كَيفَ تَرى بَطشَةَ اللَهِ الَّتي بَطَشَت

بِاِبنِ المُهَلَّبِ إِنَّ اللَهَ ذو نِقَمِ

How do you see the might of God that smote

The son of Al-Muhallab? Verily God is vengeful

قادَ الجِيادَ مِنَ البَلقاءِ مُنقَبِضاً

شَهراً تَقَلقَلُ في الأَرسانِ وَاللُجُمُ

He led the steeds from Al-Balqaa' withdrawn

For a month moving to and fro in citadels and castles

حَتّى أَتَت أَرضَ هاروتٍ لِعاشِرَةٍ

فيها اِبنُ دَحمَةَ في الحَمراءِ كَالأَجَمِ

Until they came to the land of Harut for the tenth

Wherein was the son of Dahma in Al-Hamraa like a coal

لَمّا رَأَوا أَنَّ أَمرَ اللَهِ حاقَ بِهِم

وَأَنَّهُم مِثلُ ضُلّالٍ مِنَ النَعَمِ

When they saw that the command of God was upon them

And they were as straying cattle

فَأَصبَحوا لا تُرى إِلّا مَساكِنُهُم

كَأَنَّهُم مِن ثَمودِ الحِجرِ أَو إِرَمِ

They awoke to see only their dwellings

As if they were from Thamud of the rock or Iram

كَم فَرَّجَ اللَهُ عَنّا كَربَ مُظلِمَةٍ

بِسَيفِ مَسلَمَةَ الضَرّابِ لِلبُهَمِ

How much ease did God bring us from the distress of darkness

By the sword of Maslama the Smiting of confusion

وَيَومَ غيمَ مِنَ الهِندِيِّ كُنتَ لَهُ

ضَوءً وَقَد كانَ مُسوَدّاً مِنَ الظُلَمِ

And the day clouds from India you were for it

Light though it had been dark with gloom

تَأتي قُرومُ أَبي العاصي إِذا صَرَفَت

أَنيابُها حَولَ سامٍ رَأسُهُ قَطَمِ

The lairs of Abu Al-`Asi come when his

Fangs turn around a head severed from its trunk

يا عَجَبا لِعُمانِ الأَسدِ إِذ هَلَكوا

وَقَد رَأَوا عِبَراً في سالِفِ الأُمَمِ

Oh wonder of `Oman the lion when they perished

And they had seen lessons in the past of nations

لَو أَنَّهُم عَرَبٌ أَو كانَ قائِدُهُم

مُدَبِّراً ما غَزا العِقبانَ بِالرَخَمِ

If only they were Arabs or their leader

Had been a wise planner, he would not have attacked the vultures with polio