أَتاني كَلامُ الجاهِلِ اِبنِ كَيَغلَغٍ

يَجوبُ حُزوناً بَينَنا وَسُهولا

The words of the fool, Ibn Kayghlagh, have reached me,

Traversing the rugged terrain and the plains.

وَلَو لَم يَكُن بَينَ اِبنِ صَفراءَ حائِلٌ

وَبَيني سِوى رُمحي لَكانَ طَويلا

And were there no barrier between the son of Safra

And myself but my spear, that reach would be vast.

وَاِسحاقُ مَأمونٌ عَلى مَن أَهانَهُ

وَلَكِن تَسَلّى بِالبُكاءِ قَليلا

Ishaq is harmless to those who degrade him,

Though he sought consolation by weeping a while.

وَلَيسَ جَميلاً عِرضُهُ فَيَصونَهُ

وَلَيسَ جَميلاً أَن يَكونَ جَميلا

His honor is not fair, that he should preserve it,

Nor is it fitting for him to be fair.

وَيَكذِبُ ما أَذلَلتُهُ بِهِجائِهِ

لَقَد كانَ مِن قَبلِ الهِجاءِ ذَليلا

He lies who claims that my satire debased him,

For he was base long before the satire began.