أَبلِغtell أَباAbu (father of) سُفيانَSufyan وَالنَفسُand the soul تَنطَويcoils inward
أَبلِغ أَبا سُفيانَ وَالنَفسُ تَنطَوي
عَلىaround عُقَدٍknots بَينَbetween الحَشاthe innards وَالجَوانِحِand the ribs
عَلى عُقَدٍ بَينَ الحَشا وَالجَوانِحِ
Tell Abu Sufyan, while my soul coils inward
Tell Abu Sufyan while the soul draws in
around knots between my innards and ribs,
On knots between claws and predatory beasts
بِأَدنىwith something less مِنَthan القَولِthe speech الَّذيthat بُحتَyou divulged مُعلِناًopenly proclaiming
بِأَدنى مِنَ القَولِ الَّذي بُحتَ مُعلِناً
بِهِabout it لِاِمرِئٍto a man بِعَيبِكُمabout your fault غَيرَnot بائِحِone who divulges
بِهِ لِاِمرِئٍ بِعَيبِكُم غَيرَ بائِحِ
in words less harsh than those you openly divulged
With the least of words that burst forth revealing
to a man who does not divulge your faults:
To a man your flaws even though unyielding
تُصَدِّقُyou believe سيماSima هاكَhere, take جَرفَكَyour riverbank وِاِشتَرِand buy
تُصَدِّقُ سيما هاكَ جَرفَكَ وِاِشتَرِ
بِهِwith it مِنكَfrom yourself بَيعاًa bargain بِعتَهُyou sold it غَيرَnot رابِحِmaking a profit
بِهِ مِنكَ بَيعاً بِعتَهُ غَيرَ رابِحِ
You believe Sima; here, take your riverbank and buy
Your traits confirm, your precipice made you slide
with it, from yourself, a bargain you sold without profit.
To sell from you, though the sale brings no tide
نُسَيرَةُNusayra ذوthe one with الوَجهَينِthe two faces لَوif كانhe was يَتَّقيguarding against
نُسَيرَةُ ذو الوَجهَينِ لَو كان يَتَّقي
مِنَfrom الذَمِّblame يَوماًone day باقِياتِlasting traces of الفَضائِحِscandals
مِنَ الذَمِّ يَوماً باقِياتِ الفَضائِحِ
Nusayra, the two-faced—if only he feared
Two-faced base man, if he feared one day
even for a day, the enduring reproach of scandals.
Remaining slanders and dishonor’s sway
وَلَكِنَّهُand yet he عَبدٌa slave تَقَعَّدَheld back رَأيَهُhis judgment
وَلَكِنَّهُ عَبدٌ تَقَعَّدَ رَأيَهُ
لِئامُignoble ones الفُحولِthe sires وِاِرتِخاصُand the cheapening of النَواكِحِwomen who marry
لِئامُ الفُحولِ وِاِرتِخاصُ النَواكِحِ
And yet he is a slave whose judgment was held back
But he's a slave whose judgment lapsed
by ignoble sires and the cheapening of brides.
Vile men and cheapened, loosened pacts
فُخُذso take ماwhat صَفاis clear لاdo not تَطلُبِseek الرَنقَthe murk إِنَّهُfor it
فُخُذ ما صَفا لا تَطلُبِ الرَنقَ إِنَّهُ
يُكَدِّرُهُmuddies it حَفرُdigging الأَكُفِّthe hands المَواتِحِdrawing water
يُكَدِّرُهُ حَفرُ الأَكُفِّ المَواتِحِ
So take what is clear; do not seek the murk, for it
Take what is pure and seek no flaunt for it
is clouded by the scooping of water-drawing hands.
Is muddied by hollow grasping hands that grab it
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَخشىI feared بَعدَafter وُدِّكَyour affection أَنthat أَرىI should see
وَما كُنتُ أَخشى بَعدَ وُدِّكَ أَن أَرى
بِكَفَّيin the two hands of عَدُوِّبَينَناan enemy between us زَندَa fire-stick قادِحِa spark-striker
بِكَفَّي عَدُوِّبَينَنا زَندَ قادِحِ
And after your affection, I never feared I would see
After your love I feared not to see
in an enemy's two hands between us, a fire-striker's stick.
