يا سائِلي بِأَميرِنا

اِسمَع إِلى الخَبَرِ المُحَبَّر

O questioner about our prince,

Listen to the rhymed news:

إِنّي رَكِبتُ وَما أَكَل

تُ إِلى الأَميرِ كَما تُقَدَّر

I rode, though I had not breakfasted,

To the prince, as was fated.

قالَ الطَعامَ فَجاءَ خا

دِمُهُ بِفَرخٍ قَد تَغَيَّر

He called for food, so his servant came

With a chick grown green from age.

قَد كانَ فِقّيعاً فَأَصبَحَ

عِندَ طولِ المَكثِ أَخضَر

It had been roasted, but had stayed

Till it turned green from long delay.

وَتَناعَرَت داياتُهُ

هاتوا لَهُ الجَنبَ المُبَزَّر

Its joints quarrelled. "Fetch him cheese!"

Came the order, "well peppered!"

فَأَتَوا بِهِ في صَحفَةٍ

نُجِرَت لِكِسرى أَو لِقَيصَر

So they brought it on a tray

Big enough for Kisra or Caesar.

كَرِفادَةِ الفَصدِ الصَغي

رَةِ بَل أَظُنُّ الجَنبَ أَصغَر

No bigger than a sparrow's kneecap -

Or so I thought; I think the cheese was smaller!

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي

جَعَلَ السَماحَةَ خَيرَ مَتجَر

Thanks be to God who made

Generosity the best merchandise.