شبَّkindled نارَthe fire of الأحشاءthe entrails ماءُthe water of البكاءِweeping
شبَّ نارَ الأحشاء ماءُ البكاءِ
أيُّwhat قيظsummer heat وجدتهُI found it فيin شتاءِwinter
أيُّ قيظ وجدتهُ في شتاءِ
The water of weeping kindled the fire in my breast.
My vitals kindled fire, my tears water
What summer heat I found in winter!
What heat did I find in winter?
علمتlearned نوحيmy lament الظباءthe gazelles فماso not
علمت نوحي الظباء فما
أبعدI deem unlikely أنيthat I بهwith it نفورone who frightens away الظباءِthe gazelles
أبعد أني به نفور الظباءِ
The gazelles have learned my lament; I do not
I knew the weeping of gazelles, but never
deem it unlikely that I drive the gazelles away with it.
Did gazelles distance themselves from me
وبروحيand with my soul as ransom وسنانُa drowsy-eyed one جارwas unjust علىto الجـthe neighbor (begins)
وبروحي وسنانُ جار على الجـ
ـارneighbor (ends) وماand not ذاكthat منamong شروطthe conditions of الوفاءِfaithfulness
ـار وما ذاك من شروط الوفاءِ
And my soul be ransom for a drowsy-eyed one who wronged his
My soul and my neighbor's tooth against my
neighbor; that is no part of faithfulness.
Neighbor—that is not one of loyalty's conditions
رشإيُّfawn-like in الإلحاظthe glances بيّضwhitened فوديّboth my temples
رشإيُّ الإلحاظ بيّض فوديّ
بسحرwith the magic of السقيمةِthe languid eye الكحلاءِthe kohl-dark one
بسحر السقيمةِ الكحلاءِ
Fawn-like in his glances, he whitened both my temples
My slight glance whitened my cheeks
with the magic of a languid, kohl-dark eye.
With the sorcery of the black-eyed beauty
وبلائيand my affliction السمرُthe dusky ones الرقاقthe slender ones فماso not
وبلائي السمرُ الرقاق فما
أعشقI love passionately غيرother than الرقيقةthe delicate one السمراءِthe dusky one
أعشق غير الرقيقة السمراءِ
And the slender, dusky ones are my affliction; never
And my affliction is the delicate brunette
do I love any but the delicate, dusky one.
I love none but the delicate brown one
كلeach ساجيlanguid of الجفونthe eyelids معتدلwell-proportioned in القـthe stature (begins)
كل ساجي الجفون معتدل القـ
ـامةstature (ends) ألمىdark-lipped ضعيفُslender at عقدِthe fastening of القباءِthe robe
ـامة ألمى ضعيفُ عقدِ القباءِ
Each languid of eyelid, well-proportioned in
Every loose-eyed one straight of stature
stature, dark-lipped and slender where the robe is tied.
I find to be weak in keeping true
طاعنواthey jousted بالقدودwith their figures فيin حومةthe fray of التthe farewell (begins)
طاعنوا بالقدود في حومة الت
توديعfarewell (ends) لمَّاwhen تلثَّمواthey veiled their faces بالحياءِin modesty
توديع لمَّا تلثَّموا بالحياءِ
They jousted with their figures in the fray of
They blamed me about the marks of parting when
farewell, when they veiled their faces in modesty.
They wrapped themselves in shyness
وحديثيand my tale عنof الدموعthe tears قديمold الـthe
وحديثي عن الدموع قديم الـ
ـعهدstanding; age يسريit seeps فيthrough الصخرةthe rock الصَّماءِsolid; unyielding
ـعهد يسري في الصخرة الصَّماءِ
And my tale of tears is of long
And my talk of tears is an old acquaintance
standing; it seeps through solid rock.
It flows into hard, deaf rock
هيthey (the tears) بينbetween الضلوعthe ribs جذوةa glowing ember of نارٍfire
هي بين الضلوع جذوة نارٍ
وخلالَand amid الأجفانthe eyelids مزنةa raincloud of ماءِwater
وخلالَ الأجفان مزنة ماءِ
Between the ribs they are a glowing ember of fire,
Inside my ribs there is a burning ember
and amid the eyelids, a rain-laden cloud.
And through my eyelids, a sprinkling of water
ياO بدورَfull moons of الخدودthe cheeks ماnot عفتمًyou shunned طرeye (begins)
يا بدورَ الخدود ما عفتمً طر
فيَmy eye (ends) إلاَّexcept منbecause of كثرةthe abundance of الأنواءِthe rainstorms
فيَ إلاَّ من كثرة الأنواءِ
O moon-cheeked ones, you have shunned my
O rosy-cheeked ones, none but you could tempt
eye only because its rainstorms are so many.
Me, with so many temptations
طالhas lasted long سقميmy sickness ولوand if بكمwith you وصلwere joined الـthe
طال سقمي ولو بكم وصل الـ
ـحبلcord; bond لماthen would not عزَّنيhave eluded me مكانthe place of الشفاءِhealing
ـحبل لما عزَّني مكان الشفاءِ
My sickness has lingered; had the cord been joined to you,
My sickness has lasted long, and if the rope were to reach
the place of healing would not have eluded me.
Healing would not make me happy
لامreproached فيfor حبكمloving you سليمُone unscathed منby اللوthe anguish (begins)
لام في حبكم سليمُ من اللو
عةanguish (ends) ناجٍone safe منfrom روعةthe terror of الأحشاءِthe entrails
عة ناجٍ من روعة الأحشاءِ
He who blamed me for loving you was free of
I blame no one for loving you, safe
anguish, safe from the terror within the breast.
From vileness, rescued from the vitals’ trembling
كمhow many a شقيقٍbrother غداbecame إليكمtoward you حسوداenvious
كم شقيقٍ غدا إليكم حسودا
وصديقٍand a friend منamong جملةthe ranks of الأعداءِthe enemies
وصديقٍ من جملة الأعداءِ
How many a brother has grown jealous on your account,
How many a sibling has woken envious
and a friend joined the ranks of enemies!
And how many a friend among the enemies
وإلىand until كمhow long أخفيI hide الهوىpassion خيفةfor fear of الواشيـthe tale-bearers (begins)
وإلى كم أخفي الهوى خيفة الواشيـ
ـنplural ending (tale-bearers) لوif كانthere were بالهوىin passion منany خفاءِconcealment
ـن لو كان بالهوى من خفاءِ
And how long shall I hide my passion for fear of tale-bearers,
And to how many have I hidden love stealthily
if passion could be hidden at all?
Had love any hiding places
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.