إذا عاقبت شرّيرا فكحلا

فقد يستوجب الكحل الظلوم

If you punish the wicked, then how wise!

For cruelty may warrant such cruel demise.

ألم ترَ كيف أعمى الله قوما

من الأشرار وهو بهم عليم

Did you not see how God blinded a folk

Of evildoers, though their acts He could invoke?

وعاملَهُم بما استوجبوه

بعلم منه والأعلمى مشوم

And treated them as they did merit-

With knowledge supreme and vision to ferret.

يحدّ الفاسق الجاني فيبرا

وحدّ الله في الأعمى مقيم

The sinner may wander and guiltily grieve,

But God's sentence on the blind shall not leave.

وكانت عكبرا لهم محّلا

فكلّهُمُ بظاهرِها اللزوم

Their refuge was ‘Akabah, which then failed

And all who dwelled in its shelter then wailed.

أتطمع أن تطرّف بالمصّلي

كما كانت وهل تلد العقيم

Do you hope to lure the pious therein,

As it was before? Barren women don’t birth again!

حطاما يا بني شيبان فابكوا

كما يبكي لدرّته الفطيم

It's rubble, O Bani Shayban, so mourn-

Like a bereft mother who's suckling was shorn.

فهذا عاجل لكم جزاء

وعند الله تجتمع الخصوم

This is the fate you promptly were served,

While with God, all plaintiffs shall be heard.