أَطعَمَني بَيضَةً وَناوَلَني

مِن بَعدِها ذُقتُ فَقدَهُ قَدَحا

He fed me an egg, and after

I tasted it, he handed me a cup.

وَقالَ أَيَّ الأَصواتُ يا اِبنَ أَخي

تُريدُ إِنّي أَراكَ مُقتَرِحا

"Dear nephew," he said, "which voice

Do you wish for? I see you are suggesting."

فَقُلتُ مقلىً وَصَوتُ جَردَقَةٍ

إِن جازَ ذا الإِقتراحُ أَو صَلُحا

"Broiled," I joked, "and crunchy fried,

If that suggestion's allowed, or right."

فَاِشتَطَّ مِن ذاكِ وَاِمتَلا غَضَبا

وَكانَ سَكرانَ طافِحاً فَصَحا

At that he was enraged, filled with wrath,

Though drunk, overflowing, he was lucid.

فَقُلتُ إِنّي مَزَحتُ قالَ كَذا

رَأَيتُ حُرّاً بِمِثلِ ذا مَزَحا

"I jested," I said. "I've seen a freeman jest the same,"

He said. That's how I saw a joke taken.