بدرa full moon تبرقعveiled himself بالثرياwith the Pleiades وارتدىand clothed himself
بدر تبرقع بالثريا وارتدى
بالشمسin the sun واحتاطاand both encircled بهaround him القمرانthe two moons
بالشمس واحتاطا به القمران
A full moon veiled himself with the Pleiades and clothed himself
The full moon donned brocade and jewelry
in the sun, and the two moons encircled him.
Flanked by the sun and encircled by two moons
كالغصنlike a bough ليناin suppleness والنسيمand the breeze لطافةin delicacy
كالغصن لينا والنسيم لطافة
ولحاظهand his glances كلواحظlike the glances of الغزلانthe gazelles
ولحاظه كلواحظ الغزلان
Supple as a bough and delicate as the breeze,
As soft as a branch and gentle as a breeze
and his glances are like those of gazelles.
With the allure of a gazelle's glance
حلوsweet الطباعof nature طوىconcealed لأهلfor the people of غرامهpassion for him
حلو الطباع طوى لأهل غرامه
ضمنwithin الظرافةcharm لوعةthe anguish of الهجرانabandonment
ضمن الظرافة لوعة الهجران
Sweet-natured, he concealed for those who love him
Sweet natured, he endured his lover's absence
within his charm the anguish of abandonment.
Veiling agony behind grace and charm
لماwhen أجابhe answered بلاwith 'no' طمعتI hoped بوصلهfor union with him
لما أجاب بلا طمعت بوصله
إذfor حرفthe particle لا'no' (lā) حرفانtwo letters معنقانembracing one another
إذ حرف لا حرفان معنقان
When he answered 'no,' I hoped for union with him,
When he responded without hope for union
for the particle 'lā' ('no') is two letters locked in an embrace.
A single letter, not two, adorned his reply
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.