ورُبَّ عجوز تحاكي السَّعالي

And many an old woman who mimics the ghouls, pointing, forbidding, and giving absolute commands.

Her elder meets her with total compliance, running to serve her without a pause.

She sits telling foolish, empty tales, while her listeners swear it is pure magic.

She says, 'In my house are a dog and a cat, and the cat was terrified when the dog barked.'

The cat watches my every move: right for right, and left for left.

And my daughter Liza comforts it with what she has, so it never leaves her lap.

I once owned a puppy whose belly, chest, and back were streaked with colors.

I guarded him with extreme jealousy, watering him with my cups filled with pure honey-milk.

Then came a noble woman of the people, asking for him from me, while my eyes thanked her.

He used to sleep upon my thighs, licking my crusts whenever he stretched out.

So-and-so came to me in such-and-such a year with a puppy, but it did not live a month.

And she begs you to forget the date of that momentous day, dragging in Zayd and Amr.

As for women, their special domain is eating things resembling fig-stalks with frantic hunger.

They eat while the wine is veiled from them by their garments, chewing away in secret.

You hear the gurgle of tea from their bellies, sounding right here like a steady bubbling.

She takes with her tongs upon her plate a morsel of meat resembling a fingernail.

Then she chews it for a long while, just so it might digest after becoming thoroughly tenderized.

And the host's wife says to him, 'Take, my dear, what is before you as a burden.'

He thanks her, saying, 'Your kindness has been immense toward me and has poured forth.'

She sits partitioning the guests' food, handing you out of it a mere pittance at a time.

With every tiny morsel you receive, you must lower your head against your will and offer profuse thanks.

And should there be two colors, she tells you to choose your share from what is here and inspect it closely.

It is as if bringing these two together is forbidden, much like a man marrying two sisters in succession.