قِردٌ رَأى الفيلَ عَلى الطَريقِ

قِردٌ رَأى الفيلَ عَلى الطَريقِ

مُهَروِلاً خَوفاً مِنَ التَعويقِ

مُهَروِلاً خَوفاً مِنَ التَعويقِ

A monkey saw the elephant on the road,

A monkey saw an elephant on the road

Hurrying along for fear of delay.

Running in fear of delay

وَكانَ ذاكَ القِردُ نِصفَ أَعمى

وَكانَ ذاكَ القِردُ نِصفَ أَعمى

يُريدُ يُحصي كُلَّ شَيءٍ عِلما

يُريدُ يُحصي كُلَّ شَيءٍ عِلما

And that monkey was half-blind,

And that monkey was half blind

Wanting to know everything in full.

Wanting to know everything learned

فَقالَ أَهلاً بِأَبي الأَهوالِ

فَقالَ أَهلاً بِأَبي الأَهوالِ

وَمَرحَباً بِمُخجِلِ الجِبالِ

وَمَرحَباً بِمُخجِلِ الجِبالِ

So he said, “Welcome, father of terrors!

So he said hello father of terrors

And welcome, you who put mountains to shame!

And welcome humiliator of mountains

تَفدي الرُؤوسُ رَأسَكَ العَظيما

تَفدي الرُؤوسُ رَأسَكَ العَظيما

فَقِف أُشاهِد حُسنَكَ الوَسيما

فَقِف أُشاهِد حُسنَكَ الوَسيما

May heads be sacrificed for your mighty head!

Heads are ransomed by your great head

So stop, and let me behold your handsome beauty!

Stop so I can admire your handsome looks

لِلَّهِ ما أَظرَفَ هَذا القَدّا

لِلَّهِ ما أَظرَفَ هَذا القَدّا

وَأَلطَفَ العَظمَ وَأَبهى الجِلدا

وَأَلطَفَ العَظمَ وَأَبهى الجِلدا

By God, how charming this figure is!

By God how graceful is this body

And how delicate the bones, how splendid the skin!

How refined this bone and radiant this skin

وَأَملَحَ الأُذنَ في الاِستِرسالِ

وَأَملَحَ الأُذنَ في الاِستِرسالِ

كَأَنَّها دائِرَةُ الغِربالِ

كَأَنَّها دائِرَةُ الغِربالِ

And how pretty the ear as it hangs loose,

How adorable are the ears in their dangling

As though it were the circle of a sieve!

As if they are the sieve's circle

وَأَحسَنَ الخُرطومَ حينَ تاها

وَأَحسَنَ الخُرطومَ حينَ تاها

كَأَنَّهُ النَخلَةُ في صِباها

كَأَنَّهُ النَخلَةُ في صِباها

And how fine the trunk when it flaunts itself,

And how excellent is the trunk when it wanders

As though it were a palm tree in its youth!

As if it is the palm tree in its youth

وَظَهرُكَ العالي هُوَ البِساطُ

وَظَهرُكَ العالي هُوَ البِساطُ

لِلنَفسِ في رُكوبِهِ اِنبِساطُ

لِلنَفسِ في رُكوبِهِ اِنبِساطُ

And your lofty back is a carpet;

And your high back is the carpet

The soul finds delight in riding on it!”

For the soul to ride it in comfort

فَعَدَّها الفيلُ مِنَ السُعود

فَعَدَّها الفيلُ مِنَ السُعود

وَأَمَرَ الشاعِرَ بِالصُعود

وَأَمَرَ الشاعِرَ بِالصُعود

So the elephant took it as good fortune,

The elephant counted it a blessing

And ordered the poet to climb up.

And ordered the poet to climb

فَجالَ في الظَهرِ بِلا تَوانِ

فَجالَ في الظَهرِ بِلا تَوانِ

حَتّى إِذا لَم يَبقَ مِن مَكان

حَتّى إِذا لَم يَبقَ مِن مَكان

So he roamed over the back without delay,

So he rode the back without hesitation

Until, when no spot was left unexplored,

Until when there was no space left

أَوفى عَلى الشَيءِ الَّذي لا يُذكَرُ

أَوفى عَلى الشَيءِ الَّذي لا يُذكَرُ

وَأَدخَلَ الأصبُعَ فيهِ يَخبُرُ

وَأَدخَلَ الأصبُعَ فيهِ يَخبُرُ

He came up to the thing that goes unmentioned,

He relieved himself on what is not mentioned

And inserted his finger into it to investigate.

And inserted his finger to check

فَاِتَّهَمَ الفيلُ البَعوضَ وَاِضطَرَب

فَاِتَّهَمَ الفيلُ البَعوضَ وَاِضطَرَب

وَضَيَّقَ الثَقبَ وَصالَ بِالذَنَب

وَضَيَّقَ الثَقبَ وَصالَ بِالذَنَب

So the elephant blamed the mosquitoes and grew agitated,

So the elephant blamed the mosquito and was disturbed

And constricted the opening and lashed out with his tail.

And tightened the hole and slapped with his tail

فَوَقَعَ الضَربُ عَلى السَليمَه

فَوَقَعَ الضَربُ عَلى السَليمَه

فَلَحِقَت بِأُختِها الكَريمَه

فَلَحِقَت بِأُختِها الكَريمَه

So the blow landed on the sound eye,

So the blow landed on the blind man

So it joined its noble sister.

And he joined his noble sister

وَنَزَلَ البَصيرُ ذا اِكتِئابِ

وَنَزَلَ البَصيرُ ذا اِكتِئابِ

يَشكو إِلى الفيلِ مِنَ المُصابِ

يَشكو إِلى الفيلِ مِنَ المُصابِ

And the clear-sighted one came down in dejection,

And the seer descended in sorrow

Complaining to the elephant of his misfortune.

Complaining to the elephant about the mishap

فَقالَ لا موجِبَ لِلنَدامَه

فَقالَ لا موجِبَ لِلنَدامَه

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ عَلى السَلامَه

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ عَلى السَلامَه

So he said, “There is no cause for regret;

But he said there is no cause for regret

Praise be to God for your safety!

Thanks to God for safety

مَن كانَ في عَينَيهِ هَذا الداءُ

مَن كانَ في عَينَيهِ هَذا الداءُ

فَفي العَمى لِنَفسِهِ وَقاءُ

فَفي العَمى لِنَفسِهِ وَقاءُ

Whoever has this disease in his eyes

He who has this affliction in his eyes

Finds in blindness a safeguard for himself.”

Then blindness for himself is protection