وَجَوزِ تِيهٍ فِى بِلادٍ اِصمِتِ

حُقَّ بِوَعرٍ صُلَّبٍ وَرَملَةِ

In the wilderness of desolation's land

Rightful of rugged plains and sandy dunes

وَخُبَّةٍ مَوصِيَّةٍ بِخُبَّةِ

تَنَشَّطَتهُ كُلُّ عَجلَى رَسلَةِ

And ruins bidding ruins in their ruins

Every fleet messenger hastened through

مُجفَرَةِ الجَنبِ نِيافٍ جَسرَةِ

بَوّاعَةٍ بِالصَّحصَحِ المُمَرَّتِ

Strapping their side-bags, robust and bold

Peddling their wares with clinking bells

تَقِيسُ عَرضَ المَرتِ بَعدَ الاَمرُتِ

تَذرَعُهُ اِلَى جِباً مُؤَمَّتِ

Measuring the breadth of ruin after ruin

Stretching to the nearest mountain beyond

دَفقاءَ تَنسابُ انِسيابَ الحَيَّةِ

لَولا التَّصادِيرُ وَاَزمُ الغُرضَةِ

Pouring torrents cascading like serpents

If not for the obstructions and twists in their path

بِصَدرِها وَذُو ثَلاثِ النِّسعَةِ

بِالكُورِ مِن تَصدِيرِها لاَنسَلَّتِ

With their chests, thrice the width expanded

At the bends from their selling wanderings

تَبَعصًصَ الاَفعَى اِذا ما وَلَّتِ

تَنفُضُ هُدبَ القِطعِ وَالاَشِلَّةِ

Slithering stealthily like snakes in coils

Shedding flakes of fragments and debris

وَكُلُّ سِرداحِ العِظامِ مُصمَتِ

مُنتَفِجٍ تَابُوتُهُ مُسَحَّتِ

Every heap of scattered bones, muted

Coffin convulsing, wiped and smoothed

شُداقِمٍ ذِى شَدَقٍ مُهَرَّتِ

يُصلِقُ حَدَّ عارِهٍ مُصَوِّتِ

Cheeks wide and gaping, oxen-marked

Scraping loudly his shame so candid

مُقَتَّلٍ قَد لَمَّ الصَّخرَةِ

عَلَى السُّرَى وَالاَينِ باقِى الرُّوبَةِ

Slain with body strewn on stones

Over ruins and whereabouts the remnants stayed