بَراغيثُ مَحجوبٍ لَم أَنسَها

وَلَم أَنسَ ما طَعِمَت مِن دَمي

Invisible bugs I haven't forgotten

Nor what they sucked of my blood

تَشُقُّ خَراطيمُها جَورَبي

وَتَنفُذُ في اللَحمِ وَالأَعظُمِ

Their tubes pierce my socks

And penetrate flesh, bone and marrow

وَكُنتُ إِذا الصَيفُ راحَ اِحتَجَمـ

ـتُ فَجاءَ الخَريفُ فَلَم أحجَمِ

When summer left I used to get cupped

But when autumn came I did not refrain

تُرَحِّبُ بِالضَيفِ فَوقَ الطَريـ

ـقِ فَبابِ العِيادَةِ فَالسُلَّمِ

They welcome a guest over the road

At the clinic door and on the stairs

قَدِ اِنتَشَرَت جَوقَةً جَوقَةً

كَما رُشَّتِ الأَرضُ بِالسِمسِمِ

Spreading from swarm to swarm

As sesame seeds are strewn on the ground

وَتَرقُصُ رَقصَ المَواسي الحِدادِ

عَلى الجِلدِ وَالعَلَقِ الأَسحَمِ

They dance the dancers' mourning dance

On skin and the sallow gland

بَواكيرُ تَطلعُ قَبلَ الشِتاءِ

وَتَرفَعُ أَلوِيَةِ المَوسِمِ

Harbingers appear before winter

And raise the banners of the season

إِذا ما اِبنُ سينا رَمى بَلغَماً

رَأَيتَ البَراغيثَ في البَلغَمِ

When Avicenna threw a drug

You'd see the bugs in the drug

وَتُبصِرُها حَولَ بيبا الرَئيس

وَفي شارِبَيهِ وَحَولَ الفَمِ

And you see them around the boss's mouth

In his moustache and around his lips

وَبَينَ حَفائِرِ أَسنانِهِ

مَعَ السوسِ في طَلَبِ المَطعَمِ

And between the crevices of his teeth

With the maggots seeking food