إِرفَعraise مِجَنَّكَyour shield أَوor ضَعput down لِلفَتىfor the youth قَدَرٌa fate
إِرفَع مِجَنَّكَ أَو ضَع لِلفَتى قَدَرٌ
يُلِمُّbefalls بِالنَفسِupon the soul دونَbypassing الدَرعِthe armor وَالتُرُسِand the shields
يُلِمُّ بِالنَفسِ دونَ الدَرعِ وَالتُرُسِ
Raise your shield or lay it down: a youth has a fate
Raise or lower your vessel for the young man has a fate
that reaches the soul, bypassing armor and shields.
That makes him endure without armor or shield
إِنَّindeed الرِئاسَةَleadership وَالرَيسَand swaggering اللَذانِthe two which هُماthey both
إِنَّ الرِئاسَةَ وَالرَيسَ اللَذانِ هُما
أَصلُthe root of الحُقودِrancors فَلاso do not تَرأَسlead وَلاand do not تَرِسswagger
أَصلُ الحُقودِ فَلا تَرأَس وَلا تَرِس
Indeed, leadership and swaggering are both
For leadership and the leader are both
the root of rancor: neither lead nor swagger.
The origin of grudges, so do not lead or shield
كَمmany a عاذِلٍreprover جَرسُهُhis voice فيin اللَيلِthe night فائِدَتيmy benefit
كَم عاذِلٍ جَرسُهُ في اللَيلِ فائِدَتي
بِهِfrom him كَفائِدَةِlike the benefit of الحُرّاسِthe watchmen بِالجَرَسِfrom the bell
بِهِ كَفائِدَةِ الحُرّاسِ بِالجَرَسِ
Many a reprover's voice sounds in the night; my benefit
How often does the bell of the slanderer benefit me
from him is like the watchmen's benefit from a bell.
Like the benefit of guards with bells
لاdo not تودِعِentrust السِرَّthe secret مِزماراًa flute فَيوعلِنهُlest it reveal it
لا تودِعِ السِرَّ مِزماراً فَيوعلِنهُ
بِجَهلِهِin its ignorance بَعدَafter طولِa long span of الصَمتِsilence وَالخَرَسِand muteness
بِجَهلِهِ بَعدَ طولِ الصَمتِ وَالخَرَسِ
Do not entrust a secret to a flute, lest it reveal it
Do not entrust a secret to a flute that will divulge it
in its ignorance, after long silence and muteness.
With its ignorance after long silence and muteness
فازَprevailed اِمرُؤٌa man باتَتspent the night الأَقدارُthe fates تَحرُسُهُguarding him
فازَ اِمرُؤٌ باتَت الأَقدارُ تَحرُسُهُ
وَّإِنand even if مَدَدتَyou extended إِلَيهِtoward him كَفَّthe hand of مُحتَرِسِa thief
وَّإِن مَدَدتَ إِلَيهِ كَفَّ مُحتَرِسِ
The man whom the fates guard through the night prevails,
A man has triumphed as the fates stand guard over him
even if you reach toward him with a thief's hand.
And if you extend a palm to him, a vigilant hand will meet it
أَحسِنbe kind إِلىto الناقَةِthe she-camel الوَجناءِthe stout-cheeked تَبعَثُهاyou send her
أَحسِن إِلى الناقَةِ الوَجناءِ تَبعَثُها
فيماon whatever تَشاءُyou wish وَأَكرِمand honor عِشرَةَcompanionship with الفَرَسِthe horse
فيما تَشاءُ وَأَكرِم عِشرَةَ الفَرَسِ
Be kind to the stout-cheeked she-camel you send
Treat the old camel well, it will transport you
on whatever task you wish, and honor companionship with the horse.
Wherever you wish, and honor the ten horses
وَاِردُدand turn back عَصاكَyour stick عَنِaway from السَوداءِthe black woman ماهِنَةًserving as a maid
وَاِردُد عَصاكَ عَنِ السَوداءِ ماهِنَةً
وَاِرفِقand be gentle بِعَبدِكَwith your slave فيin المِصطافِthe summer heat وَالقَرَسِand bitter cold
وَاِرفِق بِعَبدِكَ في المِصطافِ وَالقَرَسِ
And withhold your stick from the black maidservant,
Hold back your stick from the docile black one gently
and be gentle with your slave in summer heat and bitter cold.
