إذاwhen المَجَرَّةُthe Milky Way مالَتtilts بعدَafter تعديلِalignment
إذا المَجَرَّةُ مالَت بعدَ تعديلِ
وجاذَبَand tugged at الليلُthe night حبلاًa rope غيرَnot مَوصولِjoined
وجاذَبَ الليلُ حبلاً غيرَ مَوصولِ
When the Milky Way tilts after lying straight,
When the galaxy tilted after reform
And night tugs at an unjoined rope,
And the night pulled an unconnected rope
وهبَّand sprang up ذُوthe bearer of الرَّعَثَاتِthe wattles الحُمرthe red مُنتشياًexhilarated
وهبَّ ذُو الرَّعَثَاتِ الحُمر مُنتشياً
فارتاعَthen took fright منat صَارمٍa sword للصُّبحِbelonging to dawn مَسلولِunsheathed
فارتاعَ من صَارمٍ للصُّبحِ مَسلولِ
And the red-wattled one springs up, exhilarated,
And the possessor of disheveled hair sighed red
Then takes fright at dawn's unsheathed sword,
A sword unsheathed alarmed the dawn
لمَّاwhen رآهhe saw it يَضُمُّenfolding الليلَthe night أكبَرُهُhe held it in awe
لمَّا رآه يَضُمُّ الليلَ أكبَرُهُ
فعادَso he returned منهfrom it بتكبيرٍwith cries of 'God is greatest' وتهليلِand declarations of 'No god but God'
فعادَ منه بتكبيرٍ وتهليلِ
When he sees it enfolding night, he holds it in awe,
When he saw it engulf the night in its vastness
So he returns from it crying 'God is greatest' and 'No god but God.'
He returned from it glorifying and praising
فقامَthen he rose منamong رَهطِهِhis clan الأشرافِthe nobles فيin لُمَّةa band
فقامَ من رَهطِهِ الأشرافِ في لُمَّة
كأنَّهاas though it were رَهطُthe clan of عَمروٍʿAmr أوor شَراحيلِSharāḥīl
كأنَّها رَهطُ عَمروٍ أو شَراحيلِ
Then he rises amid a band of his noble clan,
So a group of nobles among his comrades stood up
As though it were the clan of ʿAmr or Sharāḥīl.
As if they were the comrades of Amr or Sharaheel
أَرْبتْit surpassed علىbeyond الفُرسthe Persians فيin التيجانِthe crowns وانتَسَبتand traced its lineage
أَرْبتْ على الفُرس في التيجانِ وانتَسَبت
للهندِto India أكرِمْhow noble! بذاكis that الجيلِbreed منas جِيلِa breed
للهندِ أكرِمْ بذاك الجيلِ من جِيلِ
It surpasses the Persians in crowns and traces its lineage
They rode on horses with crowns and traced their lineage
To India—what a noble breed that is!
To the best of India’s generations, one after another
مُشَمَّراتٍtucking up فُضولَthe excess folds of الوَشْيِthe patterned silk مُرخَيةٍletting hang
مُشَمَّراتٍ فُضولَ الوَشْيِ مُرخَيةٍ
فَضْلَthe trailing length of الشُّنوفِthe earrings عليهاover them والأكاليلِand the crowns
فَضْلَ الشُّنوفِ عليها والأكاليلِ
Tucking up the excess folds of their patterned silk, letting hang
With the excess of musk flowing, dressed in silk
Their long earrings and crowns over themselves,
The remnants of scent upon them and circlets
تَخطُوthey step علىon قُضُبِrods of العِقيانِpure gold مُدمَجةًcompactly formed
تَخطُو على قُضُبِ العِقيانِ مُدمَجةً
لمdid not تَدْنَapproach منto قِصَرٍshortness مُزرٍunbecoming ولاnor طُولِtallness
لم تَدْنَ من قِصَرٍ مُزرٍ ولا طُولِ
They step on rods of pure gold, compactly formed,
They strode on staffs of palm branches interwoven
Neither approaching unbecoming shortness nor undue height.
Never having neared a measly palace or height
إذاwhen النَّدَىthe dew بلَّwets منsome of ديباجِهاits brocade سَحَراًbefore dawn
إذا النَّدَى بلَّ من ديباجِها سَحَراً
مشَينَthey walked فيamong زَهَرٍflowers ريَّانَlush مَطْلُولِdew-drenched
مشَينَ في زَهَرٍ ريَّانَ مَطْلُولِ
When dew wets their brocade before dawn,
When the dew wet their finery with magic
They walk among lush, dew-drenched blossoms.
