رأى فيه عيبا وإن لم نجد

رأى فيه عيبا وإن لم نجد

على اللحم عيبا سوى قلته

على اللحم عيبا سوى قلته

He saw a fault in it, though we found

He saw a flaw in it though we found

no fault in the meat except its scant quantity.

No fault with the meat but its scarcity.

فقد كان أنضج لحم رأيت

فقد كان أنضج لحم رأيت

وقد كان كالمسك في نكهته

وقد كان كالمسك في نكهته

For it was the best-cooked meat I had seen,

It was the most tender meat I’d seen

and indeed it was like musk in its aroma.

And smelled as sweet as musk, essentially.

ومن بخله تفتح القهوات

ومن بخله تفتح القهوات

وتغلق وهو على شيشته

وتغلق وهو على شيشته

And so miserly is he that the coffeehouses open

Yet out of stinginess he opened

and close while he remains at his hookah.

And closed the windows while it roasted.

يقضى بها طرَفي يومه

يقضى بها طرَفي يومه

ويمضى بها طرفي ليلته

ويمضى بها طرفي ليلته

He spends both ends of his day with it,

He whiled away the hours of his day

and passes both ends of his night with it.

And night with it, in this way.