لَعَمرُكَ ما إِلى حسنٍ رَحَلنا

وَلا زُرنا حسيناً يا اِبنَ أنسِ

By your life, we did not journey to find beauty,

Nor did we visit a charming Hussain, my friend.

وَلا عَبداً لِعَبدِهِما فَنَحظى

بِحُسنِ الحَظِّ مِنهُم غَيرَ بَخسِ

Nor a servant of those two to gain

A fair share of their charm that's free of stinginess.

وَلَكِن ضَبَّ جَندَلَةٍ أتينا

مضّباً في مكامنه يفَسّي

But to Jandalah's ill-natured dwelling we came,

Peevish in his lair, acting sly.

فلمّا أن أتيناه وَقُلنا

بِحاجَتِنا تَلَوَّن لَونَ وَرسِ

When we came and told him our need,

His face changed color, like a chameleon's guise.

وَأَعرَضَ غَيرَ مُنبَلِجٍ لِعُرفٍ

وَظَلَّ مُقَرطِباً ضِرساً بِضرسِ

He turned away, not gracious to honor,

And remained wrinkling his nose and baring his teeth.

فَقُلتُ لِأَهلِهِ أبهِ كُزازٌ

وَقُلتُ لِصاحِبي أَتُراهُ يُمسي

So I told his family, "Does he have mange?"

And I told my friend, "Do you think he'll recover?"

فَكانَ الغُنمُ أَن قُمنا جَميعاً

مَخافَة أَن نُزَنَّ بِقَتلِ نَفسِ

It turned out best that we all left together,

Fearing we'd be accused of murdering a soul.