ياO صاحباًcompanion ماnot ذممتُI faulted صحبتهُhis companionship
يا صاحباً ما ذممتُ صحبتهُ
ساعةَan hour جدٍّearnestness منهُon his part ولاnor لعبِplay
ساعةَ جدٍّ منهُ ولا لعبِ
O friend whose company I have never faulted,
O companion, I never blamed his companionship
In any hour of his earnestness or play.
An hour of seriousness from him, nor of play
أبلجradiant-faced نبهَّتهI roused him فناولنيso he handed me
أبلج نبهَّته فناولني
فيin جامدsolidified الماءwater ذائبَmolten الذهبِgold
في جامد الماء ذائبَ الذهبِ
He was radiant-faced; I roused him, and he handed me
His alertness gave me a drink
Molten gold in solid water.
Of melted gold in frozen water
انظرlook إلىat الليلthe night والصَّباحand the dawn معاًtogether
انظر إلى الليل والصَّباح معاً
بينamid فروجgaps الفروعthe branches والثُّقبِand the openings
بين فروج الفروع والثُّقبِ
Look at night and dawn together,
Look at the night and morning together
Amid the gaps in the branches and the openings,
Between the hollows of the branches and holes
حيثwhere بروقُlightning flashes الثغورthe mouths مومضةٌflashing
حيث بروقُ الثغور مومضةٌ
منfrom لثمkissing الغانياتِthe beautiful women فيamid سحبِclouds
من لثم الغانياتِ في سحبِ
Where the mouths’ lightning flashes
Where the flashes of horizons twinkle
From kissing beautiful women amid clouds.
From the kissing of the beauties in the clouds
وأطلعتْand brought into view فوقabove صفحةthe face الشمسthe sun آفاstart of ‘horizons’
وأطلعتْ فوق صفحة الشمس آفا
قend of ‘horizons’ كؤوسcups كواكبُstars الحببِthe bubbles
ق كؤوس كواكبُ الحببِ
And above the sun’s face, the horizons
And there emerged above the page of the sun, grapes
Of cups were brought into view by the stars of bubbles.
Like cups of stars of love
والبدرand the full moon يمشيwalks تيهاًproudly علىover أنجمstars النـstart of ‘the blossoms’
والبدر يمشي تيهاً على أنجم النـ
ـوارend of ‘the blossoms’ والدنُّand the wine-jar مطلعrising-place الشُّهبِthe meteors
ـوار والدنُّ مطلع الشُّهبِ
And the full moon walks proudly over the stars of
And the moon walks lost among the stars of light
The blossoms; the wine-jar is the rising-place of meteors.
And the close one is the rising place of meteors
فياand oh لهاfor it ليلةًa night منof السكرdrunkenness لاnot أعـstart of ‘I distinguish’
فيا لها ليلةً من السكر لا أعـ
ـرفend of ‘I distinguish’ فيهاwithin it اللَّمىthe lips’ dark hue منfrom الشَّنبِthe teeth’s cool gleam
ـرف فيها اللَّمى من الشَّنبِ
Oh, what a night of drunkenness! I cannot
What a night of intoxication, I do not know in it
Distinguish there the lips’ darkness from the teeth’s cool gleam.
Drowsiness from wakefulness
سوداءblack بيضاءwhite لوif غدتit became بشراًhuman
سوداء بيضاء لو غدت بشراً
لمwould not ترضَaccept غيرother than العيونthe eyes منin respect of نسبِkinship
لم ترضَ غير العيون من نسبِ
Black and white—were it to become human,
Black and white, if it became human
It would accept no kinship except with eyes.
It would not be satisfied except with eyes from lineage
أجرتْmade flow بهاduring it السّحبُthe clouds دمعهاtheir tears كلفاًin lovesick longing
أجرتْ بها السّحبُ دمعها كلفاً
وهزَّand was shaken عطفُthe flank الدنياof the world منfrom الطربِrapture
وهزَّ عطفُ الدنيا من الطربِ
The clouds shed their tears that night, love-struck,
The clouds drew their tears fretfully
And the world’s flank was shaken with rapture.
And the waist of the world shook from joy
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.