أَبلِغ أَبا إِسحق واحِدة

أَنَّ الدَّساكر حَشوُها أَكَرَه

Tell Abu Ishaq one thing:

the villages are stuffed with peasants.

إِن جاءَ سَيل سابق مطرا

كانوا بِسَدِّ بُيوتِهِم مَهَرَه

If a torrent comes, outracing the rain,

they are skilled at damming off their homes.

وَدَليل ذلِك أَنَّ بَعضَهم

كَما ظَنَنتُ الأَمرَ قَد بَهَرَه

The proof of that is that one of them—

just as I thought, the matter had overwhelmed him—

كانَت إِجابَته عَلى عَجل

عن كل بيت قُلتُه عَشَرَه

made his reply in haste:

ten of his own for every verse I uttered.