نُجَلّيwe brighten ببازِيٍّwith a hawk عيونَthe eyes of ذَويthose possessing النُهىunderstanding
نُجَلّي ببازِيٍّ عيونَ ذَوي النُهى
إليهِtoward him لأبصارfor the eyes of المَحاسنِbeauties صُورُinclination
إليهِ لأبصار المَحاسنِ صُورُ
We brighten discerning eyes with a hawk;
My companion with a falconer's eyes
The eyes that discern beauty incline toward him.
To behold the beauties they are doors
مكانin place of سوادِthe blackness of العَينِthe eye مِنهُof him عَقيقةٌan agate
مكان سوادِ العَينِ مِنهُ عَقيقةٌ
وَتبرٌand raw gold عَلىalong خَطِّthe outline of السوادِthe blackness يَدورُcircles
وَتبرٌ عَلى خَطِّ السوادِ يَدورُ
An agate takes the place of the black of his eye,
In place of the black of his eye a ruby
And raw gold circles the outline of the black.
And dust upon the line of black revolves
تَمورُquivers إذاwhen ماemphatic particle رنَّقَتhalf-closes فيin مآقِهاits eye-corners
تَمورُ إذا ما رنَّقَت في مآقِها
كماas مارshimmered مِنfrom ماءِthe water of الزُجاجَةِthe glass vessel نورُlight
كما مار مِن ماءِ الزُجاجَةِ نورُ
It quivers when the eye half-closes within its corners,
Dates when they are delicate in their pouches
As light shimmers from the water in a glass vessel.
As the light flows from water in a jar
فإنthen if جحظَتbulged عضنهُhis eye (uncertain reading) استَوىbecame even فيin مدارِهِits circuit
فإن جحظَت عضنهُ استَوى في مدارِهِ
وإنand if مالَturned aside عَنaway from لحظٍa sidelong glance فَفيهthen in it شُطورُsegments
وإن مالَ عَن لحظٍ فَفيه شُطورُ
If his [eye?] bulges, it lies evenly within its circuit;
If he narrows his eyelids they are equal in their course
And if it turns aside in a glance, there are segments within it.
And if he glances sideways in them crossings
لَهُhe has قُرطقٌa short tunic البنائقthe gussets أنمَرٌleopard-spotted
لَهُ قُرطقٌ البنائق أنمَرٌ
مُفوَّفُfinely striped ضاحيbright الشَقَّتَينِthe two panels طَريرُhandsome
مُفوَّفُ ضاحي الشَقَّتَينِ طَريرُ
He has a tunic with leopard-spotted panels,
He has a cropped beard, soft as fur
Finely striped, bright on both sides, and handsome.
Blown about, clearing his cheekbones, chirping
وَمِنand from تَحتِهِbeneath it دِرعٌa coat of mail كأَنَّas though رُقومَهُits markings
وَمِن تَحتِهِ دِرعٌ كأَنَّ رُقومَهُ
تعاريجُzigzags وَشيٍembroidery أَرضهنَّtheir ground حَريرُsilk
تعاريجُ وَشيٍ أَرضهنَّ حَريرُ
And beneath it a coat of mail, whose markings resemble
And beneath it a coat of mail as though its links
Zigzag embroidery upon a ground of silk.
Were the terraces of a mountain, their ground silk
كأنَّas though اندِماجَthe close interlocking of الريشِthe feathers مِنهُon him حبائِكٌinterwoven streaks
كأنَّ اندِماجَ الريشِ مِنهُ حبائِكٌ
بعقبِin the wake of سحاباتٍclouds لَهُنَّthey have نُشورُa spreading
بعقبِ سحاباتٍ لَهُنَّ نُشورُ
His closely interlocked feathers seem like woven streaks
As though the meshing of its feathers were braids
In the wake of clouds spreading abroad.
After clouds, for them there are risings
لَهُhe has هامَةٌa head مَلساءُsmooth إمّاas for قذالهاthe back of its head
لَهُ هامَةٌ مَلساءُ إمّا قذالها
فموفٍthen prominent وإمّاand as for جيدُهاits neck فقَصيرُthen short
فموفٍ وإمّا جيدُها فقَصيرُ
He has a smooth head; as for its back,
He has a smooth turban, either its rolls
It is prominent; and as for its neck, it is short.
Are crisp, or his plait beneath it short
ململمةٌrounded and compact فرعاءُtufted لولاwere it not for شكيرهاits fine down
ململمةٌ فرعاءُ لولا شكيرها
لقلتI would say مَداكٍa grinding stone ضُمِّنَتهُenclosed it صخورُrocks
لقلت مَداكٍ ضُمِّنَتهُ صخورُ
Rounded and tufted—were it not for its fine down,
Curled, luxuriant, were it not for its straightness
I would call it a grinding stone enclosed by rocks.
I would say gathered rocks compacted in it
معصَّبةٌbound بالقِدِّwith rawhide thongs ذاتhaving نواشرٍsinews
معصَّبةٌ بالقِدِّ ذات نواشرٍ
لهاit has منof خطاطيفhooks الحديدiron ظفورtalons
لها من خطاطيف الحديد ظفور
Bound with rawhide thongs and bearing sinews,
Girdled with effort, having glittering menace
Its talons are hooks of iron.
