وَلَمّا سَرى نَملُ العِذارِ بِخَدِّهِ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ ما أَنتَ أَوّلُ ساري

When the ants of Udhara crawled on his cheek

I said to it, "Are you not the first one walking?"

وَقلت لَهُ مِمَّ نَشَأتَ فَقالَ لي

أَرى نَشأَتي مِن بَينِ ماءٍ ونارِ

And I asked it, "From what were you born?" It said to me

"I see my origin is between water and fire."