سَجايا كُلُّها غَدرٌ وَخُبثٌ

تَوارَثَها أُناسٌ عَن أُناسِ

All traits are treachery and deceit

Inherited by people from people

يُهاجِرُ غابَهُ الضُرغامُ كَيما

يُنازِعُ ظَبيَّ رَملٍ في كِناسِ

The lost one wanders the darkness to

Compete with a gazelle on the dunes

وَتَقبُحُ بَعدَ أَهليها المَغاني

كَقُبحِ غُيوبِهِم بَعدَ الإِناسِ

And songs become ugly after their people

Like their ugly secrets after intimacy

يُرادُ بِكَ الجَميلُ عَلى اِقتِسارٍ

وَتُذكَرُ بِالوَفاءِ وَأَنتَ ناسي

You're expected to be kind out of stinginess

And remembered for loyalty though forgetful

وَحَمِّلتَ الذُنوبَ قَرا ضَعيفٍ

وَسِرتَ بِهِنَّ في طُرُقِ التَناسي

You blamed the sins on a weak slave

And slipped away on paths of denial

يُفارِقُ شَهلَةً كَهلٌ وَشَرخٌ

فَواسي بِالتَشابُهِ وَالجِناسِ

An old man parts from a withered branch

Consoled by the rhyme and wordplay

وَما أَرضاكَ رَأيٌ مِن دُرَيدٍ

غَداةَ يَرومُ قُرباً مِن خُناسِ

No opinion of Duraid satisfied you

When he sought closeness to the reticent