أَمَردودٌwill it be restored? لَناto us زَمَنُthe time الكَثيبِof the sand dune
أَمَردودٌ لَنا زَمَنُ الكَثيبِ
وَغُرَّةُand the bright brow ذَلِكَof that الرَشَإِfawn الرَبيبِhand-reared
وَغُرَّةُ ذَلِكَ الرَشَإِ الرَبيبِ
Will the time of the sand dune be restored to us,
Our youthful days of the sand dunes are gone
and the bright brow of that hand-reared fawn?
And the innocence of that gentle rain.
وَأَيّامُand the days الشَبابِof youth مُعَقَّباتٌbrought back
وَأَيّامُ الشَبابِ مُعَقَّباتٌ
عَلىdespite إِبدارِthe waxing full of آثامِthe sins المَشيبِof gray hair
عَلى إِبدارِ آثامِ المَشيبِ
And will the days of youth come round again,
Days of youth are followed
though the sins of gray hair have waxed full?
By the sins of old age's stains.
إِذاwhen اِبتَسَمَتshe smiles تَأَلَّقَgleam عارِضاهاher teeth on either side
إِذا اِبتَسَمَت تَأَلَّقَ عارِضاها
عَلىover ضَرَبٍwhite honey يُصَفَّقُis blended فيinto ضَريبِmixed milk
عَلى ضَرَبٍ يُصَفَّقُ في ضَريبِ
When she smiles, the teeth on both sides of her mouth gleam
When she smiles, her cheeks shine
over white honey stirred into milk.
With beauty that takes the breath away.
مَتىwhenever يوشِكdraws near غُروبُthe setting الشَمسِof the sun يُردَدis restored
مَتى يوشِك غُروبُ الشَمسِ يُردَد
سَناهاits radiance مِنfrom سَناthe radiance تِلكَof those الغُروبِtooth-edges
سَناها مِن سَنا تِلكَ الغُروبِ
Whenever the sun nears setting, it regains
When will the sunset return
its radiance from the radiance of those tooth-edges.
The radiance of its heyday?
أَبىrefused الواشونَthe slanderers إِلّاexcept أَنto يَعُدّواcount
أَبى الواشونَ إِلّا أَن يَعُدّوا
وَماthough not أَذنَبتُI sinned حُبَّكِlove for you مِنamong ذُنوبيmy sins
وَما أَذنَبتُ حُبَّكِ مِن ذُنوبي
The slanderers insist on counting—
My critics insist on finding fault.
though I have not sinned—my love for you among my sins.
Yet for your love, I have done no wrong.
فَمَنso whoever عَرَفواthey recognized بَراءَتَهُhis innocence فَإِنّيyet I am
فَمَن عَرَفوا بَراءَتَهُ فَإِنّي
ظَنينُsuspected الجَهرِin public مُتَّهَمُaccused المَغيبِin absence
ظَنينُ الجَهرِ مُتَّهَمُ المَغيبِ
Whoever they acknowledge as innocent, I remain
Those who know I'm innocent, while others
suspect in public, accused in my absence.
Suspect me, the public loud, the private sly.
مُريبٌsuspect فيin هَواكِlove for you رَأَواthey found سَبيلاًgrounds for blame
مُريبٌ في هَواكِ رَأَوا سَبيلاً
عَلَيهِagainst him وَالسَبيلُand the grounds for blame عَلىagainst المُريبِthe suspect
عَلَيهِ وَالسَبيلُ عَلى المُريبِ
I am suspect in my love for you; they found grounds
In their love they spied a path
against me—and grounds lie against the suspect.
Leading to me, while the path leads to them.
فَلاso let not يَزِدِadd العَذولُthe reproacher عَلىbeyond دُعاءٍa prayer
فَلا يَزِدِ العَذولُ عَلى دُعاءٍ
بِنَأيِfor remoteness الدارِof the dwelling أَوor هَجرِdesertion الحَبيبِby the beloved
بِنَأيِ الدارِ أَو هَجرِ الحَبيبِ
So let the reproacher add nothing beyond a prayer
No aloofness exceeds a prayer
for a distant dwelling or the beloved's desertion.
For distance from home or absence of a loved one.
صُباباتُthe last drops الدُموعِof tears تُزادُare increased سَكباًin pouring
صُباباتُ الدُموعِ تُزادُ سَكباً
بِبَرحٍby anguish مِنfrom صُباباتِthe longings القُلوبِof hearts
بِبَرحٍ مِن صُباباتِ القُلوبِ
The last drops of tears are poured more freely
Tears' droplets pour forth copiously
by anguish from the longings of hearts,
From the droplets of tender hearts.
