1. بَاءَتْ حَنيفَةُ بالخُسْرانِ إذْ عَكَفَتْ

    دُونَ الأَنَامِ من الحَلْوى على صَنَمِ

    Hanifah suffered loss when she devoted herself,

    alone among mankind, to an idol made of sweets.

  2. لَوْ أنَّهُ من بَرِشْتُوه وقد عَكَفَتْ

    علَيهِ لاتَّبَعَتْها سَائِرُ الأُمَمِ

    Had it been made of Barishtuh when she worshipped

    it, all other nations would have followed her.

  3. حَلْواءُ لَو جعلَتْ مثقالَهَا دِيَةً

    بَكْرٌ لما طَالبَتْها تَغْلبٌ بِدَمِ

    A sweet—had a mithqal of it been offered as blood money

    by Bakr, Taghlib would not have demanded blood from her.

  4. ولو تكرّم منها مَادِرٌ بِقِرَى

    ضيفٍ لما وُصِف الطائيُّ بالكَرَمِ

    And had Madir generously offered some of it to

    a guest, al-Ta'i would not have been called generous.

  5. ولَو تراءَتْ عَلَى بُعْدٍ لِذِي شِبَعٍ

    ألْفَيتهُ وهو يشْكُو سَوْرةَ القرَمِ

    And were it to appear far off to someone already full,

    you would find him complaining of a raging appetite.

  6. ولَو أُتِيحَتْ لأهْلِ النَّارِ لاشْتَغَلُوا

    بأكلِهَا ما رَأَوا للنَّارِ من أَلَمِ

    And were it granted to the people of the Fire, they would be so absorbed

    in eating it that they would feel no pain from the Fire.

  7. هَذَا ولَوْ طَرَقَتْ في النَّومِ ذَا سِنَةٍ

    مَا وَدَّ يَقظَتَهُ من ذَلِكَ الحُلُمِ

    All this—and were it to visit a dozing man in his sleep,

    he would not wish to wake from that dream.

  8. لَو لَم أَذُقْهَا وأُلبِسها المدِيحَ لما

    وجَدْتُ خلْقَ لِسَانِي نَافعاً وَفَمِي

    Had I not tasted it and clothed it in praise, I would not

    have found the creation of my tongue and mouth useful.