جَنَتِharvested الغَوارِسُthe planters وَاِستَقَلَّand deemed it scant أَخوthe possessor of الغِنيwealth
جَنَتِ الغَوارِسُ وَاِستَقَلَّ أَخو الغِني
وَسَعىand strove المُؤَمِّلُthe hopeful one وَاِستَراحَand rested اليائِسُthe despairing one
وَسَعى المُؤَمِّلُ وَاِستَراحَ اليائِسُ
The planters harvested, and the wealthy man deemed it scant.
The Gharas garden bloomed, and the brother of the rich man gained independence,
And the hopeful man strove, while the despairing man rested.
The hopeful one strove, and the despairing one found rest,
وَاللُبُّand intellect حُرفٌill fortune وَالجَهالَةُand ignorance نِعمَةٌa blessing
وَاللُبُّ حُرفٌ وَالجَهالَةُ نِعمَةٌ
وَالكَيّسُand the clever one الفَطِنُthe discerning one الشَقيُّthe wretched one الكائِسُthe intelligent one
وَالكَيّسُ الفَطِنُ الشَقيُّ الكائِسُ
And intellect is ill fortune, while ignorance is a blessing.
Reason is a mere letter, and ignorance a blessing,
And the clever, discerning man—the man of wit—is wretched.
The wise and clever one is wretched and sad.
وَإِذاand when رَجَعتَyou return إِلىto الحَقائِقِthe realities لَمnot يَكُنexist
وَإِذا رَجَعتَ إِلى الحَقائِقِ لَم يَكُن
فيin العالَمِthe world البَشَريِّhuman إِلّاexcept بائِسُa wretched person
في العالَمِ البَشَريِّ إِلّا بائِسُ
And when you turn to the realities, there is none
When you look back at the facts, there was in the human world,
In the human world but the miserable.
Nothing but the miserable.
وَالمَوتُand death بازٍa hawk وَالنُفوسُand souls حَمائِمُdoves
وَالمَوتُ بازٍ وَالنُفوسُ حَمائِمُ
وَهِزَبرُand a lion عِرَّيسٍa wooded lair وَنَحنُand we فَرائِسُprey
وَهِزَبرُ عِرَّيسٍ وَنَحنُ فَرائِسُ
And death is a hawk, and souls are doves,
Death is a hawk, souls are doves,
And a lion of the thicket, while we are prey.
An old man's nonsense, and we are frightened game.
إِنَّindeed الأَوانِسَthe maidens أَنthat تَزورَyou visit قُبورَهاtheir graves
إِنَّ الأَوانِسَ أَن تَزورَ قُبورَها
خَيرٌbetter لَهاfor them مِنthan أَنthat يُقالَbe said عَرائِسُbrides
خَيرٌ لَها مِن أَن يُقالَ عَرائِسُ
Indeed, for maidens, your visiting their graves
It is better for the virgins to visit their graves,
Is better for them than their being called brides.
Than to be called brides.
كَمhow many نالَbefell قَبلَكَbefore you فيin طَعّامِكَyour food مِنof يَدٍa hand
كَم نالَ قَبلَكَ في طَعّامِكَ مِن يَدٍ
نَصَبٌtoil إِلىuntil أَنthat لاسَtasted قُوتَكَyour sustenance لائِسُa taster
نَصَبٌ إِلى أَن لاسَ قُوتَكَ لائِسُ
How many hands before you, producing your food, suffered
How many hands reached your food,
Toil, until a taster tasted your sustenance!
Striving until your livelihood was depleted.
فَكَوارِبٌso, plowing hands وَزَوارِعٌand sowing hands وَكَوافِرٌand seed-covering hands
فَكَوارِبٌ وَزَوارِعٌ وَكَوافِرٌ
وَحَواصِدٌand reaping hands وَجَوامِعٌand gathering hands وَدَوائِسُand threshing hands
وَحَواصِدٌ وَجَوامِعٌ وَدَوائِسُ
Thus plowing hands, sowing hands, and seed-covering hands,
So ships and farms and infidels,
And reaping hands, gathering hands, and threshing hands.
And harvests and mosques and churches.
وَخُطوبُand the calamities of دَهرٍtime غَيرُother than ذَلِكَthat جَمَّةٌmany
وَخُطوبُ دَهرٍ غَيرُ ذَلِكَ جَمَّةٌ
دونَbefore اِغتِذائِكَyour nourishment وَالأَُمورُand affairs لَبائِسُtangles
دونَ اِغتِذائِكَ وَالأَُمورُ لَبائِسُ
And time's other calamities are many,
And the tribulations of time are many,
Before you can feed yourself; affairs are tangled.
