1. بَراغيثُ مَحجوبٍ لَم أَنسَها

    وَلَم أَنسَ ما طَعِمَت مِن دَمي

    I have not forgotten Mahjub's fleas,

    Nor have I forgotten what they tasted of my blood.

  2. تَشُقُّ خَراطيمُها جَورَبي

    وَتَنفُذُ في اللَحمِ وَالأَعظُمِ

    Their proboscises tear through my sock,

    And penetrate the flesh and bones.

  3. وَكُنتُ إِذا الصَيفُ راحَ اِحتَجَمـ

    ـتُ فَجاءَ الخَريفُ فَلَم أحجَمِ

    And whenever summer departed, I would have myself cupped;

    Then autumn came, and I was not cupped.

  4. تُرَحِّبُ بِالضَيفِ فَوقَ الطَريـ

    ـقِ فَبابِ العِيادَةِ فَالسُلَّمِ

    They welcome the guest upon the road,

    Then at the clinic's door, then on the stairs.

  5. قَدِ اِنتَشَرَت جَوقَةً جَوقَةً

    كَما رُشَّتِ الأَرضُ بِالسِمسِمِ

    They have spread out, band after band,

    As though the ground were sprinkled with sesame.

  6. وَتَرقُصُ رَقصَ المَواسي الحِدادِ

    عَلى الجِلدِ وَالعَلَقِ الأَسحَمِ

    And they dance the dance of sharp razors

    On the skin and the jet-black clotted blood.

  7. بَواكيرُ تَطلعُ قَبلَ الشِتاءِ

    وَتَرفَعُ أَلوِيَةِ المَوسِمِ

    Early arrivals appear before winter,

    And raise the banners of the season.

  8. إِذا ما اِبنُ سينا رَمى بَلغَماً

    رَأَيتَ البَراغيثَ في البَلغَمِ

    Whenever Ibn Sina spits out phlegm,

    You see the fleas in the phlegm.

  9. وَتُبصِرُها حَولَ بيبا الرَئيس

    وَفي شارِبَيهِ وَحَولَ الفَمِ

    And you see them around the chief's pipe,

    And in his moustache and around his mouth,

  10. وَبَينَ حَفائِرِ أَسنانِهِ

    مَعَ السوسِ في طَلَبِ المَطعَمِ

    And among the cavities in his teeth,

    With the toothworms, in search of food.