وَأَشعَثَ مالَهُ فَضَلاتُ ثَولٍ

عَلى أَركانِ مَهلَكَةٍ زَهوقِ

His unkempt hair is strewn with crumbs

In the corners of a ruinous tavern

قَليلٍ لَحمُهُ إِلّا بَقايا

طَفاطِفِ لَحمِ مَمحوصٍ مَشيقِ

Little is his flesh but remnants

Of shredded meat, peeled and sliced

تَأَبَّطَ خافَةً فيها مِسابٌ

فَأَضحى يَقتَري مَسَداً بِشيقِ

He grabbed a worn out robe in which are lice

So he now borrows a pillow to rest his cheek

عَلى فَتخاءَ يَعلَمُ حَيثُ تَنجو

وَما في حَيثُ تَنجو مِن طَريقِ

On a rug he knows where it’s protected

And nowhere it's protected from fate

وَكانَت وَقبَةً في رَأسِ نيقٍ

دُوَينَ الشَمسِ ذاتَ جَنىً أَنيقِ

It was once a dome on an elegant pillar

Sheltering from the heat of the sun

فَيَمَّمَ وَقبَةً أَعيا جَناها

عَلى ذي النِيقَةِ اللَبِقِ الرَفيقِ

So he fancied a dome whose protection has faded

Upon the owner of elegance, subtlety and grace

فَجاءَ بِها سُلافاً لَيسَ فيها

قَذىً صَهباءَ تَسبِقُ كُلَّ ريقِ

He brought it as plunder with nothing in it

But gray ash outpacing all other plunder

فَذاكَ تِلادُهُ وَمُسَلجَماتٌ

نَظائِرُ كُلُّ خَوّارٍ بَروقِ

That is his lineage and chains

Similar to every roaming ostrich

لَهُ مِن كَسبِهِنَّ مُعَذلَجاتٌ

قَعائِدُ قَد مُلِئنَ مِنَ الوَشيقِ

From them he has manacled servant girls

Necks filled with necklaces

وَبِكرٌ كُلَّما مُسَّت أَصاتَت

تَرَنُّمَ نَغمِ ذي الشَرعِ العَتيقِ

And an untouched maiden whenever touched

She hums to the tune of ancient canon

لَها مِن غَيرِها مَعَها قَرينٌ

يَرُدُّ مِراحَ عاصِيَةٍ صَفوقِ

She has, other than her, a companion

Who returns the touch of a flirtatious and unruly girl