أَبو إِسحاقَ شاعِرُنا إِذا ما

رَأى رُطَباً يُصَيِّرُهُ كَبيسا

When Abu Ishaq our poet sees a date,

He makes it as dry as an old cracker.

فَتى لَو مَدَّ عَيناً مِنهُ يَوماً

إِلى صَنَمٍ لَخاطَ عَلَيهِ كيسا

If such a lad were to gaze at an idol someday,

He would spit a gob at it in anger.

لَهُ مُذ كانَ مِقطَرَةٌ تَراهُ

بَلا عَقلٍ إِذا عَدِمَت حَبيسا

Since it was a dripping sapling, you see him as

A mindless fool minus a keeper.

تَلَذُّ لَهُ عِمارَتِها إِذا ما

أَصابَ لَها الدَعائِمَ آبَنوسا

He enjoys propping it up whenever

He can find supports for it as a pine tree.