1. كَأَنَّما دُنياكَ وَحشِيَّةٌ

    نَظَرَت في آثارِ أَظلافِها

    It is as though your world were a wild beast

    That gazed at the tracks of her cloven hooves.

  2. ما بَقِيَ الواحِدُ مِن أَلفِها

    بَل هُوَ مِن سِتَّةِ آلافِها

    Not a thousandth of her remains—

    Rather, a six-thousandth.

  3. تَطلُبُ أَريَّ النَحلِ مِن خِلفِها

    وَذائِبُ السَمِّ بِأَخلافِها

    You seek the bees’ honey from her teat,

    While liquid poison is in her teats.

  4. إِن أَخلَفَتكَ اليَومَ مَوعِدَها

    فَعُرفُها جارٍ بِإِخلافِها

    If today she breaks her promise to you,

    For breaking promises is her established custom.

  5. حَلَفتُ ما حالَفَها عاقِلٌ

    وَشَأنُها الغَدرُ بِأَحلافِها

    I swear, no wise man has made a pact with her,

    While her way is treachery toward her allies.

  6. أَتلِف إِذا أَعطَتك أَعراضَها

    فَإِنَّها رَهنٌ بِإِتلافِها

    Squander her worldly goods when she gives them to you,

    For they are pledged to destruction.

  7. تِلكَ عَجوزٌ أَلَّفَت شَرَّها

    قَبلَ بَني فِهرٍ وَإيلافِها

    That is an old woman who devised her evil

    Before the sons of Fihr and their pact.