They walked on blooming fragrant flowers
فزرso visit بناwith us منزلاa dwelling يختارprefers زائرهits visitor
فزر بنا منزلا يختار زائره
لبسwearing النعيمbliss علىover لبسwearing السرابيلgarments
لبس النعيم على لبس السرابيل
So visit with us a house whose visitor prefers
So pay us a visit in an abode the visitor chooses
Wearing bliss to wearing clothes.
Wearing the bliss over the striped lower garment
بيتٌa house تَرىyou see الحُسنَbeauty مبذولاًfreely offered بهin it فإذاbut when
بيتٌ تَرى الحُسنَ مبذولاً به فإذا
عدَاهpasses beyond it كانit is مَصُوناًguarded غيرَnot مبذولِfreely offered
عدَاه كان مَصُوناً غيرَ مبذولِ
A house where you see beauty freely offered; yet
A house in which you see beauty offered
Beyond it, beauty is guarded, not freely offered.
Yet when you pass it, it remains protected, not offered
فمشِّso let roam طرفَكyour gaze فيماover whatever شئتَyou wish منof كفلٍa rump
فمشِّ طرفَك فيما شئتَ من كفلٍ
رابٍswelling وخَصرٍand a waist كخُوطِlike a shoot of البانِthe bān tree مَجدولِfinely wrought
رابٍ وخَصرٍ كخُوطِ البانِ مَجدولِ
So let your gaze roam as you wish over a rump
So stroll with your gaze wherever you wish
Swelling, and a waist finely wrought like a bān-tree shoot,
On a supple neck or waist like strands interwoven
وفيand over جُسومٍbodies كخَيطِlike a string of العاجivory ماثلةٍstanding upright
وفي جُسومٍ كخَيطِ العاج ماثلةٍ
تُغْنِيsatisfy النواظرَthe eyes عنwithout needing حُسنِthe beauty of التَّماثيلِthe statues
تُغْنِي النواظرَ عن حُسنِ التَّماثيلِ
And over upright bodies like a string of ivory,
And on bodies like threads of ivory displayed
That leave the eyes no need of the beauty of statues,
That suffice the eyes without statues of perfect form
وفيand over الخُدودِthe cheeks التيthat جاءتcame مُذَهبَّةًgilded
وفي الخُدودِ التي جاءت مُذَهبَّةً
فعُدنthen they returned فيin أُرجُوانٍcrimson منهfrom it مَصقولِburnished
فعُدن في أُرجُوانٍ منه مَصقولِ
And over cheeks that came in gilded,
And on cheeks that came gilded
Then returned from it in burnished crimson.
Turn to crimson, therefrom burnished
ورُبَّماand sometimes عايَنتbeheld ْعيناكyour two eyes فيهin it فَتىًa young man
ورُبَّما عايَنت ْعيناك فيه فَتىً
وَرْدَrose-red الغِلالةِthe tunic مُخْضَرَّgreen-colored السَّراويلِthe trousers
وَرْدَ الغِلالةِ مُخْضَرَّ السَّراويلِ
And sometimes your eyes behold there a young man,
And perhaps your eyes may chance upon a youth
Rose-red in his tunic, green in his trousers.
Green, dressed in the bud of adolescence
مُكَلَّلاتٌcrowned أعاليthe upper parts of جُدرهِits walls بدُمىًwith figures
مُكَلَّلاتٌ أعالي جُدرهِ بدُمىً
فإنand if خَلاit is empty فهوthen it is منهاby them جِدُّvery مأهولِwell peopled
فإن خَلا فهو منها جِدُّ مأهولِ
Its upper walls are crowned with figures;
Crowned with the highest of his house in blood
And if it stands empty, it is still thickly peopled by them.
If not, he is the most noble part of it, carried
إذاwhen دخلناهwe enter it زِدناwe increase منof محاسِنهits charms
إذا دخلناه زِدنا من محاسِنه
وطيبِهand its fragrance فيin نعيمٍbliss غيرِnot مملولِwearisome
وطيبِه في نعيمٍ غيرِ مملولِ
When we enter it, we add to its charms
When we entered it, we increased from its
And its fragrance, amid bliss that never wearies.
Fine attributes and fragrance in never-ending bliss
وإنand if خرَجناwe leave خلَعناwe shed فَضلَthe surplus of نِعمتِهits bounty
وإن خرَجنا خلَعنا فَضلَ نِعمتِه
علىonto المَناشفِthe drying cloths مناfrom us والمناديلِand the towels
على المَناشفِ منا والمناديلِ
And when we leave, we shed the surplus of its bounty
And when we exited, we removed the excess of its blessing
From ourselves onto drying cloths and towels.