In enemy hands brandished at you and me
وَقَدand sometimes يَستَحيلُchanges shape الرَحلُthe saddle وَالرَحلُand the saddle فائِتٌample
وَقَد يَستَحيلُ الرَحلُ وَالرَحلُ فائِتٌ
إِذاif طالَlasts long بِالرَحلِwith the saddle اِختِلافُthe alternation of النَواضِحِthe water-drawing camels
إِذا طالَ بِالرَحلِ اِختِلافُ النَواضِحِ
And a saddle may warp, though the saddle is ample,
But turns may come and friends go missing
when water-drawing camels bear it in turn too long.
When friends differ and advice proves hissing
مَتىwhen ماever يَسُؤturns bad ظَنُّthe opinion of اِمرِئٍa man بِصَديقِهِof his friend
مَتى ما يَسُؤ ظَنُّ اِمرِئٍ بِصَديقِهِ
وَلِلظَنِّand suspicion has أَسبابٌcauses عِراضُbroad المَسارِحِroaming grounds
وَلِلظَنِّ أَسبابٌ عِراضُ المَسارِحِ
Whenever a man thinks ill of his friend—
When a man doubts his friend and believing
and suspicion has causes with broad fields to roam—
Suspicions, stages set for leaving
يُصَدِّقُhe believes أَموراًthings لَمnot يَجِئهُhas reached him يَقينُهاcertainty about them
يُصَدِّقُ أَموراً لَم يَجِئهُ يَقينُها
عَلَيهِconcerning him وَيَعشَقand falls in love سَمعُهُhis hearing كُلَّevery كاشِحِsecret foe
عَلَيهِ وَيَعشَق سَمعُهُ كُلَّ كاشِحِ
he believes things whose truth has not reached him
Gives credit to matters not proven true
concerning his friend, and his ear loves every secret foe.
And loves hearing any gossip spewed
أَأَنساكَhas it made you forget? ماwhat وَكَّدتَyou firmly affirmed مِنof كُلِّevery ذِمَّةٍcovenant
أَأَنساكَ ما وَكَّدتَ مِن كُلِّ ذِمَّةٍ
دَبيبُthe creeping of العِداthe enemies بِالكاذِباتِwith lies القَبائِحِvile ones
دَبيبُ العِدا بِالكاذِباتِ القَبائِحِ
Have you been made to forget every covenant you affirmed
Forget what every covenant wore down
by enemies creeping in with vile lies?
With lies of enemies who only frown?
مَعاشِرُpeople لَوif قامواthey stood مَقاميin my place وَكُلِّفواand were tasked with
مَعاشِرُ لَو قاموا مَقامي وَكُلِّفوا
رِهانيmy race جَرَواthey would run جَريَthe running of البِطاءِthe sluggish ones الأَوانِحِthe leaning ones
رِهاني جَرَوا جَريَ البِطاءِ الأَوانِحِ
People who, had they stood in my place and been tasked with
Had they stood in my place under obligation
my race, would have run like sluggish, staggering runners.
They would have fled like frightened aberration
رُوَيدَكَtake your time أَقصىthe utmost of رَغبَتيmy desire مِنكَfrom you إِنَّنيindeed I
رُوَيدَكَ أَقصى رَغبَتي مِنكَ إِنَّني
بَصيرٌperceptive بِرَوعاتِabout the terrors of النُفوسِthe souls الشَحائِحِthe covetous ones
بَصيرٌ بِرَوعاتِ النُفوسِ الشَحائِحِ
Take your time—that is the utmost I ask of you, for I
Calm yourself, my want from you is to hide
know well the terrors of covetous souls.
I'm aware of souls filled with greed inside
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.