1. أُختَ الكَواكِبِ ما رَما

    كِ وَأَنتِ رامِيَةُ النُسورِ

    Sister of the stars, what struck

    you, who strike down the eagles?

  2. ماذا دَهاكَ وَفَوقَ ظَهـ

    ـرِكِ مَربِضُ الأَسَدِ الهَصورِ

    What befell you, while upon your

    back lies the lair of the mighty lion?

  3. خَضَعَت لِإِمرَتِهِ الرِيا

    حُ مِنَ الصَبا وَمِنَ الدَبورِ

    The winds submitted to his command,

    from the east and from the west.

  4. فَغَدا يُصَرِّفُ مِن أَعِن

    نَتِها تَصاريفَ القَديرِ

    So he came to wield their reins

    with the mastery of the Almighty.

  5. فَتحي وَهَل لي إِن سَأَلـ

    ـتُ عَنِ المُصيبَةِ مِن مُحيرِ

    Fathi, is there anyone, if I ask

    about the calamity, who can answer me?

  6. وَيلاهُ هَل جُزتَ الحُدو

    دَ وَأَنتَ مُختَرِقُ السُتورِ

    Alas! Did you cross the bounds,

    as you pierced the veils,

  7. فَرَماكَ حُرّاسُ السَما

    ءِ وَتِلكَ قاصِمَةُ الظُهورِ

    so that the guardians of heaven struck you down?

    And that is a blow that breaks backs.

  8. أَم غارَ مِنكَ السابِحا

    تُ وَأَنتَ تَسبَحُ في الأَثيرِ

    Or did the swimmers grow jealous of you,

    as you swam in the ether?

  9. حَسَدَتكَ حينَ رَأَتكَ وَحـ

    ـدَكَ ثُمَّ كَالفَلَكِ المُنيرِ

    They envied you when they saw you

    alone then, like the radiant celestial sphere.

  10. وَالعَينُ مِثلُ السَهمِ تَنـ

    ـفُذُ في التَرائِبِ وَالنُحورِ

    And the evil eye, like an arrow, pierces

    the breastbones and the throats.

  11. حاوَلتَ أَن تَرِدَ المَجَر

    رَةَ وَالوُرودَ مِنَ العَسيرِ

    You tried to reach the Milky

    Way, though reaching it is difficult.

  12. فَوَرَدتَ يا فَتحي الحِما

    مَ وَأَنتَ مُنقَطِعُ النَظيرِ

    So you came, O Fathi, to

    death, though you were without equal.

  13. وَهَوَيتَ مِن كَبِدِ السَما

    ءِ وَهَكَذا مَهوى البُدورِ

    And you fell from the heart of

    heaven; thus do full moons fall.

  14. إِن كانَ أَعياكَ الصُعو

    دُ بِذَلِكَ الجَسَدِ الطَهورِ

    If the ascent had exhausted you

    in that pure body,

  15. فَاِسبَح بِروحِكَ وَحدَها

    وَاِصعَد إِلى المَلِكِ الكَبيرِ

    then swim with your soul alone,

    and ascend to the Great King.

  16. إِن راعَنا صَوتُ النَعِـ

    ـيِ وَفاتَنا نَبَأُ البَشيرِ

    If the sound of the death announcement appalled us,

    and the glad messenger's tidings passed us by,

  17. فَلَعَلَّ مَن ضَنَّت يَدا

    هُ عَلى الكِنانَةِ بِالسُرورِ

    then perhaps He whose hands withheld

    joy from Egypt, the Quiver,

  18. أَن يَستَجيبَ دُعاءَها

    في حِفظِ صاحِبِكَ الأَخيرِ

    will answer her prayer

    for the protection of your last companion.

  19. باتَت تُراقِبُ في المَشا

    رِقِ وَالمَغارِبِ وَجهَ نوري

    She spent the night watching in the eastern lands

    and the western lands for Nuri's face.