بِئسَwretched are الفَوارِسُthe horsemen عِندَat مُعتَرَكِthe clash of القَناthe spears
بِئسَ الفَوارِسُ عِندَ مُعتَرَكِ القَنا
عِدلاthe two side-loads of الحِمارِthe donkey مُحارِبٌMuharib وَسَلولُand Salul
عِدلا الحِمارِ مُحارِبٌ وَسَلولُ
Wretched are the horsemen at the clash of spears:
Wretched are the knights when spears collide,
the donkey's two loads, Muharib and Salul.
The donkey's justice better than their pride.
خُضُعٌsubmissive إِلىto الطَمَعِthe hope of gain القَليلِpaltry وَرِفدُهُمand their aid
خُضُعٌ إِلى الطَمَعِ القَليلِ وَرِفدُهُم
عِندَamid الهِياجِbattle's tumult لَدىduring الطِعانِspear-thrusting قَليلُscant
عِندَ الهِياجِ لَدى الطِعانِ قَليلُ
Submissive to the hope of paltry gain, and their aid
Bought by greed, they charge at the slightest bribe,
amid battle's tumult, during spear-thrusting, is scant.
Few remain steadfast when the arrows fly.
مَلَأَتhas filled مَعَدٌّMa'add كُلَّevery وادٍvalley حَولَهاaround it
مَلَأَت مَعَدٌّ كُلَّ وادٍ حَولَها
وَأَبوهُمُand their father عَنaway from أُمِّهِمtheir mother مَشكولُhobbled
وَأَبوهُمُ عَن أُمِّهِم مَشكولُ
Ma'add has filled every valley around it,
Their bellies filled whatever land they ride,
while their father is hobbled, kept from their mother.
While their people starve, their needs denied.
ضَعُفَتweakened حَوامِلُهُhis supporting legs فَمالَso he leaned إِلىtoward اِستِهاher anus
ضَعُفَت حَوامِلُهُ فَمالَ إِلى اِستِها
فيin الغَيِّperversity إِنَّindeed مُحارِباًMuharib لَضَلولُsurely far astray
في الغَيِّ إِنَّ مُحارِباً لَضَلولُ
His supporting legs weakened, so he leaned toward her anus
When their mares weakened, they switched sides,
in perversity; Muharib is indeed far astray.
Confused warriors lost whate’er they vied.
وَاللُؤمُand baseness حالَفَmade a pact with بَيتَهُمtheir house وَفِناءَهُمand their courtyard
وَاللُؤمُ حالَفَ بَيتَهُم وَفِناءَهُم
أَبَداًforever فَماso not فيماamong what يَزولُpasses away يَزولُpasses away
أَبَداً فَما فيما يَزولُ يَزولُ
And baseness has made a pact with their house and courtyard
Ill fortune cursed them, sealed their demise,
forever; it does not pass away with what passes away.
What passes, passes, naught will abide.
وَإِذاand when تَرافَدَتِreinforce one another القَبائِلُthe tribes بِالقَناwith spears
وَإِذا تَرافَدَتِ القَبائِلُ بِالقَنا
فَمُحارِبٌthen Muharib عِندَamid الهِياجِbattle's tumult فُلولُrouted remnants
فَمُحارِبٌ عِندَ الهِياجِ فُلولُ
And when the tribes reinforce one another with spears,
When tribes converge amidst the fray,
Muharib, amid battle's tumult, is a routed band.
Warriors in tumult slip away.
مِنfrom بَينِamong مُقتَسَرٍone seized by force يُشَدُّis bound بِساقِهِto his leg
مِن بَينِ مُقتَسَرٍ يُشَدُّ بِساقِهِ
قِدُّa rawhide thong المُزَيَّفِthe shackled one جِسمُهُhis body مَخلولُemaciated
قِدُّ المُزَيَّفِ جِسمُهُ مَخلولُ
Among them is one seized by force, to whose leg is bound
The fraud who boasts of might and size,
a shackled man's rawhide thong; his body is wasted.
His coward flesh with fear imbued.
فِعلَthe treatment of الذَليلِthe abject man يَرومُهُseeks him مَنwhoever رامَهُdesired him
فِعلَ الذَليلِ يَرومُهُ مَن رامَهُ
وَعَلىand over كَتائِدِهِhis shoulders تُشَدُّare fastened كُبولُheavy fetters
وَعَلى كَتائِدِهِ تُشَدُّ كُبولُ
Treated like an abject man, sought by whoever desires him,
The lowly act that vileness prized,
with heavy fetters fastened over his shoulders.
And trophies stringed on tethered cords.
وَلَقَدand indeed خَصَيتُI castrated مُحارِباًMuharib بِخِصايَةٍwith a castration
وَلَقَد خَصَيتُ مُحارِباً بِخِصايَةٍ
وَاِبنُand the son of المَراغَةِal-Maragha عَنهُمُaway from them مَشغولُpreoccupied
وَاِبنُ المَراغَةِ عَنهُمُ مَشغولُ
And I have indeed castrated Muharib outright,
I cut the warriors down to size,
while Ibn al-Maragha is busy elsewhere.
While chieftains’ sons to rape accrued.
كَالكَلبِlike a dog يَنبِحُhe barks مَرَّةًonce عَنin defense of أَهلِهِhis people
كَالكَلبِ يَنبِحُ مَرَّةً عَن أَهلِهِ
وَيَهِرُّand he growls وَهوَwhile he is عَلىunder الهَوانِhumiliation ذَلولُsubmissive
وَيَهِرُّ وَهوَ عَلى الهَوانِ ذَلولُ
Like a dog, he barks once in defense of his people,
Like hounds who yap in faint disguise,
and growls, though meek under humiliation.
Then cower, as all pretense concludes.
زَحَفَadvanced الأَراقِمُthe Araqim بِالمَجازِat al-Majaz لِوِردِهاto their watering place
زَحَفَ الأَراقِمُ بِالمَجازِ لِوِردِها
كَالنَهيِlike a pool سالَflowed بِأَبطَحَيهِthrough its two gravelly channels سُيولُtorrents
كَالنَهيِ سالَ بِأَبطَحَيهِ سُيولُ
The Araqim advanced at al-Majaz to their watering place,
The archers crept to watering hole,
like a pool with torrents streaming through its two gravelly channels.
Like torrents surging, unrestrained.
تَعدوgallop بِهِمwith them جُردٌsleek, short-coated horses أُمِرَّwas tightly twisted مَريرُهاtheir sinew-cord
تَعدو بِهِم جُردٌ أُمِرَّ مَريرُها
كَالطَيرِlike birds يَومَon the day of الرَوعِterror حينَwhen تَجولُthey wheel
كَالطَيرِ يَومَ الرَوعِ حينَ تَجولُ
Sleek horses gallop with them, their sinews tightly knit,
Hordes galloped swift beyond control,
like birds on the day of terror, as they wheel:
As birds in panic, scattered, arraigned.
مِنof كُلِّevery حَتٍّfleet steed يَحتَديهاleads them مِرجَمٌa stone-flinging steed
مِن كُلِّ حَتٍّ يَحتَديها مِرجَمٌ
وَطَمِرَّةٌand a leaping mare كَالكاسِراتِlike swooping birds of prey نَسولُswift-striding
وَطَمِرَّةٌ كَالكاسِراتِ نَسولُ
with every fleet, stone-flinging steed leading them,
Each ruin threatens with mad patrol,
and a leaping mare, swift as swooping birds of prey.
While Trash Heaps loom, in anguish chained.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.