ألا ما لاست زنبورٍ إذا ما

رأتني لا تمالك من عطاس

Whenever a hornet sees me

What ails the rear of Zunbur, that whenever

It cannot help but sting

It catches sight of me, it cannot check a sneeze?

أشمِّتها ببوركَ فيك منّى

لتترك فيَشتي رأساً براس

I wave my hand at it

I bless it with 'Grace be within you,' sent from me,

So it will leave my head alone

To leave my glans embedded, head against head.

وأعفجُ فقحةٌ غبرت زماناً

قلَنسُوَة لأيرِ أبي نواسِ

And I put up with a bothersome fly

I ram a hole that has lain dusty for an age,

That has been bothering me for ages

To serve as skullcap for the cock of Abu Nuwas.

حلاق استِ الزنيبر ليس تغني

سيوفُ الهند عندي والمواسي

The sting of a hornet cannot make up

Shaving the ass of little Zunbur is of no avail,

For my Indian swords and knives

Despite the Indian swords and razors I possess.

وأعرفُ داءَ زنبورٍ لأنّي

له كنتُ المباشر والمقاسي

And I know the disease of the hornet

And I well know the malady of Zunbur, for

For I have been its examiner and measurer

I was the one to treat him and endure the task.