1. قُلتُ لِقَومٍ في الكَنيفِ تَرَوَّحوا

    عَشِيَّةَ بِتنا عِندَ ماوانَ رُزَّحِ

    I said to a band at al-Kanif, “Set out toward evening—

    that evening when we camped by Mawan, worn with exhaustion—

  2. تَنالوا الغِنى أَو تَبلُغوا بِنُفوسِكُم

    إِلى مُستَراحٍ مِن حِمامٍ مُبَرِّحِ

    so you may attain wealth, or bear your very lives

    to final rest through a grievous death.

  3. وَمَن يَكُ مِثلي ذا عِيالٍ وَمُقتِراً

    مِنَ المالِ يَطرَح نَفسَهُ كُلَّ مَطرَحِ

    Whoever, like me, has dependents and lives in straits,

    poor in wealth, will cast himself into every hazard,

  4. لِيَبلُغَ عُذراً أَو يُصيبَ رَغيبَةً

    وَمَبلَغُ نَفسٍ عُذرَها مِثلُ مَنجَحِ

    that he may make good his excuse or win a coveted prize;

    for a soul’s exhausting its excuse is itself like success.

  5. لَعَلَّكُمُ أَن تُصلِحوا بَعدَما أَرى

    نَباتَ العِضاهِ الثائِبِ المُتَرَوِّحِ

    Perhaps your fortunes will mend, after I behold

    the thorn trees’ returning growth, freshened by the evening breeze.

  6. يُنوؤونَ بِالأَيدي وَأَفضَلُ زادِهِم

    بَقِيَّةُ لَحمٍ مِن جَزورٍ مُمَلَّحِ

    They heave themselves up on their hands, and their finest provision

    is a remnant of salted meat from a slaughtered camel.