وَصَرفٍand a turn of fortune بَينَbetween صَرفَيthe two turns of كُلِّevery دَهرٍage
وَصَرفٍ بَينَ صَرفَي كُلِّ دَهرٍ
زِياداتُadditions الخُطوبِof calamities عَلىupon الخُطوبِcalamities
زِياداتُ الخُطوبِ عَلى الخُطوبِ
and by a turn between each age's two turns:
And the blows of fate in every eon
calamities heaped upon calamities.
Add griefs to existing griefs.
إِلىto اِبنِthe son of أَبيAbu مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad اِستَقَلَّتset out
إِلى اِبنِ أَبي مُحَمَّدٍ اِستَقَلَّت
بِناbearing us قَصدَstraight toward السُرىnight travel مَيلُthe swaying ones السُروبِof the herds
بِنا قَصدَ السُرى مَيلُ السُروبِ
Toward Ibn Abi Muhammad set out
To Ibn Abi Muhammad we incline,
the swaying camel-herds, bearing us straight through the night.
As the Pleiades incline to their setting.
تَرامىranged far مِنfrom جَنوبِthe south الأَرضِof the earth مَرمىًto a reach
تَرامى مِن جَنوبِ الأَرضِ مَرمىً
بَعيداًfar distant وَهيَwhile they مُجفَرَةُbroad الجُنوبِin the flanks
بَعيداً وَهيَ مُجفَرَةُ الجُنوبِ
The journey ranged from the earth's south,
From the corners of the earth they come,
far afield, while the camels were broad of flank.
From distant and desolate places.
يُكَلِّفُهُنَّtasks them with سَهباًa plain بَعدَafter سَهبٍa plain
يُكَلِّفُهُنَّ سَهباً بَعدَ سَهبٍ
وَيَجشِمُهُنَّand forces them across لوباًa lava field بَعدَafter لوبِa lava field
وَيَجشِمُهُنَّ لوباً بَعدَ لوبِ
It drives them across plain after plain,
He assigns them mirage after mirage
and forces them over lava-field after lava-field,
And makes them gulp sorrow after sorrow.
إِلىto مَلِكٍa king تَظُنُّyou think نَدىthe bounty of يَدَيهِhis two hands
إِلى مَلِكٍ تَظُنُّ نَدى يَدَيهِ
وَفَيضَand the overflow of البَحرِthe sea ساحاًa flowing stream مِنfrom قَليبِa well
وَفَيضَ البَحرِ ساحاً مِن قَليبِ
to a king whose hands' bounty makes you think
To a king whose hands' freshness you imagine
the sea's flood a stream from a well.
And whose heart pours like a sea.
وَكانَand he was وَكُنتُand I was وَالحالانِthough the two conditions شَتّىdiffered
وَكانَ وَكُنتُ وَالحالانِ شَتّى
بِمُثنٍas a praiser بِالإِثابَةِfor reward أَوor مُثيبِa rewarder
بِمُثنٍ بِالإِثابَةِ أَو مُثيبِ
He was, and I was—though our conditions differed,
I was and you were, our states so various,
one praising for reward, or one giving reward—
In rhymed prose or rhyming verse.
غَريبَsingular سَجِيَّةٍin character وَغَريبَand a stranger أَرضٍin a land
غَريبَ سَجِيَّةٍ وَغَريبَ أَرضٍ
فَماso not أَكدىwithheld bounty الغَريبُthe stranger عَلىfrom الغَريبِthe stranger
فَما أَكدى الغَريبُ عَلى الغَريبِ
he singular in character, I a stranger to the land;
A stranger in nature and a stranger in land,
so the one stranger did not leave the other empty-handed.
What solace can a stranger find in a stranger?
يُنَوِّلُناgrants us gifts حُمولَةُHamula مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar
يُنَوِّلُنا حُمولَةُ مِن بَعيدٍ
وَيَحرِمُناand deprive us رِجالٌmen مِنfrom قَريبِnearby
وَيَحرِمُنا رِجالٌ مِن قَريبِ
Hamula grants us gifts from afar,
A distant tribe imposes burdens on us
while men nearby deprive us.
While a near people deny us rights.
سَحابُa cloud الجودِof generosity مُنهَلُّpouring العَزالىfrom the spouts
سَحابُ الجودِ مُنهَلُّ العَزالى
وَريحٌand a wind مِنهُfrom it صادِقَةُunfailing الهُبوبِin blowing
وَريحٌ مِنهُ صادِقَةُ الهُبوبِ
A cloud of bounty with pouring spouts,
The clouds of his generosity water the spurned,
and a wind from it that blows unfailingly.
And their winds blow sincerely.
