ماwhat لِلسِحابِwith the cloud تَدَفَّقَتhave gushed forth أَخلافُهُits udders
ما لِلسِحابِ تَدَفَّقَت أَخلافُهُ
حَتّىuntil ظَنَنّاwe thought أَنَّهُthat it لاnot يُمسِكُholds back
حَتّى ظَنَنّا أَنَّهُ لا يُمسِكُ
What ails the cloud, its udders gushing forth,
Why have the trailing clouds poured down
until we thought it would never stop?
That we thought they could not hold back tears—
دَمعٌtears يُراقُare shed مِنَfrom السَماءِthe sky غَزيرُهُits copious flow
دَمعٌ يُراقُ مِنَ السَماءِ غَزيرُهُ
لِدَمٍfor blood عَلىupon وَجهِthe face of البَسيطَةِthe earth يُسفَكُis spilled
لِدَمٍ عَلى وَجهِ البَسيطَةِ يُسفَكُ
Copious tears are shed from heaven
Copious tears from the sky for blood spilled
for blood spilled upon the face of the earth.
On the face of the earth that is being shed?
بَكَتِwept السَماءُthe sky فَماyet not رَثىfelt pity لِبُكائِهاfor its weeping
بَكَتِ السَماءُ فَما رَثى لِبُكائِها
فَرَحٌmirth يُقَهقِهُguffaws لِلدِماءِat bloodshed وَيَضحَكُand laughs
فَرَحٌ يُقَهقِهُ لِلدِماءِ وَيَضحَكُ
Heaven wept, but its weeping won no pity from
The sky cried but did not elegize its weeping—
mirth that guffaws at bloodshed and laughs.
Joy giggling at the blood as it flows and laughs.
جَلَبَbrought البَلاءَcalamity عَلىupon الخَلائِقِall creatures مَعشَرٌa band of people
جَلَبَ البَلاءَ عَلى الخَلائِقِ مَعشَرٌ
مَلَكواthey possessed مِنَof الأَقطارِthe lands ماwhat لاnot يُملَكُis possessed
مَلَكوا مِنَ الأَقطارِ ما لا يُملَكُ
A band brought calamity upon all creation,
A horde brought tribulation upon people—
who possessed such lands as none could possess.
They ruled lands that cannot be ruled.
سَكَنَتfell still عَواديthe assaults of الدَهرِtime إِذwhen أَخَذواthey took hold بِماof what
سَكَنَت عَوادي الدَهرِ إِذ أَخَذوا بِما
نالواthey gained مِنَfrom الأُمَمِthe nations الضِعافِthe weak وَأَدرَكواand attained
نالوا مِنَ الأُمَمِ الضِعافِ وَأَدرَكوا
Time's assaults fell still as they held fast to what
The days of fate calmed when they took what
they had gained and won from weak nations.
They got from the weak nations and realized.
نُكِبواthey were stricken بِأَيّامٍby days تَتابَعَcame in succession نَحسُهاtheir ill fortune
نُكِبوا بِأَيّامٍ تَتابَعَ نَحسُها
فَلِكُلِّso for every قَومٍpeople يَومُهُمtheir day وَالمَهلِكُand doom
فَلِكُلِّ قَومٍ يَومُهُم وَالمَهلِكُ
They were stricken by days of unrelenting ill fortune;
They stumbled during successive inauspicious days—
for every people has its day and its doom.
For each people is their day and their destroyer.
زَجّواthey hurled الجُيوشَthe armies إِلىinto الوَغىbattle فَأَبادَهاthen annihilated them
زَجّوا الجُيوشَ إِلى الوَغى فَأَبادَها
قَدَرٌa fate أَشَدُّmightier مِنَthan الجُيوشِthe armies وَأَفتَكُand deadlier
قَدَرٌ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الجُيوشِ وَأَفتَكُ
They hurled armies into battle, and these were annihilated by
They drove the armies into the fray and annihilated them—
a fate mightier than armies and more deadly.
A fate more intense than the armies and more deadly.
قَدَرٌa fate أَحاطَclosed in بِهِمaround them فَماso there is no مِنany قُوَّةٍpower
قَدَرٌ أَحاطَ بِهِم فَما مِن قُوَّةٍ
إِلّاexcept تُهَدُّis shattered بِهِby it الغَداةَthis morning وَتُنهَكُand is exhausted
إِلّا تُهَدُّ بِهِ الغَداةَ وَتُنهَكُ
A fate has hemmed them in: there is no power
A fate that surrounded them so there’s no power
that is not shattered by it this morning and exhausted.
