جسمٌa body سقيمٌailing لاnot يرامis sought شفاؤهits cure
جسمٌ سقيمٌ لا يرام شفاؤه
سلبتstole سويداthe black core of مهجتيmy heart سوداؤهits black pupil
سلبت سويدا مهجتي سوداؤه
A sickly body whose cure is not sought;
A sick body beyond cure
its black pupil has stolen the black core of my heart.
My dark complexion took away my beauty
عجباًhow wondrous! لهit is جفناًas an eyelid كماas قسمapportioned الهوىlove
عجباً له جفناً كما قسم الهوى
فيهin it الضنىlanguor وبمهجتيand in my heart أدواؤهits ailments
فيه الضنى وبمهجتي أدواؤه
How wondrous an eyelid it is, as love has allotted
How strange that he is indifferent
languor to it, and its ailments to my heart.
While my beauty is gone with my complexion
ياO معرضاًone turning away يهوىdesires فناthe destruction of روحيmy soul وليand I have
يا معرضاً يهوى فنا روحي ولي
روحa soul تمنىwishes أنthat يطولَbe prolonged بقاؤهhis life
روح تمنى أن يطولَ بقاؤه
O aloof one, desiring my soul's destruction, I have
O you who loves my soul and self
a soul that wishes your life to endure.
My soul wishes its existence prolonged
إنif ينأdraws away عنيfrom me منكof yours شخصٌa form باخلٌwithholding
إن ينأ عني منك شخصٌ باخلٌ
روحيmy soul وماand all that ملكتpossessed يديّmy two hands فداؤهhis ransom
روحي وما ملكت يديّ فداؤه
If your withholding form withdraws from me,
If one dear parts from me out of spite
my soul and all my hands possess are his ransom.
I offer my soul and what I own for his ransom
فلربَّfor many a ليلٍnight شقّcleft طيفكyour phantom جنحهits dark wing
فلربَّ ليلٍ شقّ طيفك جنحه
والصبحand dawn لمnot ينشقّsplit open عنهfrom it رداؤهits cloak
والصبح لم ينشقّ عنه رداؤه
For many a night your phantom cleft its dark wing,
For perhaps a night whose darkness tore your image
while dawn's cloak had not yet been torn away.
And morning has not torn its veil
سمحاًgenerously yielding يسابقنيraces me إلىtoward القبلthe kisses التيwhich
سمحاً يسابقني إلى القبل التي
قدalready كانhad يقنعنيsatisfied me بهاwith them إيماؤهhis gesture
قد كان يقنعني بها إيماؤه
Freely yielding, it raced me toward the kisses
Forgiving, he races me to kisses that
whose mere suggestion from him had once satisfied me.
His gestures once sufficed to convince me of
ومضيقand a tight space ضمّof an embrace لوif دراهُhe knew it معذِّبيmy tormentor
ومضيق ضمّ لو دراهُ معذِّبي
ضاقتwould have narrowed عليهaround him أرضهhis earth وسماؤهand his heaven
ضاقت عليه أرضه وسماؤه
And such a tight embrace—had my tormentor known it,
If my tormentor knew the intimacy of my embrace
his earth and heaven would have closed in on him.
His land and sky would constrict for him
جسمانtwo bodies مرئيانseen جسماًas a body واحدًاone
جسمان مرئيان جسماً واحدًا
كالنظمlike verse شدَّدَdoubled حرَفهُits letter علماؤهits scholars
كالنظم شدَّدَ حرَفهُ علماؤه
Two bodies, seen as a single body,
Two visible bodies, one body
like verse whose scholars have doubled its letter.
As prose strengthens the letters of its rhyme
أفديI would ransom الذيhim who هوhe فيin سناهُhis radiance وسطوهِand his might
أفدي الذي هو في سناهُ وسطوهِ
بدرٌa full moon وقتلىand those slain by حسنهِhis beauty شهداؤهhis martyrs
بدرٌ وقتلى حسنهِ شهداؤه
I would ransom him who, in his radiance and might,
I ransom the one who is in his prime and power
is a full moon; those slain by his beauty are his martyrs.
A full moon, and the martyrs of his beauty
قامتundertook حلاهُhis charms بوصفهto describe him حتىuntil غداbecame
قامت حلاهُ بوصفه حتى غدا
متغزلاًsinging love poetry فيabout خدِّهhis cheek وأواؤهhis Waʾwāʾ
متغزلاً في خدِّه وأواؤه
His charms took to describing him, until
His splendor stood up to describe him until he became
his Waʾwāʾ became a love poet singing of his cheek.
