وَباخِلٍ بِتُّ في أَرجاءِ مَنزِلِهِ

كَأَنَّني بِتُّ في بَعضِ النَواويسِ

And a miser whose harshness pervades his home

As if I were lodged in the corner of some notebook

أَضافَني وَهوَ أَوفى مَن عَلِمتُ بِهِ

غِنىً وَفي عَيشِهِ عَيشُ المَفاليسِ

He hosted me, the truest host I've known

Wealthy, yet living a pauper's life

بِلَحمِ ماعِزَةٍ كَالشِنِّ بالِيَةٍ

قَريبَةِ العَهدِ بِاللَأواءِ وَالبوسِ

With meat of a goat as dry as timber

Recently bereft of grazing and kisses

كَأَنَّ أَعظُمَها مِن يُبسِها خَشَبٌ

قَد أودِعَت مِن هُزالِ الجِلدِ في كيسِ

As if the greatest part of its dryness is wood

Cast in a bag from the emaciation of its hide

وَخُشكَنانَجَةٍ سَوداءَ فارِغَةٍ

كَأَنَّها قِطعَةٌ مِن قَرنِ جاموسِ

And black musty khoshkanaj

As if it were a piece of buffalo horn

قَديمَةٍ مِن بَقايا ظَهرِ والِدَةٍ

قَد عُمِّرَت في ذَراهُ عُمرَ إِبليسِ

Ancient, from the remains of its mother's hump

Preserved throughout its lifetime like Satan

فَبَتُّ أَسوا مَبيتٍ في عِراصِ مَغا

نيهِ وَعَرَّستُ فيهِ شَرَّ تَعريسِ

So I passed the worst night in the stables of deprivation

And married the evil of marriages therein