أرَىI see اللَّياليthe nights إِذاwhenever عاتَبتُهاI reproach them جعلَتthey begin
أرَى اللَّيالي إِذا عاتَبتُها جعلَت
تَمنُّboast of their favor أنthat جَعلَتنيthey made me منamong ذَويthose possessing الأدبِliterary learning
تَمنُّ أن جَعلَتني من ذَوي الأدبِ
I see the nights, whenever I reproach them, begin
When I reproach the nights they wish
to boast of their favor in making me one of the men of letters.
they had made me one of refined manners.
وليسَyet it is not عِندَknown to اللَّياليthe nights أنَّthat أقبحَthe worst ماwhat
وليسَ عِندَ اللَّيالي أنَّ أقبحَ ما
صَنَعنَthey did بيto me أنthat جَعَلنthey made الشِّعرpoetry مُكتَسَبيmy livelihood
صَنَعنَ بي أن جَعَلن الشِّعر مُكتَسَبي
Yet the nights do not realize that the worst of what
Yet the nights have no say in the matter -
they have done to me is to make poetry my livelihood.
the worst they made me do was gain poetry.
إنif كانَit is لابدَّthere is no escape مِنfrom مَدحٍpraise فهاthen behold أناI ذاthis one
إن كانَ لابدَّ مِن مَدحٍ فها أنا ذا
بحيثwhere آمنُI am safe فيin قَوليwhat I say منfrom الكذِبِfalsehood
بحيث آمنُ في قَولي من الكذِبِ
If praise is unavoidable, then here I am,
If praise is a must, here I stand
where I am safe from falsehood in what I say.
speaking truthfully in my verse.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.