يا للرجال لأمرٍ جلَّ مُفظعُهُ

يا للرجال لأمرٍ جلَّ مُفظعُهُ

لم يجرِ قَطُّ على بالي توقّعُهُ

لم يجرِ قَطُّ على بالي توقّعُهُ

Men! What an affair—how grave its import!

O men, to the rescue—a matter of immense horror!

Never once did the expectation of it cross my mind.

Never had the prospect of it crossed my mind.

جاءَ الحمامُ إلى البازي يُرَوعه

جاءَ الحمامُ إلى البازي يُرَوعه

وكشرت لأسود الغاب أضبعه

وكشرت لأسود الغاب أضبعه

The dove has come to terrify the falcon,

The doves came to the hawk to frighten it.

and his hyenas have bared their teeth at the lions of the wild.

And the forest's hyenas bared their teeth at its lions.

ياذا الذي بقراع السيف هددني

ياذا الذي بقراع السيف هددني

لاقام مصرع جنبي حين تصرعُهُ

لاقام مصرع جنبي حين تصرعُهُ

O you who threatened me with the clash of the sword—

O you who threatened me with the clash of the sword,

may my fallen body never rise when you strike it down.

May my fallen side never rise when you lay it low.

ومن يَفرُّ فمَ الأفعى بإصبعه

ومن يَفرُّ فمَ الأفعى بإصبعه

يكفيه ما قد تُلاقي ثم إصبعُهُ

يكفيه ما قد تُلاقي ثم إصبعُهُ

Whoever probes the viper’s mouth with his finger—

And whoever pries open a viper's mouth with his finger—

what his finger then encounters is enough for him.

What his finger may encounter there will suffice him.