1. The young man wishes that life were simple,
And that the misery of living would cease.

2. So too the ostrich of the desert fears adversity,
Its food bitter wormwood and chaff.

3. A prudent man may sometimes err in judgment,
As Labid erred in the metre of his ode.

4. The soothsayer from Kindah has passed away and gloom prevails,
The dwellings of Hayy cry “Where is Labid?”

5. The son of Hujr has turned away, never to resume his task,
And nights have grown long while the landmarks lie waste.