أبكيI weep علىfor الصّيفِsummer كالباكيlike one who weeps علىover الطَّللِthe ruins
أبكي على الصّيفِ كالباكي على الطَّللِ
وإنّهand indeed it كالصِّباlike youth يمضيit passes علىin عجَلِhaste
وإنّه كالصِّبا يمضي على عجَلِ
I weep for summer as one weeps over the ruins.
I weep for summer like one weeping for a ruin,
And, like youth, it passes in haste.
Though it passes swiftly like the blowing wind.
جاءَcame الشتاءُwinter فأذوىthen withered بردُهits cold حبقاًbasil
جاءَ الشتاءُ فأذوى بردُه حبقاً
قدindeed كانwas فيin الصيفِsummer ذاpossessed of نضرٍfreshness وذاand possessed of ميلa lean
قد كان في الصيفِ ذا نضرٍ وذا ميل
Winter came, and its cold withered a basil plant
Winter has come and chilled with its bitter cold
That in summer had been fresh and swaying.
What once was fresh and verdant, bent and inclined.
كمhow often كنتُI used to أقطفهُI pluck it أوor كنتُI used to أنشقُهI inhale its scent
كم كنتُ أقطفهُ أو كنتُ أنشقُه
والعطرُand fragrance والنضرُand freshness مثلُlike الحبّlove والأملand hope
والعطرُ والنضرُ مثلُ الحبّ والأمل
How often I would pluck it or breathe in its scent!
How often did I pluck its flowers or split them open
And its fragrance and freshness are like love and hope.
To savor fragrant hope and love intertwined.
عندَwith الغنيِّthe rich تراهُyou see it والفقيرِand the poor فلاso do not
عندَ الغنيِّ تراهُ والفقيرِ فلا
تعجَبbe surprised لباذلِat a giver of حسنٍbeauty غيرِnot مُبتذلcheapened
تعجَب لباذلِ حسنٍ غيرِ مُبتذل
You see it with rich and poor alike, so do not
The wealthy revel in it, but it visits not
marvel at a giver of beauty that is never cheapened.
The poor—marvel not that bounty can be unkind.
للكلّfor everyone نعمتُهُits bounty تُرجىis hoped for ورحمتُهand its mercy
للكلّ نعمتُهُ تُرجى ورحمتُه
وعَرفُهand its fragrance ناعشٌreviving كالبرءِlike recovery فيin العِللillnesses
وعَرفُه ناعشٌ كالبرءِ في العِلل
All hope for its bounty and its mercy,
For all, its blessings are hoped for, its mercy known,
And its fragrance revives, like healing amid illness.
A soothing balm for bodies racked and undermined.
وأبيضُand the white الزّهرِof the blossoms مِنهُof it كالنقوشِlike patterns علىon
وأبيضُ الزّهرِ مِنهُ كالنقوشِ على
بُردٍa mantle وكالدّمعِand like tears فيin سودٍdark ones منamong المُقلeyes
بُردٍ وكالدّمعِ في سودٍ من المُقل
And its white blossoms are like patterns on
The whiteness of its blooms is like embroidery
a mantle, and like tears in dark eyes.
On a cloak, or tears coursing down darkened cheeks lined.
أماdo you not تراهُyou see it علىdespite تقواهits piety مُتّضِعاًhumble
أما تراهُ على تقواه مُتّضِعاً
يهوىit loves بياضَthe whiteness الحلىof ornaments فيin خِضرَةِthe greenness الحِللof robes
يهوى بياضَ الحلى في خِضرَةِ الحِلل
Do you not see it, for all its piety, humble,
Behold how it bows with modesty to Heaven,
loving white ornaments amid green robes?
White necklaces adorning green mantles designed.
والرّيحُand the wind شيّقةٌyearning ولْهَىlovesick تقبِّلُهُshe kisses it
والرّيحُ شيّقةٌ ولْهَى تقبِّلُهُ
فليتَso, if only ليfor me ماwhat لهit has منof أطيبِthe sweetest القُبَلkisses
فليتَ لي ما له من أطيبِ القُبَل
And the wind, yearning and lovesick, kisses it;
The winds caress it lovingly with scented breath—
If only I had the sweetest kisses it receives!
Would that I knew its sweetest kiss entwined!
حفظتُI preserved فيin البردِthe cold والأمطارِand the rains واحدةًa single one
حفظتُ في البردِ والأمطارِ واحدةً
منهُof it وكنتُand I used to أُداريهاI tend it علىin وجلapprehension
منهُ وكنتُ أُداريها على وجل
I kept, through the cold and rain, a single one
In the cold and rain I sheltered a single one,
of that basil, and tended it anxiously,
Shielding it from harm, though its face was inclined.
حتىuntil إذاwhen ذبُلَتit withered أصبَحتُI began أنشدُهاI sing to it
حتى إذا ذبُلَت أصبَحتُ أنشدُها
ياO رحمةmercy اللهِof God ماhow أولاكِwell-suited you are بالطّلَلto the ruins
يا رحمة اللهِ ما أولاكِ بالطّلَل
Until, when it withered, I began to sing to it:
When at last it faded, I sang to it in mourning—
O mercy of God, how well you suit the ruins!
“God’s mercy! How quickly glory is declined!”
ياO ربّLord لاdo not تخلينَّever empty القلبَthe heart منof أملٍhope
يا ربّ لا تخلينَّ القلبَ من أملٍ
والروضَand the garden منof زهَرٍflowers والأرضَand the earth منof بَللmoisture
والروضَ من زهَرٍ والأرضَ من بَلل
O Lord, never leave the heart without hope,
O Lord, deprive not my heart of all hope,
nor the garden without flowers, nor the earth without moisture.
Nor the garden of bloom, nor the earth of rain.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.