1. أَما لِأَميرِ هَذا المِصرِ عَقلٌ

    يُقيمُ عَنِ الطَريقِ ذَوي النُجومِ

    Has the emir of this city no sense

    to clear the road of the men of the stars?

  2. فَكَم قَطَعوا السَبيلَ عَلى ضَعيفٍ

    وَلَم يُعفوا النِساءَ مِن الهُجومِ

    For how often they have waylaid the weak,

    and have not spared women their assaults.

  3. هُمُ ناسٌ وَلَو رُجِموا اِستَحَقّوا

    بِأَنَّهُمُ شَياطينُ الرُجومِ

    They are human; yet, were they stoned, they would deserve it,

    for they are devils, targets of the shooting stars.

  4. إِذا اِفتَكَرَ اللَبيبُ رَأى أُموراً

    تَرُدُّ الضاحِكاتِ إِلى الوُجومِ

    When the discerning man reflects, he sees things

    that turn the laughing to silent gloom.

  5. إِلى اللَيثَينِ تُرسِلُ بِاِقتِدارٍ

    نَوائِبَها يَدُ القَدَرِ الهَجومِ

    To both lions, with power, it sends

    its calamities—the hand of onrushing fate:

  6. فَمِن أَسَدٍ يُعَدُّ مِنَ الضَواري

    وَمِن أَسَدٍ يُعَدُّ مِنَ النُجومِ

    one a lion counted among the beasts of prey,

    and one a lion counted among the stars.