كانَ لِبَعضِ الناسِ نَعجَتان

كانَ لِبَعضِ الناسِ نَعجَتان

وَكانَتا في الغَيطِ تَرعَيانِ

وَكانَتا في الغَيطِ تَرعَيانِ

Someone had two ewes,

Some people owned two ewes

And both were grazing in the field.

That would graze in the valley

إِحداهُما سَمينَةٌ وَالثانِيَه

إِحداهُما سَمينَةٌ وَالثانِيَه

عِظامُها مِنَ الهُزالِ بادِيَه

عِظامُها مِنَ الهُزالِ بادِيَه

One of them was fat, while the other

One was fat and the other

Had bones showing through from emaciation.

Her bones protruded from emaciation

فَكانَتِ الأولى تُباهي بِالسِمَن

فَكانَتِ الأولى تُباهي بِالسِمَن

وَقَولِهِم بِأَنَّها ذاتُ الثَمَن

وَقَولِهِم بِأَنَّها ذاتُ الثَمَن

So the first boasted of her fatness

The fat one would boast of her obesity

And of their saying that she was valuable,

And people saying she was expensive

وَتَدَّعي أَنَّ لَها مِقدارا

وَتَدَّعي أَنَّ لَها مِقدارا

وَأَنَّها تَستَوقِفُ الأَبصارا

وَأَنَّها تَستَوقِفُ الأَبصارا

And claimed that she had standing,

And claim she was outstanding

And that she caught people's eyes.

And would attract all eyes

فَتَصبِرُ الأُختُ عَلى الإِذلالِ

فَتَصبِرُ الأُختُ عَلى الإِذلالِ

حامِلَةً مَرارَةَ الإِدلالِ

حامِلَةً مَرارَةَ الإِدلالِ

So her sister bore the humiliation patiently,

While the other ewe endured humiliation

Bearing the bitterness of conceited airs.

Bearing the bitterness of inferiority

حَتّى أَتى الجَزّارُ ذاتَ يَومِ

حَتّى أَتى الجَزّارُ ذاتَ يَومِ

وَقَلبَ النَعجَةَ دونَ القَومِ

وَقَلبَ النَعجَةَ دونَ القَومِ

Until the butcher came one day

Until the butcher came one day

And turned the ewe over before the people.

And chose the fat ewe, leaving the rest

فَقالَ لِلمالِكِ أَشتَريها

فَقالَ لِلمالِكِ أَشتَريها

وَنَقَدَ الكيسَ النَفيسَ فيها

وَنَقَدَ الكيسَ النَفيسَ فيها

Then he said to the owner, 'I'll buy her,'

He said to the owner, I’ll buy this one

And paid a handsome purse of money for her.

And paid a hefty price for her

فَاِنطَلَقَت مِن فَورِها لِأُختِها

فَاِنطَلَقَت مِن فَورِها لِأُختِها

وَهيَ تَشُكُّ في صَلاحِ بَختِها

وَهيَ تَشُكُّ في صَلاحِ بَختِها

So she went at once to her sister,

So the thin ewe went to her sister

While doubting whether her luck was good.

While doubting her own fortune

تَقولُ يا أُختاهُ خَبِّريني

تَقولُ يا أُختاهُ خَبِّريني

هَل تَعرِفينَ حامِلَ السِكّينِ

هَل تَعرِفينَ حامِلَ السِكّينِ

Saying, 'O sister, tell me:

She said, oh sister tell me

Do you know the bearer of the knife?'

Do you recognize the one with the knife?

قالَت دَعيني وَهُزالي وَالزَمَن

قالَت دَعيني وَهُزالي وَالزَمَن

وَكَلِّمي الجَزّارَ يا ذاتَ الثَمَن

وَكَلِّمي الجَزّارَ يا ذاتَ الثَمَن

She said, 'Leave me with my leanness and time,

The other said, leave me, my thinness and fate

And speak to the butcher, O valuable one!'

And talk to the butcher, oh expensive one

لِكُلِّ حالٍ حُلوُها وَمُرُّها

لِكُلِّ حالٍ حُلوُها وَمُرُّها

ما أَدَبُ النَعجَةِ إِلّا صَبرُها

ما أَدَبُ النَعجَةِ إِلّا صَبرُها

Every condition has its sweetness and its bitterness;

For every situation has its sweetness and bitterness

A ewe's good conduct lies only in her patience.

Nothing taught the ewe except patience