بَلابلُ مِن مَرمَرٍ نُحِتَت

ألا قاتلَ اللهُ مَن نَحَتا

Birds of marble were sculpted

Oh how I wish to kill who sculpted them

لقد صَوَّرَ السِّخرَ في حُسنَها

وأثبتَ لفن ما أثبتنا

He truly mocked their beauty

And affirmed for art what we affirmed

فرَاعت مناظِرُها في الجَمال

ولم يحكِهَا في الجَمال فَتَى

Their sights became fair in beauty

And no young man told of their beauty

إلى أن أتى شبهُها رَوعَةً

فأزرَى بهَا شبهُهَا إذ أتَى

Until their likeness came in splendor

So their likeness was startled when it came

فبعضُهُمُ مُطرِقٌ خَجَلاً

وَبَعضُهُم هَمَّ أَن يُفلِتَا

Some of them are hanging their heads in shame

Others thought to slip away

وَبَعضُهُمُ عنهُ ملتَفتٌ

وبعضهُمُ نحوهَ التفَتَا

Some of them are turning away

And some turned towards it

عتَو قبلَ هذا بِحسنِهمُ

كذا الدهرُ يقهرُ من قَد عَتا

They had rebelled before this with their beauty

Thus time subdues those who rebel