On our towels and handkerchiefs
حتىuntil إذاwhen أُنعِمَتhave been soothed أجسامُناour bodies وغدَتand have begun
حتى إذا أُنعِمَت أجسامُنا وغدَت
تُثنيto offer praise عليهof it بفَضلٍfor a favor غيرِnot مَجهولِunknown
تُثني عليه بفَضلٍ غيرِ مَجهولِ
Until, once our bodies are soothed and have begun
Until our bodies grew content and our sides
To praise it for its unmistakable goodness,
Would praise it for unparalleled favors
مِلناwe turned إلىtoward غُرفةِthe room of المِلْحِيِّal-Milḥī إنَّfor indeed بهاin it
مِلنا إلى غُرفةِ المِلْحِيِّ إنَّ بها
ظبياًa gazelle منof الأُنسhumankind مبذولَfreely displayed الخَلاخيلِthe anklets
ظبياً من الأُنس مبذولَ الخَلاخيلِ
We turn toward al-Milḥī's room, for there
We inclined to the room of the jester, therein is
Is a human gazelle, his anklets freely displayed.
A gazelle of companionship, bangles offered
نزورُهwe visit him وبقاياwhile the remnants of الليلِthe night تَستُرُناconceal us
نزورُه وبقايا الليلِ تَستُرُنا
فنَهتديso we find our way بخليعٍby a libertine فيهthere ضِلِّيلِfar astray
فنَهتدي بخليعٍ فيه ضِلِّيلِ
We visit him while the remnants of night conceal us,
We visit him with the remnants of night veiling us
And find our way by a libertine there, himself far astray.
Guided by a lamp therein flickering
يُرضيhe pleases النديمَthe drinking companion ويُرضَىand approval is given عنto مُرُوءتِهhis gentlemanly conduct
يُرضي النديمَ ويُرضَى عن مُرُوءتِه
إذاwhen أتاهhe comes to him بمشروبٍwith a drink ومأكولِand food
إذا أتاه بمشروبٍ ومأكولِ
He pleases his drinking companion, and his courtesy wins approval
Satisfying the companion who is satisfied with his
When he brings him something to drink and eat.
Chivalry when he came with a drink and food
وإنand if رآهsees him رقيقُbashful الوجهِof face قالhe says أَرِقْpour out!
وإن رآه رقيقُ الوجهِ قال أَرِقْ
كأسَthe cup of الحياءِmodesty بضَمٍّwith an embrace أوor ِبتَقْبيلِwith a kiss
كأسَ الحياءِ بضَمٍّ أو ِبتَقْبيلِ
And if a bashful man sees him, he says, 'Pour out
And if he saw him soft of face, he said be gentle
The cup of modesty with an embrace or a kiss.'
Like the cup of shyness with a sip or kiss
فزرتُso I visited إذwhen زرتُهI visited him قِنديلَthe lamp of بيعتِهhis church
فزرتُ إذ زرتُه قِنديلَ بيعتِه
فالزيتُfor the oil ينشُرُspreads أضواءَthe lights of القَناديلِthe lamps
فالزيتُ ينشُرُ أضواءَ القَناديلِ
So, when I visited him, I visited his church's lamp;
So I visited, when I visited, the niche of his den
For oil spreads the lights of lamps.
The oil spreading the lights of the lanterns
وابسُطand stretch out يمينَكyour right hand فيin تَخمِيشِscratching كِدَّتهِhis skin (meaning uncertain)
وابسُط يمينَك في تَخمِيشِ كِدَّتهِ
وفيand on قَفاهhis nape فماfor no سمحٌgenerous man بمغلولِis shackled
وفي قَفاه فما سمحٌ بمغلولِ
And stretch out your right hand to scratch his skin [meaning uncertain],
And stretch your hand in plundering his stomach
And his nape; no generous man is shackled.
And on his nape, for none is prohibitive when stupefied
وإنand if تَنفَّسhe breathes فاحذَرْthen beware منهfrom him صاعقةًa thunderbolt
وإن تَنفَّس فاحذَرْ منه صاعقةً
تُرديstrikes dead الجليسَthe companion وكُنْand be منهfrom him علىat ميلِa mile
تُردي الجليسَ وكُنْ منه على ميلِ
And if he breathes, beware a thunderbolt from him
And if he sighed, beware of him, a lightning strike
That strikes his companion dead; keep a mile away from him.
That would fell the companion; yet be gently leaning on him
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.