بَكَرتْcame early مهينمةُmurmuring الصباthe east wind تغْليساbefore dawn
بَكَرتْ مهينمةُ الصبا تغْليسا
فوجدتُso I found منهاfrom it للفؤادfor the heart أنيسَاa comforting companion
فوجدتُ منها للفؤاد أنيسَا
The murmuring east wind came early, before dawn,
The morning of youth dawned gracefully,
and in it I found a companion for my heart.
Bringing joy and delight to my heart.
وافتarrived فرنحتand set swaying المشوقَthe yearning lover وبرّدَتْand cooled
وافت فرنحت المشوقَ وبرّدَتْ
لأخيfor the devotee of المُدامةwine والنديمand the drinking companion كؤوساcups
لأخي المُدامة والنديم كؤوسا
It arrived, set the yearning lover swaying, and cooled
It came closer, arousing longing,
cups for the wine-lover and the drinking companion.
And cooled cups of wine for my brother and friend.
والروضand the garden قدalready لبستput on معاطفthe flanks of دَوْحهits great trees
والروض قد لبست معاطف دَوْحه
سَحَراًat dawn وشاءًbrocade للربيعbelonging to spring نفيساprecious
سَحَراً وشاءً للربيع نفيسا
And the flanks of the garden's great trees had donned
The garden dressed itself in fine garments,
at dawn a precious brocade of spring.
Like the spring adorned with precious jewels.
وارنّand rang out فيamong عذْبsweet الأراكthe arak trees سواجعٌcooing birds
وارنّ في عذْب الأراك سواجعٌ
هيَّجْنthey stirred منof بُرَحthe torments of الغرامpassionate love رسيساa lingering trace
هيَّجْن من بُرَح الغرام رسيسا
And cooing birds rang out among the sweet arak trees,
Passionate gazelles frolicked in the meadows,
stirring a lingering trace of love's torment.
Stirring up the embers of love.
فيهنَّamong them مستحرٌone aflame يساهِمُنيshares with me الهوىlove
فيهنَّ مستحرٌ يساهِمُني الهوى
أحمىheated بقلبِin the heart of المُسْتَهامthe lovesick one وطيساa furnace
أحمى بقلبِ المُسْتَهام وطيسا
Among them was one aflame who shared my longing,
Among them a doe who enticed my passion,
and stoked a furnace in the lovesick heart.
With a heart inflamed and restless for her.
طارحتُهI exchanged with him شكوىcomplaints of الصبابةardent yearning والجوىand heartache
طارحتُه شكوى الصبابة والجوى
وتخذتهand I took him فيin الواديينthe two valleys جليساa companion
وتخذته في الواديين جليسا
I exchanged with him complaints of yearning and heartache,
I complained to her of separation and longing,
and took him as my companion in the two valleys.
And made her my companion in the two valleys.
حتىuntil إِذاwhen انْتَبَهawoke السُّقاةُthe cupbearers لِشَدْوهِto his song
حتى إِذا انْتَبَه السُّقاةُ لِشَدْوهِ
وسَفَرْنَand they unveiled their faces ماwhat lay بينbetween الظِّلالthe shadows شُموساas suns
وسَفَرْنَ ما بين الظِّلال شُموسا
Until, when the cupbearers awoke to his song,
Until the water-carriers were alerted by her singing,
and unveiled their faces as suns amid the shadows,
And the sun traveled between the shadows.
طَرِبتْrejoiced نْدامايَmy drinking companions العِطاشthirsty وأطلقواand they released
طَرِبتْ نْدامايَ العِطاش وأطلقوا
نُوراًa light بأحْشاءِin the bellies of الدِّنانthe wine jars حَبِيساheld captive
نُوراً بأحْشاءِ الدِّنان حَبِيسا
my thirsty drinking companions rejoiced and released
Thirsty, my regret was unleashed,
a light held captive in the bellies of the wine jars.
As they freed the light trapped in the jars.
فكأنَّماso it was as though حيَّاgreeted المزاجُthe mixing-water بأنْجُمٍwith stars
فكأنَّما حيَّا المزاجُ بأنْجُمٍ
منهاfrom it وزَفَّand led in bridal procession لناto us الزُجَاجُthe glass عَروساa bride
منها وزَفَّ لنا الزُجَاجُ عَروسا
So it was as though the mixing-water offered stars in greeting
As if the wine greeted the stars,
from the wine, while the glass led a bride to us.
And the glass overflowed, bringing us a bride.
