قَدْ أَصلَحَ الجُوعُ بَينَ القِطِّ وَالفَارِ

قَدْ أَصلَحَ الجُوعُ بَينَ القِطِّ وَالفَارِ

عِندِي لإدبارِي حَظّي أَيَّ إِدْبارٍ

عِندِي لإدبارِي حَظّي أَيَّ إِدْبارٍ

Hunger has reconciled the cat and the mouse

Hunger has reconciled the cat and mouse.

In my home, for my luck has turned utterly against me.

When misfortune befalls me, of what misfortune do I speak?

وَرَقَّ هذا لِذا مِن سُقْمِه فَهُما

وَرَقَّ هذا لِذا مِن سُقْمِه فَهُما

كَعَاشقٍ وَخَيالٍ نَحوَهُ سَارِي

كَعَاشقٍ وَخَيالٍ نَحوَهُ سَارِي

And this one pitied that one for his sickness; so the two are

This one recovered from his illness for that one's sake,

Like a lover and a phantom coming toward him by night.

Like two lovers walking together.

وَفي الشَّدائدِ ما يُنسِي الحَقُودَ ومَا

وَفي الشَّدائدِ ما يُنسِي الحَقُودَ ومَا

يُثني الحَسُودَ إلى حُبّ وَإيثارِ

يُثني الحَسُودَ إلى حُبّ وَإيثارِ

And in adversity lies what makes the spiteful forget, and what

In adversity, grudges are forgotten,

Turns the envious toward love and selflessness.

And the envious are inclined to love and prefer others.

فَلَوْ رَأَيْتَهما شَاهَدْتَ مِن عَجَبٍ

فَلَوْ رَأَيْتَهما شَاهَدْتَ مِن عَجَبٍ

أَلا رَأَيْتَ وَلمْ تَسمَعْ بَأخبارِ

أَلا رَأَيْتَ وَلمْ تَسمَعْ بَأخبارِ

So if you saw them both, you would witness a marvel—

Had you seen them, you would have witnessed something amazing -

Indeed, you would see it, not hear of it in reports.

Did you not see them, though you did not hear the news?

هذا على مَطبخي المَبرودِ في حُرَقٍ

هذا على مَطبخي المَبرودِ في حُرَقٍ

وَذا على مَخْزَني المَكْنُوسِ في نَارِ

وَذا على مَخْزَني المَكْنُوسِ في نَارِ

This one burns with anguish over my cold kitchen,

This one in my kitchen is scorched,

And that one is aflame over my swept-clean storeroom.

That one in my pantry is burning.

وَمَا بيَ القِطُّ هَمُّ الفَارِ أذْهَلَني

وَمَا بيَ القِطُّ هَمُّ الفَارِ أذْهَلَني

عنهُ وَضَاعَفَ مِنهُ شُغْلَ أَفكارِي

عنهُ وَضَاعَفَ مِنهُ شُغْلَ أَفكارِي

And the cat is not my concern; worry for the mouse has distracted me

I was too preoccupied by the cat's obsession with the mouse

From it, and doubled my mind's cares on the mouse's account.

To double my troubled thoughts.

مَا كادَ يَعْثَر وفي دارِي لِشِقْوَتهِ

مَا كادَ يَعْثَر وفي دارِي لِشِقْوَتهِ

بِقَمْحَةٍ لا ولا الأَهْلُونَ في الدَّارِ

بِقَمْحَةٍ لا ولا الأَهْلُونَ في الدَّارِ

He could not even find—in my house, to his misfortune—

In my house, when misfortune befell him,

A grain of wheat—no, nor could the family in the house.

He could barely stumble upon a crumb, not even a date.

وَلَيْسَ في دارِ دُنياهُمْ ذَخِيرَتُهُمْ

وَلَيْسَ في دارِ دُنياهُمْ ذَخِيرَتُهُمْ

وَدارِ أُخْراهُمُ إلاَّ الفتَى الدَّاري

وَدارِ أُخْراهُمُ إلاَّ الفتَى الدَّاري

And in their earthly abode they have no treasure,

They have no provisions in the home of their worldly life,

Nor in their abode hereafter, except the young man al-Dari.

Nor in the home of their afterlife, except the noble host.