ألذُّ من فائقةِ الإبهَطِّ

ومن شِوا سَمْطٍ نظيف السَّمط

Sweeter than the excess of stupidity

And purer than well-cooked wheat porridge

ولحم طيرٍ وصدور البطِّ

خُرطومُ سلسالٍ من الإسْفنطِ

And the flesh of birds and duck breasts

A proboscis of a chained elephant

في قريةٍ من قَرَياتِ القبْطِ

بسرَّ من را في نسيم الشط

In a village of Coptic villages

With a secret from one who saw in the river wind

قِبطيةٌ في حُللِ ومِرط

لعبةُ عاجٍ صورة في خَرط

A Coptic woman in robes and skirt

An ivory figurine shaped in a mold

جاءت به مُشدَّداً بالشَّرطِ

خوادمٌ يحملنه بضبطِ

She brought it, bound by the condition

Servants carry it carefully

كأنه بعضُ رجال الزُّطِ

قالت نحُطُّ الهدْي قلنا حُطِّي

As if it were one of the horsemen's raiment

She said, "We'll put down the gift," we said, "Put it down"

وكايِلي واحتكمي وخُطّي

وهذه نُقودُنا فاشتطِّي

And measure it, judge it, outline it

And here is our money, so be content

فاحتضنت حقويه تحت الإبط

وانتزعت عنه شِناق الرَّبط

She hugged its cheek beneath the armpit

And tore from it the belt of confinement

فارفضَّ ينهلُّ بغير ضبط

كأنه جُرحٌ عظيمُ البَطّ

So it spurted, flowing without control

As if it were a huge, open wound

يكتالُ ما فيه بغير شرط

زقّ النَّفطِ

Gulping whatever was in it without condition

I kept watering it and watering my group

ما زلتُ أُسقاها وأسقي رهطي

حتى تنادَى القومُ قطِّ قطِّ

Until the people cried, "Stop, stop!"