لَعَمرُكَ ما لاقَيتُ يَومَ مَعيشَةٍ

مِنَ الدَهرِ إِلّا يَومُ شَقراءَ أَقصَرُ

Never in my life have I known a day of livelihood

Except the day of Shaqraa, though it was short

حَوارِيَّةٌ لا يَقرَبُ الذَمُّ بَيتَها

مُطَهَّرَةٌ يَأوي إِلَيها مَطَهَّرُ

A neighborhood untouched by any blemish

Pure it remains, and the pure take shelter there

وَبَيتٍ كَظَهرِ الفيلِ أَكثَرُ حَشوِهِ

أَباريقُهُ وَالشارِبُ المُتَقَطِّرُ

A house like an elephant's back, overstuffed

Jugs spilling over and dripping drinkers

تَرى فيهِ أَثلامَ الأَصيصِ كَأَنَّهُ

إِذا بالَ فيهِ القَومُ جَفرٌ مُعَوَّرُ

You'd think its carpets were the dappled hides

Of zebras where men piss till humped and deformed