لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ أَرَى جِدَبّا

في عامِنَا ذا بَعْدَ ما اخْضَبّا

I feared that I would see barrenness

In our year after it grew old

إِنَّ الدَبَى فَوْق المُتُونِ دَبّا

وَهَبَّتِ الرِيحُ بِمُورٍ هَبّا

Indeed, the plants above the dunes crawled

And the wind blew violently

تَتْرُكُ ما أَبْقَى الدَبَى سَبْسَبَّا

كَأَنَّهُ السَيْلُ إِذا اسْلَحَبّا

Leaving what the plants crawled over disturbed

As if it were a flood when it receded

أَوْ كَالحَرِيقِ وافَقَ القَصَبّا

والتِبْنَ وَالحَلْفاءَ فَالْتَهَبّا

Or a fire that met with dry reeds

And hay and dry plants so it blazed

حَتَّى تَرَى البُوَيْزِلَ الإِرْزَبّا

مِنْ عَدَمِ المَرْعَى قَدِ اقْرَعَبّا

Until you see the goats bleating

From lack of pasture, so they became emaciated

تُبّاً لأَصْحابِ الشَوِيِّ تُبّا

Woe to the people of passion, woe