ياO اِبنَson of موسىMusa ماذاwhat يَقولُsays الإِمامُthe imam
يا اِبنَ موسى ماذا يَقولُ الإِمامُ
فيabout فَتاةٍa girl فيin القَلبِthe heart مِنهاfrom her أُوامُburning thirst
في فَتاةٍ في القَلبِ مِنها أُوامُ
O son of Musa, what does the imam say
O son of Musa, what does the Imam say
about a girl who sets a burning thirst in the heart?
About a girl who dwells in my heart night and day
بِتُّI spent the night مِنbecause of حُبِّهاlove for her أُوَقَّرُI am weighed down بِالكَأby the cup (word begins)
بِتُّ مِن حُبِّها أُوَقَّرُ بِالكَأ
سِ(completes 'cup') وَيَهفوand flutters عَلىover فُؤاديmy heart الهُيامُlove's delirium
سِ وَيَهفو عَلى فُؤادي الهُيامُ
I spent the night, for love of her, weighed down by the cup,
I pine for her love till my body's all skin and bone
while love's delirium fluttered over my heart.
And longing pants loud in my breast its mournful tone
وَيحَهاAh, her! كاعِباًa budding-breasted maiden تَدِلُّshe flaunts herself بِجَهمٍwith a huge vulva
وَيحَها كاعِباً تَدِلُّ بِجَهمٍ
كَعثَبِيٍّthick and fleshy كَأَنَّهُas though it were حَمّامُa bathhouse
كَعثَبِيٍّ كَأَنَّهُ حَمّامُ
Ah, that budding-breasted girl, flaunting a huge vulva,
Her glances at me are like arrows shot
thick and fleshy, as though it were a bathhouse.
From a Mongol's bow, as though leaden with shot
لَمnot يَكُنthere was بَينَهاbetween her وَبَينِيَand between me إِلاّexcept
لَم يَكُن بَينَها وَبَينِيَ إِلاّ
كُتُبُletters العاشِقينَof lovers وَالأَحلامُand dreams
كُتُبُ العاشِقينَ وَالأَحلامُ
Nothing lay between her and me but
No traffic was ever between us before
lovers' letters and dreams.
Except lovers' letters and dreams and no more
ياO اِبنَson of موسىMusa اِسقِنيgive me a drink وَدَعand leave عَنكَaway from you سَلمىSalma
يا اِبنَ موسى اِسقِني وَدَع عَنكَ سَلمى
إِنَّindeed سَلمىSalma حِمىًinviolate ground وَفيَّand in me اِحتِشامُbashfulness
إِنَّ سَلمى حِمىً وَفيَّ اِحتِشامُ
O son of Musa, give me a drink, and put Salma out of mind.
O son of Musa, give me wine and leave Salma alone
Salma is inviolate ground, and I am bashful.
For Salma is sacred; so let decorum be shown
رُبَّmany a كَأسٍcup كَالسَلسَبيلِlike Salsabil تَعَلَّلtook solace (verb begins)
رُبَّ كَأسٍ كَالسَلسَبيلِ تَعَلَّل
تُI (verb ending) بِهاin it وَالأَنامُand mankind عَنّيheedless of me نِيامُasleep
تُ بِها وَالأَنامُ عَنّي نِيامُ
Many a cup like Salsabil I have taken solace
Full many a cup like a torrent I've quaffed
in, while all mankind slept, heedless of me.
And through them oblivion of grief I have saught
حُبِسَتit was kept لِلشُراةِfor the buyers فيin بَيتِBayt رَأسٍRa's
حُبِسَت لِلشُراةِ في بَيتِ رَأسٍ
عُتِّقَتit was aged عانِساًa spinster عَلَيهاupon it الخِتامُthe seal
عُتِّقَت عانِساً عَلَيها الخِتامُ
It was kept for buyers in Bayt Ra's,
She pined in a mansion reserved for the vile
aged like a spinster, its seal still in place.
An unwilling prisoner all the while
نَفَحَتit exhaled نَفحَةًa fragrance فَهَزَّتso it stirred نَديميmy drinking companion
نَفَحَت نَفحَةً فَهَزَّت نَديمي
بِنَسيمٍwith a breeze وَاِنشَقَّand dispersed عَنهاaway from it الزُكامُnasal congestion
بِنَسيمٍ وَاِنشَقَّ عَنها الزُكامُ
It exhaled a fragrance that stirred my drinking companion
She breathed a soft breath which gave new life to me
with a breeze, and nasal congestion cleared away before it.
And split my bosom of its malady
وَكَأَنَّand as though المَعلولَthe twice-plied drinker مِنهاof it إِذاwhen راhe leaves (word begins)
وَكَأَنَّ المَعلولَ مِنها إِذا را
حَ(completes 'leaves') شَجٍanguished فيin لِسانِهِhis tongue بِرسامُfeverish delirium
حَ شَجٍ في لِسانِهِ بِرسامُ
And one plied again with it, when he leaves, seems
It seemed when she came in sight of my love-rapt eye
anguished, with feverish delirium on his tongue.
