يا هر بعت الحق بالباطل

يا هر بعت الحق بالباطل

وصرت لا تصغى إلى عاذل

وصرت لا تصغى إلى عاذل

O cat, you sold truth for falsehood,

O one who has replaced truth with falsehood

and came to heed no reprover.

And no longer listens to the one who reproves

إذا البيت البرج من خارج

إذا البيت البرج من خارج

طارت قلوب الطير من داخل

طارت قلوب الطير من داخل

When [you approached] the dovecote from outside,

When the house, a tower from without

the birds’ hearts took flight from within,

The hearts of birds have flown from within

علما بما تصنع في برجها

علما بما تصنع في برجها

فهي على خوف من الفاعل

فهي على خوف من الفاعل

knowing what you do in their dovecote;

Knowing what you do in their tower

so they are in fear of the perpetrator.

They are in fear of the doer

قد كنت لا تغفل عن اكلها

قد كنت لا تغفل عن اكلها

ولم يكن ربك بالغافل

ولم يكن ربك بالغافل

Indeed, you were never heedless of eating them,

You did not neglect their food

nor was your Lord heedless.

And your Lord was not neglectful

فانظر إلى ما صنعت بعد ذا

فانظر إلى ما صنعت بعد ذا

عقوبة المأكول بالاكل

عقوبة المأكول بالاكل

So see what was wrought after this

So look at what you have done after that

by the eaten one’s retribution upon the eater.

The punishment of the eaten is to be eaten

ما زلت يا مسكين مستقتلا

ما زلت يا مسكين مستقتلا

حتى لقد منيت للقاتل

حتى لقد منيت للقاتل

You never ceased, poor creature, to court death,

You remained, poor soul, being killed

until indeed you were fated for the killer.

Until you wished for the killer

قد كنت للرحمة مستأهلا

قد كنت للرحمة مستأهلا

اذ لم يكن منك بمستأهل

اذ لم يكن منك بمستأهل

You had indeed been worthy of mercy,

You deserved mercy

when he had deserved none at your hands.

When there was no deserving from you