ومن صنعه يومَ فيل الحبو

ومن صنعه يومَ فيل الحبو

ش إذ كلما بعثوه رزم

ش إذ كلما بعثوه رزم

And among His deeds was the day of the Abyssinians' elephant,

And of His doing on the day Al-Fil were let loose

when, whenever they roused it, it crouched.

When they sent against his followers clouds of birds

محاجنهم تحت أقرابه

محاجنهم تحت أقرابه

وقد شرموا أنفه فانحزم

وقد شرموا أنفه فانحزم

Their hooked goads were beneath its flanks;

Pelting them with stones of baked clay

and they had slit its trunk, so it drew itself tight.

And they rendered them like straw eaten down

وقد جعلوا سوطه مغولاً

وقد جعلوا سوطه مغولاً

إذا يمموه قفاه كلم

إذا يمموه قفاه كلم

And they had made its whip into a dagger:

And He made their torment wrathful

whenever they aimed it at its nape, it inflicted wounds.

When He sent down upon them birds in flocks

فولى وأدبر أدراجه

فولى وأدبر أدراجه

وقد باء بالظلم من كان ثم

وقد باء بالظلم من كان ثم

So it turned away and retreated, retracing its steps,

Drafting them as with one draft

while those who were there had incurred the guilt of wrongdoing.

Like locusts scattered abroad

فأرسل من فوقهم حاصباً

فأرسل من فوقهم حاصباً

فلفهم مثل لف القزم

فلفهم مثل لف القزم

Then He sent a stone-hurling storm from above them,

Then their wise men were put to a trial

and swept them away as puny creatures are swept away.

And they complained like unto frightened sheep

تحض على الصبر أحبارهم

تحض على الصبر أحبارهم

وقد ثأجوا كثؤاج الغنم

وقد ثأجوا كثؤاج الغنم

Their clerics urge them to remain steadfast,

while they bleated like sheep.