بِاللَهِby God رَبّكُماLord of you both سَلاهاask her, you two
بِاللَهِ رَبّكُما سَلاها
رِفقاًgently بِقَلبٍwith a heart ماnot سَلاهاhas forgotten her
رِفقاً بِقَلبٍ ما سَلاها
By God, the Lord of you both, ask her
By the Lord your God I implore you
to be gentle with a heart that has not forgotten her.
Gently, for a heart I implore you
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom فَتاةٌa maiden وَجهُهاher face
بِأَبي فَتاةٌ وَجهُها
لَمnot يُبقِleave لِلقَمَرَينِfor the two luminaries (sun and moon) جاهاglory
لَم يُبقِ لِلقَمَرَينِ جاها
May my father be ransom for a maiden whose face
By my father, a girl whose face
has left the sun and moon no glory.
Left no glory for either moon
ماnot الغُصنُthe bough إِلّاexcept قَدُّهاher figure
ما الغُصنُ إِلّا قَدُّها
ماnot الوَردُthe rose إِلّاexcept وَجنَتاهاher two cheeks
ما الوَردُ إِلّا وَجنَتاها
The bough is nothing but her figure;
Nothing is the branch but her stature
the rose is nothing but her two cheeks.
Nothing is the rose but her cheeks
جَحَدَتshe denied دَميmy blood ظُلماًunjustly وَلَbut (continued)
جَحَدَت دَمي ظُلماً وَلَ
كِن(completes 'but') ناظِراهاher two eyes ناظَراهاthey both disputed with her
كِن ناظِراها ناظَراها
She unjustly denied shedding my blood, but
She denied my blood unjustly but
her two eyes argued against her.
I kept looking at her, kept looking
لَوif أَنَّهاthat she بَرَزَتshe appeared لِقَرbefore the rim (continued)
لَو أَنَّها بَرَزَت لِقَر
نِ(completes 'rim') الشَمسِthe sun أَخجَلَهُwould shame it سَناهاher radiance
نِ الشَمسِ أَخجَلَهُ سَناها
Were she to appear before the rim
Had she come out to compete with
of the sun, her radiance would put it to shame.
The sun, her brilliance would shame it
بَلnay لَوif رَأىsaw فاهاher mouth عَذوmy reproacher (continued)
بَل لَو رَأى فاها عَذو
لي(completes 'my reproacher') لَمnot يَكُنhe would be بِالعذلِin reproach فاهاspeaking
لي لَم يَكُن بِالعذلِ فاها
Nay, had my reproacher seen her mouth,
Rather, had her mouth seen my love
he would not have spoken in reproach.
It would not blame me with rejection
ماnot ظَبيَةٌa female gazelle فيin رَوضَةٍa meadow
ما ظَبيَةٌ في رَوضَةٍ
بِالحَزنِon rugged ground ناشِدَةًseeking طَلاهاher fawn
بِالحَزنِ ناشِدَةً طَلاها
No gazelle in a meadow
No gazelle in a garden of sadness
on rugged ground, seeking her fawn,
Seeking her does she go in longing
ريعَتshe was startled لِنَبأَةِby a faint sound قانِصٍa hunter
ريعَت لِنَبأَةِ قانِصٍ
أَهوىhe rushed إِلَيهاtoward her وَاِنتَحاهاand made for her
أَهوى إِلَيها وَاِنتَحاها
startled by the faint sound of a hunter
She galloped to a fine speaker
who rushed toward her and made for her,
She loved him and went out to meet him
يَوماًever بِأَحسَنَany more beautiful مَنظَراًin appearance
يَوماً بِأَحسَنَ مَنظَراً
مِنهاthan her وَلاnor خشفٌa fawn تَلاهاfollowed her
مِنها وَلا خشفٌ تَلاها
is ever lovelier to behold
One day, in her finest aspect
than she—nor a fawn that followed the gazelle.
With no veil or cover upon her
كَالجيدِlike the neck مِنهاof her جيدُهاher neck
كَالجيدِ مِنها جيدُها
وَكَمُقلَتَيهِand like his two eyes مُقلَتاهاher two eyes
وَكَمُقلَتَيهِ مُقلَتاها
Her neck is like the gazelle's,
Like her neck, her neck in its grace
and her two eyes are like the fawn's.
Like her earrings, her earrings in place
ماnot شاقَenticed أَنفُسَناour souls إِلىtoward
ما شاقَ أَنفُسَنا إِلى
ذُلِّabasement الهَوانِhumiliation سِوىexcept هَواهاlove for her
ذُلِّ الهَوانِ سِوى هَواها
Nothing enticed our souls toward
Nothing made us bow to the baseness
the abasement of humiliation but love for her.
Of shame except our love for her face
بَيناwhile أَقولُI say لِعَيشِناof our life
بَينا أَقولُ لِعَيشِنا
واهاًhow delightful! لَهُfor it إِذwhen suddenly قُلتُI said آهاalas!
واهاً لَهُ إِذ قُلتُ آها
While I was saying of our life,
While I said of our life “Woe to it”
“How delightful it is!” I suddenly cried, “Alas!”
When I said “Alas” for her beauty
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.