أَرىI see حَيوانَanimal life الأَرضِthe earth غَيرَother than أَنيسِهاits human inhabitants
أَرى حَيوانَ الأَرضِ غَيرَ أَنيسِها
إِذاwhen اِقتاتَit feeds لَمnot يَفرَحrejoice بِظُلمٍin injustice وَلاnor جَداgain
إِذا اِقتاتَ لَم يَفرَح بِظُلمٍ وَلا جَدا
I see that the earth’s creatures, apart from its human inhabitants,
when they feed, delight neither in injustice nor in gain.
أَتَعلَمُdo you know أُسدُlions الغيلِthe thicket بَعدَafter اِفتِراسِهاtheir predation
أَتَعلَمُ أُسدُ الغيلِ بَعدَ اِفتِراسِها
تُحاوِلُthey seek دُرّاًpearls أَوor تُحاوِلُthey seek عَسجَداgold
تُحاوِلُ دُرّاً أَو تُحاوِلُ عَسجَدا
Do you know of lions in the thicket, after their kill,
seeking pearls, or seeking gold?
وَماand not اِتَّخَذَtook for use الأَبرادَcloaks سِرحانُa wolf قَفرَةٍa wasteland
وَما اِتَّخَذَ الأَبرادَ سِرحانُ قَفرَةٍ
وَلاnor شَبَّkindled ناراًa fire أَينَwherever غارَit went to the lowlands وَأَنجَداand went to the uplands
وَلا شَبَّ ناراً أَينَ غارَ وَأَنجَدا
And no wolf of the wasteland has ever worn cloaks,
nor kindled a fire wherever it went, in lowlands and uplands.
وَأَضعَفُand the weakest مَنthose whom تَلقاهُyou meet him مِنamong آلِthe family of آدَمٍAdam
وَأَضعَفُ مَن تَلقاهُ مِن آلِ آدَمٍ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle شَتاhe spends winter يَبغيhe seeks وَقوداًfuel وَبُرجُداand a thick cloak
إِذا ما شَتا يَبغي وَقوداً وَبُرجُدا
And the weakest you meet among Adam’s descendants,
when winter comes, seeks fuel and a thick cloak.
وَأُنصِفُهُمand I do them justice ماnot هابَتِfeared الوَحشُwild beasts سُبَّةًdisgrace
وَأُنصِفُهُم ما هابَتِ الوَحشُ سُبَّةً
وَلاnor وَقَعَتfell مِنout of خَشيَةِfear of اللَهِGod سُجَّداprostrate
وَلا وَقَعَت مِن خَشيَةِ اللَهِ سُجَّدا
And I do them justice: wild beasts have never feared disgrace,
nor fallen prostrate out of fear of God.