The Hawk and the Little Birds By Dr. Khalil Ibrahim Elaiwi Translated by: Mahmoud Abbas Masoud The mighty hawk declared it once He's the innocent birds' prince From far and near, they came flocking With hopeful dreams brightly flashing With hollow rhetoric, he won them over Promising to stand up to evil, to honor the truth ever And that their land will be so grand With much security and peace profound Details were discussed, delivery a must Regarding wages and matters of interest Here is the deal, by hawk set forth Regardless of merit or laws of truth: Every morning the birds must pay Two birds for the hawk's meal of the day 'Midst confusion and peak of mirth The pact was signed for what it is worth The birds did not think of the wages, nor questioned him Thinking it was a mere joke, but sadly the joke was on them They happily proclaimed him their leader dear Each wishing to be his ambassador or his vizier As dawn emerged and covered the hill The birds sang to beauty, warbled their fill Excitedly they picked a grain, enjoyed a seed Glad to be alive, happy to feed The hawk ascended his throne and screamed with power Where is the agreed-upon wage: the two birds for me to devour? This was a binding agreement, birds, you must not forget And this is exactly what, from you, I must get The birds were utterly baffled by what they heard: We thought you said it in jest, said one bird He screamed louder, demanding his meal of flesh Asking a nearby bird to come to him, saying: rush! Hunger is gnawing at my stomach, I have talked enough Come here quickly! He said it in a voice harsh and gruff The bird touchingly and entreatingly sobbed: But I have a family to support sir, young ones to feed I roam about searching for sustenance for my kin Moreover, I am so tiny and scrawny: just bone and skin However, dear sir, no need to arrest me For I dislike being arrested, 'cause born free The poor fellow walked into his terrible ordeal With heart pounding fast, for fear of the horrible deal Lamentation broke out in the nest, with a heavy groan Baby birds tearfully cried out: Father leave us not alone O hawk, eat us instead! Don't harm our daddy, please Unhesitatingly, the hawk did his infamous act, with utmost ease He tore up one bird, with the speed of light Mangled and gorged the other, in a single bite Thus surfeited, he stretched on a branch, declaring thereupon: I haven't exceeded the number we agreed on If you obey, I will abide by my promise, believe what I tell: Under my shadow you'll be assured safety, and security as well Two noble-minded birds stood up and spoke: Death claims subjects and kings alike, with its fatal stroke So why not unite and kill the impostor, he needs a fatal jolt We may be lacking in strength, yet have brains, so let's revolt There is power in unity, it is an accomplished fact, no sham Grains of sand, when united, become an impregnable dam The mighty flood inundates the fields Thanks to the incalculable power it wields So, let us stand firm in face of death Muster your courage, take a deep breath Daily, death knocks at our door, that vicious brute! And now is the time to eradicate it, by the very root The other birds nearly fainted as they heard the advice bright They were sore adread and shivered with fright The two birds changed the subject, twittered and sported Lest their plans be revealed, their scheme aborted They mockingly said, as they pretended to cringe: We've heard that some villains want to exact revenge They plan to rise against our ruler, throughout the land So we decided to test the water, hope you understand Be not disturbed, you're not under suspicion, have no fear And say it: long live the leader, loud and clear The two birds then flitted away, well beyond detection Discussed freedom from this stranger and his evil action After much pondering and raking the brain They discovered a secret through which to regain Confiscated independence and stolen rights And to quickly ascend to victory's heights They planned the zero hour, examined each fact Placed their trust in God and proceeded to act They agreed to fall upon the hawk's eyes like a lightning ray And pluck them out so that he can't see his way Then fall with the rest the birds upon that mean And put him to death in the deep ravine Morning arrived spreading rays, fast The hawk demanded the birds, for his breakfast In a flash, the two noble birds attacked his sight He let out a scream with all his might Threateningly, he said: I will smite you with evil, wait and see Be prepared for my awful revenge, shouted he But the two birds chirped jovially, yet wild: Be not afraid, birds! The hawk has been rendered blind Lo! they dragged him from tree to tree Singing between the rocks with utmost glee Within the branches the hawk got entangled While they rejoiced, fervently sang and tuned He made for the source of the sound, but fell with a crash Turning into a carcass, worthless as trash Thus the hawk met his end, thanks to perseverance and zeal To patient hard work and persistence real So, let this be a story to remember by each and all: Those who never give up shall attain their goal