شياهٌ ترجى اخضرارا الجدوب

شياهٌ ترجى اخضرارا الجدوب

لتسمن للذئب لا للحياه

لتسمن للذئب لا للحياه

Sheep hope for the greening of barren lands,

A shepherd hopes for greenness in the barren land

to grow fat for the wolf, not for life.

To fatten the wolf, not for life

تنام على الشوك حتى إذا

تنام على الشوك حتى إذا

نما الوردُ كان دخاناً شذاه

نما الوردُ كان دخاناً شذاه

They sleep on thorns until, when

He sleeps on thorns until, when

the rose grows, its fragrance is smoke.

The roses bloomed, it became fragrant smoke

وراع طوت نايه السافيات

وراع طوت نايه السافيات

وغاب بجوف الروابي صداه

وغاب بجوف الروابي صداه

And a shepherd—the dust-bearing winds enfolded his flute,

A shepherd folded his flute of yearnings

and its echo vanished in the hollows of the hills—

And its echo was lost in the depths of the hills

ينوح نواح الغريب الطليح

ينوح نواح الغريب الطليح

إذا أذكرته الليالي هواه

إذا أذكرته الليالي هواه

wails like a weary stranger

He moans the moans of a lonely stranger

whenever the nights remind him of his love,

When the nights remind him of his love

ويذرى المدامع هتّانة

ويذرى المدامع هتّانة

فيرمض بالنار قلب الفلاه

فيرمض بالنار قلب الفلاه

and scatters tears in torrents,

And sheds copious tears

so he scorches the desert's heart with fire.

So his heart burns with the fire of desolation

وللذئب من حوله شرّةٌ

وللذئب من حوله شرّةٌ

تصول إذا ما وهى جانباه

تصول إذا ما وهى جانباه

And around him the wolf's ferocity

And the wolf has around him a pack

strikes whenever its flanks grow weak.

That attacks when he turns his side

يرى الراعى الغر يبكي مناه

يرى الراعى الغر يبكي مناه

وينسى الرعيل وينسى عصاه

وينسى الرعيل وينسى عصاه

It sees the naïve shepherd weeping over his hopes

The lonely shepherd sees him crying because of his plight

and forgetting the flock, and forgetting his staff;

And forgets about his flock and his staff

فيشرع من ناظريه المدى

فيشرع من ناظريه المدى

ليقطع عنها سبيل النجاه

ليقطع عنها سبيل النجاه

so it brandishes knives from its eyes

So he opens his eyes to the horizon

to cut off their path to escape.

To cut off from it the way of salvation

وإن أيقظ الذئب صوت الدماء

وإن أيقظ الذئب صوت الدماء

فلا ترتقب غير نوم الرعاه

فلا ترتقب غير نوم الرعاه

And if the sound of blood awakens the wolf,

And if the blood's voice awakens the wolf

then expect nothing but the shepherds' sleep.

Do not expect anything but the sleep of the shepherds