مُطِرناwe were showered بِالشَمالِby the north wind الشُردِwandering مِنهاfrom it
مُطِرنا بِالشَمالِ الشُردِ مِنها
وَكُنّاand we were قَبلُpreviously نُمطَرُbeing showered بِالجَنوبِby the south wind
وَكُنّا قَبلُ نُمطَرُ بِالجَنوبِ
We were showered by its wandering north winds,
We were rained on by the north wind's expulsion,
though before we were showered by the south wind.
When once the south wind watered us.
لَناfor us مِنfrom جاهِهِhis rank وَنَدىand the bounty of يَدَيهِhis two hands
لَنا مِن جاهِهِ وَنَدى يَدَيهِ
عَطاءٌa gift غَيرُnot مَحظورِwithheld السُيوبِin streams of bounty
عَطاءٌ غَيرُ مَحظورِ السُيوبِ
From his rank and the bounty of his hands, we have
From his glory and his hands' freshness
a gift whose streams of bounty are not withheld.
We have gifts no swords can forbid.
بَلَوناwe tested حالَتَيهِhis two aspects فَماso not نُباليwe care
بَلَونا حالَتَيهِ فَما نُبالي
ضَرَبتَyou strike بِذيwith Dhu الفَقارِal-Faqar أَوِor الرَسوبِal-Rasub
ضَرَبتَ بِذي الفَقارِ أَوِ الرَسوبِ
We have tested his two aspects; it matters not
We have tasted his two states and do not care
whether you strike with Dhu al-Faqar or al-Rasub.
Whether he strikes with Zulfiqar or is struck.
لَهُhe has حَسَبٌancestral honor سَماrose high فيin بَيتِa house مَجدٍof glory
لَهُ حَسَبٌ سَما في بَيتِ مَجدٍ
قَليلِhaving few المِثلِequals مَفقودِwithout الضَريبِa peer
قَليلِ المِثلِ مَفقودِ الضَريبِ
His ancestral honor rose high in a house of glory,
His lineage ascends to a house of glory,
with few equals and no peer.
Of rare peers and unknown ancestry.
لَهُhe has فيin مارِجِthe smokeless flame النارِof fire اِنتِسابٌancestry
لَهُ في مارِجِ النارِ اِنتِسابٌ
بِأُمّاتٍthrough mothers نَقِيّاتِpure الجُيوبِof bosom
بِأُمّاتٍ نَقِيّاتِ الجُيوبِ
He traces descent in the fire's smokeless flame,
Through his fiery origin he draws lineage
through mothers with unsullied bosoms.
To pure maternal lines of highborn ladies.
سَراةُthe nobles الإِنسِof humankind وَالجِنّانِand the jinn أَدَّتpassed on
سَراةُ الإِنسِ وَالجِنّانِ أَدَّت
إِلىto جوذَرزَJudharz نَجدَتَهاtheir valor وَبيبِand Bib
إِلى جوذَرزَ نَجدَتَها وَبيبِ
The nobles of humankind and jinn passed on
The elite of mankind and jinn have given
their valor to Judharz and Bib.
Allegiance to his most noble ancestry.
تَطولُstand tall لَهاthrough it الأَعاجِمُthe non-Arabs حينَwhen تُثنىit is recounted
تَطولُ لَها الأَعاجِمُ حينَ تُثنى
وَتَعرِفُهاand acknowledge it القَبائِلُthe tribes لِلشُعوبِto the nations
وَتَعرِفُها القَبائِلُ لِلشُعوبِ
Through it the non-Arabs stand tall when it is recounted,
For him the non-Arabs speak well when named,
and the tribes concede it to the nations.
And the tribes recognize him for his generosity.
وَماand not خِلتُI thought الفَخارُglory يَكونُwould be يَوماًone day
وَما خِلتُ الفَخارُ يَكونُ يَوماً
نَصيبُكَyour share فيهِin it أَعلىhigher مِنthan نَصيبيmy share
نَصيبُكَ فيهِ أَعلى مِن نَصيبي
And I never thought that in glory there would come a day
Never far from glory, your share one day
when your share of it would rise above mine.
Will be higher than mine.
إِذاwhenever سَوَّمتُI send out to graze شُذّانَthe strays القَوافيof the rhymes
إِذا سَوَّمتُ شُذّانَ القَوافي
عَدَلتُI turn aside بِهاwith them عَنِaway from المَرعىthe pasture الجَديبِbarren
عَدَلتُ بِها عَنِ المَرعى الجَديبِ
Whenever I send the stray rhymes out to graze,
When I compose poetry in meter and rhyme
I turn them away from barren pasture.
I turn from the barren to the fertile theme.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.