PAL

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus

_ (the underscore) is the placeholder for exactly one character.
% (the percent sign) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character.
%% (two percent signs) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character, but not for blank space (so that a search ends at word boundaries).

At the beginning and at the end, these placeholders are superfluous.

dans le sens des signes ‘in the trailing direction of the cosmos’

French

References: PH Morelon: I.8.2, 26:7-8; I.10:11, 36:7
Translation of:
Arabic: على توالي البروج [PH Morelon: I.10:11, 37:4-5]
Arabic: على ما يتلو من (فلك) البروج [PH Morelon: I.8:2, 27:6; I.9:10, 31:18; I.12:4, 43:13]