لَعَلَّ الدَهرَ أَمضى مِنكَ غَربا

وَأَقوى في الأُمورِ يَداً وَقَلبا

Perhaps time has worn you out,

And made you firmer in resolve and heart.

وَمُقلَتُهُ إِذا لَحَظَت حُسامي

تَغُضُّ مَهابَةً وَتَفيضُ رُعبا

And when your glances fall on swords,

You quiver in awe and overflow with fear.

فَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ أَعمى عَن مَقالي

وَلَو عايَنتَهُ لَرَأَيتَ شُهبا

How could that be when you are blind to my words?

Had you seen him, you would have seen flames.

عَذَرتُكَ أَنتَ أَردى الناسِ أَصلاً

وَأَخبَثُ مَنصِباً وَأَذَلُّ جَنبا

I excuse you, for you are the basest of men in origin,

And the most despicable in rank, the weakest in side.

وَأَنتَ أَقَلُّ في عَينَيَّ مِن أَن

أَروعَكَ أَو أَشُنُّ عَليكَ حَربا

You are, in my eyes, too petty for me to frighten you,

Or to wage war on you.

أَأَعجَبُ مِن خِصامِكَ لي وَجَدّي

رَسولُ اللَهِ يوسَعُ مِنكَ سَبّا

Does it astonish me that you assail me and my dedication to God's Messenger?

He who pelted the heavens, no wonder

وَمَن رَجَمَ السَماءَ فَلا عَجيبٌ

يُقالُ حَثا بِوَجهِ البَدرِ تُربا

That it is said, he spat in the full moon's face.

For if you lampooned, you lampooned a lion,

فَإِنَّكَ إِن هَجَوتَ هَجَوتَ لَيثاً

وَإِنّي إِن هَجَوتُ هَجَوتُ كَلبا

While if I lampoon you, I lampoon a dog.