قَد بَلَونا الذَكاءَ في كُلِّ نابِ

قَد بَلَونا الذَكاءَ في كُلِّ نابِ

فَوَجدناهُ صَنعَةَ السِنجابِ

فَوَجدناهُ صَنعَةَ السِنجابِ

We have tested intelligence in every fanged creature,

We tested intelligence in every fox

and found it to be the squirrel's craft.

And found it to be the craft of the jackal

حَرَكاتٌ تَأبى السُكونَ وَأَلحا

حَرَكاتٌ تَأبى السُكونَ وَأَلحا

ظٌ حِدادٌ كَالنارِ في الإِلتِهابِ

ظٌ حِدادٌ كَالنارِ في الإِلتِهابِ

Movements that refuse stillness, and glances

Restless motions that refuse stillness and persist

keen as fire in its blazing.

A biting wit like fire ablaze

خَفَّ جِدّاً عَلى النُفوسِ فَلَو شا

خَفَّ جِدّاً عَلى النُفوسِ فَلَو شا

ءَ تَرامى مُجاوِراً لِلتَصابى

ءَ تَرامى مُجاوِراً لِلتَصابى

He was most pleasing to souls; so, if he wished,

It lowered itself seriously upon souls, so if it wished

he could leap alongside youthful play.

It would consort with concord

وَاِشتَهَت قُربهُ العُيونُ إِلى أَن

وَاِشتَهَت قُربهُ العُيونُ إِلى أَن

خِلتُهُ عِندَها أَخاً لِلشَبابِ

خِلتُهُ عِندَها أَخاً لِلشَبابِ

And eyes longed for his nearness, until

And eyes craved its nearness until

I thought him, in their sight, a brother to youth.

I reckoned it among the fellows of youth

لابِسٌ جِلدَةً إِذا لاحَ خَلنا

لابِسٌ جِلدَةً إِذا لاحَ خَلنا

هُ بِها في مُزَرَّةٍ مِن سَحابِ

هُ بِها في مُزَرَّةٍ مِن سَحابِ

He wore a pelt; when he appeared, we thought

Wearing a skin, so if it gleamed, we imagined

him, in it, wearing a buttoned robe of cloud.

It among a cloud's garment

لَو غَدا كُلُّ ذي ذَكاءٍ نَطوقاً

لَو غَدا كُلُّ ذي ذَكاءٍ نَطوقاً

رَدَّ في ساعَةِ الخِطابِ جَوابي

رَدَّ في ساعَةِ الخِطابِ جَوابي

If every being endowed with intelligence became articulate,

If every intelligent being could speak

he would answer me the moment I spoke.

It would answer my speech in an hour