يا بِنْتَ عَمْرٍو لا تَسُبِّي بِنْتِي

حَسْبُك إِحْسَانُك إِن أَحْسَنْتِ

O daughter of 'Amr, do not insult my daughter

Your kindness is enough, if you are kind

وَيْحَك إِن أَسْلَمْ فَأَنْت أَنْتِ

أَإِنْ رَأَيْتِ هَامَتِي كَالطَسْتِ

Woe to you, if you become Muslim, for you are you

If you saw my erect tail like a jug

بَعْدَ خُدارِيٍّ غُدافِ النَبْتِ

فِي سَلِب الأَنْقاءِ غَيْرِ شَخْتِ

After Khadari, a polished shoot

Amongst the robbing of the whitest, flawless

رَابَكِ وَالشَّيْبُ قِنَاعُ المَقْتِ

نُحُولُ جُسْمانِي كَمَا نَحَلْتِ

Your spittle and the white hair are the mask of old age

My body has become bent like you bent it

وَخُشْنَتِي بَعْدَ الشَبابِ الصَلْتِ

أَزْمانَ لا أَدْرِي وَإِنْ سَأَلْتِ

And my roughness after the prime of my youth

From times I know not, even if you asked

ما نُسْكُ يَوْمِ جُمْعة مِنْ سَبْتِ

أَغْيَدُ لا أَحْفِلُ يَوْم الوَقْتِ

I care not for Friday compared to Saturday

I wander heedlessly in the time

كَحَيَّةِ الماءِ جَرَى فِي القَلْتِ

إِنْساً وَجِنِّيّاً كَمَا وَصَفْتِ

Like a water snake swimming in mud

Human and Jinn alike, as you described

أَرْكَبُ ما دُونَ الفُجُورِ البَحْتِ

فَآل أَوْلِي وَاسْتَقَامَ سَمْتِي

I ride what is less than outrageous immorality

So the people of my house are the best and my path is straight

فَإِنْ تَرَيْنِي أَحْتَمِي بِالسَكْتِ

فَقَد أَقُومُ بِالمَقَام الثَّبْتِ

If you see me keeping silent

I stand in the place of firmness

أَشْجَعُ مِنْ ذِي لِبَدٍ بِخَبْتِ

يَدُقُّ صُلْبَاتِ العِظامِ رَفْتِي

Braver than one with a blunt sword

My ribs rattle with my trembling

لَفْتاً وَتَهْزِيعاً سَواءَ اللَّفْتِ

وَطَامِحِ النَخْوَةِ مُسْتَكِتِّ

Twisting and writhing the same either way

The ambitious peak has submitted

طَأْطَأَ منْ شَيْطانِهِ المُعَتِّي

صَكِّي عَرَانِينَ العِدَا وَصَتِّي

To his tempting devil

My sound rebuttal to the enemy and my voice

حَتَّى يَرَى البَيِّنَ كَالأَرَتِّ

يَعْتَزُّ صَدْقِي صِدْقَهُ وَبَهْتِي

Until the clear is seen as the obscure

My sincerity belies his sincerity and exposes my shock

وَأَرْضِ جِنٍّ تَحْتَ حَرٍّ سَخْتِ

لَهَا نِعَافٌ كَهَوَادِي البُخْتِ

The land of Jinn under hot sands

With meadows like the dunes of Bukht

يُغْسي عَلَى ألوانِهِنَّ الكُمْتِ

أَوْطَفُ مِنْ وَادِقِ لَيْلٍ هَفْتِ

Covering their various undertones

More compliant than the guide of a dark night

يَنْبُو بِإِصْغَاءٍ الدَّلِيلِ البُرْتِ

وَإِنْ حَدَا مِنْ قَلِقاتِ الخُرْتِ

Bellowing with the listening of the expert guide

And if the disturbing thorns prick

خِمْسٌ كَحَبْلِ الشَّعَرِ المُنْحَتِّ

إِذَا بَنَات الأَرْحبيِّ الأَفْتِ

Five like the strand of plaited hair

When the girls of Arhabi at their peak

قَارَبْن أَقْصَى غَوْلِهِ بِالمَتِّ

وَاجْتَبْنَ جَوْناً كَعُصَارِ الزِفْتِ

Come close to the farthest part with care

And choose supple youth like resin of tar

مِنْ سافِعاتٍ وَهَجِير أَبْتِ

وَهْوَ إِذَا مَا اجْتَبْنَهُ مِنْ شَتِّ

From the tallest and most roaring camels

And when they pick him out from the elite

مُسْتَوْرِداتٍ كَحِبالِ المُسْتِي

جَافَيْنَ عُوجاً عَنْ حِجافِ النَكْتِ

Imported long like the ropes of ships

Deviating crookedly from clever subtlety

وَكَمْ طَوَيْنَ مِنْ هَنٍ وَهَنْتِ

تَعَسُّفاً وَهَكَذَا بِالسَمْتِ

How much did they bend to and fro as suits their nature

Oppressively, and thus is their way

يَنْفُضْن أَنْقَى مِنْ نِعال السِبْتِ

بِأَرْجُلٍ رُوحٍ وَأَيْدٍ هُرْتِ

They shake off purer than shoes of Saturday

With spiritual feet and silken hands