أَيا ظَبَياتِ الإِنسِ لَستُ مُنادِياً

وُحوشاً وَلَكِن غانِياتٍ مَعَ الإِنسِ

O gazelles, I do not call upon savage beasts,

But rather, singers alongside humankind,

يُشَبَّهنَ في بَعضِ المَحاسِنِ رَبرَباً

وَما هُنَّ بِالسُفعِ الخُدودِ وَلا الخُنسِ

Whom in some beauties are likened to the bustling doe,

Yet are not rude of cheek nor timid.

تَمَسَّكَنَ طيباً أَم تَمَسَّكنَ حِليَةً

فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ النَوعَ يَلحَقُ بِالجِنسِ

You have held fast to perfume or held an ornament,

For I have seen type attach itself to origin.

وَلا خَيرَ في جَونِ الذَوائِبِ عانِسٍ

إِذا لَم يَبِت فَوقَ الرِحالَةِ وَالعَنسِ

There is no good in the tenderness of an obstinate doe,

If she does not spend the night atop the saddle and the travel gear.

وَمَن لا يُجِد حِفظَ التَجارُبِ لا يَزَل

عَلى السِنِّ غُمراً إِنَّ طولَ المَدى يُنسي

And he who cannot preserve experiences continues

In lifelong gloom—for length of days makes one forget.