رأى فيه عيبا وإن لم نجد

على اللحم عيبا سوى قلته

He saw a flaw in it though we found

No fault with the meat but its scarcity.

فقد كان أنضج لحم رأيت

وقد كان كالمسك في نكهته

It was the most tender meat I’d seen

And smelled as sweet as musk, essentially.

ومن بخله تفتح القهوات

وتغلق وهو على شيشته

Yet out of stinginess he opened

And closed the windows while it roasted.

يقضى بها طرَفي يومه

ويمضى بها طرفي ليلته

He whiled away the hours of his day

And night with it, in this way.