خُذُواtake (you all) عَنْfrom تَثَنِّيthe swaying of الغُصْنِthe bough أَخْبَارَtidings of قَدِّهِhis stature
خُذُوا عَنْ تَثَنِّي الغُصْنِ أَخْبَارَ قَدِّهِ
وَلاَand no سِيْمَاequal (idiom: especially) عَنْfrom بَانِthe moringa trees of نَجْدٍNajd وَرَنْدِهِand its laurels
وَلاَ سِيْمَا عَنْ بَانِ نَجْدٍ وَرَنْدِهِ
Learn of his stature from the swaying of the bough,
Learn of the bending boughs about his stature,
especially from Najd's moringa trees and its laurels.
And seek no tidings, saving of Nejd's uplands and its pasture,
وَلاَand do not تَسْأَلُواask (you all) عَنْabout فَاتِكَاتِthe deadly ones among لَحِاظِهِhis glances
وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ فَاتِكَاتِ لَحِاظِهِ
وَأَسْيَافِهَاand their swords إِلاَّexcept حُشَاشَةَthe last remnant of life in عَبْدِهِhis slave
وَأَسْيَافِهَا إِلاَّ حُشَاشَةَ عَبْدِهِ
Ask no one about his deadly glances
Ask not concerning the mail-coat or the keen blades,
and their swords, except his slave's last flicker of life.
Save regarding the bare hilts grasped by his hands.
تَعَشَّقْتُهُI loved him passionately عِشْقَwith the love of السِّقَامِsickness لِجَفْنِهِfor his eyelid
تَعَشَّقْتُهُ عِشْقَ السِّقَامِ لِجَفْنِهِ
وَعِشْقَand with the love of الصَّدِيthe parched man الظَّمْآنِthe thirsty مَنْهَلَthe watering place of وَرْدِهِhis roses
وَعِشْقَ الصَّدِي الظَّمْآنِ مَنْهَلَ وَرْدِهِ
I loved him as sickness loves his eyelid,
I loved him with the lovesick wasting and the eyelid's pain,
and as the parched, thirsty man loves the wellspring of his roses.
And the thirsty man's love for the rain-pools flashing bright.
وَمَاand not كُنْتُI was أَدْرِيI know قَبْلَbefore وَسْنَانِdrowsy جَفْنِهِhis eyelid
وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي قَبْلَ وَسْنَانِ جَفْنِهِ
بِأَنَّthat كَلاَلَthe dullness of السَّيْفِthe sword أَمْضَىkeener لِحَدِّهِfor its edge
بِأَنَّ كَلاَلَ السَّيْفِ أَمْضَى لِحَدِّهِ
Before I saw his drowsy eyelid, I had never known
I knew not, ere the down had decked his cheek,
that a sword's dullness could make its edge keener.
That keener than sword's edge is his glance's barb.
وَلاَnor لَذَّةًany pleasure لِلسُّكْرِin drunkenness مِنْfrom قَبْلِbefore عِشْقِهِlove of him
وَلاَ لَذَّةً لِلسُّكْرِ مِنْ قَبْلِ عِشْقِهِ
إِلىuntil أَنْthat سَقَانِيgave me to drink نَاظِرِيmy eye كَأْسَthe cup of خَدِّهِhis cheek
إِلى أَنْ سَقَانِي نَاظِرِي كَأْسَ خَدِّهِ
Nor any pleasure in drunkenness before loving him,
No joy is there in wine before the beloved's love,
until my eye gave me the cup of his cheek to drink.
Until his cheek proffers the brimming cups.
وَدَانٍand he is near وَلَكِنْbut بَيْنَbetween نَوْمِيmy sleep وَنَاظِرِيand my eye
وَدَانٍ وَلَكِنْ بَيْنَ نَوْمِي وَنَاظِرِي
مِنَof البُعْدِdistance مَاas much as بَيْنَbetween الوَفَاءِfaithfulness وَوَعْدِهِand his promise
مِنَ البُعْدِ مَا بَيْنَ الوَفَاءِ وَوَعْدِهِ
He is near, yet between my sleep and my eye
Yet he is near, though between my sleep and his eyes
lies the distance between faithfulness and his promise.
Is all the distance between troth-plight and troth-breach.
وَكَيْفَand how تَدَانِيهِdrawing near to him وَبَيْنِيwhile between me وَبَيْنَهُand between him
وَكَيْفَ تَدَانِيهِ وَبَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ
مَسَافَةُa distance of هَجْرٍestrangement وَاصَلَتْhas continued نَقْضَbreaking عَهْدِهِhis pledge
مَسَافَةُ هَجْرٍ وَاصَلَتْ نَقْضَ عَهْدِهِ
And how can I draw near him, when between us
How can such nearness be, while between him and me
lies a gulf of estrangement that has kept breaking his pledge?
Lies estranging separation that has rent our pact?
وَقَدْand indeed كُنْتَyou were (apparently intended: I was) أَرْجُوI hope أَنَّthat طَرْفِيmy eye يُطِيعُنِيobeys me
وَقَدْ كُنْتَ أَرْجُو أَنَّ طَرْفِي يُطِيعُنِي
إِلىuntil أَنْthat رَأيْتُI saw القَلْبَthe heart مِنْamong بَعْضِsome of جُنْدِهِhis troops
إِلى أَنْ رَأيْتُ القَلْبَ مِنْ بَعْضِ جُنْدِهِ
And I had hoped that my eye would obey me,
I used to hope that my glances might yet obey me,
until I saw the heart was part of his army.
Till I saw my heart held captive in his ranks.
فَلاَso no طَرْفَeye إِلاَّexcept تَحْتَbeneath رَايةِthe banner of شَعْرِهِhis hair
فَلاَ طَرْفَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ رَايةِ شَعْرِهِ
وَلاَand no قَلْبَheart إِلاَّexcept تَحْتَbeneath مَعْقُودِthe knot of بَنْدِهِhis standard
وَلاَ قَلْبَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ مَعْقُودِ بَنْدِهِ
No eye, then, but beneath the banner of his hair,
No glance but moves beneath his hair's command,
and no heart but beneath his knotted standard.
No heart but is tied to the tent-ropes of his bond.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.