That does not crumble by it at daybreak and weary.
سَكَنَfell still الزَمانُtime فَشاغَبوهُthen they provoked it وَماand not دَرَواthey knew
سَكَنَ الزَمانُ فَشاغَبوهُ وَما دَرَوا
أَنَّthat المَمالِكَthe kingdoms تَحتَهُbeneath it تَتَحَرَّكُare stirring
أَنَّ المَمالِكَ تَحتَهُ تَتَحَرَّكُ
Time lay still, but they provoked it, not knowing
Time settled so they made mischief and did not know
that kingdoms were stirring beneath it.
That beneath it kingdoms shake and quiver.
غَصَبواthey usurped المَمالِكَthe kingdoms مُفسِدينَspreading corruption فَأَصبَحَتso they became
غَصَبوا المَمالِكَ مُفسِدينَ فَأَصبَحَت
وَكَأَنَّماand as though هِيَthey مَذبَحٌa slaughterhouse أَوor مَعرَكُa battlefield
وَكَأَنَّما هِيَ مَذبَحٌ أَو مَعرَكُ
They usurped kingdoms, spreading corruption, and these became,
They usurped kingdoms as corrupters so they became
as it were, a slaughterhouse or a battlefield.
As though a slaughterhouse or a battlefield.
فَإِذاthen behold القُلوبُhearts عَلىupon الحَفائِظِresentments تَنطَويfold inward
فَإِذا القُلوبُ عَلى الحَفائِظِ تَنطَوي
وَإِذاand behold الرَوابِطُbonds كُلُّهاall of them تَتَفَكَّكُcome apart
وَإِذا الرَوابِطُ كُلُّها تَتَفَكَّكُ
Then behold, hearts fold inward upon resentments,
Thus the hearts withdraw into the breasts
and behold, all bonds come apart.
And all the ties come apart and untether.
طَلَبواthey sought مُناخَthe resting place of الراسِياتِthe firmly rooted mountains لِدَولَةٍfor a state
طَلَبوا مُناخَ الراسِياتِ لِدَولَةٍ
هوجُraging الرِياحِthe winds مُناخُهاits resting place وَالمَبرَكُand the kneeling-ground
هوجُ الرِياحِ مُناخُها وَالمَبرَكُ
They sought the resting place of immovable mountains for a state;
They sought the anchorage of firmly rooted states—
raging winds are its resting place and kneeling-ground.
But their anchorage is the tempest’s blow and the storm’s descent.
بَطِرَgrew insolent المُلوكُthe kings فَهَبَّso arose يَقمَعُto curb شَرَّهُمtheir evil
بَطِرَ المُلوكُ فَهَبَّ يَقمَعُ شَرَّهُم
طَبٌّa skilled physician بِأَدواءِin the maladies of المُلوكِkings مُحَنَّكُseasoned
طَبٌّ بِأَدواءِ المُلوكِ مُحَنَّكُ
The kings grew insolent; up sprang to curb their evil
The kings have failed so he came to quell their evil—
a seasoned physician, versed in the maladies of kings.
Expert in medicating the illnesses of kings.
نادِcall to المَمالِكَthe kingdoms فيin الدِماءِblood غَريقةًdrowned
نادِ المَمالِكَ في الدِماءِ غَريقةً
وَاِنظُرand look إِلىupon أُمَمٍnations تُذابbeing melted وَتُسبَكُand being cast
وَاِنظُر إِلى أُمَمٍ تُذاب وَتُسبَكُ
Call to the kingdoms, drowned in blood,
Call onto the kingdoms drowned in blood
and behold nations being melted down and cast.
And look unto nations melted and fused.
حَربٌa war يَطيحُfalls الظُلمُoppression تَحتَbeneath عَجاجِهاits dust clouds
حَربٌ يَطيحُ الظُلمُ تَحتَ عَجاجِها
وَيَدينُand adheres بِالإيمانِto the faith فيهاin it المُشرِكُthe polytheist
وَيَدينُ بِالإيمانِ فيها المُشرِكُ
A war beneath whose dust clouds oppression falls,
A war in which injustice topples beneath its startled steeds
and in which the polytheist embraces faith.