يَسْعىhurries بهاwith her رَشَأa gazelle-fawn إليهtoward him تَطايرَتscattered in flight
يَسْعى بها رَشَأ إليه تَطايرَت
نَفْسُthe soul of المشوقthe yearning lover مَعَwith الزَّفيرsighing نفوساas many souls
نَفْسُ المشوق مَعَ الزَّفير نفوسا
A gazelle-fawn hurried with her; toward him flew
To her the breath of longing fluttered,
the yearning lover's soul, with his sighs, scattered into many souls.
Together with sighs, souls flew.
قدalready جالَcoursed ماءُthe water of الحُسْنِbeauty فيthrough وجَنَاتِهhis cheeks
قد جالَ ماءُ الحُسْنِ في وجَنَاتِه
وَجَلاand dispelled بصبْحِwith the dawn of جبينهِhis brow الحنديساpitch darkness
وَجَلا بصبْحِ جبينهِ الحنديسا
The water of beauty had coursed through his cheeks,
The water of beauty streamed in her cheeks,
and he dispelled pitch darkness with the dawn of his brow.
Her luminous brow shone like a chandelier.
حيثُwhere المنىwishes أمَمٌnear at hand وعيشُand the life of أخيthe devotee of الهوىlove
حيثُ المنى أمَمٌ وعيشُ أخي الهوى
بَشُّcheerful الأسرّةin countenance ماnever اسْتَغارَcalled upon عبوساa scowling one
بَشُّ الأسرّة ما اسْتَغارَ عبوسا
There wishes were near at hand, and the life of love's devotee
Where wishes come true, and my brother finds
was bright of face, never calling upon a scowl.
In her smile, when she frowns, a happy life.
والروضُand the garden داريّDarin-like الشميمin fragrance ثنتْbent لهfor it
والروضُ داريّ الشميم ثنتْ له
أيديthe hands of النسيمthe breeze معاطِفاًcurving boughs وغروساand planted trees
أيدي النسيم معاطِفاً وغروسا
And the garden was Darin-fragrant; bent for it were
The garden, fragrant with jasmine, wove for him
boughs and planted trees by the breeze's hands.
Garments with the hands of the breeze and branches.
وحَبَتْهُand bestowed on it أنديةُthe dews of البُكورِearly morning لآلِئأpearls
وحَبَتْهُ أنديةُ البُكورِ لآلِئأ
وكَسَتْهُand clothed it أزهارُthe flowers of الربيعِspring لَبُوساa garment
وكَسَتْهُ أزهارُ الربيعِ لَبُوسا
And the early morning's dews bestowed pearls upon it,
The gatherings of dawn loved him with pearls,
and spring's flowers clothed it in a garment.
And spring flowers clothed him in kisses.
حاكتwove بهنَّwith them منof القريضِverse رسالةًa letter
حاكت بهنَّ من القريضِ رسالةً
ألْقَتْoffered إِليَّto me بودّهاwith her affection تأنيساcomfort
ألْقَتْ إِليَّ بودّها تأنيسا
With those flowers was woven a letter of verse;
With them, poetry wrote a message
she offered me comfort with her affection.
Casting its affection to me, bringing joy.
كادَتْalmost تُمانِعُهاheld her back رجاحةُthe weightiness of قَدْرهاher standing
كادَتْ تُمانِعُها رجاحةُ قَدْرها
منfrom أنto تميلَlean مَعَwith الصَّباthe east wind وتميساand sway gracefully
من أن تميلَ مَعَ الصَّبا وتميسا
The weight of her dignity almost held her back
The eloquence of her words almost
from leaning with the east wind and swaying gracefully.
Refused to drift with the breeze and bend.
جُملsentences تلاحَمَwas tightly joined نَسْجُهاtheir weave وبَدائِعٌand marvels
جُمل تلاحَمَ نَسْجُها وبَدائِعٌ
أضحىbecame سِباقoutstripping رهانهاtheir contest ميؤوساhopeless
أضحى سِباق رهانها ميؤوسا
Sentences whose weave was tightly joined, and marvels
Well-crafted wonders, prose intertwined,
that none could now hope to outstrip in a contest.
Leaving the race of metaphor hopeless.
فالسّحْرُfor magic أدْنىtoo lowly عنْدَbeside غَنْجِthe coquetry of لحاظهاher glances
فالسّحْرُ أدْنى عنْدَ غَنْجِ لحاظها
منthan أنْthat نُمثّلهاwe liken her بهto it ونقيساand we measure
من أنْ نُمثّلها به ونقيسا
For magic is too lowly beside the coquetry of her glances
Magic is inferior before her bewitching glance,
for us to liken her to it and measure her by it.
To portray it or make an analogy.
