أَعْمِلوا في هَجْوه الفِكَرَا

واجْعلُوا أَخبارَه سَمَرا

Mock his thoughts in jest

And make his news idle chatter

وانظموا من هجوه بَعَرا

لا أُسمِّي هجوَه دُرَرَا

Compose from his mockery a camel stallion

I do not call his mockery pearls

واملئُوا أَصْداغَه قَلقاً

وافْتَحوا أَجْفانَه سَهَرا

And fill his temples with anxiety

And make his eyelids stay up all night

وانْظُرُوه تَنْظُروه عَجَباً

تَجدُوه الكَلبَ والبَشَرا

Look at him, look at him in wonder

You will find him a dog and humans alike

طلعَةٌ بل عَوْرةٌ كُشِفت

فأَرَتْنا العَارَ والعَورَا

An appearance, nay a defect that was uncovered

That showed us shame and disgrace

وفمٌ كالحشِّ يَنفحُنا

بحديثٍ مثلِ أَلْفِ خَرا

A mouth like impudent talk that blows at us

With words like a thousand donkeys

إِن تَكُنْ عَيْنٌ له عُورةٌ

فهو منها الدَّهرَ ليس يَرى

If he has a defect in his eye

He has been, for ages, unable to see

فله عينٌ بسَوْءَته

تلك عينُ تطلب الأَثرا

So he has an eye, with his wickedness

That is an eye that seeks traces

ما رأَيْنَا قبلَه ذَكَرا

يشتهي أَن يأْكُلَ الذَّكَرا

We never saw before him a male

Who desires to eat males

لا تغيظوا شاعراً أَبداً

واحذروا من أَلْسُن الشُّعَرا

Never antagonize a poet

And beware of the tongues of poets