أَرىI see حَيوانَthe creatures of الأَرضِthe earth غَيرَother than أَنيسِهاits human inhabitants
أَرى حَيوانَ الأَرضِ غَيرَ أَنيسِها
إِذاwhen اِقتاتَit feeds لَمnot يَفرَحrejoice بِظُلمٍin injustice وَلاnor جَداbounty
إِذا اِقتاتَ لَم يَفرَح بِظُلمٍ وَلا جَدا
I see that the earth’s creatures, apart from its human inhabitants,
When they feed, rejoice neither in injustice nor in bounty.
أَتَعلَمُhave you known? أُسدُthe lions of الغيلِthe thickets بَعدَafter اِفتِراسِهاtheir taking of prey
أَتَعلَمُ أُسدُ الغيلِ بَعدَ اِفتِراسِها
تُحاوِلُthey seek دُرّاًpearls أَوor تُحاوِلُthey seek عَسجَداgold
تُحاوِلُ دُرّاً أَو تُحاوِلُ عَسجَدا
Have you ever known the lions of the thickets, after taking their prey,
To seek pearls, or to seek gold?
وَماand not اِتَّخَذَtook for itself الأَبرادَcloaks سِرحانُa wolf of 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 donned cloaks,
Nor kindled a fire wherever it roamed, in lowlands or uplands.
وَأَضعَفُand the weakest مَنwhom تَلقاهُyou meet him مِنamong آلِthe descendants of آدَمٍAdam
وَأَضعَفُ مَن تَلقاهُ مِن آلِ آدَمٍ
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle شَتاhe passes the winter يَبغيhe seeks وَقوداًfuel وَبُرجُداand a thick cloak
إِذا ما شَتا يَبغي وَقوداً وَبُرجُدا
And the weakest you meet among Adam’s children,
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.