قالوا هجاك أبو المزّاق قلتُ لهم

ولم هجاني فقالوا للذي بلَغَهْ

They said Abu al-Muzzaq has satirized you, I said to them

Why did he satirize me? They said to the one who was told

أنهى إليه نصيحٌ غيرُ متَّهمٍ

أن قد تركتَ مغيضَيْ عرسِه ردغه

That sincere advice was given to him, not suspecting

That you have left the hateful one from his wedding untouched

فقلت ما ناك مثلي مثل زوجته

لكن إخال عدواً كاشحاً نزغه

So I said there is no one like me, like his wife

But rather a hostile enemy provoking him

وما أراه على حال تعف له

أنثى ولو حمقت حتى تكون دُغَه

And I don't see him in a state to restrain himself

From a female, even if she played the fool to the point of being marriageable

تالله تغنى بذاك القرد غانيةٌ

وإن أجدَّ لها ثوباً وإن صبغه

By Allah, she will sing proudly to that monkey

Even if I find her a garment, even if dyed

لا يهجونِّي فإني لستُ هاجيَه

ولا يرى ذاك مني أو يرى صُدُغَه

They won't satirize me, for I am no satirist

Nor does he see that from me, or see my side

وما امتهاني به شعري وخلقتُه

تهجوه عني وعن غيري بكل لُغه

And my poetry and character didn't disgrace me

Satirize him instead of me and others in every dialect

سيان عندي أنالتني عضيهته

أم مص بظر التي أدته أم مضغه

It's all the same to me if his bite reached me

Or he sucked on the breast that brought him forth or chewed it

لا تعجبوا أن طول الصفع هوَّسَه

بل اعجبوا أن طول الصفع ما دمغه

Don't be surprised that the long slap addled him

Rather be surprised that the long slap didn't crush him

أبيهقيٌّ تقول الشعر في زمني

أولى له ما لمثلي تنبغُ النَبَغه

An Abihqi who composes poetry in my time

Is more fitting for what befits the like of me to excel

لئن تصدَّى لنابَي حيَّةٍ ذكرٍ

نضناضة لا يبلُّ الدهر من لدغه

If the male erect serpent of a viper turns to face me

Whose bite time does not heal from the sting

لما أدلَّ بمجلود ولا كرم

لكن بعرض طويل الهون قد دبغه

Not out of generosity or nobility

But with a long, easy to subdue honor that has been tanned

هاجيك يا نائك الحولاء في حرج

ما قتلُه وزغاً يأوي إلى وزغه

Your satirist, O critic in distress

Did not kill me, and takes refuge in his fellow

أراه حيّاً وإن طال النقيق به

أقلَّ منه إذا ما فادغٌ فَدَغه

I see him alive even if the groaning lasted in him

Less than him if one stinging, stung him

يحمي من القتل أوزاغاً تنق لنا

دمٌ لهنّ يعاف الكلبُ أن يَلِغَه

Protecting from killing lizards that chant for us

Blood they have which a dog would disdain to lap up