رُبَّ بكرٍ في طريق جليت

رُبَّ بكرٍ في طريق جليت

ليَ بالشامِ أموراً لم ترق

ليَ بالشامِ أموراً لم ترق

Many a young camel on a road revealed

Many a morning I walked the road to Damascus

to me in Syria things that did not please.

With affairs in Syria that would not please

هكذا كلّ جموحٍ سائرٍ

هكذا كلّ جموحٍ سائرٍ

لم يدع عنه بُنيَّات الطرق

لم يدع عنه بُنيَّات الطرق

Such is every headstrong traveler

Thus every overflowing wanderer

who did not shun the roads’ little daughters—the byways.

Leaves not his structures on the roads