One who romances about his cheeks and littleness
حتامhow long? بينbetween مذكرٍa male ومؤنثٍand a female
حتام بين مذكرٍ ومؤنثٍ
قلبيmy heart الشجيّsorrowful طويلةprolonged برحاؤهits anguish
قلبي الشجيّ طويلة برحاؤه
How long, between a male and a female,
Hatim between masculine and feminine
must my grieving heart suffer prolonged anguish?
My ardent heart long in its confusion
وعلىand for الغزالةthe female gazelle والغزالand the male gazelle لأدمعيmy tears have
وعلى الغزالة والغزال لأدمعي
سيلٌa torrent وأقوالُand the words الوشاةِof the slanderers غثاؤهits flotsam
سيلٌ وأقوالُ الوشاةِ غثاؤه
For the female and the male gazelle, my tears form
My tears and the vile's prattle
a torrent, and the slanderers' words are its flotsam.
Are floods over the gazelle and gazelle (male and female)
سقياًmay rain bless لمصرEgypt حمىa sanctuary بسيطٌoutspread بحرُهُits sea
سقياً لمصر حمى بسيطٌ بحرُهُ
للواصفينfor describers مديدةٌlong أفياؤهits shadows
للواصفين مديدةٌ أفياؤه
May rain bless Egypt—a sanctuary whose sea is wide;
Offering the fevered plain of Egypt whose sea
its shadows stretch long for those who describe it.
Is endless for eulogizers to draw from
لوif لمnot يكنwere بلداًa land يعاليrivals in height بلدةًa city
لو لم يكن بلداً يعالي بلدةً
بينamong النجومthe stars لماwould not ارتضاهhe chose it علاؤهits glory (ʿAlāʾ)
بين النجوم لما ارتضاه علاؤه
Were it not a land vying with a city
If it were not a country superior to any country
among the stars, its ʿAlāʾ—its glory—would not have chosen it.
Among the stars its supremacy would not be desired
أماas for عليّʿAlī المستماحُthe one petitioned for gifts فكلناso each of us
أما عليّ المستماحُ فكلنا
متشيعٌa partisan يسريtravels إليهtoward him ولاؤهhis allegiance
متشيعٌ يسري إليه ولاؤه
As for ʿAlī, from whom bounty is sought, each of us
As for me the one who seeks forgiveness, we are all
is a partisan whose allegiance flows to him.
Loyal followers marching toward him
المشتريthe buyer (Jupiter) سلعَthe wares of الثناءpraise بجودِهِwith his generosity
المشتري سلعَ الثناء بجودِهِ
وبهاؤهand his splendor لعطاردٍbelongs to Mercury وذكاؤهand his intelligence
وبهاؤه لعطاردٍ وذكاؤه
He is Jupiter, buying the wares of praise with his generosity;
The buyer of praise goods is generous in his munificence
and his splendor and intelligence are Mercury's.
And his brilliance to Mercury and its intellect
دلَّتattested مناقبهُhis virtues علىto أنسابهِhis lineages
دلَّت مناقبهُ على أنسابهِ
وحَماهُand shielded him عنfrom تسآلasking مَن'Who?' لألاؤهhis radiance
وحَماهُ عن تسآل مَن لألاؤه
His virtues attested to his lineage,
His virtues point to his lineage
and his radiance spared him the question, 'Who is he?'
And his splendor protected from questioning his origins
ذوpossessed of الفضلexcellence منin نسبٍlineage ومنand in شيمٍcharacter traits فياso, O
ذو الفضل من نسبٍ ومن شيمٍ فيا
للهGod! منبتُthe root of عودِهhis stem ونماؤهand its growth
لله منبتُ عودِه ونماؤه
Noble in lineage and in character—oh,
One of lineage and character, so what
God, how fine the root of his stem, and its growth!
A fine shoot his growth and cultivation
والعودand the wood صحَّproved sound نجارهُits grain فإذاso when سرىwafted
والعود صحَّ نجارهُ فإذا سرى
أرَجُthe fragrance الثناof praise فالعودthen the aloeswood فاحgave off fragrance كباؤهits incense
أرَجُ الثنا فالعود فاح كباؤه
And the wood is sound in its grain; when there wafts
The wood stayed sound its carpenter so if it walked
the scent of praise, the aloeswood's incense spreads its fragrance.
The fragrance of praise, the wood exuded its aroma
والبيتand the house حيثwhere سناradiance الصباحِof morning عمودُهits pillar
والبيت حيث سنا الصباحِ عمودُه
وبحيثand where أخبيةthe tents السعودof auspicious stars خباؤهits pavilion
وبحيث أخبية السعود خباؤه
And the house stands where morning's radiance is its pillar,
The house where his pillar straightened in the morning
and where the tents of auspicious stars form its canopy.
