عجبتُI marveled منat معشرٍa people بعقوتناin our neighborhood
عجبتُ من معشرٍ بعقوتنا
باتواthey spent the night نَبيطاًas Nabataeans وأصبحواand awoke عَربَاas Arabs
باتوا نَبيطاً وأصبحوا عَربَا
I marveled at a people in our neighborhood:
I'm amazed by a group that we hosted
They spent the night Nabataeans and woke up Arabs.
Who went to bed as commoners and woke up as Arabs
مثلَlike أبيfather of الصقرِthe falcon إنindeed فيهin him وفيand in
مثلَ أبي الصقرِ إن فيه وفي
دعواهُhis claim of descent شيبانَShayban آيةًa sign عجباwondrous
دعواهُ شيبانَ آيةً عجبا
Like Abu al-Saqr: indeed, in him and in
Like Abu Al-Saqr, for in him and his
his claim of descent from Shayban lies a wondrous sign.
Claim are amazing signs and wonders
بيناهُwhile he was عِلْجاًa non-Arab boor علىaccording to جِبلَّتهِhis innate nature
بيناهُ عِلْجاً على جِبلَّتهِ
إذwhen suddenly مسَّهtouched him الكيمياءalchemy فانقلباso he was transformed
إذ مسَّه الكيمياء فانقلبا
While he was a non-Arab boor, as nature made him,
While trying to cure his nature
suddenly alchemy touched him, and he was transformed.
When alchemy touched him, he was transformed
عرَّبَهُmade him Arab جَدُّهُhis fortune السعيدُhappy كماjust as
عرَّبَهُ جَدُّهُ السعيدُ كما
حَولَّturned زِرْنيخَarsenic جدِّهِhis grandfather's ذهباinto gold
حَولَّ زِرْنيخَ جدِّهِ ذهبا
His happy fortune made him Arab, just as
His blessed grandfather Arabized him just as
it turned his grandfather's arsenic into gold.
His grandfather turned tin into gold
وهَكذاand so هذهthese الجدودُfortunes لهاthey have
وهَكذا هذه الجدودُ لها
إكسيرan elixir صدقٍgenuine يُعرِّبُmakes Arab النسباthe lineage
إكسير صدقٍ يُعرِّبُ النسبا
And so these fortunes have
And so these ancestors have
a genuine elixir that makes ancestry Arab.
An elixir of truth that Arabizes lineage
بدَّلكgave you in exchange الدهرُtime ياO أباfather of الصقرthe falcon منin place of
بدَّلك الدهرُ يا أبا الصقر من
خالِكَyour maternal uncle خالاًa maternal uncle ومنand in place of أبيكَyour father أباa father
خالِكَ خالاً ومن أبيكَ أبا
Time has given you, O Abu al-Saqr, in place of
O Abu Al-Saqr, time has changed for you
your maternal uncle another uncle, and in place of your father another father.
Your maternal uncle into a paternal uncle and your father into a father
فهلthen, does...? يراكَsees you الإلهُGod معترفاًacknowledging
فهل يراكَ الإلهُ معترفاً
بشكرwith gratitude for نعمائهHis blessings التيwhich وهباHe bestowed
بشكر نعمائه التي وهبا
Does God, then, see you professing
Does God see you grateful
gratitude for His blessings, which He bestowed?
For the blessings He bestowed?
ياO عربياًan Arab آباؤهُhis ancestors نَبَطٌNabataeans
يا عربياً آباؤهُ نَبَطٌ
ياO نبعةًa bowwood tree كانwas أصلُهاits root غَرَباwillow
يا نبعةً كان أصلُها غَرَبا
O Arab whose ancestors are Nabataeans!
O Arab whose fathers were Nabataeans
O bowwood tree whose root was willow!
O spring whose origin was foreign
كمhow many لكyou have منof والدٍa father ووالدةٍand a mother
كم لك من والدٍ ووالدةٍ
لوif غرساthe two planted الشوكَthorns أثمرَwould yield العنباgrapes
لو غرسا الشوكَ أثمرَ العنبا
How many a father and mother you have—
You have so many fathers and mothers
if they planted thorns, the thorns would yield grapes!
That if they planted thorns, it would bear grapes
بلnay لوif يَهُزّانthey both shake هزةًa single shake نثرتit would scatter
بل لو يَهُزّان هزةً نثرت
منfrom رأسthe head هذاthis man وهذهand this woman رُطباfresh ripe dates
من رأس هذا وهذه رُطبا
Nay, if they shook just once, that shake would scatter
Rather, if they shook a shake, it would rain
fresh ripe dates from the heads of this man and this woman.
Fresh dates from the head of this man and woman
لمdid not يعرفاthe two know خيمةًa tent ولاnor وَتِداًa tent peg
لم يعرفا خيمةً ولا وَتِداً
ولاnor عموداًa pole لهاfor it ولاnor طُنُباa guy rope
ولا عموداً لها ولا طُنُبا
The two knew neither a tent nor a peg,
They knew no tent, nor peg
nor a pole for it, nor a guy rope.
No pole for it, nor rope
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.