ما بالُها ناوِيَةً شُقَّةً

تودي بِشَخصِ الناقَةِ الناوِيَه

What makes her intent on heading to peril,

Taking the camel that's heading that way?

لَم تَأوِ لِلعيسِ وَلا بُّدَّ مِن

قَبرٍ إِلَيهِ أَوَت الآوِيَه

She won't stay put, there's no alternative

To a grave, the place where all are laid.

وَتَقدَمُ الأَرضَ نُفوسٌ أَتَت

مَخلوقَةً مِن أَنفُسٍ تاوِيَه

And souls preceded, born of souls

Like smoke, all doomed to pass away.

وَالدَهرُ كَالحَيّوتِ في

إِهلاكِهِ ما حَوَتِ الحاوِيَه

Fortune's like snakes in the havoc they wreak

On all that is held or sways.

إِن تَعمَرِ الدُنيا فَلا بُدَّ مِن

يَومِ رَدىً يَترُكُها خاوِيَه

Though you give your life to make the world thrive,

Comes a day you will leave it to decay.

فَاِهرُب مِنَ الإِنسِ إِلى الوَحشِ كَي

تَسكُنَ في الدَوِيَّةِ الداوِيَه

So shun mankind, take to the wilds, and find

In a ruined abode your stay.

إِن يَسمَعوا شَرّاً تَوافَوا لَهُ

حِفظاً وَمِثلُ الشاعِرِ الراوِيَه

If they hear evil, thronging they come,

Like poets keeping their tales at play.

ما أَنفَعَ السَيفَ لِمَن شامَهُ

أَخضَرَ ما رَوَّضَتهُ ذاوِيَه

No use is the sword to the neck it girds

If the tribe did not temper its way.

ذُبابُهُ إِن يَشدُ يَحدُث لَهُ

جِدٌّ يُوازي لَعِبَ الغاوِيَه

His slightest sting, if drawn out, will bring

A fact as grave as fools at play.

يَقتَسِرُ الدُنيا لِأَخلافِهِ

مُحتَلِباً أَخلافَها الصاوِيَه

He makes the world too narrow for descendants,

While successors wander astray.

أَلوى نَباتُ الأَرضِ وَهوَ الَّذي

لَم يُلوِ بَل أَلوَت بِهِ اللاوِيَه

Earth's verdure is warped, yet it's the earth that's blamed

Though traits the warping display.

هاوِيَةٌ نَفسُكَ ما ساءَها

فَلتَخشَ أَن تُلقى إِلى الهاوِيَه

Your soul's an abyss, so beware the precipice,

Lest you tumble in disarray.

مَنِ اِتَّقى اللَهَ فَأُسدُ الشَرى

لَدَيهِ مِثلُ الأَكلُبِ العاوِيَه

He who's godfearing has lions revere him,

Like dogs that fawn and obey.