بلاغة ابن فراسٍ
كجسمه من رُهُوصِ
The eloquence of Ibn Faras
Is like his body, from thinness
يُسيءُ طوراً وطوراً
تلقاه لصّ اللصوصِ
He errs now and then
You find him stealing from thieves
لا مُخطئاً سرقاتٍ
ولا مُصيب فُصوص
Not wrongly stealing
Nor rightly picking locks
نُبِّئتُ أن نساءً
له ذوات خُصوص
I was told he has women
Who are exclusive to him
يُصطَدْنَ صيد الشبابي
طِ جَهرةً بالشُّصوص
Who hunt the prey of youth
Bravely with brazenness
أجاعَهُنَّ فأعْمل
ن حيلةً في الخلوص
He starved them so they devised
A trick to gain solitude
حتى إذا هي أعيتْ
ركبنَ كل قَمُوص
Until when she was tired
Each rode a small donkey
كم ذاتِ طرفٍ ربوخٍ
وذاتِ ساق رقوص
How many a languid eyelid
And smooth legged lass
تُنَصُّ كلُّ فتاةٍ
مِنهن نصّ القَلُوص
Each girl would pick from him
The pick of suitors
تُناك بالقوتِ في بي
ت زائدٍ منقوص
She is satisfied with food in a
House of excess and loss
زيادة من قرونٍ
على عَضُوضٍ مصوص
An excess of horns
On a head closely shaven
إلى مناقصَ مُستأ
ثرٍ بها مخصوص
To a contractor accustomed
To her as his own
وما تأوّلتُ شتْماً
فيه سوى المنصوص
And I have not interpreted any
Insult in him except the stated
ولا اقتصصْتُ حديثاً
عنه خلا مقصوص
Nor have I recounted any story
About him unless abbreviated
العقلُ مِعشار عقل
والشخص مثل شُخوص
The mind a tenth of a mind
And the person like a puppet
ما بالُ بخلك يا مِس
حلَ الحمارِ النَّحُوص
Why so stingy, wiping rod
Of the obstinate donkey
لم يُبْنَ عقلك بنيا
نَ جِسمك المرصوص
Your mind was not built
Like your well-formed body
