ياO سُروريmy joy بِنَيلِat receiving تُحفَةٍa precious gift خِلٍّof a dear friend
يا سُروري بِنَيلِ تُحفَةٍ خِلٍّ
صادِقِsincere الوُّدِّin affection بِالثَناءِof praise جَديرِworthy
صادِقِ الوُّدِّ بِالثَناءِ جَديرِ
O my joy at receiving a gift from a dear friend,
O my joy, with an eloquent gift,
sincere in affection and worthy of praise!
True friend, worthy of praise,
مِنamong هدىgifts زُفّتwas led as a bride إِلىto السَمعِthe ear بكرٍa virgin maiden
مِن هدى زُفّت إِلى السَمعِ بكرٍ
تَتَهادىsways gracefully فيin حِليَةٍornaments وَشُذورِand gold beads
تَتَهادى في حِليَةٍ وَشُذورِ
A maiden among gifts, led as a bride to the ear,
Guiding melodies freshly reached my hearing,
swaying gracefully in ornaments and gold beads.
Gliding in elegance and splendor.
بُشرَةُjoy القَلبِof the heart نُزهَةُdelight الطَرفِof the eye حَقّاًtruly
بُشرَةُ القَلبِ نُزهَةُ الطَرفِ حَقّاً
بِدعَةُa novel marvel السَمعِfor the ear مِنamong بَناتِthe daughters of الضَميرِthought
بِدعَةُ السَمعِ مِن بَناتِ الضَميرِ
Truly, joy for the heart and delight for the eye,
Delight of the heart, charm of the eye in truth,
a marvel for the ear, one of thought's daughters.
Marvel for the ear, from the daughters of conscience,
خِدرُهاher bower فيin السَوادِthe blackness مِنof حُبِّهhis love; possibly ‘core’ here القَلthe heart (first part)
خِدرُها في السَوادِ مِن حُبِّه القَل
بَend of ‘the heart’ مَنيعُimpregnable الجَنابِin its precinct لاnot كَالخُدورِlike other bowers
بَ مَنيعُ الجَنابِ لا كَالخُدورِ
Her bower lies in the dark core of the
Her languor in darkness from his ardent love,
heart, an impregnable sanctuary unlike other bowers.
Impregnable, not like one downcast.
مَهرُهاher dowry أَنthat تُذالَbe made common بِالبَذلِthrough giving freely وَالنَشand dissemination (first part)
مَهرُها أَن تُذالَ بِالبَذلِ وَالنَش
رِend of ‘dissemination’ وَأَنand that لاnot تُصانَbe kept guarded لاnot كَالمُهورِlike other dowries
رِ وَأَن لا تُصانَ لا كَالمُهورِ
Her dowry is to be made common through giving and spreading
Her dowry to be humbled by generosity and giving,
abroad, and not kept guarded—unlike other dowries.
Not to be guarded like some possession.
نُظِمَتwas composed مِنfrom بَلاغَةٍeloquence وَمَعانٍand meanings
نُظِمَت مِن بَلاغَةٍ وَمَعانٍ
مِثلَlike نَظمِthe stringing of العُقودِnecklaces فَوقَover النُحورِthe throats
مِثلَ نَظمِ العُقودِ فَوقَ النُحورِ
She was composed of eloquence and meanings,
Composed with eloquence and meanings,
like necklaces strung upon throats.
Like strung pearls atop the throat.
نَتَجَتهاbrought her forth خَواطِرٌthoughts قَدalready أُبيحَتwere granted
نَتَجَتها خَواطِرٌ قَد أُبيحَت
كُلّevery عَذبٍsweet utterance مِنَof الكَلامِspeech خَطيرِprecious
كُلّ عَذبٍ مِنَ الكَلامِ خَطيرِ
Thoughts brought her forth, having been granted
Borne by inspirations made permssible,
every sweet and precious form of speech:
Each sweet, measured utterance.
غائِصاتٌdiving عَلىin search of بَدائِعَmarvels يُزرينَthey put to shame
غائِصاتٌ عَلى بَدائِعَ يُزرينَ
بِماwhat نالَobtained غائِصٌa diver فيin البُحورِthe seas
بِما نالَ غائِصٌ في البُحورِ
diving for marvels, putting to shame
Divers seeking out wonders they harvest
whatever a diver wins in the seas.
As a diver gains in the depths of the seas.
فَكَأَنّيso it is as though I وَقَدand already تَمَتّعتُI took delight مِنهاfrom her
فَكَأَنّي وَقَد تَمَتّعتُ مِنها
جالِسٌsitting بَينَbetween رَوضَةٍa meadow وَغَديرٍand a pool
جالِسٌ بَينَ رَوضَةٍ وَغَديرٍ
So, having taken delight in her, I seemed to be
So it's as if, having savored it, I sit
sitting between a meadow and a pool.
