أَلا تَرَى مَأرِباً ما كانَ أَحصَنَهُ

أَلا تَرَى مَأرِباً ما كانَ أَحصَنَهُ

وَما حَوالَيهِ مِن سورٍ وَبُنيانِ

وَما حَوالَيهِ مِن سورٍ وَبُنيانِ

Do you not behold Maʾrib—how impregnable it once was,

Do you not see Maʾrib—how impregnable it was—

with all the walls and edifices surrounding it?

And the wall and buildings surrounding it?

ظَلَّ العِبادِيُّ يُسقَى فَوقَ قُلَّتِهِ

ظَلَّ العِبادِيُّ يُسقَى فَوقَ قُلَّتِهِ

وَلَم يَهَب رَيبَ دَهرٍ حَقّ خَوّانِ

وَلَم يَهَب رَيبَ دَهرٍ حَقّ خَوّانِ

The ʿIbādī remained upon its summit, plied with drink,

Al-ʿIbādī kept being served drink atop its summit,

fearing not the assaults of Time—truly a great betrayer—

And did not fear the vicissitudes of truly treacherous time,

حَتَّى تَناوَلهُ مِن بَعدِ ما هَجَعوا

حَتَّى تَناوَلهُ مِن بَعدِ ما هَجَعوا

يَرقا إِلَيهِ عَلَى أَسبابِ كِتَّانِ

يَرقا إِلَيهِ عَلَى أَسبابِ كِتَّانِ

until, after they had fallen asleep, Time reached him,

Until it seized him after they had fallen asleep,

climbing up to him on ropes of flax.

Climbing up to him on ropes of flax.