I open my eyes to her lament

وَقَد عَرَفتَ خافِيَ الأَحمالِ

فَاِصبِر وَقُل لِأُمَّةِ الجِمالِ

You know the hidden nature of burdens

So be patient and say to the nation of camels

لَيسَ بِحملٍ ما يَمَلُّ الظَهرُ

ما الحِملُ إِلّا ما يُعاني الصَدرُ

No load weighs down the back

The only load is what pains the heart