1. تَرَكتُ سَمينَ اللَحمِ يَبيَضُّ بَعضُهُ

    وَيَحمَرُّ بَعضٌ خَلطَكَ الدُرَّ بِالتِبرِ

    I left the fatty meat, some of it turning white,

    and some turning red, like your mixing pearls with raw gold;

  2. وَأَعرَضتُ عَن حَلواءَ شَقَّ فُنونُها

    فَبيضٌ إِلى حُمرٍ وَحُمرٌ إِلى صُفرِ

    and turned away from sweets, taxing in their variety—

    white beside red, and red beside yellow—

  3. إِلى ثَردَةٍ رَقطاءَ قُطِّعَ فَوقَها

    مُقَفَّعَةٌ خَضراءَ في وَرَقٍ خُضرِ

    for a mottled bread-and-broth stew, over which had been chopped

    something crinkled and green amid green leaves.