1. أَعوذُ بِاللَهِ العَزيزِ الغَفّار

    وَبِالإِمامِ العَدلِ غَيرِ الجَبّار

    I seek refuge in God, the Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving,

    and in the just imam, no tyrant,

  2. مِن ظُلمِ حِمّانَ وَتَخريبِ الدار

    فَاِسأَل بَني صَحبٍ وَرَهطَ الجَرّار

    from Himman's oppression and the destruction of the dwelling.

    So ask the sons of Sahb and al-Jarrar's clan,

  3. وَالسَلَمِيِّينَ العِظامَ الأَخطار

    وَالقُرَشِيِّينَ ذَوي السَيحِ الجار

    and the Salamis, men of great standing,

    and the Qurayshis, possessors of flowing water:

  4. هَل كانَ قَبلَ حَفرِنا مِن مِحفار

    أَو كانَ مِن وِردٍ بِهِ أَو إِصدار

    was there any spade before we dug,

    or any coming there to water, or leading away from it?

  5. حَفَرتُها وَهيَ كِناسُ البَقّار

    مُقفِرَةُ الجَوفِ أَشَدُّ الإِقفار

    I dug it when it was a lair for wild cattle,

    desolate within, utterly deserted.

  6. يَمشي بِها كُلُّ مُوَشّى بَربار

    مُوَشَّمُ الأَكرُعِ فيها جَأآر

    Every dappled, bellowing bull roamed there,

    its shanks tattoo-marked, loudly lowing there,

  7. يَهُزُّ رَوقَيهِ كَهَزِّ الإِسوار

    تَكَسُّرَ المِنقارِ بَعدَ المِنقار

    brandishing its two horns like a Persian horseman.

    Pickaxe after pickaxe shattered,

  8. بَعدَ دَمِ الكَفِّ وَنَزعِ الأَظفار

    يَصهَلنَ في الجُبِّ صَهيلَ الأَمهار

    after palms had bled and fingernails been torn out.

    They neighed in the well like foals,

  9. في الجَبَلِ الأَصَمِّ غَيرِ الخَوّار

    فَسائِلِ الجيرانَ عَن جارِ الدار

    in the solid mountain, not soft and yielding.

    So ask the neighbors about the dwelling's neighbor;

  10. فَالجارُ قَد يَعلَمُ أَخبارَ الجار

    وَاِحكُم عَلى تَبَيُّنٍ وَاِستِبصار

    for a neighbor may well know his neighbor's affairs.

    And judge with clear understanding and insight.

  11. يا لَيتَنا وَنَمِرَ بنَ أَنمار

    وَالهَوبَرَ بنَ الهِنبَرِ بنِ الهَبّار

    Oh, would that we and Namir son of Anmar,

    and al-Hawbar son of al-Hinbar son of al-Habbar,

  12. عِندَ مُصَلّى البَيتِ دونَ الأَستار

    مَقامُ إِبراهيمَ حَيثُ الأَحجار

    were at the House's place of prayer, before the curtains,

    at Abraham's Station, where the stones are,

  13. وَيَرفَعُ السَترَ بَنو عَبدِ الدار

    ثُمَّ حَلَفنا بِالعَزيزِ الغَفّار

    with the sons of Abd al-Dar raising the curtain,

    and then swore by the Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving,

  14. فَلَقِيَ الكاذِبَ فَوّارُ النار

    and the surging blaze of fire befell the liar.