شاةُ سَعيدٍ في أَمرِها عِبَرُ

شاةُ سَعيدٍ في أَمرِها عِبَرُ

لَمّا أَتَتنا قَد مَسَّها الضَرَرُ

لَمّا أَتَتنا قَد مَسَّها الضَرَرُ

There are lessons in the tale of Saʿīd’s ewe.

The sheep of Sa'id is a lesson in her plight

When she came to us, harm had already befallen her.

When she came to us, already stricken by harm

وَهيَ تُغَنّي مِن سوءِ حالَتِها

وَهيَ تُغَنّي مِن سوءِ حالَتِها

حَسبي بِما قَد لَقيتُ يا عُمَرُ

حَسبي بِما قَد لَقيتُ يا عُمَرُ

And in her wretched plight she sang:

And she sings of her miserable state

“What I have suffered is enough for me, O ʿUmar!”

Enough for me is what I have endured, O Life!

مَرَّت بِقُطفٍ خُضرٍ يُنَشِّرُها

مَرَّت بِقُطفٍ خُضرٍ يُنَشِّرُها

قَومٌ فَظَنَّت بِأَنَّها خُضَرُ

قَومٌ فَظَنَّت بِأَنَّها خُضَرُ

She passed green plush coverlets being spread out

She passed by a green bud that enticed her

by some people, and thought they were greens.

With men who thought it lush and green

فَأَقبَلَت نَحوَها لِتَأكُلَها

فَأَقبَلَت نَحوَها لِتَأكُلَها

حَتّى إِذا ما تَبَيَّنَ الخَبَرُ

حَتّى إِذا ما تَبَيَّنَ الخَبَرُ

So she headed toward them to eat them,

So she approached to eat it

until, when the truth became clear,

Until the truth was made clear

وَأَبدَلَتها الظُنونُ مِن طَمَعِ

وَأَبدَلَتها الظُنونُ مِن طَمَعِ

يَأساً تَغَنَّت وَالدَمعُ مُنحَدِرُ

يَأساً تَغَنَّت وَالدَمعُ مُنحَدِرُ

and her suppositions had replaced her hope with

And hopes of greed turned within her

despair, she sang, her tears streaming down:

To despair, she sang while tears streamed

كانوا بَعيداً فَكُنتُ آمُلُهُم

كانوا بَعيداً فَكُنتُ آمُلُهُم

حَتّى إِذا ما تَقَرَّبوا هَجَروا

حَتّى إِذا ما تَقَرَّبوا هَجَروا

“They were far away, so I had hopes of them,

They were distant, so I hoped for them

until, when they drew near, they deserted me.”

Until when they drew near, they abandoned me