أَطاعhe obeyed ماwhat يَأْمُرُهُcommands him النَّاهِيthe forbidding one
أَطاع ما يَأْمُرُهُ النَّاهِي
وصارَand became فيin حِلْيَةِthe adornment of أَوَّاهِa much-sighing man
وصارَ في حِلْيَةِ أَوَّاهِ
He obeyed what the forbidding one commands him,
He obeyed what the prohibitor ordered him,
and assumed the guise of a much-sighing man.
And became clothed in the garb of the wavering one.
لهاhe dallied وكَمْand how many قِيلَwas said لهاhe dallied مَرَّةًa time
لها وكَمْ قِيلَ لها مَرَّةً
فَهْيَso it بمعنىwith the meaning واحدٍone لاهِheedless
فَهْيَ بمعنى واحدٍ لاهِ
He dallied—and how often 'he dallied' was said!
No matter how many times she was told,
So it has one meaning: 'heedless.'
It was with one meaning without any deviation.
مشتغِلٌabsorbed دُونَrather than الصّباyouthful passion بالصباin the east wind
مشتغِلٌ دُونَ الصّبا بالصبا
ودُونَand rather than نيرانٍfires بأَمْواهِin waters
ودُونَ نيرانٍ بأَمْواهِ
Absorbed in the east wind rather than youthful passion,
Busy with youth instead of youthfulness,
and in waters rather than fires.
And with pretense instead of his passions.
فَهْوَso he إِذاwhen فَكَّرَreflects فيon أَمْرِهِhis situation
فَهْوَ إِذا فَكَّرَ في أَمْرِهِ
رَأَيْتَyou see منهin him حالَةَthe state of السَّاهِيthe absentminded man
رَأَيْتَ منه حالَةَ السَّاهِي
So when he reflects on his situation,
So when he pondered over his matter,
you see in him an absentminded man's state.
You saw in him the state of the oblivious one.
أَشْبَهَresembled ماءَwater البَحْرِthe sea أَحْشَاؤُهُhis innards
أَشْبَهَ ماءَ البَحْرِ أَحْشَاؤُهُ
ولمand did not تَضِعْvanish أُلْفَةُthe affinity of أَشْبَاهِlike things
ولم تَضِعْ أُلْفَةُ أَشْبَاهِ
His innards resembled the sea's water,
His insides resembled the water of the sea,
nor was the affinity between like things lost.
And familiarity did not diminish similarities.
يَسْرُدُhe recites طَهَTa-Ha حِينَwhen يبدُوappears لهto him
يَسْرُدُ طَهَ حِينَ يبدُو له
ذُوthe bearer of المَوْجِwaves يَحْكِيresembles مِرْجَلَthe cauldron of الطَّاهيthe cook
ذُو المَوْجِ يَحْكِي مِرْجَلَ الطَّاهي
He recites Ta-Ha when there appears to him
He pours out Taha when he comes to light,
the wave-bearing sea, resembling a cook's cauldron.
The wave narrating the tale of the wanderer.
الجاهُhonor لِلأَوطانِfor the homelands لاmay not أُبْعِدَتْthey be made distant
الجاهُ لِلأَوطانِ لا أُبْعِدَتْ
أَوْبَتُهhis return بالمالِwith wealth والجاهِand honor
أَوْبَتُه بالمالِ والجاهِ
Honor for the homelands—may they never be far away—
Glory is for homelands not lost,
is his return with wealth and honor.
I tied its tent pegs with wealth and glory.
عزمٌresolve قويٌّstrong يقتضيهdemands it السُّرَىnight travel
عزمٌ قويٌّ يقتضيه السُّرَى
ولوand even if علىaboard مضطربٍa tossing craft واهِfrail
ولو على مضطربٍ واهِ
A firm resolve that night travel demands,
A strong determination required by secretiveness,
even aboard a frail, tossing craft.
Even if it is agitated and wavering.
يركبُhe rides فيin قِشْرِa shell of عِضَاهٍthorn trees جَرَىsailed
يركبُ في قِشْرِ عِضَاهٍ جَرَى
وإِنand even if جَرَىran on مَنْطِقُthe speech of عَضَّاهِa slanderer
وإِن جَرَى مَنْطِقُ عَضَّاهِ
He rides in a shell of thorn-tree wood, sailing on,
He rides in the peel of its unripe dates having flowed,
even if a slanderer's speech runs on.
