قِردٌ رَأى الفيلَ عَلى الطَريقِ

مُهَروِلاً خَوفاً مِنَ التَعويقِ

A monkey saw an elephant on the road

Running in fear of delay

وَكانَ ذاكَ القِردُ نِصفَ أَعمى

يُريدُ يُحصي كُلَّ شَيءٍ عِلما

And that monkey was half blind

Wanting to know everything learned

فَقالَ أَهلاً بِأَبي الأَهوالِ

وَمَرحَباً بِمُخجِلِ الجِبالِ

So he said hello father of terrors

And welcome humiliator of mountains

تَفدي الرُؤوسُ رَأسَكَ العَظيما

فَقِف أُشاهِد حُسنَكَ الوَسيما

Heads are ransomed by your great head

Stop so I can admire your handsome looks

لِلَّهِ ما أَظرَفَ هَذا القَدّا

وَأَلطَفَ العَظمَ وَأَبهى الجِلدا

By God how graceful is this body

How refined this bone and radiant this skin

وَأَملَحَ الأُذنَ في الاِستِرسالِ

كَأَنَّها دائِرَةُ الغِربالِ

How adorable are the ears in their dangling

As if they are the sieve's circle

وَأَحسَنَ الخُرطومَ حينَ تاها

كَأَنَّهُ النَخلَةُ في صِباها

And how excellent is the trunk when it wanders

As if it is the palm tree in its youth

وَظَهرُكَ العالي هُوَ البِساطُ

لِلنَفسِ في رُكوبِهِ اِنبِساطُ

And your high back is the carpet

For the soul to ride it in comfort

فَعَدَّها الفيلُ مِنَ السُعود

وَأَمَرَ الشاعِرَ بِالصُعود

The elephant counted it a blessing

And ordered the poet to climb

فَجالَ في الظَهرِ بِلا تَوانِ

حَتّى إِذا لَم يَبقَ مِن مَكان

So he rode the back without hesitation

Until when there was no space left

أَوفى عَلى الشَيءِ الَّذي لا يُذكَرُ

وَأَدخَلَ الأصبُعَ فيهِ يَخبُرُ

He relieved himself on what is not mentioned

And inserted his finger to check

فَاِتَّهَمَ الفيلُ البَعوضَ وَاِضطَرَب

وَضَيَّقَ الثَقبَ وَصالَ بِالذَنَب

So the elephant blamed the mosquito and was disturbed

And tightened the hole and slapped with his tail

فَوَقَعَ الضَربُ عَلى السَليمَه

فَلَحِقَت بِأُختِها الكَريمَه

So the blow landed on the blind man

And he joined his noble sister

وَنَزَلَ البَصيرُ ذا اِكتِئابِ

يَشكو إِلى الفيلِ مِنَ المُصابِ

And the seer descended in sorrow

Complaining to the elephant about the mishap

فَقالَ لا موجِبَ لِلنَدامَه

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ عَلى السَلامَه

But he said there is no cause for regret

Thanks to God for safety

مَن كانَ في عَينَيهِ هَذا الداءُ

فَفي العَمى لِنَفسِهِ وَقاءُ

He who has this affliction in his eyes

Then blindness for himself is protection