يا أَبا سَعدِ قَوصَرَه

يا أَبا سَعدِ قَوصَرَه

زانِيَ الأُختِ وَالمَرَه

زانِيَ الأُختِ وَالمَرَه

O Abu Sa'd Qawsarah,

O Abū Saʿd al-Kawṣarī

fornicator with sister and wife!

Adulterer of his sister and wife

لَو اراهُ مُجَبِّياً

لَو اراهُ مُجَبِّياً

خِلتَهُ عَقدَ قَنطَرَه

خِلتَهُ عَقدَ قَنطَرَه

If I saw him bent over,

If he saw him complaisant

I would take him for the arch of a bridge.

He called his wits a bridge

أَو تَرى الأَيرَ في اِستِهِ

أَو تَرى الأَيرَ في اِستِهِ

قُلتَ ساقٌ بِمِقطَرَه

قُلتَ ساقٌ بِمِقطَرَه

Or if you saw the penis in his anus,

Or if he saw wine in his breath

you would say, "A leg in the stocks."

He said, a leg with anklets

أَو تَراهُ يَلوكُهُ

أَو تَراهُ يَلوكُهُ

قُلتَ زُبدٌ بِسُكَّرَه

قُلتَ زُبدٌ بِسُكَّرَه

Or if you saw him chewing it,

Or if he saw him sucking it

you would say, "Butter with a lump of sugar."

He said, foam with sugar

أَو تَراهُ يَشَمُّهُ

أَو تَراهُ يَشَمُّهُ

قُلتَ مِسكٌ بِعَنبَرَه

قُلتَ مِسكٌ بِعَنبَرَه

Or if you saw him sniffing it,

Or if he saw him smelling it

you would say, "Musk with a lump of ambergris."

He said, musk with ambergris

أَجَّجَ العَبدُ نارَهُ

أَجَّجَ العَبدُ نارَهُ

وَهُوَ لِلنارِ كُندُرَه

وَهُوَ لِلنارِ كُندُرَه

The slave stoked his fire,

The slave kindled his fire

and he is frankincense for the fire.

And he is to the fire like tinder

أَبدَ الدَهرِ خَلفَهُ

أَبدَ الدَهرِ خَلفَهُ

فارِسٌ في المُؤَخَّرَه

فارِسٌ في المُؤَخَّرَه

For all eternity, behind him

A horseman forever behind him

is a horseman in his backside.

In the rear guard