ياO صاحِبَيtwo companions of رَحلِيَmy saddle لاdo not تُكثِراoverdo it, you two
يا صاحِبَي رَحلِيَ لا تُكثِرا
مِنof شَتمِabusing عَبدِservant of اللَهِGod مِنof عَذلِreproach
مِن شَتمِ عَبدِ اللَهِ مِن عَذلِ
O my two traveling companions, do not overdo
O my two companions, do not blame
Abusing Abd Allah and reproaching him.
Abdullah excessively for his faults
سُبحانَglory be to مَنthe One who خَصَّsingled out ابنَthe son of مَعنٍMa'n بِماwith what
سُبحانَ مَن خَصَّ ابنَ مَعنٍ بِما
أَرىI see بِهِin him مِنof قِلَّةِlack of العَقلِintelligence
أَرى بِهِ مِن قِلَّةِ العَقلِ
Glory to Him who singled out Ibn Ma'n for
Glory to Him who endowed Ibn Maʿn with
The lack of sense I see in him.
The lack of sense I see in him
قالَsaid ابنُthe son of مَعنٍMa'n وَجَلاand unveiled نَفسَهُhimself
قالَ ابنُ مَعنٍ وَجَلا نَفسَهُ
عَلىfor مَنِwhom الجَلوَةُthe bridal unveiling ياO أَهليmy kin
عَلى مَنِ الجَلوَةُ يا أَهلي
Ibn Ma'n said, unveiling himself:
Ibn Maʿn said, boasting of himself
Who is this bridal unveiling for, O my kin?
Woe to me from my people
أَناI فَتاةُthe maiden of الحَيِّthe clan مِنfrom وائِلٍWa'il
أَنا فَتاةُ الحَيِّ مِن وائِلٍ
فيin الشَرَفِhonor الشامِخِlofty وَالنُبلِand nobility
في الشَرَفِ الشامِخِ وَالنُبلِ
I am the clan's maiden, of Wa'il,
I am the maiden of Hayy from Wāʾil
Of lofty honor and nobility.
In noble and lofty lineage
ماthere is no فيamong بَنيthe sons of شَيبانَShayban أَهلِpeople of الحِجاwisdom
ما في بَني شَيبانَ أَهلِ الحِجا
جارِيَةٌa maiden واحِدَةٌsingle مِثليlike me
جارِيَةٌ واحِدَةٌ مِثلي
Among Banu Shayban, people of wisdom, there is not
Among the clan of Shaybān, people of Hijāz
A single maiden like me.
There is no maiden like me
ياoh لَيتَنيif only I أَبصَرتُI saw دَلّالَةًa female go-between
يا لَيتَني أَبصَرتُ دَلّالَةً
تَدُلُّنيshe leads me اليَومَtoday عَلىto فَحلِa stud
تَدُلُّني اليَومَ عَلى فَحلِ
Oh, if only I could see a female go-between
Oh, would that I had seen a matchmaker
To lead me today to a stud!
To match me today to a stallion
وَيليwoe to me وَيالَهفيand oh, my longing عَلىfor أَمرَدٍa beardless youth
وَيلي وَيالَهفي عَلى أَمرَدٍ
يُلصِقُhe presses مِنّيof mine القُرطَthe earring بِالحِجلِagainst the anklet
يُلصِقُ مِنّي القُرطَ بِالحِجلِ
Woe to me, and oh, my longing for a beardless youth
Woe is me, longing for ʿAmrud
Who presses my earring against my anklet!
Who joins my anklet with my necklace
صافَحتُهُI shook his hand يَوماًone day عَلىin خَلوَةٍseclusion
صافَحتُهُ يَوماً عَلى خَلوَةٍ
فَقالَand he said دَعleave كَفّيmy palm وَخُذand take رِجليmy leg
فَقالَ دَع كَفّي وَخُذ رِجلي
I shook his hand one day in private,
I met him privately one day
And he said, 'Let go of my palm and take my leg.'
He said: “Leave my hand and take my leg”
أُختُthe sister of بَنيthe sons of شَيبانَShayban مَرَّتshe passed بِناby us
أُختُ بَني شَيبانَ مَرَّت بِنا
مَمشوطَةًwith combed hair كوراًa camel-saddle عَلىon بَغلِa mule
مَمشوطَةً كوراً عَلى بَغلِ
The sister of Banu Shayban passed by us,
The sister of Shaybān’s clan passed by us
Her hair combed—a camel-saddle atop a mule.