And be kind to your servant at the station and stable
وَالحَيُّand the living being لِلأَرضِto the earth أَنif يَهلِكhe perishes فَطُعمَتُهاthen he is her food
وَالحَيُّ لِلأَرضِ أَن يَهلِك فَطُعمَتُها
وَإِنand if يَعِشhe lives يُحيِhe revives بَعضَsome of الأَربُعِthe dwelling-sites الدُرسِthe ruined
وَإِن يَعِش يُحيِ بَعضَ الأَربُعِ الدُرسِ
And the living belong to earth: if one dies, one is her food;
It is best for the land that he dies so it can feed on him
and if one lives, one revives some ruined dwelling-sites.
And if he lives he will revive some of the four ruins
أُمٌّa mother لَهُto him أَكلَتُهُshe devoured him طالَماfor so long بَذَلَتshe provided
أُمٌّ لَهُ أَكلَتُهُ طالَما بَذَلَت
لَهُfor him مَآكِلَfoods مِنfrom زَرعٍcrops وَمُغتَرِسِand planted trees
لَهُ مَآكِلَ مِن زَرعٍ وَمُغتَرِسِ
A mother to him, she devoured him, having long provided
A mother who has eaten him as long as she spent
him with food from crops and planted trees.
On him morsels from crops and plantations
تَمَسَّكَتclung بِحِبالِto the cords of العُمرِlife مُهجَتُهُhis soul
تَمَسَّكَت بِحِبالِ العُمرِ مُهجَتُهُ
وَالوَقتُand time بِالمَرِّin passing يوهيweakens قُوَّةَthe strength of المَرسِthe ropes
وَالوَقتُ بِالمَرِّ يوهي قُوَّةَ المَرسِ
His soul clung to the cords of life,
He clung to the ropes of life, worn out,
while time, in passing, weakens the ropes' strength.
And time with bitterness weakens the rope’s strength
وَالدَهزُand Time أَنحىassailed عَلىupon ذيone with مارِنٍa soft nose-tip أَرجٍfragrant
وَالدَهزُ أَنحى عَلى ذي مارِنٍ أَرجٍ
بِطيبِهِwith his perfume وَعَلىand upon ذيone with مارِنٍa soft nose-tip وَرِسِgrimy
بِطيبِهِ وَعَلى ذي مارِنٍ وَرِسِ
And Time assailed him whose nose-tip was fragrant
Swaying over the one with fragrant camel hair
with his perfume, and him whose nose-tip was grimy.
With its scent, and over the one with coarse camel hair
دُنياكَyour world تُضحيbecomes إِذاwhen جادَتit gives generously مُذَمَّمَةًblameworthy
دُنياكَ تُضحي إِذا جادَت مُذَمَّمَةً
أَدالَتِgave victory to الضَأنَthe sheep مِنover لَيثِthe lion of الشَرىal-Sharā المَرِسِthe battle-hardened
أَدالَتِ الضَأنَ مِن لَيثِ الشَرى المَرِسِ
Your world becomes blameworthy when it gives generously:
Your world becomes worthless when it is stingy
it has given the sheep victory over al-Sharā's battle-hardened lion.
Like sheep fleeing a predatory wolf of evil
مازالَhe kept يَفتَرِسُrending الأَعناقَthe necks مُعتَدِياًaggressively
مازالَ يَفتَرِسُ الأَعناقَ مُعتَدِياً
فَالآنَso now أَصبَحَhe has become فَرّاساًa fierce predator كَمُفتَرَسِlike one preyed upon
فَالآنَ أَصبَحَ فَرّاساً كَمُفتَرَسِ
He kept tearing at necks in aggression;
He kept ambushing necks aggressively
and now the fierce predator has become like prey.
And now he has become a horseman like an ambusher
هِيَshe العُروسُthe bride أَبانَتshe revealed عَنconcerning سَماجَتِهاher ugliness
هِيَ العُروسُ أَبانَت عَن سَماجَتِها
فَلاso do not يَغُرُّكَdeceive you مِنهاof hers لَيلَةُthe night of العُرُسِthe wedding
فَلا يَغُرُّكَ مِنها لَيلَةُ العُرُسِ
She is the bride who has revealed her ugliness;
She is the bride who showed her foolishness
so do not let her wedding night deceive you.
So do not be fooled on her wedding night
وَاِحذَرand beware مَقالَthe saying of أُناسٍsome people كانَhe was مُنقَبِضاًaloof
وَاِحذَر مَقالَ أُناسٍ كانَ مُنقَبِضاً
يَلقىhe met العُفاةَthose seeking gifts بِوَجهِwith the face of العابِسِthe scowling man الشَرِسِthe ill-tempered
يَلقى العُفاةَ بِوَجهِ العابِسِ الشَرِسِ
And beware of people saying, ‘He was aloof,
And beware the words of people that were withdrawn
meeting those seeking gifts with a scowling, ill-tempered face.’
Who meet the chaste with a cruel and fierce face
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.