اللَيثُthe lion مَلكُking of القِفارِthe wastelands
اللَيثُ مَلكُ القِفارِ
وَماand what تَضُمُّcontain الصَحاريthe deserts
وَما تَضُمُّ الصَحاري
The lion is king of the wastelands,
The lion is the king of the deserts
And of all that the deserts contain.
And all the barren lands contain
سَعَتhastened إِلَيهِto him الرَعاياthe subjects
سَعَت إِلَيهِ الرَعايا
يَوماًone day بِكُلِّin utter اِنكِسارِsubmission
يَوماً بِكُلِّ اِنكِسارِ
His subjects hastened to him
The subjects flocked to him one day
One day, in utter submission.
In total submission and despair
قالَتthey said تَعيشُmay you live وَتَبقىand may you endure
قالَت تَعيشُ وَتَبقى
ياO دامِيَbloodstained الأَظفارِthe claws
يا دامِيَ الأَظفارِ
They said, "May you live and endure,
They said may you live long and reign
O you with bloodstained claws!
O one with claws that tear and maim
ماتَhas died الوَزيرُthe minister فَمَنso who ذاthis one
ماتَ الوَزيرُ فَمَن ذا
يَسوسُgoverns أَمرَthe affairs of الضَواريthe beasts of prey
يَسوسُ أَمرَ الضَواري
The minister has died; who, then,
The minister died, so who will now
Will govern the affairs of the beasts of prey?"
Rule over the affairs of feral game
قالَhe said الحِمارُthe donkey وَزيريmy minister
قالَ الحِمارُ وَزيري
قَضىdecided بِهَذاon this اِختِياريmy choice
قَضى بِهَذا اِختِياري
He said, "The donkey is my minister;
The donkey said I choose as vizier
My choice has settled on this."
Myself, for I the role acclaim
فَاِستَضحَكَتso they burst out laughing ثُمَّthen قالَتthey said
فَاِستَضحَكَت ثُمَّ قالَت
ماذاwhat رَأىdid he see فيin الحِمارِthe donkey
ماذا رَأى في الحِمارِ
So they burst out laughing, then said,
At this she laughed and then proclaimed
"What did he see in the donkey?"
What merit did you find to name
وَخَلَّفَتهُand they left him behind وَطارَتand they flew off
وَخَلَّفَتهُ وَطارَت
بِمُضحِكِwith laughable الأَخبارِthe news
بِمُضحِكِ الأَخبارِ
And they left him behind and flew off
Yourself as minister, you fool
With the laughable news.
And spread this jest both far and wide
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen الشَهرُthe month وَلّىhad passed
حَتّى إِذا الشَهرُ وَلّى
كَلَيلَةٍlike a night أَوor نَهارِa day
كَلَيلَةٍ أَو نَهارِ
Until, when the month had passed,
Until a month or day had passed
Like a night or a day,
The lion did not realize
لَمdid not يَشعُرِbecome aware اللَيثُthe lion إِلّاexcept
لَم يَشعُرِ اللَيثُ إِلّا
وَمُلكُهُand his kingdom فيin دَمارِruin
وَمُلكُهُ في دَمارِ
The lion became aware only
That his kingdom was in shards
When his kingdom lay in ruins.
The ape stood to his right-hand side
القِردُthe monkey عِندَat اليَمينِthe right
القِردُ عِندَ اليَمينِ
وَالكَلبُand the dog عِندَat اليَسارِthe left
وَالكَلبُ عِندَ اليَسارِ
The monkey was on his right,
The dog was posted to his left
And the dog on his left,
The cat before him, batting, eyed
وَالقِطُّand the cat بَينَbetween يَدَيهِhis two hands
وَالقِطُّ بَينَ يَدَيهِ
يَلهوplays بِعَظمَةِwith a bone of فارِa mouse
يَلهو بِعَظمَةِ فارِ
And the cat before him,
A rat for play, without respect
Toying with a mouse's bone.
He said, which of my ancestors
فَقالَthen he said مَنwho فيamong جُدوديmy forebears
فَقالَ مَن في جُدودي
مِثليlike me عَديمُdevoid of الوَقارِdignity
مِثلي عَديمُ الوَقارِ
Then he said, "Who among my forebears
Would act with such disgrace, devoid
Is, like me, bereft of dignity?
Of all my might and massacres
أَينَwhere اِقتِداريmy power وَبَطشيand my might
أَينَ اِقتِداري وَبَطشي
وَهَيبَتيand the awe I inspire وَاِعتِباريand my prestige
وَهَيبَتي وَاِعتِباري
Where are my power and might,
My awe, repute that was enjoyed
And the awe and respect I command?"
The ape approached him secretively
فَجاءَهُthen he came to him القِردُthe monkey سِرّاًsecretly
فَجاءَهُ القِردُ سِرّاً
وَقالَand he said بَعدَafter اِعتِذارِan apology
وَقالَ بَعدَ اِعتِذارِ
Then the monkey came to him in secret,
And after making his excuses
And said, after an apology,
Said, O exalted one, let be
ياO عالِيَhigh in الجاهِstanding فيناamong us
يا عالِيَ الجاهِ فينا
كُنbe عالِيَlofty in الأَنظارِjudgments
كُن عالِيَ الأَنظارِ
"O you of high standing among us,
Keep high your noblest attributes
Be lofty in your judgments:
For the subjects' views of you
رَأيُthe opinion of الرَعِيَّةِthe subjects فيكُمof you
رَأيُ الرَعِيَّةِ فيكُم
مِنfrom رَأيِكُمyour opinion فيof الحِمارِthe donkey
مِن رَأيِكُم في الحِمارِ
The subjects' opinion of you
Come from your views of the witless brute
Stems from your opinion of the donkey."
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.