1. يا ابنَ يزيد سيد المحاشِ

    رامَ بوخدِ الذبلِ العَطاشِ

    O son of Yazid, lord of the allied clans,

    He sought, with the swift strides of lean, thirsty camels,

  2. حيرةَ ليلٍ أغضفِ الحَواشي

    واشجُجْ بها البيدَ ولا تُحاشِ

    The bewilderment of a night with shadowy fringes.

    Cleave the desert wastes with them, and do not swerve aside.

  3. نَحَّس منها النِّقْي في المشاش

    تَعاقُبُ الجرَّةِ في الاكراشِ

    Their marrow in the bone-ends was depleted by

    The repeated passage of cud through their paunches,

  4. وبعدَ عهدِ الغرِدِ الوَشواشِ

    بالنوم الاَّ خُلَسَ الغشَاشِ

    And the nimble singer's long estrangement

    From sleep, save stolen snatches of light dozing.

  5. حتى اذا شاكَ حِذاءُ الماشي

    وهم كلبُ القيظِ بالهِراشِ

    Until, when the walker's sandal began to sting,

    And the dog of midsummer readied itself for a fight,

  6. وانصاحَ بُرْدُ الارقمِ الخَشَاشِ

    في منهجٍ من حُللِ الاحْنَاسِ

    And the small-headed, speckled serpent's robe split open

    Along a path of serpents' robes,

  7. وارفض بيظ النملِ كالخَشْخَاشِ

    وانقادَ للعَبْطِ أَبو الجِحَاشِ

    And ants' eggs scattered like poppy seeds,

    And the sire of donkey-foals yielded to wanton slaughter,

  8. كما يُقادُ الفحلُ بالخِشَاشِ

    جَوَّزها أَصمعُ ذو انكمَاشِ

    As a camel-stallion is led by a nose-peg,

    A small-eared man of brisk resolve brought them across,

  9. لا يعرفُ النومَ على الفِراشِ

    مُهْمَلَةً تأنسُ بالأنْجَاشِ

    Who knows no sleep upon a bed.

    Unrestrained, they take comfort in driving cries,

  10. اذا تجاهدْنَ بشَدْوٍ واشٍ

    وكُنِسَ الظلُ الذي تُماشِي

    When they strive to a tale-teller's song.

    And the shade they walk beside was swept away,

  11. وكاد قربُ النَّفْسِ بالجَيَّاشِ

    تجمعُ بين القَلب والفِرَاشِ

    And shortness of breath in the panting beast nearly

    Brought its heart against the skull's thin bones.

  12. راح أَخوها مطمئنَ الجأَشِ

    فهن غِبُّ القَرَبِ المُشَّاشِ

    Their brother went on with untroubled heart;

    So they, after the marrow-sapping march to water,

  13. على مَصَبِّ الدلوِ والارشَاشِ

    اورشَانِ النَّضَح النَّشَّاشِ

    At the bucket's outpouring and the splashing,

    Or the spray of hissing water,

  14. أَخفُّ أَحلاماً من الفَرَاشِ

    ذاك الفتى لا كأَبى النَشْنَاشِ

    Were more light-minded than moths.

    That is the young man—not like Abu al-Nashnash,

  15. الوَهِلُ الفَرُوقَةِ الطَيَاشِ

    أَجوفُ مثلُ القَصَبِ الهَشَّاشِ

    That frightened, cowardly scatterbrain,

    Hollow as brittle reeds,

  16. قُنفُذُ ليلٍ زَمرِ المَعَاشِ

    يَسرى الى الرزق مع الخُفَّاشِ

    A night-hedgehog of meagre livelihood,

    Who goes by night for sustenance with the bat,

  17. وصائدات الطير في الأَعشَاشِ

    And the creatures that hunt birds in their nests.