أَلا قُل لِكَعبِ الأَشقَرِيِّ بِلُؤمِكُم

عَلِمنا بِأَنَّ اللُّؤمَ في الأَرضِ أشقَرُ

Tell Ka'b al-Ashqari with your blame,

We knew that blame on earth is ash-colored.

بيوتُكَ أَشباهُ البيوتِ وَأَهلُها

خَنازيرُ أَنباطٍ تُعافُ وَتُعّذَرُ

Your houses are like houses, and their people

Are pigs of Nabataeans, who complain and make excuses.

تَواصَوا بِذَبحِ الكَلبِ إِن جَرَّ صَوتُه

لَهُم طارِقاً وَالرّيحُ نَكباءُ صَرصَرُ

They conspired to slaughter the dog if it made a noise,

To them an intruder, while the roaring wind roared.

فَما تَرَكَ الكَلبُ النّباحَ مَخافَةً

عَلى زادِهِم لَكِن عَلى النَّفسِ يَحذَرُ

But the dog did not stop barking out of fear

For their provision, but to protect himself he was cautious.