يَقولونَ لِمَ أَرخَصتَ شِعرَكَ في الوَرى

فَقُلتُ لَهُم إِذ ماتَ أَهلُ المَكارِمِ

They ask me why I cheapened my poetry among the people,

So I said to them, since the virtuous died out,

أُجازى عَلى الشِعرِ الشَعيرَ وَإِنَّهُ

كَثيرٌ إِذا اِستَخلَصتُهُ مِن بَهائِمِ

I will reward poetry with barley, even though it is

Plentiful when I extract it from beasts.