Riding comfortably on a mule
تُكنىshe bears the byname أَباfather of الفَضلِal-Fadl وَياand oh مَنwho رَأىhas seen
تُكنى أَبا الفَضلِ وَيا مَن رَأى
جارِيَةًa maiden تُكنىshe bears the byname أَباfather of الفَضلِal-Fadl
جارِيَةً تُكنى أَبا الفَضلِ
She is called Abu al-Fadl—oh, who has seen
Nicknamed Abu al-Faḍl - seeing a girl
A maiden called Abu al-Fadl?
Nicknamed Abu al-Faḍl!
قَدنَقَّطَتshe has dotted فيon وَجهِهاher face نُقطَةًa dot
قَدنَقَّطَت في وَجهِها نُقطَةً
مَخافَةَfor fear of العَينِthe evil eye مِنَof الكُحلِkohl
مَخافَةَ العَينِ مِنَ الكُحلِ
She has placed a dot upon her face,
She dotted kohl on her face
For fear of the evil eye, using kohl.
Fearing the evil eye would get her
إِنif زُرتُموهاyou all visit her قالَsay حُجّابُهاher doorkeepers
إِن زُرتُموها قالَ حُجّابُها
نَحنُwe عَنِaway from الزوّارِthe visitors فيin شُغلِoccupation
نَحنُ عَنِ الزوّارِ في شُغلِ
If you visit her, her doorkeepers say:
If you visit her, her guard says
'We are too busy to receive visitors.
“We are busy with visitors”
مَولاتُناour mistress مَشغولَةٌbusy عِندَهاwith her
مَولاتُنا مَشغولَةٌ عِندَها
بَعلٌa husband وَلاand no إِذنَpermission to enter عَلىin the presence of البَعلِthe husband
بَعلٌ وَلا إِذنَ عَلى البَعلِ
Our mistress is occupied; with her is
“Our mistress is busy, she has
A husband, and no entry is allowed in the husband's presence.'
A husband, and no permission for husbands”
ياO بِنتَdaughter of مَعنِMa'n الخَيرِthe Good لاdo not تَجهَليact foolishly, you
يا بِنتَ مَعنِ الخَيرِ لا تَجهَلي
وَأَينَand where إِقصارٌdesisting عَنِfrom الجَهلِfolly
وَأَينَ إِقصارٌ عَنِ الجَهلِ
O daughter of Ma'n the Good, do not be foolish!
O Daughter of Maʿn the Benevolent, do not be ignorant
But where is any turning away from folly?
Where is withholding from ignorance?
أَتَجلِدُdo you flog? الناسَpeople وَأَنتَwhile you امرُؤٌa man
أَتَجلِدُ الناسَ وَأَنتَ امرُؤٌ
تُجلَدُyou are flogged فيin الدُبرِthe anus وَفيand in القُبلِthe genitals
تُجلَدُ في الدُبرِ وَفي القُبلِ
Do you flog people, though you are a man
You blame people while you are a man
Flogged in the anus and in the genitals?
Who is blamed from behind and from the front
ماnot يَنبَغيit is fitting لِلناسِfor people أَنto يَنسُبواascribe
ما يَنبَغي لِلناسِ أَن يَنسُبوا
مَنone who كانَis ذاpossessed of جودٍgenerosity إِلىto البُخلِmiserliness
مَن كانَ ذا جودٍ إِلى البُخلِ
It is not fitting for people to attribute
It is not fitting for people to attribute
Miserliness to one endowed with generosity.
Generosity to one known for stinginess
يَبذُلُhe gives freely ماwhat يَمنَعُwithhold أَهلُpeople of النَدىgenerosity
يَبذُلُ ما يَمنَعُ أَهلُ النَدى
هَذاthis لَعَمريby my life مُنتَهىthe utmost of البَذلِgiving
هَذا لَعَمري مُنتَهى البَذلِ
He gives what the generous withhold—
He gives what people of bounty
This, by my life, is the very height of giving!
Refuse - this is the utmost generosity
ماnot قُلتُI said هَذاthis فيكَabout you إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already
ما قُلتُ هَذا فيكَ إِلّا وَقَد
جَفَّتhad dried بِهِon it الأَقلامُthe pens مِنfrom قَبليbefore me
جَفَّت بِهِ الأَقلامُ مِن قَبلي
I said this of you only after
I have not said this about you, except
The pens had already dried upon it before me.
The pens had already written it before me
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.