قالوا تَنَسَّكَ بَعدَ الحَجِّ قُلتُ لَهُم

أَرجو الإِلَهَ وَأَخشى طيزَناباذا

They said, "Devote yourself to piety after the Hajj," but I replied: "I place my hope in God, yet I fear Tiznabadh."

I fear the slender vine-branch will wrestle the reins from my hand, though I ride with desperate speed.

أَخشى قُضَيِّبَ كَرمٍ أَن يُنازِعَني

فَضلَ الخِطامِ وَإِن أَسرَعتُ إِغذاذا

And even if I were spared—though my heart has no faith in such safety—I would never remain safe within Baghdad,

A city where whatever pleasures you desire are near, yet it is teeming with tribes and clans.

فَإِن سَلِمتُ وَما قَلبي عَلى ثِقَةٍ

مِنَ السَلامَةِ لَم أَسلَم بِبَغذاذا

How far is devotion from a heart torn between Qutrabbul, the villages of Banna, and Kalwadha!

Among people who counseled one another to forsake all righteousness; you say, "This one is the worst," nay, "That one," nay, "This!"

ما شِئتَ مِن بَلَدٍ تَدنو مَنازِهُهُ

لَكِنَّ فيهِ قَبيلاتٍ وَأَفخاذا

They are not like those folk who, should you join their assembly, would pierce you through with scrutiny and surmise.

There, no word of blame ever reaches the ear, nor do you hear anyone asking, "Who is he?" or "What is that?"

ما أَبعَدَ النُسكَ مِن قَلبٍ تَقَسَّمَهُ

قُطرَبُّلٌ فَقُرى بَنّى فَكِلواذى

قَومٌ تَواصَوا بِتَركِ البِرِّ بَينَهُمُ

تَقولُ ذا شَرُّهُم بَل ذاكَ بَل هَذا

لَيسوا كَقَومٍ إِذا حاذَيتَ مَجلِسَهُم

أُنفِذتَ بِالتَركِ وَالإِزكانِ إِنفاذا

هُناكَ لا تَتَخَطّى الأُذنَ لائِمَةٌ

وَلاتَرى قائِلاً مَن ذا وَلا ماذا