أَيا ظَبَياتِ الإِنسِ لَستُ مُنادِياً

أَيا ظَبَياتِ الإِنسِ لَستُ مُنادِياً

وُحوشاً وَلَكِن غانِياتٍ مَعَ الإِنسِ

وُحوشاً وَلَكِن غانِياتٍ مَعَ الإِنسِ

O gazelles of humankind, I am not calling

O gazelles, I do not call upon savage beasts,

Wild beasts, but beautiful women among people.

But rather, singers alongside humankind,

يُشَبَّهنَ في بَعضِ المَحاسِنِ رَبرَباً

يُشَبَّهنَ في بَعضِ المَحاسِنِ رَبرَباً

وَما هُنَّ بِالسُفعِ الخُدودِ وَلا الخُنسِ

وَما هُنَّ بِالسُفعِ الخُدودِ وَلا الخُنسِ

They are likened, in some of their charms, to a herd of gazelles,

Whom in some beauties are likened to the bustling doe,

Yet they are neither dusky-cheeked nor snub-nosed.

Yet are not rude of cheek nor timid.

تَمَسَّكَنَ طيباً أَم تَمَسَّكنَ حِليَةً

تَمَسَّكَنَ طيباً أَم تَمَسَّكنَ حِليَةً

فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ النَوعَ يَلحَقُ بِالجِنسِ

فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ النَوعَ يَلحَقُ بِالجِنسِ

Have they perfumed themselves with musk, or adorned themselves with bracelets?

You have held fast to perfume or held an ornament,

For I have seen the species join the genus.

For I have seen type attach itself to origin.

وَلا خَيرَ في جَونِ الذَوائِبِ عانِسٍ

وَلا خَيرَ في جَونِ الذَوائِبِ عانِسٍ

إِذا لَم يَبِت فَوقَ الرِحالَةِ وَالعَنسِ

إِذا لَم يَبِت فَوقَ الرِحالَةِ وَالعَنسِ

And there is no good in a black-tressed bachelor,

There is no good in the tenderness of an obstinate doe,

If he does not spend the night upon a saddle and a sturdy she-camel.

If she does not spend the night atop the saddle and the travel gear.

وَمَن لا يُجِد حِفظَ التَجارُبِ لا يَزَل

وَمَن لا يُجِد حِفظَ التَجارُبِ لا يَزَل

عَلى السِنِّ غُمراً إِنَّ طولَ المَدى يُنسي

عَلى السِنِّ غُمراً إِنَّ طولَ المَدى يُنسي

And whoever fails to retain experience well will remain

And he who cannot preserve experiences continues

Inexperienced despite his years; indeed, time's long passage makes one forget.

In lifelong gloom—for length of days makes one forget.