As wary as qurrali أحذر من قرَّلى

أحذر من قرَّلى
وأحزم أيضاً. وهو طائر من طير الماء شديد الحزم والحذر، يطير في الهواء وينظر بإحدى عينيه إلى الأرض. وفي أسجاع ابنة الخس:
كن حذراً كالقرلـى
إن رأى خيراً تدلـى
وإن رأى شراً تولى
قال الأزهري: ما أراه عربياً.
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Beware of the qurrali.
And be prudent as well. It is a water bird, extremely prudent and cautious, that flies through the air and looks down at the ground with one eye. In the rhymed prose of the daughter of al-Khas:
Be cautious like the qurrali; if it sees good, it swoops down,
And if it sees evil, it turns away.
Al-Azhari said: I don't think it's an Arabic word. Beware of the qurrali.
And be prudent as well. It is a water bird, extremely prudent and cautious, that flies through the air and looks down at the ground with one eye. In the rhymed prose of the daughter of al-Khas:
Be cautious like the qurrali; if it sees good, it swoops down,
And if it sees evil, it turns away.
Al-Azhari said: I don't think it's an Arabic word.
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المثل «أحذر من قُرَّلى» يعني: أشد حذرًا ويقظةً من هذا الطائر، ولذلك يقال في الرجل شديد الاحتياط، الذي يراقب ما حوله ولا يقدم على أمر حتى يتبين عاقبته.
وبما أن الصورة في المثل هي طائر يطير وهو يراقب الأرض بعينه، فأقرب المقابلات الإنجليزية ليست مثلًا واحدًا مطابقًا، وإنما تعبيرات عن شدة الحذر: As wary as a hawk. ⭐⭐⭐
حذر كالصقر. — وهذا أقرب مقابل من حيث الصورة والمعنى.
As watchful as a hawk. ⭐⭐⭐
يقظ كالصقر / شديد المراقبة.
As cautious as a cat. ⭐⭐
حذر كالقط. — تعبير طبيعي، لكنه أقل مطابقة للصورة العربية.
He has his eyes everywhere.
عيناه في كل مكان، أي شديد الانتباه لما يجري حوله.
He watches his step.
يحذر في خطواته / يتصرف بحذر شديد.
والأقرب في رأيي
As wary as a hawk.
فهو يحافظ على التشبيه بالحيوان الموجود في الأصل العربي، ويؤدي معنى الحذر واليقظة الشديدة.
أما السجع:
كن حذرًا كالقرلى، إن رأى خيرًا تدلّى، وإن رأى شرًّا تولّى
فيمكن نقل فكرته إلى الإنجليزية بصورة طبيعية:
Be wary as a hawk: draw near when you see good, and turn away when you see danger.
أي: كن شديد الحذر؛ أقبل على ما فيه خير، وأعرض عما فيه شر.
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The proverb "Beware of a warbler" means: be more cautious and vigilant than this bird. Therefore, it is said of a very cautious man who observes his surroundings and does not act until he understands the consequences.
Since the image in the proverb is of a bird flying while watching the ground, the closest English equivalents are not a single, exact proverb, but rather expressions of extreme caution:
As wary as a hawk. ★★★
Careful as a hawk. — This is the closest equivalent in terms of both imagery and meaning.
As watchful as a hawk. ★★★
As cautious as a cat. ★★
Careful as a cat. — A natural expression, but less closely matching the Arabic image.
He has his eyes everywhere.
His eyes are everywhere, meaning he is very attentive to what is happening around him.
He watches his step.
He is cautious in his steps/He acts with extreme caution.
And in my opinion, the closest is
As wary as a hawk.
It retains the animal metaphor found in the original Arabic and conveys the meaning of extreme caution and vigilance.
As for the rhyming phrase:
Be wary like a hawk: if it sees good, it swoops down; if it sees evil, it turns away.
This idea can be naturally translated into English as:
Be wary as a hawk: draw near when you see good, and turn away when you see danger.
That is: Be extremely cautious; embrace what is good and avoid what is evil.

Lighter of mind than a wolf. أخَفُّ رَأْساً مِنَ الذِّئْبِ.

أخَفُّ رَأْساً مِنَ الذِّئْبِ.
قالوا: إن الذئب لا ينام كل نومه لشدة حَذَره، ومن شقائه بالسهر لا يكاد يخطئه مَنْ رماه، وإذا نام فتح إحدى عينيه، قال حميد:
يَنَامُ بإحْدَى مُقْلَتَيْه، وَيَتَّقِي ... بأخْرَى الْمَنَايا فَهْوَ يَقْظَانُ هَاجِعُ
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Lighter of mind than a wolf.
They said: The wolf does not sleep soundly due to its extreme caution, and because of its constant vigilance, its prey is almost always hit by a shot. And when it sleeps, it opens one eye. Hamid said:
It sleeps with one eye open, and with the other it guards against death, so it is both awake and asleep.
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المثل العربي «أَخَفُّ رَأْسًا مِنَ الذِّئْبِ» يُضرب لمن كان قليل النوم، سريع الانتباه، شديد الحذر، لا يطمئن إلى نوم عميق. فـ«خفّة الرأس» هنا ليست خفة العقل، بل خفة النوم وسرعة اليقظة.
ومن أقرب المقابلات في الثقافة الإنجليزية: To sleep with one eye open.
«ينام بعين مفتوحة.»
وهو أقرب مقابل مباشر، ويستعمل لمن ينام في حذر دائم.
A light sleeper.
«خفيف النوم.»
أي يستيقظ لأدنى حركة أو صوت.
Ever watchful.
«دائم التيقظ والحذر.»
To keep one eye open.
«يبقي عينًا مفتوحة.»
أي يظل متيقظًا ومتأهبًا.
وأقرب مقابل للمثل العربي هو:
To sleep with one eye open.
وهو يوافق تمامًا صورة الشاعر حميد:
ينام بإحدى مقلتيه، ويتقي
بأخرى المنايا فهو يقظان هاجع
أي: ينام نومًا خفيفًا، وكأن عينًا منه نائمة والأخرى ساهرة تحرسه، وهي الصورة نفسها التي يستعملها الإنجليز في قولهم:
He sleeps with one eye open.
«ينام بعين مفتوحة.»
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The Arabic proverb "lighter of head than a wolf" is used to describe someone who sleeps little, is quick to notice, extremely cautious, and never rests soundly. The "lightness of head" here doesn't refer to a lack of intelligence, but rather to a light sleep and quick awakening.
A close equivalent in English is:
"To sleep with one eye open."
This is the closest direct equivalent and is used for someone who sleeps with constant vigilance.
"A light sleeper."
Meaning, someone who wakes up at the slightest movement or sound.
"Ever watchful."
"Always vigilant and cautious."
"To keep one eye open."
Meaning, to remain alert and prepared.
The closest equivalent to the Arabic proverb is:
"To sleep with one eye open."
This perfectly matches the imagery of the poet Hamid:
He sleeps with one eye open, and with the other he guards against death, thus he is both awake and asleep.
That is, he sleeps lightly, as if one eye is asleep and the other is watchful, guarding him. This is the same image the English use when they say:
"He sleeps with one eye open."
"He sleeps with one eye open."