يا مُنْكِراً هَدْمَ الحُصُونِ إذَا اعْتَصَتْ

بِدعائِمِ التَّأسِيسِ والتَّشهِيقِ

O you who deny the destruction of fortresses when they are supported

By the pillars of foundation and cheers,

أَرِنَا البُنَاةَ لَهَا أدَامُوا أمْ رُمُوا

بِمطيحِ ضَخْمِ السَّبقِ عَالي النِّيقِ

Show us the builders - did they last or perish

By the blow of mighty precedence, highest prestige?

فهُمُ بحَيثُ تَرَى الصَّعيدَ وإنْ سَمَا

بِهِمُ الصُّعُود لمِسْبَحِ العَيُّوقِ

For they are where you see the ground, and if they ascended

With them the ascent to the horizon of the steep place,

كُلٌّ أَعَارَ الأرْضَ صَفْحةَ مُلْطِمٍ

حُرٍّ يَذِلُّ لَهُ النُّضَارُ عَتيقِ

Each lent the earth the face of a crusher,

A free man who humiliates the delicate ancient one,

وَفَرَى البِلَى شَبَحاً لَو أنَّكَ سُمْتَهُ

حَمْلَ الهِضَابِ لجَاءَهَا بمُطيقِ

And saw decay a ghost - if you called it

The bearing of plateaus, it would come with a carrier,

ورَحيبِ صَدْرٍ لَو حَكَمتَ عَليهِ أنْ

يَسَعَ البِلادَ لما اتَّقَاكَ بضِيقِ

And a chest so broad that if you judged it

To contain the countries, it would not avoid you for narrowness,

وبَنِيَّةُ الخَلاّقِ إنْ تُهدَمْ فَلاَ

تَعْجَبْ لِهَدْمِ بَنِيَّةِ المَخْلُوقِ

And the structure of the Creator - if it collapses, then do not

Be surprised at the collapse of the structure of the created.