الدُبُّ مَعروفٌ بِسوءِ الظَنِّ

فَاِسمَع حَديثَهُ العَجيبَ عَنّي

The bear is known for his mistrust

So listen to his wondrous tale about me

لَمّا اِستَطالَ المُكثَ في السَفينَه

مَلَّ دَوامَ العيشَةِ الظَنينَه

When my stay on the ship grew long

I grew weary of this suspicious life

وَقالَ إِنَّ المَوتَ في اِنتِظاري

وَالماءُ لا شَكَّ بِهِ قَراري

And said, "Death awaits me

And the water, no doubt, will be my grave"

ثُمَّ رَأى مَوجاً عَلى بُعدٍ عَلا

فَظَنَّ أَنَّ في الفَضاءِ جَبَلا

Then he saw a wave in the distance

And thought a mountain filled the sky

فَقالَ لا بُدَّ مِنَ النُزولِ

وَصَلتُ أَو لَم أَحظَ بِالوُصولِ

"I must go down", he said

"Whether I make it or not"

قَد قالَ مَن أَدَّبَهُ اِختِبارُه

السَعيُ لِلمَوتِ وَلا اِنتِظارُه

As one who had learned from experience said

"Seek death, do not await it"

فَأَسلَمَ النَفسَ إِلى الأَمواجِ

وَهيَ مَعَ الرِياحِ في هياجِ

So he surrendered himself to the waves

As they raged with the winds

فَشَرِبَ التَعيسُ مِنها فَاِنتَفَخ

ثُمَّ رَسا عَلى القَرارِ وَرَسَخ

The wretched one drank from them and swelled up

Then settled on the sea floor, anchored

وَبَعدَ ساعَتَينِ غيضَ الماءُ

وَأَقلَعَت بِأَمرِهِ السَماءُ

After two hours the water subsided

And at his command the sky cleared

وَكانَ في صاحِبِنا بَعضُ الرَمَق

إِذ جاءَهُ المَوتُ بَطيئاً في الغَرَق

And our friend had some life left in him

As death came slowly in his drowning

فَلَمَحَ المَركَبَ فَوقَ الجودي

وَالرَكبُ في خَيرٍ وَفي سُعودِ

He glimpsed the ship above the surface

And the crew safe and fortunate

فَقالَ يا لَجَدّيَ التَعيسِ

أَسَأتَ ظَنّي بِالنَبي الرَئيسِ

He said, "Oh my wretched haste

I mistrusted the eminent Prophet

ما كانَ ضَرَّني لَو اِمتَثَلتُ

وَمِثلَما قَد فَعَلوا فَعَلتُ

It would not have harmed me had I obeyed

And done as they did"