وبينand between كثيبِa dune الرملthe sand والبانَةand the bān tree التيwhich
وبين كثيبِ الرمل والبانَة التي
علىupon الرملِthe sand مشدودٌtightly bound شِدادَتُهits girdle فترُa thumb-to-forefinger span
على الرملِ مشدودٌ شِدادَتُه فترُ
And between the sand dune and the bān tree that
Between a sandy hill and a shelter stretched taut
stands upon the sand is a girdled waist, its girdle a thumb-to-forefinger span.
Across the sands, a shelter that gives way
ويفضلُand remains left over عنهاbeyond it مشبلٌunclear reading; possibly a trailing end عندwhen شدِّهاtying it
ويفضلُ عنها مشبلٌ عند شدِّها
معincluding العقدthe knot فانظرso look كيفhow يختَصرcontracts الخصرُthe waist
مع العقد فانظر كيف يختَصر الخصرُ
And something—perhaps a trailing end—remains beyond it when it is tied,
And billows out where tied, with jeweled band -
even including the knot—see how slender the waist is!
See how the waist grows slender in its sway
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle انثَنىit bent خِفناwe feared علَيهfor it وربَّماand sometimes
إذا ما انثَنى خِفنا علَيه وربَّما
يبيتُremains overnight عليناincumbent upon us منbecause of سلامتِهits safety نذرُa vow
يبيتُ علينا من سلامتِه نذرُ
Whenever it bends, we fear for it; and sometimes
When we incline thereon, and sleep the night
a vow rests upon us through the night because it remains unharmed.
In safety, by his faithfulness, we may
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.