رامَ دُنياهُ ناسِكٌ

فَاِدَّعى النُسكَ وَاِنتَحَل

An ascetic sought this world of his,

then claimed renunciation, falsely assuming its guise.

أَصبَحَ المُفتَري عَلى اللَهِ

قَد ذَلَّ وَاِضمَحَلّ

He who fabricated lies against God

ended in abasement and decline.

بَينَما يَعمُرُ المَنا

زِلَ قالوا قَدِ اِرتَحَل

While he was building his dwell—

ings, they said, “He has departed.”

عَزَّ رَبُّ النُجومِ تَس

ري وَلا تَسأَمُ الرَحَل

Mighty is the Lord of the stars; they

journey by night, never weary of travel.

أَيَنامُ السِماكُ أَم

هُوَ بِالغُمضِ ما اِكتَحَل

Does al-Simāk sleep, or

has it never lined its eyes with slumber?

جَهِلَ المُشتَري وَإِن

كانَ في الخَيرِ ذا مَحَل

Jupiter did not know—though

it occupied an auspicious station—

أَيُّ ذَنبٍ أَصابَهُ

فَسَما فَوقَهُ زُحَل

what sin had befallen it,

so that Saturn rose above it.