لِيَmine الحَربُwar مَعطوفاًturned عَليَّupon me هِياجُهاits fury
لِيَ الحَربُ مَعطوفاً عَليَّ هِياجُها
وَظِلُّand the shade جَواديmy steed قَيظُهاits scorching heat وَعَجاجُهاand its swirling dust
وَظِلُّ جَوادي قَيظُها وَعَجاجُها
Mine is war, its fury turned upon me,
War draws its fury down on me
and my steed's shade is its scorching heat and swirling dust.
As my steed pants in the scorching heat.
وَيَأنَفُand disdains عَزميmy resolve أَنto يُرَدَّbe turned back رِماحَهاits lances
وَيَأنَفُ عَزمي أَن يُرَدَّ رِماحَها
إِذاwhen اِشتَبَهَتbecame indistinguishable خُرصانُهاits spearheads وَزِجاجُهاand its butt-spikes
إِذا اِشتَبَهَت خُرصانُها وَزِجاجُها
My resolve disdains to be turned back by its lances
My will disdains to turn its spears away
when its spearheads and butt-spikes become indistinguishable.
When helmets clash and shatter into fragments.
فَماso what بالُthe matter with بَغدادٍBaghdad إِذاwhen اِشتَقتُI longed رِحلَةًa journey
فَما بالُ بَغدادٍ إِذا اِشتَقتُ رِحلَةً
تَشَبَّثَclung بيto me غيطانُهاits lowlands وَفِجاجُهاand its passes
تَشَبَّثَ بي غيطانُها وَفِجاجُها
So what ails Baghdad, that whenever I long to depart,
Why does Baghdad cling to me when I yearn
its lowlands and passes cling to me?
To journey? Its alleys and lanes ensnare me
كَأَنَّas though لَهاit has ديناًa debt عَلَيَّagainst me وَإِنَّنيand indeed I
كَأَنَّ لَها ديناً عَلَيَّ وَإِنَّني
سَيَطلُبُهاwill claim it سَيفيmy sword وَدينيand the debt owed me خَراجُهاits tribute
سَيَطلُبُها سَيفي وَديني خَراجُها
As though I owed it a debt, whereas in truth
As though I owe it a debt, while in truth
my sword will claim it, and its tribute is my due.
My sword and faith will levy tribute from it.
أَبَغداذُO Baghdad ماnot ليfor me فيكَin you نَهلَةُa draught شارِبٍa drinker
أَبَغداذُ ما لي فيكَ نَهلَةُ شارِبٍ
مِنَof العَيشِlife إِلّاexcept وَالخَطوبُand calamities مِزاجُهاits admixture
مِنَ العَيشِ إِلّا وَالخَطوبُ مِزاجُها
O Baghdad, in you I have no drinker's draught
Baghdad, I've no refreshing draught in you
of life that is not mixed with calamities.
Save when cares are mixed into the cup.
وَلَوand if أَنَّنيthat I أَرضىI am content بِأَدنىwith the humblest مَعيشَةٍa livelihood
وَلَو أَنَّني أَرضى بِأَدنى مَعيشَةٍ
لَأَرضَتwould satisfy مُنائيmy wishes عِندَamong أَهليكِyour people حاجُهاits thornbushes
لَأَرضَت مُنائي عِندَ أَهليكِ حاجُها
And if I were content with the humblest livelihood,
Were I content with any humble life
its thornbushes among your people would satisfy my wishes.
My wishes among your people had been met.
وَلَكِنَّنيand yet I جارٍproceeding عَلىaccording to حُكمِthe dictates of هِمَّةٍan ambition
وَلَكِنَّني جارٍ عَلى حُكمِ هِمَّةٍ
كَثيرٍgreat عَنِaway from الطَبعِnature الذَليلِservile اِنعِراجُهاits veering
كَثيرٍ عَنِ الطَبعِ الذَليلِ اِنعِراجُها
But I follow the dictates of an ambition
But I follow lofty aspiration's rule,
that veers far from a servile nature.
Too proud for baser temper's compromise.
يُخَيَّلُit seems ليto me أَنَّthat الأَمانيwishes غَياهِبٌdepths of darkness
يُخَيَّلُ لي أَنَّ الأَماني غَياهِبٌ
وَلاand not تَنجَليclear إِلّاexcept وَعَزميand my resolve سِراجُهاtheir lamp
وَلا تَنجَلي إِلّا وَعَزمي سِراجُها
It seems to me that wishes are depths of darkness,
I fancy goals are phantoms, never glimpsed
and they clear only when my resolve is their lamp.
Till will lights up the way that leads to them.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.