1. إذا عرّسَ السّارونَ في بَطْنِ زامِرٍ

    فسِرْ وتعوذْ من شِرارِ الطّوارِقِ

    When the night-travelers halt in the hollow of Zāmir,

    travel on, and seek refuge from the worst night visitors.

  2. ففي الهَضْبةِ الحَمْراءِ إنْ كنتَ سارياً

    أُغيْبِرُ يأوي في صُدوعِ الشّواهِقِ

    For on the red hill, if you are traveling by night,

    a little gray snake shelters in fissures of the towering crags.

  3. يسالمُ ركبانَ الطّريقِ نهارَهُ

    إلى الليلِ مخبوءٌ لإحدى البَوائِقِ

    He keeps peace with the road's riders by day,

    hidden until night, poised for some dire mischief.

  4. كأنّ بَقايا ما سَرى من قَميصهِ

    على متنِهِ أقوافُ بُردٍ شَبارِقِ

    As though the remnants of what has slipped from his shirt

    upon his back were scraps of a tattered cloak.

  5. يُقَصِّرُ عن يافوخهِ حين تَنطوي

    حقيبةُ مملوءٍ من السُّمِّ زاهِقِ

    His shirt falls short of his crown whenever

    the pouch of a bloated, venom-filled creature folds up.

  6. تَناذَرهُ الحاوونَ إذْ بَصروا بهِ

    تُسارقُ عيناه بَنانَ المُشارِقِ

    The snake charmers warned one another against him when they saw him,

    his eyes furtively watching the fingertips of the one facing him.

  7. وغَرّهُم منه وهم يَخدعونَه

    كِراهٌ على أيمانهم والمَواثِقِ

    And what deceived them in him, as they tried to deceive him,

    was his drowsiness at their oaths and pledges.

  8. ودونَ الذي يَرجون من سَقَطاتِهِ

    حفيظةُ مشبوبِ اللحاظِ مُرامِقِ

    But barring what they hope to gain from his lapses

    stands the fury of a fiery-eyed, watchful creature,

  9. مَطولٍ إذا ماطلتَه الكيدَ سادرٍ

    جَريءٍ إذا بادهتَه في الحَقائِقِ

    one who bides his time if you prolong your guile against him, reckless,

    bold if you confront him suddenly in earnest.