مَاnot صَادِحَاتُthe singing ones الحَمَامِof the doves فيamong القُضُبِthe boughs
مَا صَادِحَاتُ الحَمَامِ في القُضُبِ
وَلاَnor ارْتِفَاعٌthe rising المُدَامِof the wine بِالْحَبَبِwith bubbles
وَلاَ ارْتِفَاعٌ المُدَامِ بِالْحَبَبِ
Neither the doves singing among the boughs
The cooing of doves in the branches,
nor the wine swelling with bubbles
Nor the bubbling up of wine in cups,
إِلاَّexcept لِمَعْنىًfor a meaning إذَاwhen ظَفَرْتَyou gain possession بِهِof it
إِلاَّ لِمَعْنىً إذَا ظَفَرْتَ بِهِ
أَلْزَمَكَbinds you الحَدُّlimitation صَوْرَةَthe form اللَّعِبِof play
أَلْزَمَكَ الحَدُّ صَوْرَةَ اللَّعِبِ
exists save for a meaning: when you grasp it,
Mean aught unless when attained
limitation binds you to the semblance of play.
Propriety obliges the guise of play.
مِنْfor أَجْلِthe sake of ذَاthis فِيin الجَمَالِbeauty مَاnot نَقَلَتْhas moved
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَا فِي الجَمَالِ مَا نَقَلَتْ
قَوْماًa people عَنِout of الْقَبْضِcontraction بَسْطَةُthe expansiveness الطَّرَبِof rapture
قَوْماً عَنِ الْقَبْضِ بَسْطَةُ الطَّرَبِ
For this reason, in beauty, it has not drawn
Because of this beauty which conveys
a people from contraction—the expansiveness of rapture.
A people from sobriety's grasp to rapture's expanse,
قَدْindeed شَاهَدُواthey have beheld مُطلَقَabsolute الجَمَالِbeauty بِلاَwithout
قَدْ شَاهَدُوا مُطلَقَ الجَمَالِ بِلاَ
رَقِيبِa watchman غَيْرِيَّةٍof otherness وَلاَnor حُجُبِveils
رَقِيبِ غَيْرِيَّةٍ وَلاَ حُجُبِ
They have beheld absolute beauty, without
They who have looked on sheer beauty without
a watchman of otherness or any veils.
Any restrictive jealousy or veils,
فَأَوْلَعُواso they became enamored بِالقُدُودِof figures مَايِسَةًswaying gracefully
فَأَوْلَعُوا بِالقُدُودِ مَايِسَةً
أَعْطَافُهَاtheir waists وَالمَبَاسِمِand smiling mouths الشُّنُبِwith cool, gleaming teeth
أَعْطَافُهَا وَالمَبَاسِمِ الشُّنُبِ
So they became enamored of figures with swaying
Are enamored of slender waists
waists, and of smiling mouths with pearly teeth.
With their flexings, and half-smiling lips,
وَافْتَتَنُواand they were bewitched بِالعُيونِby eyes إنْif رَمَقتْthey glance
وَافْتَتَنُوا بِالعُيونِ إنْ رَمَقتْ
تَرْمِيstrike قَسّيّاًa hard-hearted one بِأَسْهِمِwith arrows الهُدُبِof eyelashes
تَرْمِي قَسّيّاً بِأَسْهِمِ الهُدُبِ
And they were bewitched by eyes which, when they glance,
And are infatuated with eyes, if they glance
strike the hard-hearted with arrows of lashes.
Shooting strongly arrows of eyelids.
وَأَسْلَمُواand they surrendered فِيin الهَوىَlove أَزِّمَّتَهُمْtheir reins
وَأَسْلَمُوا فِي الهَوىَ أَزِّمَّتَهُمْ
طَوْعاًwillingly لِحُكْمِto the rule of الكَواعِبِround-breasted maidens العُزُبِunwed
طَوْعاً لِحُكْمِ الكَواعِبِ العُزُبِ
And in love they surrendered their reins,
And they have surrendered in passion, subduing them,
willingly, to the rule of unwed, round-breasted maidens.
Willingly to the rule of unmarried beauties.
مَاnot فِيin خَبَايَاthe hidden recesses of غَرَامِthe passion of أَنْفُسِهِمْtheir souls
مَا فِي خَبَايَا غَرَامِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
شَائَبِةًa taint مِنْamong شَوَائِبَthe impurities of الرِّيَبِdoubt
شَائَبِةً مِنْ شَوَائِبَ الرِّيَبِ
In the hidden depths of their souls' passion there is no
In the secrets of their own passions
single taint from the impurities of doubt.