Even if the logic of the date peel flowed.
ولوand even if علاrose مقدارُthe measure of هِمَّاتِهhis ambitions
ولو علا مقدارُ هِمَّاتِه
حاولَhe sought أَدنىthe lowest رُتْبَةٍrank ماwhatever هيit is
حاولَ أَدنى رُتْبَةٍ ما هي
Even if the measure of his ambitions rose,
And if the extent of his worries became high,
he would seek the lowest rank, whatever it might be.
He tried the lowest rank that it is.
نالhe attained مجالَthe range of الرُّخِّthe rook فيin موضِعٍa place
نال مجالَ الرُّخِّ في موضِعٍ
يضيقُis too narrow عنfor مَنْزِلَةِthe position of الشَّاهِthe chess king
يضيقُ عن مَنْزِلَةِ الشَّاهِ
He attained the rook's range in a place
He attained the space of ease in a place,
too narrow for the king's position.
That is too narrow for the rank of the king.
ياO هِبَةَHibat (gift) اللِهAllah (God) دَنَاdrew near سَيْرُهُhis departure
يا هِبَةَ اللِه دَنَا سَيْرُهُ
فماso what تَرَىyou think ياO هِبَةَHibat (gift) اللِهAllah (God)
فما تَرَى يا هِبَةَ اللِه
O Hibat Allah, his departure draws near;
O gift of God, his conduct approached,
what do you think, O Hibat Allah?
So what do you see, O gift of God?
قدalready أَزِفَhas drawn near الوقتُthe time وداعىand the herald of النَّوَىseparation
قد أَزِفَ الوقتُ وداعى النَّوَى
أَطْنَبَhas gone on at length فيon نَاهٍone who forbids ونَهْنَاهِand one who restrains
أَطْنَبَ في نَاهٍ ونَهْنَاهِ
The time is near, and separation's herald
The time has drawn near and the intention has called
has dwelt at length on forbidding and restraining.
Prolonging in coaxing and alluring.
منظَرُكَyour appearance الباهيsplendid وشِعْرِيand my poetry معاًtogether
منظَرُكَ الباهي وشِعْرِي معاً
فَأْمُرْso command بشيءٍfor something ثالثٍthird باهِsplendid
فَأْمُرْ بشيءٍ ثالثٍ باهِ
Your splendid appearance and my verse are together;
Your beautiful sight and my poetry together,
so order a third splendid thing.
So order something third amazing.
نُطْقِيmy speech بأَفواهٍwith fragrant spices وكمand how many معشرٍa company
نُطْقِي بأَفواهٍ وكم معشرٍ
قدindeed نَطَقواthey spoke منكof you بأَفواهِwith mouths
قد نَطَقوا منك بأَفواهِ
My speech is fragrant with spices; and many a company
My speaking with mouths and how many groups
has indeed spoken of you with mouths.
Who have spoken of you with mouths.
وَثمَّand there أَفواهٌmouths لهاthey have نكهةٌa breath-scent
وَثمَّ أَفواهٌ لها نكهةٌ
أَطْيَبُsweeter منthan رِيحَةِthe scent of أَفْواهِfragrant spices
أَطْيَبُ من رِيحَةِ أَفْواهِ
And there are mouths whose breath
And there are mouths that have a taste,
is sweeter than the scent of spices.
Sweeter than the scent of mouths.
أَمضىI depart بإِكراهٍunder compulsion ولكنَّنيand yet I
أَمضى بإِكراهٍ ولكنَّني
ماnot جئتُI came إِذwhen جئتI came بإِكراهِunder compulsion
ما جئتُ إِذ جئت بإِكراهِ
I depart under compulsion, yet I
I came reluctantly but still I came,
did not come under compulsion when I came.
Not having come reluctantly.
فيin دَعَةِthe peace of اللهGod وحَظِّand the share of الوَرَىhumankind
في دَعَةِ الله وحَظِّ الوَرَى
مقالُهُمْtheir saying فيin دَعَةِthe peace of اللِهGod
مقالُهُمْ في دَعَةِ اللِه
In God's peace; and mankind's share
In the ease of God and enjoyment of intimacy,
is their saying: 'In God's peace.'
Their speech in the ease of God.
