بلادٌ غَدَتْ يَأْجُوْجُ فيها فَأَفْسَدَتْ

فكنتَ كذي القَرْنَيْنِ والجَحْفَلُ السَّدُّ

A land where chaos dwelled and corrupted it

You were like Dhul Qarnayn, a dam holding back the flood

وما زالَ شَرْقِيُّ المَرِيَّة عاطلاً

إلى أنْ عَلاَهَا من رؤوسِهِمُ عِقْدُ

The eastern watchtower remained idle

Until it was crowned by their skulls

قد عَوَّضُوا من بائناتِ جُسومِهِمْ

بِمُصْمَتَةٍ لا عَظْمَ فيها ولا جِلْدُ

They had replaced their ruined bodies

With silent ones, neither flesh nor bone

كَأَنّهُمُ فيها غرابيبُ وُقَّعٌ

على باسقاتٍ لا تَرُوْحُ ولا تَغْدُو

As if they were scarecrows

On towering poles, neither coming nor going

هامَ صَرْفُ الرَّدَى بِهَامِ الأعادِي

أنْ سَمَتْ نَحْوَهُمْ لها أَجْيَادُ

The cyclone of calamity roamed

When its storms raged towards them

وَتَرَاءتْ بِشَرْعِها كَعُيُونٍ

دَأْبُهَا مِثْلُ خائِفِيْها سُهادُ

And it appeared with its laws like eyes

Its ways match those of its frightened ones, driving them to sleep

ذاتُ هُدْبٍ من المَجَادِيْفِ حاكٍ

هُدْبَ باكٍ لِدَمْعِهِ إِسْعادُ

With oars striking like a mourner

Mourning his tears to make them joyful

حُمَمٌ فوقها من البيضِ نارٌ

كُلُّ مَنْ أُرْسِلَتْ عليه رَمَادُ

On it were red hot embers

And whoever was struck by its ashes

ومِنْ الخَطِّ في يَدِيْ كلِّ ذِمْرٍ

أَلِفٌ خَطَّها على البحر صادُ

And in the hands of each brave warrior

A thousand whose lines it drew in the sea, hunting