أخشى على حسبتي العدو وفي ال

أخشى على حسبتي العدو وفي ال

ناس لمثلي أصادقٌ وعدي

ناس لمثلي أصادقٌ وعدي

I fear for my office as inspector because of the enemy; and among the

I fear my enemies' reckoning, though among

People, someone like me has friends and foes.

People there are none who befriend the likes of me.

هر يراني وفي فمي غددٌ

هر يراني وفي فمي غددٌ

والهر بالطبع يألف الغددا

والهر بالطبع يألف الغددا

A cat sees me with glands in my mouth,

The cat spies me, and in my mouth are curds -

And the cat, by nature, is fond of glands.

Naturally cats take to curds.

وإن تغافلت عنه غافصني

وإن تغافلت عنه غافصني

واستلب الكرش من يدي وغدا

واستلب الكرش من يدي وغدا

And if I pretend not to notice it, it takes me unawares,

And if I turn a blind eye, it turns from me,

And snatches the tripe from my hand and goes off.

Snatches the pot from my hand and makes away.