Beyond your needs, and matters are miserable.
وَكَذاكَand likewise ماwhat عَنّاهُمُwearied them حَتّىuntil رَأواthey saw
وَكَذاكَ ما عَنّاهُمُ حَتّى رَأوا
شَجَراًtrees بِهاon them ثَمَرُthe fruit of النَدامَةِremorse نائِسُswaying
شَجَراً بِها ثَمَرُ النَدامَةِ نائِسُ
And likewise was their toil, until they saw
Until they saw a tree,
Trees upon which the fruit of remorse swayed.
Bearing the fruit of regret, drooping.
وَمَتّىand whenever رَكِبتَyou rode إِلىtoward الدِيانَةِreligion غالَهاassailed it
وَمَتّى رَكِبتَ إِلى الدِيانَةِ غالَها
فِكَرٌthoughts عَلىagainst حُسنِthe goodness of الضَميرِthe conscience دَسائِسُcovert plots
فِكَرٌ عَلى حُسنِ الضَميرِ دَسائِسُ
And whenever you ride toward religion, it is assailed
And when you rode the religion, thoughts
By thoughts—conspiracies against a good conscience.
Against the good conscience laid traps.
وَالعَقلُand reason يَعجَبُmarvels وَالشَرائِعُand the religious laws كُلُّهاall of them
وَالعَقلُ يَعجَبُ وَالشَرائِعُ كُلُّها
خَبَرٌa report يُقَلَّدُis accepted on authority لَمnot يَقِسهُtest it قائِسُan examiner
خَبَرٌ يُقَلَّدُ لَم يَقِسهُ قائِسُ
And reason marvels, while all religious laws
Reason is astonished, and all laws
Are reports accepted on authority, tested by no examiner.
Are news to be followed, not judged by a judge.
مُتَمَجِّسونَadherents of Magianism وَمُسلِمونَand Muslims وَمَعشَرٌand a community
مُتَمَجِّسونَ وَمُسلِمونَ وَمَعشَرٌ
مُتَنَصِّرونَprofessing Christianity وَهائِدونَand Jews رَسائِسُfirmly rooted
مُتَنَصِّرونَ وَهائِدونَ رَسائِسُ
Those professing Magianism, and Muslims, and a community
Puritans, Muslims, and a group
Professing Christianity, and firmly rooted Jews.
Of Christians, Jews, laying nets.
وَبُيوتُand houses of نيرانٍfires تُزارُare visited تَعَبُّداًin worship
وَبُيوتُ نيرانٍ تُزارُ تَعَبُّداً
وَمَساجِدٌand mosques مَعمورَةٌwell-frequented وَكَنائِسُand churches
وَمَساجِدٌ مَعمورَةٌ وَكَنائِسُ
And houses of fire are visited in worship,
And houses of fire are visited in worship
And well-frequented mosques, and churches.
While mosques and churches stand busy.
وَالصائِبونَand the Sabians يُعَظَّمونَvenerate كَواكِباًstars
وَالصائِبونَ يُعَظَّمونَ كَواكِباً
وَطِباعُand the natures of كُلٍّeach فيin الشُرورِevils حَبائِسُcaptives
وَطِباعُ كُلٍّ في الشُرورِ حَبائِسُ
And the Sabians venerate stars,
The strayers revere the planets,
And everyone's nature is captive in evil.
And each one's nature in evils is trapped.
أَنّيhow يَنالُattain أَخوthe man of الدِيانَةِreligion سُؤدَداًeminence
أَنّي يَنالُ أَخو الدِيانَةِ سُؤدَداً
وَمَآرِبُand the desires of الرَجُلِthe man الشَريفِthe noble خَسائِسُbase things
وَمَآرِبُ الرَجُلِ الشَريفِ خَسائِسُ
How can a man of religion attain eminence,
How does the brother of religion attain happiness
While the noble man's desires are base?
While the affairs of the virtuous man are disgraced?
وَإِذاand if الرِئاسَةُleadership لَمnot تُعَنbe aided بِسِياسَةٍby governance
وَإِذا الرِئاسَةُ لَم تُعَن بِسِياسَةٍ
عَقليَّةٍrational خَطِئَmissed الصَوابَthe right course السائِسُthe ruler
عَقليَّةٍ خَطِئَ الصَوابَ السائِسُ
And if leadership is not aided by governance
And if leadership lacks wise policy,
Based on reason, the ruler misses the right course.
It will miss the right, miserable.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.