قَد دَخلَنا حَمّامَكُم فَرَأَينا

عَجَباً مِن تَجَمُّعِ الضِدَّينِ

We entered your bathhouse and saw

A wonder in the gathering of opposites

بارِدُ الماءِ وَالوَقودِ جَميعاً

فَهوَ لِلمُستَحِمِّ سُخنَةُ عَينِ

The water cold and the firewood all

Yet for the bather it is the heat of the eyes

وَبِهِ قَيِّمٌ بَغيضٌ غَليظٌ

عابِسُ الوَجهِ قالِصُ المِنخَرَينِ

And in it a rough coarse attendant

Frowning of face, flattened of nostrils

قَيِّمٌ غَيرُ قَيِّمٍ خَشُنَت مُد

يَتُهُ وَهوَ ناعِمُ الكَفَّينِ

An attendant unlike attendants, harsh became his

Forearm yet he has soft palms

بِيَدٍ كَالحَريرِ لا يَرفَعُ الأَو

ساخَ تَدليكُها عَنِ المَنكِبَينِ

With a hand like silk he does not raise the

Dirt of his kneading from the shoulders

وَيَدٍ كَرُّها يُغادِرُ في النا

سِ كُلوماً شَلَّت إِذا مِن يَدَينِ

And a hand whose palm in people

Leaves bruises when it is from two hands

فَخُذوا لي مِنهُ القَصاصَ فَقَد أَو

بَقَني بِالجِراحِ في الأَخدَعَينِ

So take my retribution from him for he has

Afflicted me with wounds on the temples