1. تِلكَ الرِياضُ إِذا تَهَجَّرَ حادِثٌ

    لَم تَلقَ إِلّا ظِلَّها وَجَناها

    Those gardens—when a calamity travels in the midday heat,

    You find nothing but their shade and fruit.

  2. لَمَعَ النُضارُ بِها فَقُلنا شَمسُها

    وَجَرى اللُجَينُ فَخِلتُهُ أَمواها

    Gold gleamed within them, and we said it was their sun;

    And silver flowed, and I thought it was water.

  3. نَظَروا الخُيولَ فَأَثبَتَت نَظَراتُهُم

    غُرَراً عَلَيها قَد وُسِمنَ جِباها

    They gazed at the horses, and their glances fixed

    White blazes upon them, branded on their foreheads.

  4. وَلَرُبَّ هاتِفَةٍ دَعَتهُم لِلوَغى

    جَعَلوا صَليلَ المُرهَفاتِ صَداها

    And many a calling voice summoned them to battle;

    They made the clash of keen-edged blades its echo.

  5. هِيَ كَالمَوارِدِ في العُيونِ وَطالَما

    نَقَعوا بِهاماتِ الكُماةِ صَداها

    They are like watering places to the eyes, and often

    They have slaked the blades' thirst with armored warriors' heads.

  6. أَنِفَت يَداهُ لَها فَلَم تَعطَل لَدى

    تَجريدِها فَمِنَ الدِماءِ حَلاها

    His hands disdained to leave them bare, so they were not unadorned when

    Unsheathed—their ornaments were of blood.

  7. هِيَ في بِحارِ يَدَيهِ أَمواجٌ تُرى

    وَنُفوسُ مَن قَتَلَتهُ مِن غَرقاها

    They are waves seen in the seas of his hands,

    And the souls of those they slew are among their drowned victims.

  8. لا بَل زِنادُ جَهَنَّمٍ في كَفِّهِ

    مِنها فَكُلُّ مُكَذِّبٍ يَصلاها

    No, rather, Hell's fire-strikers in his palm

    Are made of them; so every denier burns in it.

  9. لَو أَنَّ أَرضاً مَرَّةً فَدَتِ السَما

    كانَت عِداها في الخُطوبِ فِداها

    If ever earth were to ransom the sky,

    Their foes would, in calamities, be their ransom.

  10. وَمَنِ المُحَدِّثُ نَفسَهُ بِلَحاقِها

    فَدَعِ الحَديثَ عَنِ الَّذي ساواها

    And who would entertain the thought of catching up with them?

    So leave aside talk of one who equaled them.