حَصانٌ رَزانٌ ما تُزَنُّ بِرَيبَةٍ

وَتُصبِحُ غَرثى مِن لُحومِ الغَوافِلِ

A graceful steed does not fret with suspicion

And becomes ragged from the flesh of parasites

فَإِن كُنتُ أَهجوكُم كَما قَد زَعَمتُمُ

فَلا رَفَعَت سَوطي إِلَيَّ أَنامِلي

If I satirize you as you have claimed

Then my fingers did not raise my whip against me

فَإِنَّ الَّذي قَد قيلَ لَيسَ بِلائِطٍ

بِكَ الدَهرُ بَل سَعيُ اِمرِئٍ بِكَ ماحِلِ

For what has been said is not idle

Blame the times, not a man's endeavor

وَكَيفَ وَوُدّي ما حَيِيتُ وَنُصرَتي

لِآلِ نَبِيِّ اللَهِ زَينِ المَحافِلِ

And how could my love live and my support

Be for the Prophet's family, adornment of gatherings

بِأَنَّ لَهُم فَضلاً تَرى الناسَ خُضَّعاً

لَهُ بَينَ غارٍ دونَهُ مُتَطالِلِ

For they have virtue which subdues people

To it in a cave beneath which they take shelter