And in it the pagan professes belief.
إِنَّindeed الجَبابِرَةِthe tyrants الأُلىwho أَخَذواseized الدُنىthe worlds
إِنَّ الجَبابِرَةِ الأُلى أَخَذوا الدُنى
أُخِذواwere seized وَكانَand was حِسابُهُمtheir expectation أَنthat يُترَكواthey would be left alone
أُخِذوا وَكانَ حِسابُهُم أَن يُترَكوا
Indeed, the tyrants who seized the worlds
The brutal tyrants took the delights—
were themselves seized, though they had expected to be left alone—
They were seized though they thought they’d be left.
مِنfrom among كُلِّevery كَفّارِa hardened unbeliever السَريرَةِat heart جاحِدٍa denier
مِن كُلِّ كَفّارِ السَريرَةِ جاحِدٍ
يَبدوappears الهُدىguidance فَيَصُدُّthen he turns away عَنهُfrom it وَيُؤفَكُand is led astray
يَبدو الهُدى فَيَصُدُّ عَنهُ وَيُؤفَكُ
each a hardened unbeliever at heart, a denier:
From every unbelieving and denying blasphemer
guidance appears, yet he turns from it and is led astray.
Guidance appears but he repels it and comes unstitched.
جَحَدواthey denied الإِلَهَGod وَكَذَّبواand disbelieved بِوَعيدِهِin His threat
جَحَدوا الإِلَهَ وَكَذَّبوا بِوَعيدِهِ
حَتّىuntil رَمىHe cast down بِعُروشِهِمtheir thrones فَتَنَسَّكواso they became devout
حَتّى رَمى بِعُروشِهِم فَتَنَسَّكوا
They denied God and disbelieved His threat,
They disbelieved in God and denied His warning
until He cast down their thrones, and they became devout.
Until He cast down their thrones and they came undone.
فيin كُلِّevery يَومٍday لِلكَنائِسِfor the churches ضَجَّةٌa clamor
في كُلِّ يَومٍ لِلكَنائِسِ ضَجَّةٌ
يَدعوinvokes المَليكَthe Sovereign بِهاin them وَيَبكيand weeps البَطرَكُthe patriarch
يَدعو المَليكَ بِها وَيَبكي البَطرَكُ
Each day a clamor rises from the churches,
Each day the churches clamor—
where the patriarch invokes the Sovereign and weeps.
Appealing to the King as the patriarch weeps.
رامواthey sought التَبَرُّكَblessing بِالمَسيحِthrough Christ وَرُبَّماand perhaps
راموا التَبَرُّكَ بِالمَسيحِ وَرُبَّما
نَصَبواthey set up مَسيحاًa Christ مِنof دَمٍblood فَتَبَرَّكواthen sought blessing
نَصَبوا مَسيحاً مِن دَمٍ فَتَبَرَّكوا
They sought blessing through Christ, and perhaps
They sought blessing through Christ and sometimes
they set up a Christ of blood, then sought blessing.
Set up a Christ of blood and so were blessed!
زالواthey vanished عَنِfrom الدُنياthe world فَماso no longer لِشُعوبِهاfor its peoples
زالوا عَنِ الدُنيا فَما لِشُعوبِها
حَقٌّa right يُباحُis violated وَلاnor حَريمٌa sanctuary يُهتَكُis profaned
حَقٌّ يُباحُ وَلا حَريمٌ يُهتَكُ
They have vanished from the world; no longer are its peoples'
They strayed from the world so the rights of its people
rights violated, nor their sanctuaries profaned.
Are permitted and no sanctity is breached.
إِنَّindeed المَمالِكَkingdoms لاnot يُرامُis sought بَقاؤُهاtheir survival
إِنَّ المَمالِكَ لا يُرامُ بَقاؤُها
إِنif ضَلَّgoes astray مَذهَبُهاtheir way وَزاغَand swerves المَسلَكُthe path
إِن ضَلَّ مَذهَبُها وَزاغَ المَسلَكُ
Indeed, kingdoms cannot hope to endure
Kingdoms, their survival cannot be intended
if their way goes astray and their path swerves.
If their course is misguided and the path twisted.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.