عنبريُّ اللونِ في الخلقةِ قد

عنبريُّ اللونِ في الخلقةِ قد

فاق طيباً كلَّ مشموم وبذّ

فاق طيباً كلَّ مشموم وبذّ

Ambergris-hued in its natural form, it has

Amber in color, in physique excelling

surpassed every scented thing in fragrance and outdone them all.

All that is fragrant he passed;

ذو جلابيبَ له قَلَّصَها

ذو جلابيبَ له قَلَّصَها

فأتت خلقاً كآذان الجُرَذ

فأتت خلقاً كآذان الجُرَذ

It has cloaks of its own, which it has drawn up,

In raiment close-buttoned was he,

so they took shape like a rat’s ears.

So neat that its fashion the mouse's ear told.

ولذا سَمَّوهُ إذ أشبهها

ولذا سَمَّوهُ إذ أشبهها

مردقوشاً باشتقاق يومئذ

مردقوشاً باشتقاق يومئذ

And so, because it resembled them, they named it

And this earned him the name in that age

“Mardaqūsh” (marjoram), by derivation at that time.

Of “Velvet-back,” by derivation then traced.