ما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ غَياثاً وَقَد

أَنشَدتُ يَوماً شِعرِيَ المُنتَخَب

What solace have I, no solace relieves me, though

One day I recited my choicest poetry,

فَقالَ ما قَصَّرَ هَذا الفَتى

لَكِنَّ هَذا الحَرفَ كَيفَ اِنتَصَب

And he said: 'This youth has not fallen short,'

But, 'How has this letter assumed an oblique case ending?'

فَصَكَّهُ مَن كانَ مِن خَلفِهِ

فَقالَ ما هَذا جَوابٌ يَجِب

So he who sat behind him slapped him,

And said: 'This is no fit answer.'

فَقالَ هَذاكَ لَهُ هَكَذا

يَكونُ لِلقِبطِ جَوابُ العَرَب

He replied: 'That man is accustomed

To make the Copts answer the Arabs thus.'

أَأَنتَ تَدري النَصبَ مِن غَيرِهِ

مِن دونِ ذا تَقرُبُ مِنكَ القَرَب

Do you know the oblique case ending without him

From whom kinship cannot draw you nigh?