1. وَطَيِّبٍ أَهْدَى لَنَا طَيِّبَاً

    فَذَلَّنَا المُهْدَى عَلَى المُهْدِي

    And a good man gave us a sweet gift;

    So the gift humbled us before the giver.

  2. يَا جَانِي البِطِّيْخِ مِنْ غَرْسِهِ

    جَنَيْتَ مِنْهُ ثَمَرَ الحَمْدِ

    O you who pick the melon from its plant,

    You have reaped from it the fruit of praise.

  3. لَمْ تَأْتِنَا حَتَّى أَتَتْنَا لَهُ

    رَوَائِحٌ تُغْنِي عَنِ النَّدِّ

    Before you came to us, there reached us from it

    Fragrances that made incense needless.

  4. بِظَاهِرٍ أَخْشَنَ مِنْ قُنْفُذٍ

    وَبَاطِنٍ أَلْيَنَ مِنْ زُبْدِ

    With an exterior rougher than a hedgehog,

    And an interior softer than butter.

  5. كأنَّما تَقْشِرُ مِنْهُ المُدَى

    عَنْ زَعْفَرَانٍ دِيْفَ بالشَّهْدِ

    As though the knives peeled back its rind

    From saffron blended with honey.

  6. كَأَنَّمَا فِي جَوْفِهِ قَهْوَةٌ

    يُنْقَعُ فِيْهَا مَنْدَلٌ هِنْدِي

    As though within it were wine,

    In which Indian aloeswood is steeped.