أَكبَحُI rein in النَفسَthe soul إِنif جَمَحbolted (verb continued next line)
أَكبَحُ النَفسَ إِن جَمَح
تُI (verb ending) إِلىtoward غايَةٍa goal بِهاwith it
تُ إِلى غايَةٍ بِها
I rein in the soul if I bolt
I restrain my soul when it rages
toward a goal with it.
Towards an end that entices it
أَناI مَولىًmaster لِشَهوَتيof my desire
أَنا مَولىً لِشَهوَتي
وَسِوايَand anyone other than me عَبدٌa slave لَهاto it
وَسِوايَ عَبدٌ لَها
I am master of my desire,
I am the master of my desires
and anyone else is its slave.
Yet their slave when they seize me
لاnot يَذِلُّis humbled العَزيزُthe mighty man إِلfirst part of 'except'
لا يَذِلُّ العَزيزُ إِل
لَاcompletion of 'except' إِذاwhen رامَhe sought مَسَّهاtouching it
لَا إِذا رامَ مَسَّها
The mighty man is not humbled
The mighty are humbled only
except when he seeks to touch it.
When ensnared by temptation
لَوif رَأىhe saw المُستَغِرُّthe deluded man ماwhat
لَو رَأى المُستَغِرُّ ما
ضَرَرُharm اللَهوِof idle amusement ماnot لَهاhe amused himself
ضَرَرُ اللَهوِ ما لَها
If the deluded man saw what
If fools saw the harm of frivolity
harm idle amusement does, he would not amuse himself.
They would not be so drawn to it
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.