ياO دارَhouse of يُوسُفَYusuf لاmay not عَدَتْكِpass you by تَحيَّةٌa greeting
يا دارَ يُوسُفَ لا عَدَتْكِ تَحيَّةٌ
للمُزْنِfrom the rainclouds بينَamid رَواعِدٍthundering clouds وبَوارِقِand lightning flashes
للمُزْنِ بينَ رَواعِدٍ وبَوارِقِ
O house of Yusuf, may no greeting pass you by
O house of Joseph, no greetings to your ruins
from rainclouds, amid thunder and lightning.
Between columns and doors once sublime
غَرَّاءُradiant ضَاحِكَةٌsmiling إليكِtoward you ثُغورُهاits mouths
غَرَّاءُ ضَاحِكَةٌ إليكِ ثُغورُها
ضَحِكَthe smile of الحبيبِthe beloved إلىtoward المُحِبِّthe lover الوامقِardently loving
ضَحِكَ الحبيبِ إلى المُحِبِّ الوامقِ
Radiant, its mouths smiling toward you,
Your laughing windows smile at me still
as the beloved smiles toward the devoted lover.
Like a lover's smile to his ardent love
سَقْياًa blessing of rain لتلكَupon those مَنازِلاًdwellings مَعْمورَةًinhabited
سَقْياً لتلكَ مَنازِلاً مَعْمورَةً
منfrom بينِamong مطروقِone visited الفِناءِthe courtyard وطَارقِand a visitor
من بينِ مطروقِ الفِناءِ وطَارقِ
May rain bless those dwellings, peopled
To water those inhabited mansions
by hosts whose courtyards are frequented, and by visitors.
Among courtyards, chambers and portals alike
حُمْرَred القَواعدِthe foundations والقِبابِand the domes كأنَّماas though
حُمْرَ القَواعدِ والقِبابِ كأنَّما
أُشْرِبْنَthey were imbued with رَقْراقَthe shimmering liquid of الخَلوقِsaffron perfume الرَّائقِclear
أُشْرِبْنَ رَقْراقَ الخَلوقِ الرَّائقِ
Red in their foundations and domes, as though
The red bases and domes as though they were
they had been steeped in shimmering, clear saffron perfume.
Given to drink the sweet draught of dawn
يَلقاكَmeets you منfrom نُوَّارِهاtheir blossoms وغُيومِهاand their clouds
يَلقاكَ من نُوَّارِها وغُيومِها
ماwhat بينَbetween دُكْنِdusky مَطارفٍmantles ونمارقِand cushions
ما بينَ دُكْنِ مَطارفٍ ونمارقِ
From their blossoms and clouds, you are greeted
You are met with shifting clouds and rays
by dusky mantles and cushions intermingled.
Between the slopes of hills and towering peaks
والهَيْكَلُand the temple المُبيَضُّwhite يَلمَعُgleams وَسْطَهاin their midst
والهَيْكَلُ المُبيَضُّ يَلمَعُ وَسْطَها
كالأُقحُوانَةِlike a daisy فيin بِساطِa carpet of شَقائقِanemones
كالأُقحُوانَةِ في بِساطِ شَقائقِ
And the white temple gleams in their midst,
The white temple shines amidst it all
like a daisy in a carpet of anemones.
Like a daisy in a meadow’s green and gold
كمhow many a دُمْيَةٍa statue خَرساءَspeechless فيهin it ودُمْيَةٍand a statue-like beauty
كم دُمْيَةٍ خَرساءَ فيه ودُمْيَةٍ
فَضَلَتْexcelled عليهاover it باللَّسانِwith the tongue النَّاطقِthat speaks
فَضَلَتْ عليها باللَّسانِ النَّاطقِ
How many a mute figure it holds, and many a figure
How many a mute doll lies within
that surpasses it with a tongue that speaks!
Outspoken by the tongues of the articulate
منof كُلِّevery أَهْيَفَslender-waisted youth تَاجُهُhis crown منof شَعرِهhis hair
من كُلِّ أَهْيَفَ تَاجُهُ من شَعرِه
فكأنَّماso it is as though هوhe شارِقٌa rising sun منfrom غاسقِa dark night
فكأنَّما هو شارِقٌ من غاسقِ
Each slender-waisted youth, whose crown is his hair,
On each disheveled head, his crown of hair
seems a rising sun emerging from night.
As though it were the rising sun’s first light
ومُهَفهَفٍand a slender youth لوif كنتُI were أَملِكُI could control أمرَهhis affairs
ومُهَفهَفٍ لو كنتُ أَملِكُ أمرَه
بدَّلْتُI would exchange سُحْمَblack مُسوحِهhis haircloth robes بقَراطقِfor tunics
بدَّلْتُ سُحْمَ مُسوحِه بقَراطقِ
And a slender youth—if I could direct his affairs,
And tousled locks - if I could but command
I would exchange his black haircloth robes for tunics.
I'd replace their shaggy darkness with sheen
كمhow often قدindeed رَمَقْتُI gazed at بهin it المُنىdesires فغَشِيتُهاand so I attained them
كم قد رَمَقْتُ به المُنى فغَشِيتُها
ماwhat بينbetween مَرموقِone gazed upon الجَمالِthe beauty ورامقِand one gazing
ما بين مَرموقِ الجَمالِ ورامقِ
How often there I gazed on my desires, then attained them,
How many wishes have I cast unto it
between one whose beauty draws the eye and one who gazes.
Between the lofty grace and the loftiest grace
ومُعَذَّلٍand a reproached lover أخذَtook الصِّباyouth بيمينِهwith his right hand
ومُعَذَّلٍ أخذَ الصِّبا بيمينِه
فجَرىthen he ran بهwith it جَرْيَthe gallop of الجَموحِthe headstrong steed السابقِracing ahead
فجَرى به جَرْيَ الجَموحِ السابقِ
And a reproached lover, who grasped youth with his right hand,
And disheveled tresses the dawn took in its right hand
then raced with it like a headstrong steed racing ahead.
And let flow like the carefree clouds Eastward bound
وَرَقَدْتُand I slept عنheedless of غِزلانِهits gazelles وذِئابِهِand its wolves
وَرَقَدْتُ عن غِزلانِه وذِئابِهِ
ماwhat بينَbetween مَسروقِone robbed الوِصالِlove's union وسارقِand one who steals
ما بينَ مَسروقِ الوِصالِ وسارقِ
And I slept heedless of its gazelles and wolves,
I have slept amidst its deer and wolves
between one robbed of love's union and one who steals it.
Between the stolen tryst and the thief of hearts
أيامَin the days when كنتُI was إذاwhenever ادلَهَمَّgrew pitch-dark ظَلامُهits darkness
أيامَ كنتُ إذا ادلَهَمَّ ظَلامُه
أهدَىbetter guided إليهto it منthan الخَيالِthe phantom الطَّارقِvisiting by night
أهدَى إليه من الخَيالِ الطَّارقِ
In those days, whenever its darkness deepened,
Days when if its darkness saddened me
I found my way to it more surely than a night-visiting phantom.
My imagination sent a ray to brighten it
عَصراًan age لَبِستُI wore ظِلالَهits shade وكأنَّهand as though it were
عَصراً لَبِستُ ظِلالَه وكأنَّه
فيin ظُلمَةِthe darkness of الأيَّامِthe days غُرَّةُthe bright brow of شَارِقِa rising sun
في ظُلمَةِ الأيَّامِ غُرَّةُ شَارِقِ
An age whose shade I wore, as though it were
At times I donned its shadows and it was as though
a rising sun's bright brow in the darkness of days.
In the darkness of days, the crescent moon of a new dawn
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.