تَنانيرُكُم لِلنَملِ فيها مَدارِجُ

تَنانيرُكُم لِلنَملِ فيها مَدارِجُ

وَفي قِدرِكُم لِلعَنكَبوتِ مَناسِجُ

وَفي قِدرِكُم لِلعَنكَبوتِ مَناسِجُ

In your ovens are stairways for ants;

Your lanterns are ladders for the ants

And in your pot are looms for the spider.

And in your pots are spiderwebs

وَعِندَكُمُ لِلضَيفِ حينَ يَنوبُكُم

وَعِندَكُمُ لِلضَيفِ حينَ يَنوبُكُم

حَوالاتُ سوءٍ بِالقِرى وَسَفاتِجُ

حَوالاتُ سوءٍ بِالقِرى وَسَفاتِجُ

And for the guest, when he calls upon you, you have

And for the guest when he visits you

Bad drafts for a guest’s fare, and bills of exchange;

There are only insults in the villages and long journeys

وَأَنتُم عَلى ما تَزعُمونَ أَكارِمٌ

وَأَنتُم عَلى ما تَزعُمونَ أَكارِمٌ

Yet you, as you claim, are generous men.

Yet you claim to be generous