1. سَجَدنا لِلقُرودِ رَجاءَ دُنيا

    حَوَتها دونَنا أَيدي القُرودِ

    We prostrated ourselves before the apes, hoping for worldly fortune—

    which the apes’ hands held, withholding it from us.

  2. فَلَم تَرجِع أِنامِلُنا بِشَيءٍ

    رَجَوناهُ سِوى ذُلِّ السُجودِ

    But our fingers returned with nothing of worth

    that we had hoped for, save the humiliation of prostration.