لَو خُلِقَ اللُؤمُ إِنساناً يُكَلِّمُهُم

لَكانَ خَيرَ هُذَيلٍ حينَ ياتيها

If cowardice were a man who spoke to them,

He would be better than Hudhayl when he visits them.

تَرى مِنَ اللُؤمِ رَقماً بَينَ أَعيُنِهِم

كَما كَوى أَذرُعِ العاناتِ كاويها

You see brands between the cowards' eyes -

Like the marks of hot irons branding the slave girls.

تَبكي القُبورُ إِذا ما ماتَ مَيِّتُهُم

حَتّى يَصيحَ بِمَن في الأَرضِ داعيها

The graves weep when their coward dies -

Crying out to whoever is in the earth to mourn him.

مِثلُ القَنافِذِ تَخزى أَن تُفاجِئَها

شَدَّ النَهارِ وَيُلقى اللَيلَ ساريها

Like hedgehogs, the cowards are too timid to face

The harshness of daylight or the night spreading its veil.