Is nothing dubious or corrupt.
قَدْindeed خُلِقَتْwere created للجَمَالِfor beauty أَعْيُنُهُمْtheir eyes
قَدْ خُلِقَتْ للجَمَالِ أَعْيُنُهُمْ
وطُهِّرَتْand were purified بِالمَدَامِعَwith tears السُّرُبِstreaming
وطُهِّرَتْ بِالمَدَامِعَ السُّرُبِ
Their eyes were indeed created for beauty,
Their eyes were created for beauty
and purified with streaming tears.
And purified by flowing tears.
ماnot لاَحَظُواthey heeded رُتْبَةًa rank تُقَيِّدُهُمْthat binds them
ما لاَحَظُوا رُتْبَةً تُقَيِّدُهُمْ
وَهُمْthough they جَمِيعاًall together عُمَارَةُthe inhabitants of الرُّتَبِthe ranks
وَهُمْ جَمِيعاً عُمَارَةُ الرُّتَبِ
They heeded no rank that would bind them,
They have perceived no rank that restricts them,
though together they are the inhabitants of the ranks.
While together they are the cream of ranks.
فَطُفْso circle بِحَانَاaround taverns تِهِمْof theirs عَسَىperhaps قَبَسٌa spark
فَطُفْ بِحَانَا تِهِمْ عَسَى قَبَسٌ
مِنْfrom بَعْضِsome of كَاسَاتِهِمْtheir cups بِلاwithout لَهَبِflame
مِنْ بَعْضِ كَاسَاتِهِمْ بِلا لَهَبِ
So circle their taverns, in hope of a spark
Turn thou about their taverns, haply a spark
from some of their cups, without a flame.
From one of their cups without flame,
تَصْرِفُyou dispel مِنْwith صَرْفِهَاtheir unmixed wine هُمُومَكَyour cares أَوْor
تَصْرِفُ مِنْ صَرْفِهَا هُمُومَكَ أَوْ
تُصْبحُyou become فِيamong القَوْمِthe company مُلْحَقَaffiliated in النَّسَبِkinship
تُصْبحُ فِي القَوْمِ مُلْحَقَ النَّسَبِ
With their unmixed wine you may dispel your cares, or
May divert thy cares in the turning,
be counted as kin among the company.
Or thou mayest in the folk attain accepted kinship.
وَكُنْand be طُفَيْلَتَهُمْtheir uninvited guest عَلىwith أَدَبٍcourtesy
وَكُنْ طُفَيْلَتَهُمْ عَلى أَدَبٍ
فَمَاfor ... not أَرَىI see شَافِعاًan intercessor سِوىَexcept الأَدَبِcourtesy
فَمَا أَرَى شَافِعاً سِوىَ الأَدَبِ
And be their uninvited guest, with courtesy,
And be thou their parasite in proper wise,
for I see no intercessor but courtesy.
For I see no intercessor save propriety.
وَإِنْand if تَدَانَيْتَyou draw near مِنْto سُرَادِقِهِمْtheir pavilion
وَإِنْ تَدَانَيْتَ مِنْ سُرَادِقِهِمْ
فَاسْجُدْthen prostrate yourself لِعزِّbefore the majesty of الجَمَالِbeauty وَاقْتَرِبِand draw near
فَاسْجُدْ لِعزِّ الجَمَالِ وَاقْتَرِبِ
And if you draw near their pavilion,
And if thou drawest near to their pavilions,
then prostrate yourself before beauty's majesty and draw near.
Bow to the glory of beauty and approach.
وَغِبْand be absent حَنَانَيْكَI implore you فِيin حُضَورِهِمُtheir presence
وَغِبْ حَنَانَيْكَ فِي حُضَورِهِمُ
عَنْكَfrom yourself فَمنْfor whoever غَابَis absent عَنْهُfrom himself لَمْnot يَغِبِbe absent
عَنْكَ فَمنْ غَابَ عَنْهُ لَمْ يَغِبِ
And be absent, I implore you, in their presence,
And abstain thy tenderness in their presence
from yourself; for whoever is absent from himself is not absent.
From thee, for he who is absent from them is not absent.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.