And where the secrecy of glory hides its shelter
واللفظُand speech نثرٌprose (a scattering) منof صفاتِqualities الحسنِof beauty لاnot
واللفظُ نثرٌ من صفاتِ الحسنِ لا
بيضاءa white flower روضِof a meadow حمًىof a sanctuary ولاnor صفراؤهits yellow flower
بيضاء روضِ حمًى ولا صفراؤه
And his speech is prose strewn with beauty's qualities—not
Speech is prose of attributes of beauty neither
a sanctuary meadow's white flower, nor its yellow one.
The whiteness of a meadow of yearning nor its yellowness
والجودand generosity ماnot لحياthe rain has الشآمِof Syria عمومهُits all-embracing reach
والجود ما لحيا الشآمِ عمومهُ
فيناamong us ولاnor فيin نيلthe Nile مصرَof Egypt فناؤهits end
فينا ولا في نيل مصرَ فناؤه
And his bounty—Syria's rain has not its broad reach
Generosity is what gave life to Damascus in its entirety
among us, nor is its end to be found in Egypt's Nile.
Among us and not in the Nile of Egypt its loss
والرأيُand judgment نافذةٌeffective قضاياthe rulings رسمهِof its writing
والرأيُ نافذةٌ قضايا رسمهِ
منfrom قبلbefore ماthat نوتintended الإرادةَvolition راؤهits rāʾ (letter r)
من قبل ما نوت الإرادةَ راؤه
And his judgment's written rulings take effect
Opinion is insightful ordains of its principles
before its rāʾ has even conceived intention.
Before intention knotted its firm resolution
وسعادةand happiness الدَّارينof the two worlds جلَّwas exalted أساسهاits foundation
وسعادة الدَّارين جلَّ أساسها
بمعاقدthrough the bonds التقوىof piety فجلَّso was exalted بقاؤهits endurance
بمعاقد التقوى فجلَّ بقاؤه
And bliss in both worlds has an exalted foundation
The happiness of two abodes, most of its foundation is
in the firm bonds of piety; exalted, then, is its endurance.
In contracts of piety, so its survival magnificent
منfrom أسرةٍa family عمريةٍof ʿUmar's line عدويةٍof ʿAdī's clan
من أسرةٍ عمريةٍ عدويةٍ
شهدتbore witness بفضلto the excellence مكانهاof its standing أعداؤهhis enemies
شهدت بفضل مكانها أعداؤه
From a family of ʿUmar's line and ʿAdī's clan,
Of a family Umarid Adawid
his enemies have borne witness to its eminent rank.
Its enemies witness to its virtuous stature
منfrom كلِّevery ذيpossessor of نسبٍlineage سمتrose high أعراقهhis ancestral roots
من كلِّ ذي نسبٍ سمت أعراقه
يومon the day العلاof glory واستبطحتand spread wide بطحاؤهhis open plain
يوم العلا واستبطحت بطحاؤه
From every man of lineage whose roots rose high
Of all lineages, its branches tower
on the day of glory, and whose open plain spread wide.
The day of ascent, and its plains spreaded
قومa people هموthey غرَرُthe bright brows of الزمانthe age إذاwhen أضاshone
قوم همو غرَرُ الزمان إذا أضا
أمرَاؤهits princes وُزراؤهits ministers شعراؤهits poets
أمرَاؤه وُزراؤه شعراؤه
A people, the bright brows of the age, whenever there shine
A people who are deceit of time, when
its princes, its ministers, its poets.
Its princes, ministers, and poets
ملأواthey filled الثرىthe earth جوداًwith generosity يزِينُadorns ربيعهits spring
ملأوا الثرى جوداً يزِينُ ربيعه
والجوَّand the air ذكراًwith renown تنجليshine clear أضواؤهits lights
والجوَّ ذكراً تنجلي أضواؤه
They filled the earth with generosity adorning its spring,
Filled the earth with munificence adorning its meadows
and the air with renown whose lights shine clear.
And atmosphere with remembrance elucidating its lights
فالجوّso the air تصدحsings out بالمحامدwith praises عجمهُits speechless creatures
فالجوّ تصدح بالمحامد عجمهُ
والتربُand the soil تنطقُspeaks بالثناwith praise خرساؤهits mute things
والتربُ تنطقُ بالثنا خرساؤه
So the air's speechless creatures sing out praises,
So atmosphere resounds with praises, its gloom
and the earth's mute things speak in praise.
And soil articulates with eulogy its dumbness
منfrom حولِaround منزلهِhis dwelling الرَّجاءُhope محلقٌsoaring
من حولِ منزلهِ الرَّجاءُ محلقٌ
ومقصرٌand falling short حمدُthe praise الفتىof the young man وثناؤهand his laudation
ومقصرٌ حمدُ الفتى وثناؤه
Around his dwelling hope soars aloft,
Around his house, Hope circles
while the young man's praise and laudation fall short.
And the youth's praise and glorification humbled
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.