أَبو دَهمانَ داهِيَةٌ نادُ

لَهُ في كُلِّ مُنتَجَعٍ مَصادُ

Abu Dahman is a sly old fox

In every refuge he has traps

إِذا غَنّى وَهَزهَزَ مَنكِبَيهِ

وَأَعجَبَ وَاِطمَأَنَّ بِهِ الوسادُ

When he sings shaking his shoulders

Pleased with himself relaxing on pillows

وَساقَ حَديثُ مِصرَ وَساكِنَيها

وَما صَنَعَ الخَصيبُ وَما أفادوا

Speaking of Egypt and its people

And what the Nile has done for them

وَقالَ أَنا اِبنُ حِميَرَ وَرَّثَتني

مَكارِمَها وَأَخوالي مُرادُ

Saying I'm the son of donkeys that

Gave me their virtues, my uncles are goal-oriented

دَعاكَ بِفَضلِ ثَوبِكَ مُستَعيراً

له فَإِذا انطَوى فَالثَّوبُ رادُ

He borrows your clothes out of their merit

But when unfolded the clothes are borrowed!

وَأَنكَرَ بَعدُ مُعتَذِراً بسكرٍ

وَبَعضُ القَولِ لَيسَ لَهُ اِنقِيادُ

Then denying, drunk, making excuses

Some words cannot be tamed

فَما لَكَ إذ سكرتَ أَخَذتَ ثَوبي

وَثَوبُكَ دونَهُ الحَتفُ المُقادُ

Why when drunk did you take my clothes

While your clothes, lesser quality, are intact

فَأَقسَمَ لَو سَرَقتَ عصيَّ بِنتي

تَشَكّى الكبر فَهيَ لَهُ عِمادُ

He swore if you stole my daughter's staff

Old age would support it as a pillar

وَجاءَتكَ المَلائِكُ شافِعات

مَعَ الأَرضينَ وَالسَّبعُ الشِّدادُ

The angels would intercede for you

With the worlds and the strict seven

لَما اِستَعطَفت رَدَّهُم بغيظ

وَلَو سَلَقَتكَ أَلسِنَةٌ حِدادُ

When he tried to appease, they refused angrily

And even sharp tongues would have skinned you