ولمَّاand when التقيناwe met والمَعاليand noble virtues مُضيئَةٌshining
ولمَّا التقينا والمَعالي مُضيئَةٌ
تألَّقُgleaming عنfrom وجهِthe face الأغَرِّthe radiant nobleman الحُلاحِلthe mighty chief
تألَّقُ عن وجهِ الأغَرِّ الحُلاحِل
And when we met, with noble virtues shining,
When we met and glory shone bright
gleaming from the face of the radiant, mighty chief,
From the radiant face of the graceful gazelle
تَوهَّمْتُI fancied أنِّيthat I لاهْتِزازٍfrom exhilaration ونشوةٍand rapture
تَوهَّمْتُ أنِّي لاهْتِزازٍ ونشوةٍ
حسَوْتُI sipped رحيقاًpure wine منfrom سُلافةِthe choicest wine of بابلِBabylon
حسَوْتُ رحيقاً من سُلافةِ بابلِ
in my exhilaration and rapture, I fancied that
I fancied I felt, from a thrill and rapture
I had sipped pure wine from Babylon's choicest vintage,
The sweet perfume of Babylon's maid
سُروراًout of joy بفيَّاضat one overflowing with النَّوالِbounty مُشمِّرٍstriving resolutely
سُروراً بفيَّاض النَّوالِ مُشمِّرٍ
إلىtoward المجدglory جيَّاشِmaking seethe الوَغىbattle والمراجلand the cauldrons
إلى المجد جيَّاشِ الوَغى والمراجل
in joy at one overflowing with bounty, striving
With joy at fortune's bounty, set out
toward glory, making battles and cauldrons seethe.
To glory, tumult of battle and fray
وزيرٌa minister تحامىshunned جارَهُhis neighbor كلُّevery ذاعِرٍmarauder
وزيرٌ تحامى جارَهُ كلُّ ذاعِرٍ
كماjust as يتَحامىshuns ضيْفهُhis guest كلُّevery ماحِلِschemer
كما يتَحامى ضيْفهُ كلُّ ماحِلِ
A minister whose neighbor every marauder shuns,
A minister whose neighbor each indigent
just as every schemer shuns his guest.
Like a guest shelters, each outcast and rogue
هوhe الواضعthe one who bestows المعروفَkindness فيupon كلevery معدِمٍdestitute person
هو الواضع المعروفَ في كل معدِمٍ
كماjust as يضعُthrusts الهنديَّthe Indian sword فيinto كلِّevery باسِلِvaliant warrior
كما يضعُ الهنديَّ في كلِّ باسِلِ
He bestows kindness on every destitute person,
Known for kindness amid every outcast
just as he plunges an Indian sword into every valiant warrior.
As the Indian is known for each miser and churl
يمُدُّsupplies لهfor him نادٍan assembly hall رحيبٌspacious ومأزِقٌand a narrow battlefield
يمُدُّ له نادٍ رحيبٌ ومأزِقٌ
بغمريْنwith two floods منfrom سَيلَيْtwo torrents of نجيعٍfresh blood ونائِلِand bounty
بغمريْن من سَيلَيْ نجيعٍ ونائِلِ
A spacious hall and a narrow battlefield supply him
A refuge hospitable extends to him
with two floods from twin torrents of fresh blood and bounty.
With two downpours of copious, bountiful rain
وتتلوand follow سِباعُthe predators among الطَّيْرِthe birds طيرَthe birds of لوائِهِhis banner
وتتلو سِباعُ الطَّيْرِ طيرَ لوائِهِ
ويسترْفدُand seeks bounty from العسَّالُthe trotting wolf جودthe generosity of العواسلthe quivering spears
ويسترْفدُ العسَّالُ جود العواسل
And birds of prey follow his banner's birds,
The birds of prey circle his standard’s shadow
and the trotting wolf seeks the bounty of quivering spears.
The bee gathers the nectar of his ready munificence
يُجاريraces لإحِرازِto attain المعاليhigh honors جيادَهُhis steeds
يُجاري لإحِرازِ المعالي جيادَهُ
وأقْلامَهُand his pens فيupon طِرْسِهhis parchment والهواجِلِand the desert wastes
وأقْلامَهُ في طِرْسِه والهواجِلِ
He races his steeds to win high honors,
His steeds vie to gain him glory
and his pens, upon his parchment and across desert wastes.
His pens, lances and well-honed blades
ويُدْنيand brings near لهfor him الغاياتِthe goals وهيthough they are قَصيَّةٌfar away
ويُدْني له الغاياتِ وهي قَصيَّةٌ
تخطُّرُthe swaying of صَرَّارٍa scratching pen ووثْبةُand the leap of صاهِلِa neighing horse
تخطُّرُ صَرَّارٍ ووثْبةُ صاهِلِ
And his goals are brought near, though they lie far away,
He reaches for the highest goals though distant
by a scratching pen's sway and a neighing horse's leap.
Leaping with eagerness like a warrior in mail
ترىyou see الخطَّthe writing والخطِّيَّand the Khattī spear سراًsecretly وجهرةًand openly
ترى الخطَّ والخطِّيَّ سراً وجهرةً
عَليمَيْنِboth well acquainted منof أعدائهِhis enemies بالمقَاتِلِذwith the vital spots
عَليمَيْنِ من أعدائهِ بالمقَاتِلِذ
You see the writing and the Khattī spear, in secret and openly,
You see his tracing, lines and writer
both well acquainted with his enemies' vital spots.
Learned in ways to defeat his foes in war
فتحْتَso beneath حشاياcushions of العبقريَّةِfine ʿAbqarī fabric والدُّجىand night's darkness
فتحْتَ حشايا العبقريَّةِ والدُّجى
طعينٌone pierced كماjust as تحتbeneath الضُّحىthe morning light والقساطلand clouds of battle dust
طعينٌ كما تحت الضُّحى والقساطل
So beneath ʿAbqarī cushions and night's darkness,
You opened up the dark recesses of genius and gloom
one lies pierced, as beneath morning light and clouds of battle dust.
A piercing light at dawn and beneath arcades
ونِعْمَand excellent is مُناخُthe resting place of الطَّارقينَthe night visitors عشيَّةًat dusk
ونِعْمَ مُناخُ الطَّارقينَ عشيَّةً
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle المشاتيthe winter seasons جعجعتْforce to halt بالرَّواحلِthe riding camels
إذا ما المشاتي جعجعتْ بالرَّواحلِ
And what a fine resting place for visitors arriving at dusk,
And fair the night-halting place of raiders
when winter seasons force the riding camels to halt.
When the watchfires blazed with leaping flames
هُنالِكُمُthere before you تاجُthe crown of المُلوكِthe kings كأنَّهُas though he were
هُنالِكُمُ تاجُ المُلوكِ كأنَّهُ
أبٌa father حَدِبٌtenderly caring منthrough بِرِّهِhis kindness والفواضلand bounties
أبٌ حَدِبٌ من بِرِّهِ والفواضل
There before you is the crown of kings, as though he were
There your king's crown is like
a tender father in his kindness and bounties—
A hump-backed father in kindness and bounty
نَوالاًin giving وبِشْراًand cheerful welcome واعتذاراًand apologies وصاحِباًand a companion
نَوالاً وبِشْراً واعتذاراً وصاحِباً
كريمَnoble in سجاياthe qualities of النفسthe soul عذبsweet in الشَّمائلdisposition
كريمَ سجايا النفس عذب الشَّمائل
in giving, cheerful welcome, and apologies—and a companion
Giving and glad tidings, pardon and a noble friend
of noble soul and sweet disposition.
Generous of soul, sweet of mien
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.