إِذَا نَزَعَ الأَثْوَابَ جَعْسُوسُ خِلْتَهُ

إِذَا نَزَعَ الأَثْوَابَ جَعْسُوسُ خِلْتَهُ

وَإِنْ أَنْتَ لَمْ تُبْصِرْ مُمَاثِلَهُ قَطُّ

وَإِنْ أَنْتَ لَمْ تُبْصِرْ مُمَاثِلَهُ قَطُّ

When Jaʿsūs takes off his clothes, you would think him—

When J'esous doffs his rags, behold

even if you have never seen his like—

His form unmatched in all the land -

مَنَارَةَ نَحْسٍ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ حَقِيرَة

مَنَارَةَ نَحْسٍ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ حَقِيرَة

وَقَدْ حَلَّ أَعْلاَهَا لِيَلْعَقَهَا قِطُّ

وَقَدْ حَلَّ أَعْلاَهَا لِيَلْعَقَهَا قِطُّ

a paltry, ill-omened copper lampstand,

A sorry, copper minaret

with a cat perched atop it to lick it.

Now licked by a lowly cat