يُنَشَّرُ في الدُنِّيا الحَديثُ وَيَنطَوي

وَتَفرِسُ آسادُ العَرينِ وَتُفرَسُ

The news spreads in the world and then folds back

And the lions of the den scrutinize and are scrutinized

إِذا أَوجَدَت يَوماً مِنَ الوُجدِ أَوجَدَت

مِنَ الوَجدِ هَذا خُلُقُها وَهوَ أَشرَسُ

Whenever they find passion one day they become passionate

Such is their nature, for they are most ferocious

وَقَد يَعِظُ الإِنسانَ عَيٌّ مِنَ الدُجى

وَيَنذُرُهُ داعٍ مِنَ الصُبحِ أَخرَسُ

A man may be admonished by a bleary-eyed drunk

And warned by a mute voice at dawn

وَما حِرصُهُ في العِلمِ يَدرُسُ كُتبَهُ

وَقَد شاهَدَ الآثارَ تُمحى وَتُدرَسُ

Yet his desire for knowledge does not make him peruse books

Despite having witnessed relics being erased and buried

نَسيرُ نَهاراً ثُمَّ نَسري إِذا دَجَت

عَلَينا اللَيالي وَالخَفيرُ المُعَرِّسُ

We travel by day then walk stealthily when

The nights darken over us and the alert sentry

أَلَم تَرَ أَشجاراً تُحَرَّقُ عَهدُها

قَديمٌ وَأُخرى لِلشَبيبَةِ تُغرَسُ

Have you not seen trees burned whose era

Was ancient and others planted for youth

وَتَختَلِفُ الأَغراضُ ماءٌ عَلى الصَلى

يُحَمُّ وَماءٌ في الشَمالِ يُغَرَّسُ

And varying motives, water on plowed land seeps

And water in the north is made to seep

مَتّى ما تُحاوِل فارِساً مِن فَراسَةٍ

فَإِنّي مِن زَيدٍ وَبِسطامَ أَفرَسُ

Whenever you try a skilled horseman

I am more skilled than Zayd and Bistaam

إِخالُ فَلا أُشوي وَتِلكَ فَضيلَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّني بِالخَيلِ لا أَتَمَرَّسُ

I do not roast meat and that is a virtue

But I am not accustomed to horses

وَنَومُكَ في الصَحراءِ أَروَحُ مِن ذُرى

تُشادُ وَأَموالٍ تُصانُ وَتُحرَسُ

Sleeping in the desert is more wholesome than homes

That are built and wealth that is protected and guarded

وَكَم عُضَّ مُغبَرُّ البَنانِ تَنَدُّما

عَلى ما جَنى قَبلُ البُنانُ المُوَرَّسُ

How often does the dusty wanderer feel regret

For what the settled and fortified settlement reaped