حَمِدتُ إِلَهي أَنَّني لَم أَجِدكُما

حَمِدتُ إِلَهي أَنَّني لَم أَجِدكُما

مِنَ الجوعِ مَأوىً أَو مِنَ الخَوفِ مَهرَبا

مِنَ الجوعِ مَأوىً أَو مِنَ الخَوفِ مَهرَبا

I thanked my God that I did not find in you two

I praised my God that I did not find you

A shelter from hunger or an escape from fear.

A refuge from hunger or an escape from fear.

ضُبَيبانِ جَحلِيّانِ في آمِنِ الكُدى

ضُبَيبانِ جَحلِيّانِ في آمِنِ الكُدى

إِذا ما أَحَسّا حارِشَ اللَيلِ ذَنَّبا

إِذا ما أَحَسّا حارِشَ اللَيلِ ذَنَّبا

Two thickset little lizards in the safest of rocky knolls;

Two shy hyenas in a secure den

Whenever they sense a lizard-hunter at night, they put out their tails.

Who, when they sense the tail of night's mischief,

تَباعَدتُ حَتّى عَيَّرانِيَ بَعدَما

تَباعَدتُ حَتّى عَيَّرانِيَ بَعدَما

تَقَرَّبتُ حَتّى عَيَّراني التَقَرُّبا

تَقَرَّبتُ حَتّى عَيَّراني التَقَرُّبا

I kept my distance until they both reproached me, after

I distanced myself until, after I drew near,

I had drawn near until they both reproached me for drawing near.

They blamed me for drawing near and distancing.