The Dog And The Pigeon Poem by Ahmad Shawqi

Here is the tale of the dog and the pigeon
A veritable testimony to the noble character of them both.
It has been said that while the dog was once sound asleep
In a lush, luxuriant grove
A poisonous snake, came sneaking from behind him
Like the devil, with hood fully expanded.
And as it was about to strike the faithful one,
The tender-hearted pigeon took pity on the dog
And swooped down to rescue him.
She pecked him hard with her beak
Causing him to arouse himself, startled, from his sleep.
Thereupon, he thanked God for his safety
And felt gratitude toward the pigeon.
As time went by
One day, hunters came to the orchard
And at once, the dog dashed to the tree
Where the pigeon was perching
To warn her of imminent danger
As she once alerted him.
He used his barking as a signal
She understood the message conveyed
And took wing to escape impending doom
Dodging thereby the flying bullets.
A word to the wise:
This is being grateful for favors received.
People aught to stand by one another
Furthermore, whoever helps others in their time of need
Will himself be assisted when aid is required

Translated by: Mahmoud Abbas Masoud