وَأَسوَدٍ شَيَّفوا مَحاجِرَهُ

وَأَسوَدٍ شَيَّفوا مَحاجِرَهُ

وَدَمعُهُ في الشِيافِ قَد ذَرَفا

وَدَمعُهُ في الشِيافِ قَد ذَرَفا

And a black man—they treated his eye sockets with salve,

With dark eyes that have captivated me

And his tears had streamed during the salving.

And tears that have flowed onto his cheeks

فَقالَ لي قائِلٌ كَأن فُقل

فَقالَ لي قائِلٌ كَأن فُقل

فَقُلتُ قُل مَطبَخٌ وَقَد وَكَفا

فَقُلتُ قُل مَطبَخٌ وَقَد وَكَفا

Then someone said to me, 'As though ...—say it!'

Someone said to me, as if poking fun -

So I said, 'Say: a kitchen that has sprung a leak.'

I said: “Say no more - enough joking around!”