1. عجب هذا عجب

    بقرة حمرا ولها ذنب

    A wonder—this is a wonder!

    A red cow, and she has a tail.

  2. ولها في بزبزها لبن

    يبدو للناس إذا حلبوا

    And she has milk in her teat,

    Which appears to people when they milk her.

  3. لا تغضب يوماً إن شُتمَت

    والناس إذا شُتموا غضبوا

    She never grows angry if insulted,

    And people grow angry when insulted.

  4. لا بدّ لهذا من سبب

    حزري بزري ماذا السبب

    There must be a reason for this.

    Guess, guess—what is the reason?

  5. من أعجب ما في مصر يُرى

    الكرم يُرى فيه العنب

    Among the strangest things seen in Egypt:

    Grapes are seen in the vineyard,

  6. والنخل يُرى فيه بلح

    قالوا ويرى فيه رطب

    And unripe dates are seen on the palms.

    They said: ripe dates are seen on them too.

  7. ووسيم بها البرسيم كذا

    في الجيزة قد زُرع القصب

    And in Wasim there is clover likewise;

    In Giza, sugarcane has been planted.

  8. زهر الكتاب مع البلسان

    هما لونان ولا كذب

    The book's blossoms, together with balsam,

    Are of two colors—and that is no lie.

  9. كيهود في دير خُلطوا

    بنصارى حرّكهم طرب

    Like Jews in a monastery, mingled

    With Christians stirred by merriment.

  10. وقناطر أم الحسن بها

    ماء في الخضرة ينسرب

    And at the bridges of Umm al-Hasan,

    Water runs through the greenery.

  11. والخيمة قال الناس إذا

    نصبت فالحبل لها طنب

    And the tent, people said, when

    Pitched, has a rope as its guy-line.

  12. والمركب مع ما قد وسقت

    في البحر بطرف تنسحب

    And the boat, with all it has taken aboard,

    Is drawn through the sea by a rope's end.

  13. البيض إذا جاعوا أكلوا

    والسمر إذا عطشوا شربوا

    The fair-skinned eat when hungry,

    And the brown-skinned drink when thirsty.

  14. الناقة لا منقار لها

    والوزة ليس لها قتب

    The she-camel has no beak,

    And the goose has no camel's pack-saddle.

  15. الوز يبيض بثقبته

    وينام عليه فينثقب

    Geese lay eggs through their vents,

    And sleep on them, so they crack open.

  16. والوز الفقس بأرض بلقس

    كذا في المقس لها زغب

    And newly hatched geese in the land of Bilqas,

    As in al-Maqs, have down.