قُل للذي إن قُلتَ مَن يا فتى

أبِن لنا قال ابنُ عمّارَه

Say to the one who, if you ask, "Who is this lad?"

And say, "Declare yourself," replies, "I am Ibn Ammara."

أنتَ الذي جبينُكَ البدرُ

للتمِّ وفي ثوبِكَ جُمّاره

You are the one whose forehead is the full moon

In its perfection, while inside your robe lies a tender palm heart.

يُنزلُ مَن صافحتَهُ لذّة

للينِ كفّيكَ وللشّارَه

Whoever shakes your hand is struck by pleasure

From the softness of your palms and your fine attire.

وإن تولّي ذاهباً تضطرب

خلفكَ مثل الدعصِ مَرمارَه

And when you turn to walk away, there quivers

Behind you something like a sand dune, trembling soft.

فكيف لُقّبتَ وفيكَ الذي

فيكَ من الطيبِ بذُكّارَه

How then were you given such a nickname, when you possess

Such qualities of fragrance and masculinity?

فذاكَ ما أزرى بهِ عندهم

وآفةٌ أخرى هي الكارَه

That is what diminished his standing in their eyes,

Along with another affliction: the heavy bundle.

هنا اغتفرنا لهمُ قيلهم

تلقيبهم إيّاك صبّاره

Here, we might have forgiven them their utterance,

Their nicknaming you "Sabbara" [The Cactus],

فقلتَ هذا استي ولم تحتشم

ميمتُها واسعةُ الداره

But you said, "This is my rear," without a shred of shame,

"Whose letter 'Meem' forms a wide, gaping circle."

يا هولي شبّبت معناهما

جارَين في دارٍ وفي حارَه

Oh, what a shock! You brought together the meaning of them both,

Two neighbors dwelling in one house, in one lane.

تبارك اللَهُ وسبحانَه

ما أبعد الجارَ من الجارَه

Blessed be Allah, and glory be to Him,

How far removed is one neighbor from the other!