أَلوَت بِعَتّابٍ شَوارِدُ خَيلِنا

ثُمَّ اِنثَنَت لِكَتائِبِ الحجّاجِ

Our horses stampeded to the admonitions of a preacher,

Then gathered in legions at the call of the pilgrim guide.

لِأَخي ثَمودَ فَرُبَّما أَخطَأنَهُ

وَلَقَد بَلَغنَ العُذرَ في الإِدلاجِ

My brother Thamud I would sometimes chide,

Yet we made allowance for him in his seclusion.

حَتّى تَرَكنَ أَخا الضَلالِ مُسهَّداً

مُتَمَنِّعاً بِحَوائِطٍ وَرِتاجِ

Until we left the misguided one lying dead,

Barricaded in his mansion and annex.

وَلَعمرُ أُمِّ العَبدِ لَو أَدرَكنَهُ

لَسَقَينَهُ صِرفاً بِغَيرِ مِزاجِ

By the life of the Mother of the Servant, had he met us

We'd have offered him a draft with no dilution.

وَلَقَد تَخَطَّأَتِ المَنايا حَوشَباً

فَنَجا إِلى أَجَلٍ وَلَيسَ بِناجِ

Death indeed has missed a most formidable quarry,

Who has survived to a time, but no longer strong.