خَفfear دَنِيّاًa base man كَماas تَخافُyou fear شَريفاًa noble man
خَف دَنِيّاً كَما تَخافُ شَريفاً
صالَcharged; attacked لَيثُthe lion الشَرىal-Sharā بِظُفرٍwith a claw وَنابِand a fang
صالَ لَيثُ الشَرى بِظُفرٍ وَنابِ
Fear a base man as you fear a noble one.
Fear the lowly as you would fear the noble,
The lion of al-Sharā attacks with claw and fang.
The lion of valor has triumphed with fang and claw,
وَالصِلالُand the vipers الَّتيthat; which يَخافُone fears رَداهاtheir deadly harm
وَالصِلالُ الَّتي يَخافُ رَداها
شَرُّهاtheir evil فيin الرُؤوسِthe heads وَالأَذنابِand the tails
شَرُّها في الرُؤوسِ وَالأَذنابِ
And the vipers whose deadly harm one fears—
And the she-wolves whose howls instill fear,
their evil lies in their heads and tails.
Their evil lies in heads and tails alike.
هَلis there? جَنابٌan abode نَحُلُّهُwe inhabit it غَيرَother than دُنياworld (continued)
هَل جَنابٌ نَحُلُّهُ غَيرَ دُنيا
ناour (completing 'our world') فَإِنّاfor indeed we مِنهاwithin it بِشَرِّin the worst جَنابِabode
نا فَإِنّا مِنها بِشَرِّ جَنابِ
Is there an abode we may inhabit other than this world
Is there any refuge we seek but the mortal world?
of ours? For we dwell in its worst abode.
For we are of its greatest evils and plights.
عُلِّقَwas hung; attached الحَينُdeath; doom فيin الحَضارَةِsettled life بِالخِدto the curtained chamber (continued)
عُلِّقَ الحَينُ في الحَضارَةِ بِالخِد
رِcompletion of 'curtained chamber' وَفيand in البَدوِnomadic life شُدَّwas tied بِالأَطنابِto the tent ropes
رِ وَفي البَدوِ شُدَّ بِالأَطنابِ
In settled life, death is fastened to the curtained chamber;
In civilization, life hangs by a thread,
and in nomadic life it is tied to the tent ropes.
And in the desert, it is bound by ropes.
لاdo not تَدَرَّعput on armor مِنَagainst القَضاءِfate فَماfor ... not سَيsword (continued)
لا تَدَرَّع مِنَ القَضاءِ فَما سَي
فُcompletion of 'sword' المَناياdeaths عَنِoff; away from الدُروعِarmor بِنابِglancing off (emphatic predicate)
فُ المَنايا عَنِ الدُروعِ بِنابِ
Do not put on armor against fate, for the sword
Do not arm yourself against destiny, for how useless
of death does not glance off armor.
Are shields against the swords of death's nights.
زارَتِit visited الشامَal-Shām وَالعِراقَand Iraq وَكُلَّand all الأَرthe earth (continued)
زارَتِ الشامَ وَالعِراقَ وَكُلَّ الأَر
ضِcompletion of 'earth' ماnot جانَبَتit avoided; spared قَطينَinhabitants الجَنابِthe abode
ضِ ما جانَبَت قَطينَ الجَنابِ
Death has visited al-Shām, Iraq, and all the earth;
It toured Syria, Iraq and all the lands,
it has spared no inhabitants of any abode.
Without ever missing the sides of the coffin.
كَلَّfaltered; proved inadequate عِلمُknowledge الطَبيبِthe physician عَنin dealing with مَرَضِillness المَوdeath (continued)
كَلَّ عِلمُ الطَبيبِ عَن مَرَضِ المَو
تِcompletion of 'death' وَقَدand indeed نابَdid his part فيهِin it كُلَّevery مَنابِrole; service
تِ وَقَد نابَ فيهِ كُلَّ مَنابِ
The physician's knowledge fails against the illness of death,
All a doctor's knowledge fails against death's illness,
though he has done all he could for it.
And every cure for it has failed and faded.
نَطَقَتthey spoke أَلسُنُtongues الحِمامِdeath وَبِالإيand with brevity (continued)
نَطَقَت أَلسُنُ الحِمامِ وَبِالإي
جازِcompletion of 'brevity' جاءَتthey came وَكَثرَةِand abundance of الإِطنابِlengthy elaboration
جازِ جاءَت وَكَثرَةِ الإِطنابِ
Death's tongues have spoken, and with brevity
The doves have spoken eloquently and clearly,
they have come, and with copious elaboration.
With great skill and excessive prattle.
لاnot يَكادُalmost الفَتىthe young man يُجَهَّزُis prepared for burial إِلّاexcept
لا يَكادُ الفَتى يُجَهَّزُ إِلّا
عَنleaving behind بَديلٍa replacement مَكانَهُin his place مُستَنابِappointed as a substitute
عَن بَديلٍ مَكانَهُ مُستَنابِ
Scarcely is a young man prepared for burial without
A youth is scarcely prepared for death,
a replacement appointed to take his place.
Before a substitute takes his place.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.