هَلis there? مِنany حَديثٍa tale قَديمِold العَهدِin date أَوطاريor recent
هَل مِن حَديثٍ قَديمِ العَهدِ أَوطاري
بِهِthrough it تَهيجُare stirred لُباناتيmy longings وَأَوطاريand my desires
بِهِ تَهيجُ لُباناتي وَأَوطاري
Is there a tale, old or new,
Is there any old tale to stir my ardors anew
that stirs my longings and desires?
And kindle the embers of love in my heart?
هاتِbring الحَديثَthe tale عَنِabout الأَحبابِthe loved ones إِنَّindeed لَهُمtheirs
هاتِ الحَديثَ عَنِ الأَحبابِ إِنَّ لَهُم
قَلبيmy heart رَهينُa captive صَباباتٍardent longings وَتَذكارِand remembrance
قَلبي رَهينُ صَباباتٍ وَتَذكارِ
Bring me word of the loved ones, for theirs is
Tell me a tale of the ones I loved, for my heart
my heart, captive to longing and remembrance.
Is held ransom by longings and memories.
سَلask عَنabout فُؤاديmy heart بِسَلعat Salʿ مَنthose whom كلفتُI became enamored بِهِمof them
سَل عَن فُؤادي بِسَلع مَن كلفتُ بِهِم
لمwhy? أَسكنوهُthey housed it وَهمwhile they أَلقَوهُthey cast it فيinto النارِthe fire
لم أَسكنوهُ وَهم أَلقَوهُ في النارِ
At Salʿ, ask those I love about my heart:
Ask how my heart fares, which I tasked with love -
why did they give it a home, when they cast it into the fire?
It found no peace, and they flung it in the flames.
يَهيجُنيstirs me البَرقُthe lightning مِنfrom تِلقاءِthe direction of كاظِمَةٍKāẓima
يَهيجُني البَرقُ مِن تِلقاءِ كاظِمَةٍ
آهٍah! لإيماضِfor the flashing ذاكَthat البارِقِthe lightning الساريcoursing by night
آهٍ لإيماضِ ذاكَ البارِقِ الساري
Lightning from the direction of Kāẓima stirs me;
Lightning from Kadhimah’s land kindles me -
ah, for the flash of that lightning coursing through the night!
Alas for that brilliant lightning’s swift flash!
أَستَودِعُI entrust to اللَهَGod جيراناًneighbors أُحِبُّهُمI love them
أَستَودِعُ اللَهَ جيراناً أُحِبُّهُم
جارواthey acted unjustly وَلَمّاand not yet يُراعواthey respect حُرمَةَthe sanctity الجارِof the neighbor
جاروا وَلَمّا يُراعوا حُرمَةَ الجارِ
I entrust to God neighbors whom I love;
I commend to God good neighbors I love,
they acted unjustly and have not yet honored a neighbor's rights.
Who neighbored but respected no neighborhood.
ماwhat ضَرَّهُمharmed them يَومَon the day بَينِof departure الحَيِّthe clan لَوif عَطَفواthey showed compassion
ما ضَرَّهُم يَومَ بَينِ الحَيِّ لَو عَطَفوا
عَلىon صَريعِone struck down هَوىًby love فيin عَرصَةِthe courtyard الدارِof the dwelling
عَلى صَريعِ هَوىً في عَرصَةِ الدارِ
What harm would it have done them, when the clan departed, had they taken pity
What harm if on the day between our clans they had
on one struck down by love in the dwelling's courtyard?
Shown mercy to a lover felled in the yard?
يُسرىthe left يَدَيهِof his two hands فُوَيقَjust above القَلبِthe heart تُمسِكُهُholds it
يُسرى يَدَيهِ فُوَيقَ القَلبِ تُمسِكُهُ
خَوفاًin fear وَقَدwhile already مَدَّhe stretched out يُمناهُhis right hand إِلىtoward الباريthe Creator
خَوفاً وَقَد مَدَّ يُمناهُ إِلى الباري
His left hand, just above his heart, holds it fast
He spreads his arms, clutches his ruptured heart
in fear, with his right hand stretched toward the Creator.
Fearfully, though he had stretched them Godward.
يَدعوhe prays وَلَيسَand there is no لَهُfor him خَلقٌcreature يُساعِدُهُhelps him
يَدعو وَلَيسَ لَهُ خَلقٌ يُساعِدُهُ
عَلىin bearing الصَبابَةِardent longing إِلّاexcept دَمعُهُhis tears الجاريflowing
عَلى الصَبابَةِ إِلّا دَمعُهُ الجاري
He prays, and no creature helps him
He prays, but none will aid him save his streaming tears
bear his longing, save his flowing tears.
To solace him in his fervent entreaties.
ياO أَهلُpeople نَجدٍof Najd بِكُمthrough you وَاللَهby God قَدalready وَضَحَتbecame clear
يا أَهلُ نَجدٍ بِكُم وَاللَه قَد وَضَحَت
لِعاذِليto my reproacher فيin الهَوىlove العُذرِيِّchaste أعذاريmy excuses
لِعاذِلي في الهَوى العُذرِيِّ أعذاري
O people of Najd, through you—by God—have become clear
O people of Nejd, by God my excuses shine clear
to my reproacher my excuses for chaste love.
To those who blame me for my love-blighted state!
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.