ماذا رُميتَ بِهِ مِن

شُوَيعِرٍ فيهِ جَهلُ

What have you been accused of

Of poetry in which there is ignorance

يَغتابُ شِعرِيَ حَتّى

كَأَنَّهُ لِيَ مِثلُ

That maligns my poetry as if

It were equal to me

وَما سَمِعتَ بِعُلوٍ

قَبلي يُعاديهِ سُفلُ

And you have not heard of glory

Before me which baseness contradicts

هَذا كَما قالَ قَومٌ

ما تَمَّ سَمّوهُ فَضلُ

This is as a people have said

Whose superiority was not complete

يا مَليحَ الدَلالِ وَالإِدلالِ

لا تُمِتني بِعِلَّةِ الإِعتِلالِ

O beautiful in charm and temptation

Do not make me die from the excuse of abstinence

لَو حَلَت هَذِهِ الخِصلُ وَطابَت

لَم أَكُن مِن ذَواقِها كَالخِلالِ

If this trait were sound and good

I would not be one who tastes it like vinegar

فَتَدارَك خَفِيَّ جِسمي وَإِلّا

لَم يَبِن لِلخَيالِ مِنّي خَيالي

So heal my hidden body, else

My image will not appear to the imagination