نزلناwe lodged علىwith شاعرthe poet of البلدتينthe two towns
نزلنا على شاعر البلدتين
نزولthe lodging of الجياعthe hungry علىwith المعدمِthe penniless man
نزول الجياع على المعدمِ
We lodged with the poet of the two towns,
We descended upon the poet of the two towns
as hungry men lodge with a pauper.
Like the famished upon the destitute
فلاso neither باليدينwith both hands أجادَdid well القرىhospitality
فلا باليدين أجادَ القرى
ولاnor المذقfeigned friendliness أحسنهُhe did it well بالفمwith his mouth
ولا المذق أحسنهُ بالفم
He neither offered good hospitality with his hands,
His hands were unskilled in giving
nor managed even feigned courtesy with his mouth.
Nor was his palate refined in taste
وأقبلand he began يشتمreviling أهلthe people of الشآمSyria
وأقبل يشتم أهل الشآم
ولولاand but for الحماقةfoolishness لمdid not يشتمrevile
ولولا الحماقة لم يشتم
And he began reviling the people of Syria;
He proceeded to insult the people of Syria
but for his foolishness, he would not have reviled them.
Had he not been a fool, he would not have insulted
وباتand he spent the night يذمُّdisparaging الخفيفthe light one الثقيلthe heavy one
وبات يذمُّ الخفيف الثقيل
خفيفُlight الدماغof brain ثقيلheavy الدمof blood
خفيفُ الدماغ ثقيل الدم
And the heavy fellow spent the night disparaging the light—
And he spent the night denouncing the light and heavy verse
light of brain, heavy of blood.
Light of mind, heavy of blood
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.