أَبْدَى لَنَا لَمَّا بَدا قَرْعَةً

أَبْدَى لَنَا لَمَّا بَدا قَرْعَةً

يَحارُ فى تَشْبِيههَا القَلْبُ

يَحارُ فى تَشْبِيههَا القَلْبُ

When he appeared, he showed us a bald pate;

When it appeared, it puzzled us,

The heart is at a loss to find its likeness.

The heart bewildered in likening it.

قَالُوا فَهَلْ تَشْبَهُ يَقْطِينةً

قَالُوا فَهَلْ تَشْبَهُ يَقْطِينةً

فَقُلْتُ لَوْ كانَ لَهَا لُبُّ

فَقُلْتُ لَوْ كانَ لَهَا لُبُّ

They said, “Then does it resemble a pumpkin?”

They said, "Does it resemble a cut of silk?"

So I said, “If it had a kernel—or brains.”

I said, "If only it had a core."