إِذا قَصَّ آثاري الغُواةُ لِيَحتَذوا

إِذا قَصَّ آثاري الغُواةُ لِيَحتَذوا

عَلَيها فَوُدّي أَن أَكونَ قَصيصا

عَلَيها فَوُدّي أَن أَكونَ قَصيصا

When the misguided trace my footsteps to follow

When the transgressors follow my traces to take

in them, I wish I were a clipped-winged creature

Example from them, I wish I were a small bird

مِنَ الطَيرِ أَو نَبتاً بِأَرضٍ مُضِلَّةٍ

مِنَ الطَيرِ أَو نَبتاً بِأَرضٍ مُضِلَّةٍ

وَإِلّا فَظَبيّاً في الظَباءِ حَصيصا

وَإِلّا فَظَبيّاً في الظَباءِ حَصيصا

among the birds, or a plant in a land where one loses one's way,

Or a plant in misleading land; if not

or else a swift-running gazelle among gazelles.

Then a gazelle in the wilderness, shy and wary

وَكم مَلِكٍ في الأَرضِ لاقى خَصاصَةً

وَكم مَلِكٍ في الأَرضِ لاقى خَصاصَةً

وَكانَ بِإِكرامِ العُفاةِ خَصيصا

وَكانَ بِإِكرامِ العُفاةِ خَصيصا

And many a king on earth has suffered want,

How many a king on earth met with disaster

though devoted to honoring those who sought his bounty.

For honoring the lowly, acting sincerely

إِلَيكَ فَإِنّي قَد أَقامَت رَكائِبي

إِلَيكَ فَإِنّي قَد أَقامَت رَكائِبي

لِأَرفَعَ سَيراً لِلحِمامِ نَصيصا

لِأَرفَعَ سَيراً لِلحِمامِ نَصيصا

Away with you, for my riding camels have already halted,

To you I turn, for my she-camels are ready

that I may press on at a swift pace toward death.

To set out with a flock of doves cooing softly