بَينا ضِعافٌ مِن دَجاجِ الريفِ

بَينا ضِعافٌ مِن دَجاجِ الريفِ

تَخطِرُ في بَيتٍ لَها طَريفِ

تَخطِرُ في بَيتٍ لَها طَريفِ

While some frail country chickens

While simple rural chickens

Were strutting in a charming home of their own,

Were strolling in their quaint abode

إِذا جاءَها هِندي كَبيرُ العُرفِ

إِذا جاءَها هِندي كَبيرُ العُرفِ

فَقامَ في البابِ قِيامَ الضَيفِ

فَقامَ في البابِ قِيامَ الضَيفِ

A turkey with a large comb suddenly came to them,

A haughty rooster of foreign breed

And stood at the door like a guest.

Stood loftily at the door like an unbidden guest

يَقولُ حَيّا اللَهُ ذي الوُجوها

يَقولُ حَيّا اللَهُ ذي الوُجوها

وَلا أَراها أَبَداً مَكروها

وَلا أَراها أَبَداً مَكروها

Saying, 'May God bless these faces,

Saying, “God give you life, O multifaced one!

And may He never show them harm.

Never shall I see you brought low.”

أَتَيتُكُم أَنشُرُ فيكُم فَضلي

أَتَيتُكُم أَنشُرُ فيكُم فَضلي

يَوماً وَأَقضي بَينَكُم بِالعَدلِ

يَوماً وَأَقضي بَينَكُم بِالعَدلِ

I have come to spread my bounty among you

I’ve come to bring my excellence to you

For a day, and to judge among you with justice.

And judge amongst you all with equity.

وَكُلُّ ما عِندَكُمُ حَرامُ

وَكُلُّ ما عِندَكُمُ حَرامُ

عَلَيَّ إِلّا الماءُ وَالمَنامُ

عَلَيَّ إِلّا الماءُ وَالمَنامُ

And everything you have is forbidden

Everything you have is forbidden to me

To me, except water and sleep.'

Save water and a place to sleep.

فَعاوَدَ الدَجاجَ داءُ الطَيشِ

فَعاوَدَ الدَجاجَ داءُ الطَيشِ

وَفَتَحَت لِلعِلجِ بابَ العُشِّ

وَفَتَحَت لِلعِلجِ بابَ العُشِّ

Then the disease of rashness returned to the chickens,

Then the chickens’ madness flared anew,

And they opened the nest's door to the brute.

And for a cure they opened up their coop.

فَجالَ فيهِ جَولَةَ المَليكِ

فَجالَ فيهِ جَولَةَ المَليكِ

يَدعو لِكُلِّ فَرخَةٍ وَديكِ

يَدعو لِكُلِّ فَرخَةٍ وَديكِ

Then he roamed through it like a king,

He strutted in a royal prance,

Praying for every hen and rooster.

Blessing every chick and cock.

وَباتَ تِلكَ اللَيلَةَ السَعيدَه

وَباتَ تِلكَ اللَيلَةَ السَعيدَه

مُمَتَّعاً بِدارِهِ الجَديدَه

مُمَتَّعاً بِدارِهِ الجَديدَه

And he spent that happy night

He spent that fortunate night

Taking pleasure in his new home.

Delighted with his newfound home.

وَباتَتِ الدَجاجُ في أَمانِ

وَباتَتِ الدَجاجُ في أَمانِ

تَحلُمُ بِالذِلَّةِ وَالهَوانِ

تَحلُمُ بِالذِلَّةِ وَالهَوانِ

And the chickens spent the night in safety,

The chickens passed the night in safety

Dreaming of abasement and humiliation.

Dreaming of servitude and humiliation.

حَتّى إِذا تَهَلَّلَ الصَباحُ

حَتّى إِذا تَهَلَّلَ الصَباحُ

وَاِقتَبَسَت مِن نورِهِ الأَشباحُ

وَاِقتَبَسَت مِن نورِهِ الأَشباحُ

Until, when the morning beamed

Until, when dawn spread its light

And forms borrowed from its light,

And shadows drew from it illumination,

صاحَ بِها صاحِبُها الفَصيحُ

صاحَ بِها صاحِبُها الفَصيحُ

يَقولُ دامَ مَنزِلي المَليحُ

يَقولُ دامَ مَنزِلي المَليحُ

Their eloquent master shouted at them,

Their verbose friend crowed

Saying, 'May my lovely home endure!'

“Long live my fine dwelling!”

فَاِنتَبَهَت مِن نَومِها المَشؤومِ

فَاِنتَبَهَت مِن نَومِها المَشؤومِ

مَذعورَةً مِن صَيحَةِ الغَشومِ

مَذعورَةً مِن صَيحَةِ الغَشومِ

Then they awoke from their ill-omened sleep,

They woke from their ill-omened sleep

Terrified by the tyrant's cry,

Terrified by the scream of the betrayer.

تَقولُ ما تِلكَ الشُروط بَينَنا

تَقولُ ما تِلكَ الشُروط بَينَنا

غَدَرتَنا وَاللَهِ غَدراً بَيِّنا

غَدَرتَنا وَاللَهِ غَدراً بَيِّنا

Saying, 'Those were not the terms between us!

“What is this condition between us?” they said.

You have betrayed us, by God, with blatant treachery!'

“You have betrayed us, by God, plainly.”

فَضَحِكَ الهِندِيُّ حَتّى اِستَلقى

فَضَحِكَ الهِندِيُّ حَتّى اِستَلقى

وَقالَ ما هَذا العَمى يا حَمقى

وَقالَ ما هَذا العَمى يا حَمقى

Then the turkey laughed until he lay on his back,

The Indian laughed until he lay down

And said, 'What is this blindness, you fools?

And said, “What blindness, O you fools!

مَتى مَلَكتُم أَلسُنَ الأَربابِ

مَتى مَلَكتُم أَلسُنَ الأَربابِ

قَد كانَ هَذا قَبلَ فَتحِ البابِ

قَد كانَ هَذا قَبلَ فَتحِ البابِ

Since when have you possessed the tongues of masters?

When did you ever own eloquent tongues?

That was before the door was opened!'

This was so before the door stood open.”