1. لقلعُ ضرسٍ ومَضغُ كِلسِ

    وردُّ أمسٍ ويومُ نَحسِ

    Truly, pulling out a molar and chewing lime,

    and bringing back yesterday and a day of ill luck,

  2. ولذعُ نارٍ وحملُ عارٍ

    وبَيعُ جارٍ برُبعِ فلسِ

    and the scorching of fire and bearing disgrace,

    and selling a neighbor for a quarter of a fils,

  3. ومَضغُ صَخرٍ وسَفُّ بعرٍ

    وجُوعُ دَهرٍ وألفُ قَلسِ

    and chewing rock and swallowing dung pellets,

    and a lifetime of hunger and a thousand bouts of regurgitation,

  4. وقَودُ قِردٍ ونسجُ بُردٍ

    ودَبغُ جِلدٍ بغَيرِ شَمسِ

    and leading a monkey and weaving a striped cloak,

    and tanning a hide without sunlight,

  5. وقتلُ إلفٍ وأكلُ كفٍّ

    وَضيقُ خُفٍّ ونَزعُ نَفسِ

    and killing a dear companion and taking a slap,

    and a tight leather boot and wrenching out a soul,

  6. وَقَتلُ عَمٍّ وَشُربُ سَمٍّ

    وَطولُ غَمٍّ وَضَنكُ حَبسِ

    and killing a paternal uncle and drinking poison,

    and prolonged grief and the hardship of imprisonment,

  7. وقتلُ خالٍ وعُدمُ مالٍ

    وسُوءُ خالٍ وطُول عكسِ

    and killing a maternal uncle and having no money,

    and a maternal uncle's ill nature and prolonged adversity,

  8. وسُوءُ بَختٍ وأكلُ قَتٍّ

    وطُولُ هَرتٍ وبَيعُ بَخسِ

    and bad luck and eating dried alfalfa,

    and prolonged verbal abuse and selling at a paltry price,

  9. وَطولُ يَأسٍ وعُدمُ كأسٍ

    وقَطعُ رأسٍ ومَوتُ حِسِّ

    and prolonged despair and having no goblet,

    and cutting off a head and the death of sensation,

  10. وطولُ طَيشٍ ولبسُ خَيشٍ

    وضيقُ عيشٍ وصَوتُ جَرسِ

    and prolonged recklessness and wearing sackcloth,

    and straitened living and the sound of a bell,

  11. وعُدمُ نَفعٍ وكسرُ ضَلعٍ

    وطولُ صَفعٍ وطولُ حَبسِ

    and lack of benefit and breaking a rib,

    and prolonged slapping and prolonged imprisonment,

  12. أهوَنُ مِن وَقفةٍ بِبابٍ

    تَلقاكَ حُجّابُه بعَبسِ

    are easier than standing at a door

    whose doorkeepers meet you with frowns.