مَرَّ الغُرابُ بِشاةٍ

مَرَّ الغُرابُ بِشاةٍ

قَد غابَ عَنها الفَطيمُ

قَد غابَ عَنها الفَطيمُ

The crow passed by a ewe

The raven passed a ewe whose lamb was lost

whose weaned lamb had gone away from her.

She wept while her heart remained resolute

تَقولُ وَالدَمعُ جار

تَقولُ وَالدَمعُ جار

وَالقَلبُ مِنها كَليمُ

وَالقَلبُ مِنها كَليمُ

She was saying, her tears flowing,

“Oh, would that I knew, my son, my only one

and her heart wounded:

Will you remain by my side as I intend?

يا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ يا اِبني

يا لَيتَ شِعرِيَ يا اِبني

وَواحِدي هَل تَدومُ

وَواحِدي هَل تَدومُ

“Oh, if only I knew, my son,

“Oh mother of Saad,” he said “this is painful affliction.”

and my only one—will you live on?

She thought of the morrow while sitting still

وَهَل تَكونُ بِجَنبي

وَهَل تَكونُ بِجَنبي

غَداً عَلى ما أَرومُ

غَداً عَلى ما أَرومُ

And will you be beside me

Every day has its own troubles enough

tomorrow, as I wish?”

And mighty tasks to fulfill

فَقالَ يا أُمَّ سَعدٍ

فَقالَ يا أُمَّ سَعدٍ

هَذا عَذابٌ أَليمُ

هَذا عَذابٌ أَليمُ

He said, “O mother of Sa'd,

While he rambled aimlessly

this is painful torment.

The woeful news arrived miserable and dim

فَكَّرتِ في الغَدِ وَالفِكـ

فَكَّرتِ في الغَدِ وَالفِكـ

ـرُ مُقعِدٌ وَمُقيمُ

ـرُ مُقعِدٌ وَمُقيمُ

You thought of tomorrow, and thought

“I left Saad,” it said “his bones are crushed”

cripples and confines.

He saw what his noble father had seen

لِكُلِّ يَومٍ خُطوبٌ

لِكُلِّ يَومٍ خُطوبٌ

تَكفي وَشُغلٌ عَظيمُ

تَكفي وَشُغلٌ عَظيمُ

Each day has troubles

The wise man said to the anxious mother

enough, and weighty concerns.”

“A prophet's words are infallible

وَبَينَما هُوَ يَهذي

وَبَينَما هُوَ يَهذي

أَتى النَعِيُّ الذَميمُ

أَتى النَعِيُّ الذَميمُ

And while he was babbling,

Did I not tell you each day has its sorrows?”

the loathsome bearer of death-news arrived,

“You speak truly,” she said “but those words are old

يَقولُ خَلَّفتُ سَعداً

يَقولُ خَلَّفتُ سَعداً

وَالعَظمُ مِنهُ هَشيمُ

وَالعَظمُ مِنهُ هَشيمُ

saying, “I left Sa'd behind,

For my people say the raven bears ill omen.”

and his bones were shattered.

رَأى مِنَ الذِئبِ ما قَد

رَأى مِنَ الذِئبِ ما قَد

رَأى أَبوهُ الكَريمُ

رَأى أَبوهُ الكَريمُ

He suffered at the wolf's hands what

his noble father had suffered.”

فَقالَ ذو البَينِ لِلأُمـ

فَقالَ ذو البَينِ لِلأُمـ

ـمِ حينَ وَلَّت تَهيمُ

ـمِ حينَ وَلَّت تَهيمُ

Then the harbinger of parting said to the mother,

as she turned away, wandering distraught:

إِنَّ الحَكيمَ نَبِيٌّ

إِنَّ الحَكيمَ نَبِيٌّ

لِسانُهُ مَعصومُ

لِسانُهُ مَعصومُ

“Indeed, the sage is a prophet;

his tongue is infallible.

أَلَم أَقُل لَكِ توا

أَلَم أَقُل لَكِ توا

لِكُلِّ يَومٍ هُمومُ

لِكُلِّ يَومٍ هُمومُ

Did I not tell you just now

that each day has worries?”

قالَت صَدَقتَ وَلَكِن

قالَت صَدَقتَ وَلَكِن

هَذا الكَلامُ قَديمُ

هَذا الكَلامُ قَديمُ

She said, “You spoke truly, but

this saying is old:

فَإِنَّ قَومِيَ قالوا

فَإِنَّ قَومِيَ قالوا

وَجهُ الغُرابِ مَشومُ

وَجهُ الغُرابِ مَشومُ

for my people have said,

‘The crow's face is ill-omened.’”