وَلَقَد قُلتُ حينَ أَجحَرني البَر

وَلَقَد قُلتُ حينَ أَجحَرني البَر

دُ كَما تَجحَرُ الكِلابُ ثعالَه

دُ كَما تَجحَرُ الكِلابُ ثعالَه

And indeed I spoke when the cold drove me into a burrow,

I spoke when the bitter cold drove me to hide,

as dogs drive a fox into its den,

As the hounds drive the fox to his lair,

في بَيتٍ مِنَ الغَضارَةِ قَفرٌ

في بَيتٍ مِنَ الغَضارَةِ قَفرٌ

لَيسَ فيهِ إِلّا النَوى وَالنِخالَه

لَيسَ فيهِ إِلّا النَوى وَالنِخالَه

in a house barren of comfort,

In a house that is stripped of all comfort and joy,

with nothing in it but date stones and bran.

Holding nothing but date-stones and bran.

عَطَّلَتهُ الجِرذانُ مِن قِلَّةِ الخَي

عَطَّلَتهُ الجِرذانُ مِن قِلَّةِ الخَي

ر وَطارَ الذُبابُ نَحوَ زُبالَه

ر وَطارَ الذُبابُ نَحوَ زُبالَه

The rats had deserted it for lack of good things,

Even rats have annulled it for lack of all food,

and the flies had flown toward a rubbish heap,

And the flies have taken wing to the dump;

هارِباتٌ مِنهُ إِلى كُلِّ خصبٍ

هارِباتٌ مِنهُ إِلى كُلِّ خصبٍ

حينَ لَم يَرتَجينَ مِنهُ بَلالَه

حينَ لَم يَرتَجينَ مِنهُ بَلالَه

fleeing it for every fertile spot,

Escaping its walls for more fertile domains,

when they could hope for not a drop of sustenance there.

Finding no hope of sustenance there.

وَأَقامَ السُنورُ فيهِ بشر

وَأَقامَ السُنورُ فيهِ بشر

يَسأَلُ اللَهَ ذا العُلا وَالجَلالَه

يَسأَلُ اللَهَ ذا العُلا وَالجَلالَه

The tomcat remained there in misery,

Yet the cat remained stationed in misery there,

beseeching God, Lord of sublimity and majesty,

Beseeching the Lord of High Majesty's grace,

أَن يَرى فارَةً فَلَم يَرَ شَيئاً

أَن يَرى فارَةً فَلَم يَرَ شَيئاً

ناكِساً رَأسَهُ لِطولِ المَلالَه

ناكِساً رَأسَهُ لِطولِ المَلالَه

to let him see a mouse—but he saw nothing,

To grant him a mouse—yet he sighted not one,

his head bowed from prolonged weariness.

Bowing low from the weight of despair.

قُلتُ لَمّا رَأَيتُهُ ناكِسَ الرَأ

قُلتُ لَمّا رَأَيتُهُ ناكِسَ الرَأ

س كَئيباً يَمشي عَلى شَرِّ حالَه

س كَئيباً يَمشي عَلى شَرِّ حالَه

I said, when I saw him bowing his head,

I spoke when I saw how he lowered his head,

dejected, walking in the sorriest state:

Walking on in a wretched and sorrowful state,

قُلتُ صَبراً نازَ رَأس السَنانيرِ

قُلتُ صَبراً نازَ رَأس السَنانيرِ

وَعَلَلتهُ بِحُسنِ مَقالَه

وَعَلَلتهُ بِحُسنِ مَقالَه

I said, “Patience!” The chief of cats sprang up,

"Have patience," I told him, "O chieftain of cats,"

and I consoled him with kindly words.

As I soothed him with words soft and fair.

قالَ لا صَبرَ لي وَكَيفَ مَقامي

قالَ لا صَبرَ لي وَكَيفَ مَقامي

في قِفارٍ كَمِثلِ بيدٍ تُبالَه

في قِفارٍ كَمِثلِ بيدٍ تُبالَه

He said, “I have no patience! How can I remain

He replied, "I have no patience left; how can I stay

in wastes like the deserts of Tubāla?

In a wasteland as barren as deserts of dread?

قَد أَراني أَنفُضُ الرَأسَ جوعا

قَد أَراني أَنفُضُ الرَأسَ جوعا

ثَمَّ أَمشي في البَيتِ مَشيَ خَيالَه

ثَمَّ أَمشي في البَيتِ مَشيَ خَيالَه

I find myself shaking my head with hunger;

I perceive myself shaking my head from the pangs,

there I walk about the house like a phantom.”

As I stalk through the house like a ghost on the air.

قُلتُ سِر راشِداً فَخارَ لَكَ الل

قُلتُ سِر راشِداً فَخارَ لَكَ الل

ه وَلا تَعُد كَرَبَجِ البَقالَه

ه وَلا تَعُد كَرَبَجِ البَقالَه

I said, “Go rightly guided; may God choose well for you,

I said, "Go in peace, may God guide your path,

and do not return like Rabaj of the grocers.

And return not like pests to a grocery stall."

فَإِذا ما سَمِعتُ أَنا بِخَيرٍ

فَإِذا ما سَمِعتُ أَنا بِخَيرٍ

في نَعيمٍ مِن عَيشة وَمَنالَه

في نَعيمٍ مِن عَيشة وَمَنالَه

Then if ever you hear that I am well off,

"But if ever I hear that some fortune has come,

enjoying a life of ease and plenty,

Bringing comfort of life and a share of its ware,

فَائِتَنا راشِداً وَلا تَعدونا

فَائِتَنا راشِداً وَلا تَعدونا

إِن مَن جازَ رَحلنا في ضَلالَه

إِن مَن جازَ رَحلنا في ضَلالَه

come to us, rightly guided, and do not pass us by;

Then come back to us straight, do not pass by our door,

truly, whoever passes our dwelling by is astray.”

For who passes our dwelling is surely in err."

قالَ لي قَولَةً عَلَيكَ سَلامٌ

قالَ لي قَولَةً عَلَيكَ سَلامٌ

غَيرَ لُعبٍ مِنهُ وَلا بِبَطالَه

غَيرَ لُعبٍ مِنهُ وَلا بِبَطالَه

He said one thing to me: “Peace be upon you!”

He offered a statement: "Upon you be peace,"

with no jest on his part, nor any idle talk.

With no hint of a jest to declare,

ثُمَّ وَلّى كَأَنَّهُ شَيخُ سوءٍ

ثُمَّ وَلّى كَأَنَّهُ شَيخُ سوءٍ

أَخرَجوهُ مِن مَحبَسٍ بِكَفالَه

أَخرَجوهُ مِن مَحبَسٍ بِكَفالَه

Then he turned away like an old rogue

Then he turned and departed, like a scoundrel of age

whom they had released from prison on bail.

Who was released from his cell upon posting his bail.