إِذاif ناقَةٌa she-camel شُدَّتwas fitted بِرَحلٍwith a pack-saddle وَنُمرُقٍand a cushion
إِذا ناقَةٌ شُدَّت بِرَحلٍ وَنُمرُقٍ
إِلىto حَكَمٍHakam بَعديafter me فَضَلَّthen may it go astray ضَلالُهاher wandering
إِلى حَكَمٍ بَعدي فَضَلَّ ضَلالُها
If a she-camel is fitted with a pack-saddle and cushion
When a she-camel is saddled with a howdah and saddle-cloth
to go to Hakam after me, may she wander utterly astray.
To a judge, after me, his misguidance overwhelms her
كَأَنَّas though بِهِafflicting him إِذwhen جِئتَهُI came to him خَيبَرِيَّةًa Khaybar fever
كَأَنَّ بِهِ إِذ جِئتَهُ خَيبَرِيَّةً
يَعودُreturns عَلَيهِupon him وِردُهاits recurring bout وَمُلالُهاand its burning heat
يَعودُ عَلَيهِ وِردُها وَمُلالُها
It was as though, when I came to him, he had a Khaybar fever,
As though, when you come to him like a Khaybarian she-camel
its recurring bouts and burning heat returning upon him.
Her habitual pasture and tranquility return to her
كَأَنّيas though I حَلَوتُI bestowed الشِعرَthe poetry حينَwhen مَدَحتُهُI praised him
كَأَنّي حَلَوتُ الشِعرَ حينَ مَدَحتُهُ
صَفاthe smooth face of صَخرَةٍa rock صَمّاءَsolid يَبسٍdry بِلالُهاits moisture
صَفا صَخرَةٍ صَمّاءَ يَبسٍ بِلالُها
As though, when I praised him, I had offered my verse
It's as if I sweetened poetry when I praised him
to the smooth face of a solid rock, its moisture dried up.
A barren, deaf rock whose camels' resting-place is desolate
أَلاwill ... not? تَقبَلُyou accept المَعروفَkindness مِنّاfrom us تَعاوَرَتwielded in turn
أَلا تَقبَلُ المَعروفَ مِنّا تَعاوَرَت
مَنولَةُManulah أَسيافاًswords عَلَيكَover you ظِلالُهاtheir shadows
مَنولَةُ أَسيافاً عَلَيكَ ظِلالُها
Will you not accept our kindness? May there be wielded in turn
Why don't you accept good from us, brandishing
by Manulah swords whose shadows loom over you.
Swords over you, their shadows cast
هَمَمتَyou intended بِخَيرٍto do good ثُمَّthen قَصَّرتَyou fell short دونَهُof reaching it
هَمَمتَ بِخَيرٍ ثُمَّ قَصَّرتَ دونَهُ
كَماjust as ناءَتِstruggled to rise الرَجزاءُthe weak-legged she-camel شُدَّwas tightened عِقالُهاher hobble
كَما ناءَتِ الرَجزاءُ شُدَّ عِقالُها
You intended to do good, then fell short of it,
You intended good, but fell short of it
as a weak-legged she-camel struggles to rise, her hobble tightened.
Like a mare held back, her bridle pulled
مَنَعتَyou withheld قَليلاًsomething small نَفعُهُits benefit وَحَرَمتَنيand you deprived me
مَنَعتَ قَليلاً نَفعُهُ وَحَرَمتَني
قَليلاًa little فَهَبهاso count it بَيعَةًa bargain لاnot تُقالُهاyou are released from it
قَليلاً فَهَبها بَيعَةً لا تُقالُها
You withheld something of little benefit, and deprived me
You denied a little profit and deprived me
of little; so count it a bargain you cannot rescind.
Of a little - so grant it in a pledge that cannot be undone
تَلَقَّيتَنيyou greeted me يَومَon the day of النُجَيرِal-Nujayr بِمَنطِقٍwith speech
تَلَقَّيتَني يَومَ النُجَيرِ بِمَنطِقٍ
تَرَوَّحُputs forth leaves أَرطىarta shrubs سُعدَSa'd مِنهُfrom it وَضالُهاand its wild lote trees
تَرَوَّحُ أَرطى سُعدَ مِنهُ وَضالُها
You greeted me on the day of al-Nujayr with words
You met me on the day of Nujayr with words
that made Sa'd's arta shrubs and its wild lote trees burst into leaf.
With which Sa'd takes comfort, and his camels their grazing
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.