قِردٌ يكادُ منَ التّفَهُّمِ يَنْطِقُ
وتراهُ منْ حُسن الرَّشاقة يُعشقُ
A monkey, so intelligent he seems about to speak,
So graceful in form you’d think him someone to seek.
ما جازَ داراً في ذراها ظافراً
إلا وكادَ بِسقفِها يتعلّقُ
He entered no house as a raider in stealth
Save he looked as if clinging onto its roof.
يَسطو سطُو العَبد الخَصي منافِقاً
ويَظَلُّ يَرقُصُ تارةً وَيُصَفّقُ
With the swagger of a eunuch, hypocritically,
Now dancing, now clapping, he postures conceitedly.
ولهُ يَدُ الصبّاغِ ظاهرُ كَفّه
عندَ الإشارَةِ للأمانةِ أزرَقُ
The dye on the conjurer’s hand makes vividly clear
The gesture for "honesty" with fingers blue smeared.
وَعَليهِ من زُغبِ الخِلافِ ملابِسٌ
بلْ فَروُ سِنجاب عَليه وَيَنْفِقُ
In motley discordant he’s dressed. On his head
There’s a fur-lined hood into which he makes spread
وإذا جَلَستُ فَسُمعتي في كَفِّة
وَهْوَ الحريضُ بها لِئلا يَحدِقُ
His cheeks. When I sit, I am weighed in one pan,
He, to keep upright, jumps into the other then.
وبهِ أكتِسابي بالذي عَلّمتُهُ
من بَعد ما ذُبحَ الجدي الأبلَقُ
I acquired him by that I taught him to do
After his dam, with no spots, I had slaughtered, too.
ورأى الذي صَنَعَتْ يدي في كَفّة
فانقادَ باقي ما أرومُ وَيَسبقُ
What my hands wrought he saw in one pan as we weighed.
He followed whatever else I desired or essayed.
أهلاً وَسَهلاُ بِطَلعةِ الدِّيلث
كأنّها عُروةُ الصعاليك
Welcome, O Dilth's rising star, like a bold highwayman,
Who came crowned as if he were king among mere servingmen.
أتى بِتاجٍ كأنّه مَلكٌ
بينَ دجاجِ مثل المماليكِ
In silk and fine linen, with perfumes sweet,
On his shoulders intricately embroidered.
بِطَيلَسان مثلِ الحريرِ معَ التّبر
على مَنْكِبيهِ مَحْبوكِ
When he marched, his tail like the righteous son of Ruzzik.
Woe to you, oh cock, who came to peck but to flee
رايتهُ إذ يسيرُ من ذَنْبه
كأنّه الصالحُ ابنُ رُزَّيكِ
At his first feint to attack - as if valor could be
In spilt blood never spilled before in like quantity.
ويلٌ لديكٍ أتى يناقِرُهُ
وَهَمَّ في حَربْهِ بِتَحريكِ
فإنه يَسْتَبيحُ منْ دَمه
ما لَمْ يَكُنْ مثلُه بَمسْفوكِ