In it flashes of iron erupting
لهُhe has مِنسَرٌa raptor’s beak يحكيresembles منof الظَبيthe gazelle رَوقَهُits horn
لهُ مِنسَرٌ يحكي من الظَبي رَوقَهُ
إذاwhen تمَّbecame complete للتجبيرfor splinting منهof it سطورُlines
إذا تمَّ للتجبير منه سطورُ
He has a beak resembling a gazelle’s horn,
He has a sniffle which tells of the gazelle’s grace
When the lines of its splint-bindings are complete.
When the rhymings in it are complete
لهhe has فُرَقٌtufts فوقَabove القذالِthe back of the head كأنَّهاas though they
له فُرَقٌ فوقَ القذالِ كأنَّها
ولمand not يَعرُهُtouch him وَخطُthe speckling of القَتيرِgray hair قَتيرُgray hairs
ولم يَعرُهُ وَخطُ القَتيرِ قَتيرُ
He has tufts above the back of his head, as though they were—
He has plumes above the skull-cap as though
Though no fleck of gray has touched him—gray hairs.
No line of evil nor scar touched it
تَخَيَّرهُselected him القَنّاصُthe hunter منfrom بينamong عصبةٍa company
تَخَيَّرهُ القَنّاصُ من بين عصبةٍ
لهمthey have عندamid فخرِthe boasting of القانصينَthe hunters فخورُgrounds for pride
لهم عند فخرِ القانصينَ فخورُ
The hunter chose him from among a company
The fowler chose him from among a company
With glories of their own when hunters boast.
For them near the pride of fowlers pride
وهَذَّبَهُand trained him حتىuntil كأنَّas though ضميرَهُhis inward thought
وهَذَّبَهُ حتى كأنَّ ضميرَهُ
لهit has دونapart from ماwhat تهوىdesire النفوسsouls ضميرُan inward thought
له دون ما تهوى النفوس ضميرُ
And trained him until it seemed his inward thought
And refined him until it was as though his conscience
Had a thought of its own, apart from what souls desire.
Had nothing beyond what souls desire
أتاناhe came to us بهِwith him منfrom رأسِthe summit of خلقاءَa smooth, bare height حَزنةٍrugged
أتانا بهِ من رأسِ خلقاءَ حَزنةٍ
لهاit has فَوقَabove أرآدِthe projecting spurs of الشعافthe peaks ذرورُa rising
لها فَوقَ أرآدِ الشعاف ذرورُ
He brought him to us from the summit of a smooth, rugged height,
He brought us from the head of sad separation
Rising above the projecting spurs of the peaks.
For it above the twilight of meadows soarings
مؤلَّلةٍsharply peaked جَلسٍlofty إذاwhen الطرفthe gaze رامهاseeks it
مؤلَّلةٍ جَلسٍ إذا الطرف رامها
أعادتsent back إليهto it الجفنthe eyelid وهوwhile it is حسيرweary
أعادت إليه الجفن وهو حسير
Sharp-pointed and lofty: when the gaze seeks it,
Adorned seated, when an eyelash seeks her
It returns the eyelid to the eye, weary and spent.
She returns to it the eyelid and it is bewildered
كآدٍarduous to ascend تحامهاavoids it الأنوقthe vulture فماand so no لهاit has
كآدٍ تحامها الأنوق فما لها
بأحضانهاin its hollows دونbelow الرؤوسthe summits وكورnests
بأحضانها دون الرؤوس وكور
Arduous to ascend, shunned by the vulture, which has no
Like a wish she shields them the gentlefolk so she has
Nests in its hollows beneath the summits.
No bosom to shelter the heads and full moons
سباهُcaptured him صغيراًyoung فاستمرَّthen persevered بحزمِهِwith his resolve
سباهُ صغيراً فاستمرَّ بحزمِهِ
وردَّand restored إليهto him العزمَresolve وهوَwhile he was كبيرُfull-grown
وردَّ إليه العزمَ وهوَ كبيرُ
He captured him young, then persevered with firm resolve,
He captured him young and persisted in his resolve
And restored resolve to him when he was full-grown.
And returned to him determination though grown
يقطِّعtears apart أسحارthe lungs of البغاثweak birds كأنَّماas though
يقطِّع أسحار البغاث كأنَّما
لهhe has فيin نحورthe throats of البائساتthe hapless ones ثؤورblood-feuds
له في نحور البائسات ثؤور
He tears apart the lungs of weak birds, as though
He cuts the dreams of simpletons as though
He had blood-feuds to settle in the throats of the hapless.
For him in the throats of the wretches were wounds
يُبَوَّأis given a perch on أيديthe hands of مالكيهhis owners كأنهas though he
يُبَوَّأ أيدي مالكيه كأنه
علىover آمريهthose who command him فيin الجلالmajesty أميرُa prince
على آمريه في الجلال أميرُ
He is given a perch on his owners’ hands, as though
He lodges the hands of his owners as if he
He were a prince in majesty over those who command him.
Over his command in majesty were prince
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.