إن عبدَ الكريمِ يَغضَبُ للهجوِ

على أنَّ عرضَهُ هاجيهِ

Indeed, Abd al-Karim grows angry at satire,

though his own honor is his satirist.

لا تلمني على الهجاءِ فما يَهجوهُ

إلا تمكنُ القول فيه

Do not blame me for the lampoon—for what satirizes him

is nothing but how firmly the words find their mark in him.