Between a garden and pond.
كَمhow many تَذَكّرتُI recalled عِندَهاin her presence مِنof عُهُودٍpast times
كَم تَذَكّرتُ عِندَها مِن عُهُودٍ
لِلتَلاقيof meeting وَظِلِّand the shade of عَيشٍa life نَضيرِflourishing
لِلتَلاقي وَظِلِّ عَيشٍ نَضيرِ
How many past days I recalled in her presence,
How many covenants it reminds me of -
of meeting and the shade of a flourishing life!
For meeting and days of bliss alike!
فَذَممتُso I blamed الزَمانَtime إِذwhen ضَنَّbegrudged عَنّاus
فَذَممتُ الزَمانَ إِذ ضَنَّ عَنّا
بِاِجتِماعٍa reunion يَضُّمُgathers شَملَthe scattered company السُرورِof joy
بِاِجتِماعٍ يَضُّمُ شَملَ السُرورِ
I blamed time when it begrudged us
I blame time, having denied us
a reunion gathering joy's scattered company.
A gathering that brings joy together.
وَحَقيقٌand justified بِذَمِّهِin blaming it مَنwhoever رَماهُit struck him
وَحَقيقٌ بِذَمِّهِ مَن رَماهُ
مِنfrom أَخلّائِهِhis dear friends بِنَأيِwith separation شطورِfar-distant
مِن أَخلّائِهِ بِنَأيِ شطورِ
And justified in blaming it is anyone it has struck
And rightly blamed by one it threw
with far-flung separation from his dear friends,
From its intimates, so distant.
وَخُصوصاًand especially فيregarding عَينِهمtheir foremost one وَعَديمِand lacking الthe (prefix continued next line)
وَخُصوصاً في عَينِهم وَعَديمِ ال
شَكلِequal مِنfrom بَينِهمtheir midst أَبيAbu (‘father of’) مَنصورِMansur
شَكلِ مِن بَينِهم أَبي مَنصورِ
and especially their foremost, the one without an
Especially in their eyes devoid
equal among them: Abu Mansur.
Of any doubt, my father Mansur.
مَنhe whose جَنىthe harvest of وُدّهhis affection كَأريٍlike honey مَشورٍdrawn from the comb
مَن جَنى وُدّه كَأريٍ مَشورٍ
وَثَنىand praise (apparently a poetic contraction) لَفظهhis speech كَلَفظِlike the speech of بَشيرِa bearer of glad tidings
وَثَنى لَفظه كَلَفظِ بَشيرِ
Whose affection's harvest is like honey drawn from the comb,
He whose affection is that of a gentle companion,
and whose words of praise are like a herald's glad tidings.
Whose words are those of a joyful herald -
هُوَhe زَينُthe adornment of الأَدآبِletters تَفتَرُّopens in a smile مِنهُfrom him
هُوَ زَينُ الأَدآبِ تَفتَرُّ مِنهُ
عَنrevealing سِراجِa lamp العُيونِfor the eyes مِلءَfilling الصُدورِthe breasts
عَن سِراجِ العُيونِ مِلءَ الصُدورِ
He is the adornment of letters; through him they smile,
He is the adornment of manners, shedding
revealing a lamp for the eyes that fills the breasts.
From the lantern of eyes the fullness of breasts.
وَلَئنand although راعَناfrightened us الزَمانُtime بِبَينٍwith separation
وَلَئن راعَنا الزَمانُ بِبَينٍ
أُلبِسَwas clothed in الأُنسُcompanionship ذلّةَthe abasement of المَهجُورِthe forsaken one
أُلبِسَ الأُنسُ ذلّةَ المَهجُورِ
And although time has frightened us with separation,
And if time has slighted us with separation,
and companionship has been clothed in the forsaken one's abasement,
Familiarity donned the garb of the abandoned.
فَعَسىso may اللَهُGod أَنthat يُعيدَrestore اِجتِماعاًa gathering
فَعَسى اللَهُ أَن يُعيدَ اِجتِماعاً
فيin أَمانٍsafety وَغِبطَةٍand happiness وَسُرورِand joy
في أَمانٍ وَغِبطَةٍ وَسُرورِ
may God restore a gathering
May God restore a gathering
in safety, happiness, and joy.
Of safety, delight and joy.
إِنَّهُindeed He قادِرٌis able عَلىto رَدِّbring back ماwhat فاpassed (first part)
إِنَّهُ قادِرٌ عَلى رَدِّ ما فا
تَend of ‘passed’ وَتَيسيرِand easing كُلِّevery أَمرٍmatter عَسيرِdifficult
تَ وَتَيسيرِ كُلِّ أَمرٍ عَسيرِ
He is able to bring back what has passed
He has power to restore what is lost
away, and to ease every difficult matter.
And facilitate each arduous matter.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.