خِوانُ عيسى من نصف ترمسةٍ

وصحفتاه من فِلْقتي عدَسَهْ

The bread of Jesus is made of half a lupine seed

And its two sheets are made of two lentil shells

ذلك فضل الإله يمنحُهُ

من شاء لا ذاك حظ من نَفِسَهْ

That is the grace of God that He bestows

On whom He wills, not from his own essence

من ذَرةٍ ذرة جَرادقه

تخفى على العين فهْي مُلتمسَهْ

From a tiny seed, His bread

Is hidden from the eye, though it seeks it

لو نُخِلَت بالحريرِ لانسربت

من خَلَلِ النسج غير محتبسَهْ

If it was sifted with silk, it would seep

Through the fabric's gaps, not held back

إذا افترستَ الرغيف أنَّ لهُ

كأن ليثاً هنالك افترسَهْ

When you grab the loaf, it seems

A lion has grabbed it there and torn it

حتى إذا ما طَفِقتَ تأكلهُ

صَعَّد من فرطِ حسرةٍ نَفَسَهْ

Until when you start eating it

It sends up from intense sorrow a sigh

كأنما كل لقمةٍ أكلتْ

منزوعةٌ من يديه مختلسَهْ

As if each morsel you ate

Was stolen from his hands by force

مغَفَّلٌ عن أمور نسوته

مُذْلٍ على بيت خبزِهِ حَرَسَهْ

Oblivious of the affairs of his forgetfulness

Debased at the house guarding his bread

يَقتبس الجارُ ناره فيرى

نار سِراجَي هُداه مقتبَسَهْ

The neighbor lights his fire, and sees

The light of his own lamp lit from it

وإن رأى أو أحس آونةً

دخانَ نارٍ لجاره كَبَسَهْ

And if he saw or felt a while

The smoke of a fire, he would snuff it out