إِذا خَطَبَ الزَهراءَ شَيخٌ لَهُ غِنىً

وَناشِئُ عُدمٍ آثَرَت مَن تُعانِقُ

When an old man with wealth proposes to Zahra

And a destitute youth she prefers to embrace

وَقَلَّ غَناءً عَن فَتاةٍ وَزَوجُها

أَخو هَرَمٍ أَحجالُها وَالمَخانِقُ

And he stops singing of a girl when she's married

To an old brother whose time has passed and noose tightened

وَإِن حاوَلتَ رَكبَ الظَلامِ نِياقُهُم

فَتِلكَ لَعَّمرُ اللَهِ بِئسَ الأَيانِقُ

If you try riding their darkness's steeds

By God, those are evil mounts!

وَما تَستَوي الأَخدانُ قِيَّمُ هَذِهِ

مُسِنٌ وَلِلأُخرى وَليٌّ غُرانِقُ

Not equal are the two cheeks—the price of this one

Is an old man, but for the other a fleshy fruit.

تَوَقوا سَبيلَ الغانِياتِ فَكُلُّها

كَلَيثِ الشَرى وَالطَيِّبُ فيها فُرانِقُ

Avoid the way of singers—all of them

Are savage beasts, with the good among them so rare.