والوشيُand brocade منfrom صنعاءَSanaa أنزلُlower رتبةًin rank
والوشيُ من صنعاءَ أنزلُ رتبةً
منthan أنthat يكونit should be لعطِفهاfor her flank ملبوساworn
من أن يكون لعطِفها ملبوسا
And brocade from Sanaa is too low in rank
Yemeni musk is lower in rank
to be worn upon her figure.
Than to adorn her neck.
وشَّتْembroidered معاطفَهاher folds قريحةُthe creative gift of ماهرٍa master
وشَّتْ معاطفَها قريحةُ ماهرٍ
بطرائِفٍwith rare conceits قدalready أُحْكِمَتْwere perfected تأسيساin construction
بطرائِفٍ قد أُحْكِمَتْ تأسيسا
A master's creative gift embroidered her folds
A skilled artisan wove her cloak
with rare conceits, perfected in their construction.
With masterfully constructed intricacies.
هوhe ذلكthat الزَّكِنُthe perceptive one اللبيبُthe discerning one ومنand the one who غداbecame
هو ذلك الزَّكِنُ اللبيبُ ومن غدا
دَوْحُthe great trees of البيانِeloquence بِفِكْرِهthrough his thought مغروساplanted
دَوْحُ البيانِ بِفِكْرِه مغروسا
He is that perceptive, discerning man, and the one whose
The wise, eloquent one, who tomorrow
thought has planted the grove of eloquence.
Will make rhetoric sprout with his ideas.
فلقُسُّfor surely Quss أدْنىtoo lowly مَعْwith شقاشِقِthe outbursts of هَدْرِهِhis roaring voice
فلقُسُّ أدْنى مَعْ شقاشِقِ هَدْرِهِ
منthan أنthat يكونَhe should be لهto him بذاكin that جنيساa peer
من أن يكونَ له بذاك جنيسا
For even Quss, with the outbursts of his booming voice, is too lowly
Lighter verses are inferior, despite their wit,
to be his peer in that skill.
To be her equal in this regard.
فإِليكَso, to you ياO ربَّmaster of الفصاحةِeloquence غادةa graceful maiden
فإِليكَ يا ربَّ الفصاحةِ غادة
قَدhas أخْجَلَتْput to shame بجمالهاwith her beauty بلقيساBilqis
قَد أخْجَلَتْ بجمالها بلقيسا
So to you, O master of eloquence, comes a graceful maiden
To you, O Lord of eloquence, she comes,
whose beauty has put Bilqis to shame.
Outshining even Bilqis in her beauty.
سِيقَتْwas led إِليكَto you وقدand already أَتحْتَyou provided لِمِثْلِهاfor one like her
سِيقَتْ إِليكَ وقد أَتحْتَ لِمِثْلِها
مِنfrom لفظِكyour speech الدُّرِّيّpearl-like مغناطيساa magnet
مِن لفظِك الدُّرِّيّ مغناطيسا
She was led to you, and you had provided for one like her
She is brought to you, and you have prepared
a magnet from your pearl-like diction.
For her, words like magnetic pearls.
عذراءa virgin تَرْفُلُwalks with trailing robes فيin حَبِيرِembroidered fabric مُلاءَةٍa mantle
عذراء تَرْفُلُ في حَبِيرِ مُلاءَةٍ
حَثّurged on الودادُaffection بهاwith her إِليكtoward you العيساthe pale camels
حَثّ الودادُ بها إِليك العيسا
A virgin sweeping along in an embroidered mantle,
A maiden walking proudly innecklaces,
affection urged the pale camels bearing her toward you.
With love, she hastens the messenger to you.
فاحْلُلso unfasten قراطِقهاher tunics لدَيْكَin your presence وأَوْلِهاand grant her
فاحْلُل قراطِقها لدَيْكَ وأَوْلِها
نَظَرَthe regard of الجميلthe gracious one مُمَتّعاًgranted enjoyment محروساkept safe
نَظَرَ الجميل مُمَتّعاً محروسا
So undo her tunics before you, and grant her
So receive her papers and grant her
your gracious regard—may you enjoy life and be kept safe.
The beautiful gaze of your protected eye.
واسلَمand be safe ودُمْand endure ماnot زالَceased رَبْعُكَyour dwelling آهِلاًinhabited
واسلَم ودُمْ ما زالَ رَبْعُكَ آهِلاً
ومَقرّand the seat of أُنْسِكَyour fellowship بالهناwith happiness مَأْنُوسَاmade congenial
ومَقرّ أُنْسِكَ بالهنا مَأْنُوسَا
May you be safe and endure, your dwelling ever inhabited,
Greet and live on, as long as your abode
and your place of fellowship gladdened with happiness.
Remains inhabited, and your home so familiar.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.