وأطلسَand a gray-coated wolf ماnot فيin سَعْيهِhis striving غيرَexcept أنّهُthat he
وأطلسَ ما في سَعْيهِ غيرَ أنّهُ
يَضيقُgrows scarce عليهِfor him الرزقُsustenance والخرقُand the open desert واسِعُvast
يَضيقُ عليهِ الرزقُ والخرقُ واسِعُ
And a gray-coated wolf, whose striving yields only this:
His efforts avail him naught but want and need remain,
his sustenance is scant, though the open desert is vast.
While food and raiment bounteous doth his brother gain.
يخافُfears أخوهُhis brother حِرصَهُhis greed وهوwhile he is طاعِمٌfed
يخافُ أخوهُ حِرصَهُ وهو طاعِمٌ
وتَهرُبُand flees منهfrom him عِرسُهhis mate وهوwhile he is جائعُhungry
وتَهرُبُ منه عِرسُه وهو جائعُ
His brother fears his greed even when he is fed,
From his own soul on lone hill-top he asks relief;
and his mate flees him when he is hungry.
His heart replies, "Renounce delusions, which deceive."
علاhe climbed شرفَa height of البيداءِthe wilderness يسألُasking أنفَهُhis nose
علا شرفَ البيداءِ يسألُ أنفَهُ
بياناًa clear indication وقدand already أكْدَتْhad yielded nothing عليهfor him المَسامِعُthe ears
بياناً وقد أكْدَتْ عليه المَسامِعُ
He climbed a height in the wilderness, asking his nose
He hears the wind blow tidings of a crumbling heap,
for a clear answer, his ears having failed him.
A straw at mercy of the wind high piles to sweep.
فنمّتْthen whispered إليهto him الريحُthe wind أنّthat شَظيّةًa small flock
فنمّتْ إليه الريحُ أنّ شَظيّةً
وبهماًand lambs بأكنافِat the fringes of السّماوةِal-Samawah ضائعُastray
وبهماً بأكنافِ السّماوةِ ضائعُ
Then the wind whispered to him that a small flock
Down from his tear-wrung eyes he draws a veil, and shrinks
and lambs were astray on the fringes of al-Samawah.
From fraud and guile, which only harm to those who use.
فزعزعَthen he shook منfrom قُطريهِhis two flanks يَدْألُhe trots ظالِعاًlimping
فزعزعَ من قُطريهِ يَدْألُ ظالِعاً
وماand not هوhe إلاّexcept للخَديعةِfor deception ظالعُlimping
وما هو إلاّ للخَديعةِ ظالعُ
Then he shook his two flanks and trotted along, limping,
Through lack and less from greater grows the greater greed,
yet he limped only to deceive.
When men with fortune's favours are of fortune freed.
علىin كلevery حالٍcondition منof يَسارwealth وَفاقَةٍand poverty
على كل حالٍ من يَسار وَفاقَةٍ
يَسيرُhe proceeds بماby what أهدتْoffered إليهِto him المَطامِعُgreedy desires
يَسيرُ بما أهدتْ إليهِ المَطامِعُ
In every condition, whether wealth or want,
The coward in the storm clouds of adversity
he pursues what his cravings have offered him.
Seeks for himself their sheltering wings' security.
إذاwhen غَمرةٌa perilous depth هابَfeared الجَبانُthe coward خِياضَهاwading into it
إذا غَمرةٌ هابَ الجَبانُ خِياضَها
تَوَرّدَهاhe plunges into it ماضٍresolute علىthrough الهولِterror طالعُadvancing
تَوَرّدَها ماضٍ على الهولِ طالعُ
When a perilous depth makes a coward fear to wade into it,
His streaming tears and flooding sobs pass unchecked,
he plunges in, resolute, advancing through terror.
Except by walls which echo back his cries unchecked.
سَرىhe traveled by night مالهhe had no تحتَbeneath الظّلامِthe darkness وسيْلَةٌmeans
سَرى ماله تحتَ الظّلامِ وسيْلَةٌ
إلىto الحيّthe encampment إلاّexcept خَطْمُهُhis snout والأكارِعُand the legs
إلى الحيّ إلاّ خَطْمُهُ والأكارِعُ
He traveled by night beneath the darkness, with no means
But when the clouds dissolve, and shows the sun more bright,
of reaching the encampment but his snout and legs.
He scans the heavens, with tears and sobs he takes his flight.
وأبصرهاand he saw them فوضىin disarray فَسارعَso he hurried تاركاًabandoning
وأبصرها فوضى فَسارعَ تاركاً
رَويَّتَهُhis deliberation أنّthat الحَريصَthe greedy one مُسارعُhasty
رَويَّتَهُ أنّ الحَريصَ مُسارعُ
And he saw them in disarray and rushed forward, abandoning
Contempt, when she saw his woe, past bearing longer, drew
his deliberation—for the greedy are hasty.
The fragment of his cloak, and bade him speed anew.
رأتْthey saw قَدْرَهُhis size فانضمّso he drew himself in يسرقُhe steals شَطْرَهُhalf of himself
رأتْ قَدْرَهُ فانضمّ يسرقُ شَطْرَهُ
أزلlean-haunched كصدرِlike the forepart of الرمحِthe spear بالخيلِin comparison with horses بارِعُsurpassing
أزل كصدرِ الرمحِ بالخيلِ بارِعُ
They saw his size; he drew himself in, hiding half his bulk—
Woe to the man, who when the clouds their burden rain
lean-haunched, like a spear's forepart, surpassing horses.
Seeks not fresh courage, and high resolve again.
فوَيْلُمِّهِso, woe to his mother لوif only كانhe were يومَon the day of غَوارِهِhis raiding
فوَيْلُمِّهِ لو كان يومَ غَوارِهِ
عنin defense of المجدِglory يَحميhe defends أوor عليهِfor it يُقارِعُhe exchanges blows
عن المجدِ يَحمي أو عليهِ يُقارِعُ
So, woe to his mother—if only, on the day of his raid,
To stand 'gainst triumph, and his spirits to renew.
he defended glory, or fought for it!
Partial English translation: 21 of 22 Arabic lines translated.