أَفديكَI would ransom you منas هادٍa guide بأَقْلامِهِwith his pens
أَفديكَ من هادٍ بأَقْلامِهِ
إِذاwhen جَرَتْthey run فيacross الطِّرْسِthe parchment أَوْداهِor a shrewd man
إِذا جَرَتْ في الطِّرْسِ أَوْداهِ
I would ransom you, a guide with his pens,
I ransom you from a guide with his pens,
when they run across the parchment—or a master of guile.
When they flowed in prose or poetry.
مُجْتَمِعُcombining الوَصْفَيْنِboth qualities ينشَقُّopens عنto reveal
مُجْتَمِعُ الوَصْفَيْنِ ينشَقُّ عن
وجهِthe face of حَيِيِّone bashful الوَجْهِof face جَبَّاهِbold in confrontation
وجهِ حَيِيِّ الوَجْهِ جَبَّاهِ
Combining both qualities, he unfolds to reveal
Combining the two descriptions, it departs from,
the face of one bashful yet bold in confrontation.
The face of the beautiful faced radiant forehead.
طَلاقَةٌcheerful openness ليستْis not لذيof one possessing ذِلَّةٍservility
طَلاقَةٌ ليستْ لذي ذِلَّةٍ
وعزَّةٌand dignity ليستis not لتَيَّاهِof an arrogant man
وعزَّةٌ ليست لتَيَّاهِ
A cheerful openness without servility,
An eloquence not for one with humiliation,
and dignity without arrogance.
And dignity not for one wavering.
باهِboast بهاof these فيin حالَتَيْthe two states of مَجْدِهِhis glory
باهِ بها في حالَتَيْ مَجْدِهِ
إِنif كُنْتَyou are تبغِيseeking سَبَقاًprecedence باهِvie
إِن كُنْتَ تبغِي سَبَقاً باهِ
Boast of these in both states of his glory;
With it in both states of his glory,
if you seek precedence, vie.
If you want precedence, then be amazing.
يَثْبُتُhe stands firm مثلَlike الجبلِthe mountain المُعْتَلِيlofty
يَثْبُتُ مثلَ الجبلِ المُعْتَلِي
وينثَنِيand bends كالغُصُنِlike the branch الزاهيflourishing
وينثَنِي كالغُصُنِ الزاهي
He stands firm like a lofty mountain,
He remains steady like a towering mountain,
and bends like a flourishing branch.
And bends like a flowering branch.
لوif سُئِلَتْwere asked مِصْرُEgypt علىdespite أَنَّهاher being
لو سُئِلَتْ مِصْرُ على أَنَّها
منازِلُthe abodes of العاضِدِal-Adid للِهli-llah (for God)
منازِلُ العاضِدِ للِه
If Egypt were asked, although she is
If Egypt were asked as though it is,
the abodes of al-Adid li-llah,
The abodes of the supporter of God.
منwhom عَدِمَتْshe has lost سَمَّتْهُshe would name him فيat أَوَّلِthe beginning of الthe (continued next line)
من عَدِمَتْ سَمَّتْهُ في أَوَّلِ ال
بسْمِsmile وثَنَّتْand named second بِشَهِنْشَاهِwith Shahanshah
بسْمِ وثَنَّتْ بِشَهِنْشَاهِ
whom she has lost, she would name him at the start of the
Whoever lacked his symbol at the beginning of,
smile, then name Shahanshah second.
In the name of God and praised the King of Kings.
جاءَتْكَshe came to you غُصْناًas a branch فيin يَدَيْthe two hands of مَنْطِقٍspeech
جاءَتْكَ غُصْناً في يَدَيْ مَنْطِقٍ
أَعملَexerted itself فيهاupon her الخاطِرُthe mind الماهِيingenious
أَعملَ فيها الخاطِرُ الماهِي
She came to you as a branch in the hands of speech,
A branch came to you in the hand of speech,
upon which the ingenious mind exerted itself:
Where imagination did its amazing work.
عذراءُa virgin قالَتْsaid لكto you أَوْصَافُهاher qualities
عذراءُ قالَتْ لك أَوْصَافُها
باهِrival بِحُسْنِيwith my beauty كُتُبَthe books of الباهِlovemaking
باهِ بِحُسْنِي كُتُبَ الباهِ
a virgin whose qualities said to you,
An unspoiled maiden said to you her traits,
'With my beauty, rival the books of lovemaking.'
Amazing in my beauty the amazing was written.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.