قال الفتى الهايم من الأمتحان

قال الفتى الهايم من الأمتحان

أن يفقد المضنى حليفه

أن يفقد المضنى حليفه

The youth, distraught by the ordeal, said—

The lovesick youth said of the test,

the ordeal of an anguished man losing his companion:

That losing a companion is most distressing,

قد صد الفى بعد قطع الزمان

قد صد الفى بعد قطع الزمان

لقيا على خبره نظيفه

لقيا على خبره نظيفه

My companion turned away after a stretch of time

The young man was isolated after time passed,

spent meeting in honest companionship.

Only to find his news was spotless,

وكملت لي وحشتي وردغان

وكملت لي وحشتي وردغان

الدمة البيضا التحفيفه

الدمة البيضا التحفيفه

And my loneliness became complete; and [radghān: unclear],

And my loneliness and homesickness was completed,

the nimble white cat,

For the white, fine-fingered, beautiful doll,

ماتت وقد كانت حياة المكان

ماتت وقد كانت حياة المكان

تفقده مثل الوصيفه

تفقده مثل الوصيفه

died, though she had been the life of the place,

She who was the life of the place died,

watching over it like a maidservant.

Missing her like a loyal maid,

لكل ساحي ضامنه به ضمان

لكل ساحي ضامنه به ضمان

ولا تسهل في وظيفه

ولا تسهل في وظيفه

For every sāḥī [unclear], she stood surety with her pledge,

To each companion she guaranteed a guarantee,

and never slackened in her duty.

Never easing up from her duties,

فيها شجاعة كل دمه جبان

فيها شجاعة كل دمه جبان

منها وسطوتها مخيفه

منها وسطوتها مخيفه

She had courage; every cat was afraid

In her was a bravery though her blood was cowardly,

of her, and her ferocity was fearsome.

Her tyranny and power were frightening,

تنط في الجو تخطف الشيمران

تنط في الجو تخطف الشيمران

والباز تبقى له وكيفه

والباز تبقى له وكيفه

She leapt into the air to snatch the shaymarān birds,

She would leap through the air snatching sparrows,

and remained troublesome even to the falcon.

Leaving the falcon confused,

وان اوكست بالقار تجنن جنان

وان اوكست بالقار تجنن جنان

وتقتله قتله عنيفه

وتقتله قتله عنيفه

And if she pounced on the mouse [uncertain reading], she drove it utterly mad,

If she was angry at a rock, she would madden even temperate souls,

and killed it a violent death.

Killing it a violent death,

تمد مخلب حد مثل السنان

تمد مخلب حد مثل السنان

تترك بطون الفار ليفه

تترك بطون الفار ليفه

She extended a claw sharp as a spearhead,

She would extend a claw sharp as fangs,

leaving mice's bellies like a wad of fiber,

Leaving the rat's belly flattened,

وتمشره في الحال من حيث كان

وتمشره في الحال من حيث كان

وكم خصال فيها شريفه

وكم خصال فيها شريفه

and tore it apart at once, wherever it was.

And she would tear it apart immediately wherever it was,

And how many noble qualities she had!

So many noble traits she had,

تحرس لنا زنبيل قحطه ملان

تحرس لنا زنبيل قحطه ملان

شركه وهي منها عفيفه

شركه وهي منها عفيفه

She guarded for us a basket full of dried fish,

She protected our harvest-filled food bushel,

common property, yet she abstained from it.

While remaining chaste towards it,

فيها أباوت نفس تنقر عيان

فيها أباوت نفس تنقر عيان

ما تقرب الأشياء الوكيفه

ما تقرب الأشياء الوكيفه

She had pride of soul and was plainly choosy,

In her was a soul that pecked at the weak,

never approaching inferior things.

Not approaching ambiguous things,

تعرف ريات البونيات السمان

تعرف ريات البونيات السمان

وتعرف الشاة الضعيفه

وتعرف الشاة الضعيفه

She knew the lungs of fat heifers,

She knew the paths of rabbits and polecats,

and knew the frail sheep.

And knew the weak sheep,

وحاصله كل الصفات الحسان

وحاصله كل الصفات الحسان

على ولا دمه لطيفه

على ولا دمه لطيفه

And all the lovely qualities were gathered

And in summary, all the good traits,

upon [wa-lā: unclear]—a charming cat.

Despite not having gentle blood,

ما مثلها في اللطف في كوكبان

ما مثلها في اللطف في كوكبان

في الرفع رتبتها منيفه

في الرفع رتبتها منيفه

She had no equal in gentleness in Kawkabān;

None could match her gentleness in both worlds,

her rank in eminence was lofty.

Her status was elevated and prestigious,

شاسكب عليها دمع مثل الجمان

شاسكب عليها دمع مثل الجمان

وآنوح من فقد الطريفه

وآنوح من فقد الطريفه

I shall pour over her tears like pearls,

I shed tears over her like a torrent,

and lament the loss of the delightful one.

And I lament the loss of the gentle one,

واثنى عنان المدح في كل آن

واثنى عنان المدح في كل آن

نحو الذي يرعى حليفه

نحو الذي يرعى حليفه

And I turn the rein of praise at every moment

And I unleash the reins of praise at all times,

toward him who cares for his companion:

Towards He who preserves companions,

عز الهدى الشاعر فصيح اللسان

عز الهدى الشاعر فصيح اللسان

من للأدب سنبد عطيفه

من للأدب سنبد عطيفه

ʿIzz al-Hudā, the poet, eloquent of tongue,

Honor to the poet whose speech is eloquent,

who, for literature, [sanbad: unclear] his affection.

Who has for literature an amiable friend,

لبس من اثواب البديع طيلسان

لبس من اثواب البديع طيلسان

وبان عن مولى السقيفه

وبان عن مولى السقيفه

He donned a cloak from the robes of rhetorical artistry,

Wearing robes of rhetorical elegance,

and stood apart from the master of the portico.

Manifesting the Master of the canopy,

أبوه أبا لو زدقرى في البيان

أبوه أبا لو زدقرى في البيان

ما كان نلقى أين نظيفه

ما كان نلقى أين نظيفه

His father refused; had he read further in rhetoric,

His father, if he had plunged into eloquence,

we would not have found a spotless 'where' [wording unclear].

We would not find anything spotless,

كان شايقع للمشكلات ترجمان

كان شايقع للمشكلات ترجمان

يفنقل الآشيا الرهيفه

يفنقل الآشيا الرهيفه

He would have become an interpreter of difficult questions,

He was an interpreter for convoluted matters,

unraveling delicate matters.

Translating subtle things,

وازكا التحيه ما ينوق إتان

وازكا التحيه ما ينوق إتان

أو بوحت بقرى ضعيفه

أو بوحت بقرى ضعيفه

And the purest greeting, as long as a she-ass brays [verb uncertain],

And I bestow the most excellent greetings, however much an attack,

or a feeble cow lows.

Or I profess love for a weak village.