طَلَبَتْ ضَحِيَّتَها فقلتُ مُغَالِطاً

هُوَ مَوْسِمُ الجَزَّارِ لا الورَّاقِ

She asked for her prey, so I said, deceiving,

"This is the butcher's season, not the stationer's."

قَالتْ فَيا وَرَّاقُ لا وَصْلٌ إذاً

سَيَفُكُّ هذا القولُ مِنك لِصَاقي

She said, "Oh, stationer, then there'll be no binding."

This saying will split from you, adhesive.

حَتَّامَ تَعملُ لي دُسُوتاً لَمْ تَزَلْ

مَصْقُولَةً بِخدِيعةٍ وَنفاقِ

Until you make ledgers for me that never

Cease to be burnished with guile and hypocrisy,

وإلامَ تكسرُ لي دَفاتِرَ ليسَ لي

مِن حَاصِلٍ فِيها ولامن بَاقِ

Or else you'll tear up ledgers where I have

No proceeds in them nor anything left,

قُلتُ البَياضُ أَجَلُّ لَونٍ فَاسألي

قَالتْ ولا هذا على الإطلاقِ

I said, "Whiteness is the noblest color, so ask"--

She said, "Not even that, absolutely."