هَجوت الأَدعياء فَناصبتني

مَعاشِرَ خِلتها عَرَبا صِحاحا

The pretenders attacked me, though their company was pure Arabs.

I said to them as they barked together against me, but I did not bark back:

فَقلت لهم وَقَد نبحوا جَميعاً

عليَّ فَلَم أُجِب لَهُمُ نباحا

Are you of them, so I reject you,

And attribute you to their attributes openly?

أَأَنتُم منهمُ فأصدَّ عَنكم

وانسبُكُم لنسبَتِهم صَراحا

Or else praise my opinion, for I

Remove from you the ugly son.

وَإِلّا فاِحمدوا رأيي فاني

أُزَحزِحُ عَنكُمُ الإِبنَ القباحا

And it is enough of a charge against good people

That you blame a brother for an invalid's crime.

وَحسبك تهمةً لِصَحيحِ قومٍ

تَعُدُّ عَلى أَخي سقمٍ جناحا