Ahmad Shawqi

(1868–1932)

The Monkey In The Ark

Of all the things that happened in Noah's Ark,
The strangest ever was when the monkey lied to Prophet Noah
One day he climbed onto the roof of the Ark,
And felt a hankering after some mischievous antics
Therefore, he let out a very loud scream:
Help birds and fishes, help!
A mighty wave is about to overcome and destroy me
At once, the Prophet dispatched the eagles to him;
However, they found him playing and having fun
Soon after, he cried out again:
There is a hole in the Ark, Help Noah, help
Again, the Prophet sent whoever was present,
But they saw not the danger reported by the monkey
One day, while the same insolent monkey was playing.
Lo and behold! He was knocked out of the Ark and landed in water
Soon he was heard wailing in the dark:
Noah, I am about to drown
My recklessness has landed me in deep water,
Now I am lost between the sea and the sky
This time, however, no one believed his cries.
Rather, they mocked his audacity instead
It was said in old times:
A liar will always be considered a liar,
Even when he speaks the truth
He who is a pathological liar,
Will go on lying until he eventually tempts the fates
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