ما جِذعُ سَوءٍ خَرَّقَ السوسُ أَصلَهُ
لِما حَمَّلَتهُ وائِلٌ بِمُطيقِ
A wretched trunk, its base bored through by woodworms,
cannot bear what Wāʾil has made it carry.
تُطيفُ سَدوسٌ حَولَهُ وَكَأَنَّهُم
عِصِيُّ أَشاءٍ لُوِّحَت لِحَريقِ
Sadūs circles around him, as though they were
sticks of young palms, scorched in a blaze.
جَمادُ الصَفا ما إِن يَبِضُّ بِقَطرَةٍ
وَلَو كانَ ذا زَرّاعَةٍ وَرَقيقِ
Hard and lifeless as smooth rock, he never yields a drop,
even if he possessed cultivated lands and slaves.
Sol 5.6