خذtake نصيباًa share منof عيشكyour life المستعارِborrowed
خذ نصيباً من عيشك المستعارِ
قبلbefore ليلa night مصرَّفٍturned through its course ونهارِand a day
قبل ليل مصرَّفٍ ونهارِ
Take a share of your borrowed life,
Take your share of borrowed life
Before a night and a day have run their course;
Before the night of scattering and day
فكأنْfor it is as though قدalready سَفتْhave blown sand عليكover you السوافيsand-bearing winds
فكأنْ قد سَفتْ عليك السوافي
فيin بطونthe hollows of الملمَّعاتshimmering expanses القِفارbarren
في بطون الملمَّعات القِفار
For it is as though the sand-bearing winds have already strewn sand over you
As if the coffins had been lined up for you
In the hollows of the shimmering, barren wastes.
In the guts of the desolate graveyards
ليتif only شعريmy knowing وأينand where إذat the time of ذاكthat شعريmy awareness
ليت شعري وأين إذ ذاك شعري
كيفhow يعفوeffaces البلىdecay علىover آثاريmy traces
كيف يعفو البلى على آثاري
If only I knew—and where would my awareness be then?—
I wish I knew where my poetry will be
How decay will efface my traces.
When time erases my traces
ليتif only شعريmy knowing هلwhether توجفraces along الكأسthe cup بعديafter me
ليت شعري هل توجف الكأس بعدي
بحُداءto the camel-driving chant of اللحونmelodies والأوتارand strings
بحُداء اللحون والأوتار
If only I knew: will the cup race on after I am gone,
I wonder if the cup will dry up after me
To the driving chant of melodies and strings?
With no melody and no strings
ليتif only شعريmy knowing هلwhether تلبسwears الأرضthe earth بعديafter me
ليت شعري هل تلبس الأرض بعدي
حَبَراتpatterned robes الربيعspring ذيbearing النوّارblossoms
حَبَرات الربيع ذي النوّار
If only I knew: will the earth, after I am gone, wear
I wonder if after me the earth will wear
The patterned robes of blossom-bearing spring?
The embroideries of the luminous spring
أوor تهبblows الشمالthe north wind عنديnear me بليلat night
أو تهب الشمال عندي بليل
فتَميسand so sway الغصونthe branches بالأسحارin the hours before dawn
فتَميس الغصون بالأسحار
Or will the north wind blow near me at night,
Or if the north winds blow at night for me
So that the branches sway in the hours before dawn?
To gently move the branches at dawn
درَّmay abound درُّthe bounty of الصَباthe east wind ودرُّand the bounty of مغانيthe haunts of الthe
درَّ درُّ الصَبا ودرُّ مغاني ال
لهوpleasure لوif only أنهاthat they were ديارabodes of قرارpermanence
لهو لو أنها ديار قرار
Blessed be the east wind, and blessed be the haunts of
Keep passing, passing of youth and keep passing songs of bliss
Pleasure—if only they were lasting abodes!
If only you were chains of fleeting moments
ياO قصارbrief الأيامdays متِّعتI would find delight لوif only كنwere (first part of كنت)
يا قصار الأيام متِّعت لو كن
تyou (feminine ending of كنت) قصاراًbrief موصولةjoined بقصارto brief days
ت قصاراً موصولة بقصار
O brief days, I would find delight if only you were
Oh short days, if only you could stay connected
Brief days joined to brief days.
In chains of brevity
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.