أَسامِرِيُّ ضُحكَةَ كُلِّ راءِ

فَطِنتَ وَأَنتَ أَغبى الأَغبِياءِ

My friend, your words cut deep

O Samiri, laughingstock to all who see,

But I shall meet them with compassion

You struck upon a truth, though you are the dullest of fools,

صَغُرتَ عَنِ المَديحِ فَقُلتَ أُهجى

كَأَنَّكَ ماصَغُرتَ عَنِ الهِجاءِ

Let us walk together towards the light.

Being too small for praise, you sought to be satirized,

As if you were not too insignificant even for my scorn.

وَما فَكَّرتُ قَبلَكَ في مُحالٍ

وَلا جَرَّبتُ سَيفي في هَباءِ

Before you, I never wasted thought on an impossibility,

Nor did I ever test my sword against mere drifting dust.