أَكَلتُ الضِبابَ فَما عِفتُها

أَكَلتُ الضِبابَ فَما عِفتُها

وانّي لأَهوى قَديد الغَنَمْ

وانّي لأَهوى قَديد الغَنَمْ

I have eaten dabb lizards and did not find them loathsome;

I have eaten clouds yet my hunger was not appeased

I ate the spiny-tailed lizards and felt no disgust,

indeed, I dearly love strips of dried mutton,

And I do crave well aged lamb meat

And indeed, I love the dried jerky of sheep.

وَرَكَّبتُ زُبداً عَلى تَمرَةٍ

وَرَكَّبتُ زُبداً عَلى تَمرَةٍ

فَنِعمَ الطَعامُ وَنِعمَ الأدَمْ

فَنِعمَ الطَعامُ وَنِعمَ الأدَمْ

and butter piled upon a date—

I've spread honey on dates

I have layered fresh butter upon a date,

what excellent food, and what excellent relish!

What a fine food and fine delicacy!

What an excellent meal, and what an excellent relish!

وَسمنَ السِلاءِ وَكمءَ القَصيص

وَسمنَ السِلاءِ وَكمءَ القَصيص

وَزينُ السَديفِ كبودُ النَعَمْ

وَزينُ السَديفِ كبودُ النَعَمْ

And the ghee of al-Silāʾ, and truffles from al-Qaṣīṣ,

Clarified butter of a ewe and curd cheese

And clarified butter, and the truffles of the sandy earth,

and camel livers, the glory of rich hump-fat;

Are the adornments of a feast like the hump of a lamb

And the finest garnish for camel hump fat is the livers of the herd.

وَلَحمَ الخَروفِ حَنيذاً وَقَد

وَلَحمَ الخَروفِ حَنيذاً وَقَد

أَتيتُ بِهِ فائِراً في الشَبَمْ

أَتيتُ بِهِ فائِراً في الشَبَمْ

and lamb, roasted on heated stones—and I have

And the meat of a tender lamb roasted

And the meat of a lamb, pit-roasted, which

brought it seething hot in the bitter cold.

I brought it snarling with my canine tooth

I brought forth steaming in the biting chill.

فَأَمّا البَهَطّ وَحيتانُكُم

فَأَمّا البَهَطّ وَحيتانُكُم

فَما زِلتُ مِنها كَثيرَ السَقَمْ

فَما زِلتُ مِنها كَثيرَ السَقَمْ

But as for bahatt rice pudding and your fish,

As for whales and sea cows

But as for your rich milk-rice and your fish,

they have kept me grievously ill.

I have always been quite sick of them

They have always left me deeply sickened.

وَقَد نِلتُ ذاكَ كَما نِلتُمُ

وَقَد نِلتُ ذاكَ كَما نِلتُمُ

فَلَم أَرَ فيها كَضَّبٍ هَرِمْ

فَلَم أَرَ فيها كَضَّبٍ هَرِمْ

I have tasted that fare, just as you have,

I got that just as you got it

I have partaken of those dishes just as you have,

yet found among it nothing like an aged dabb.

Yet I saw no old man frowning

Yet I saw nothing among them to rival an old spiny-tailed lizard.

وَما في البُيوض كَبَيضِ الدَجاج

وَما في البُيوض كَبَيضِ الدَجاج

وَبَيضُ الجَرادِ شِفاءُ القَرَمْ

وَبَيضُ الجَرادِ شِفاءُ القَرَمْ

Of all eggs, none are like hens’ eggs,

Not in eggs like chicken eggs

And among eggs, there is nothing like the eggs of chickens,

and locust eggs are a cure for craving.

And locust eggs that cure scabies

While the eggs of locusts cure the deep craving for meat.

وَمكن الضِباب طَعامُ العُرَيبِ

وَمكن الضِباب طَعامُ العُرَيبِ

وَلا تَشتَهيهِ نُفوسُ العَجَمْ

وَلا تَشتَهيهِ نُفوسُ العَجَمْ

Dabb eggs are the food of the Arab folk,

Clouds are the food of the Arab

The roe of the spiny-tailed lizard is the food of the Arabs,

but the souls of non-Arabs do not desire them.

Yet the souls of non-Arabs don't crave them

And the souls of the non-Arabs hold no appetite for it.