As though in my mouth a parched bone split and cracked
صَدَمَتهُit struck him الشَمولُthe wine حَتّىuntil بِعَينَيin the two eyes of
صَدَمَتهُ الشَمولُ حَتّى بِعَينَي
هِhim (possessive ending) اِنكِسارٌdrooping وَفيand in المَفاصِلِthe joints خامُslackness
هِ اِنكِسارٌ وَفي المَفاصِلِ خامُ
The wine struck him, until his eyes
Her appearance overwhelmed me till both my eyes
drooped and his joints grew slack.
Showed inward confusion, while my joints went lax
وَهوَand he باقيstill retaining الإِطرافِblinking حَيَّتcame alive بِهِthrough him الكَأthe cup (word begins)
وَهوَ باقي الإِطرافِ حَيَّت بِهِ الكَأ
سُ(completes 'cup') وَماتَتand died أَوصالُهُhis limbs وَالكَلامُand speech
سُ وَماتَت أَوصالُهُ وَالكَلامُ
He still blinks; the cup came alive through him,
Then my limbs were enlivened by wine once again
while his limbs and speech died.
But the speech of my members grew silent and strained
وَفَتىًand a young man يَشرَبُdrinks المُدامَةَwine بِالماwith money (word begins)
وَفَتىً يَشرَبُ المُدامَةَ بِالما
لِ(completes 'money') ويَمشيand walks يَرومُhe seeks ماwhat لاnot يُرامُcan be attained
لِ ويَمشي يَرومُ ما لا يُرامُ
And a young man drinks wine with his money
A hero who drinks liquor, spending his pelf,
and walks about pursuing the unattainable.
May walk without shame, though not lord of himself
أَنفَدَتused up كَأسُهُhis cup الدَنانيرَthe dinars حَتّىuntil
أَنفَدَت كَأسُهُ الدَنانيرَ حَتّى
ذَهَبَwas gone العَينُthe cash وَاِستَمَرَّand went too السُوامُthe grazing livestock
ذَهَبَ العَينُ وَاِستَمَرَّ السُوامُ
His cup exhausted the dinars, until
His coin he so lavished on wine without end
the cash was gone and his grazing herds followed.
That from loss upon loss did his wealth descend
تَرَكَتهُit left him الصَهباءُthe tawny wine يَرنوgazing بِعَينٍwith an eye
تَرَكَتهُ الصَهباءُ يَرنو بِعَينٍ
نامَslept إِنسانُهاits pupil وَلَيسَتand it does not تَنامُsleep
نامَ إِنسانُها وَلَيسَت تَنامُ
The tawny wine left him gazing with an eye
The bright one forsook him, though still for her sake
whose pupil slept, though the eye itself did not.
His eyes were sleepless whenas she might awake
حَنَّhe sighed with longing مِنfrom شَربَةٍa draught تُعَلُّis followed up بِأُخرىby another
حَنَّ مِن شَربَةٍ تُعَلُّ بِأُخرى
وَبَكىand he wept حينَwhen سارَcoursed فيهِwithin him المُدامُthe wine
وَبَكى حينَ سارَ فيهِ المُدامُ
He sighed with longing from a draught followed by another,
He moaned o'er a cup, then one more would demand
and wept when the wine coursed through him.
Till wine had prevailed and got quite out of hand
كانَhe was ليto me صاحِباًa companion فَأَودىthen carried off بِهِhim الدَهTime (word begins)
كانَ لي صاحِباً فَأَودى بِهِ الدَه
هرُ(completes 'Time') وَفارَقتُهُand I parted from him عَلَيهِupon him السَلامُpeace
هرُ وَفارَقتُهُ عَلَيهِ السَلامُ
He was my companion, but Time carried him off;
I had a boon fellow the days swept away
and I parted from him—peace be upon him.
And "Peace be upon him" is all I can say
كَجَزورِlike a slaughtered camel الأَيسارِof the gamblers لاno كَبِدٌliver فيin
كَجَزورِ الأَيسارِ لا كَبِدٌ في
هاit لَباغٍfor a seeker وَلاand no عَلَيهاupon it سَنامُhump
ها لَباغٍ وَلا عَلَيها سَنامُ
Like the gamblers' slaughtered camel: no liver left in
Like horses well-bred, in their sinews no pain,
it for a seeker, nor any hump upon it.
No brands on their flanks, and no halt in their gait
ياO اِبنَson of موسىMusa فَقدُloss of الحَبيبِthe loved one عَلىto العَيthe eye (word begins)
يا اِبنَ موسى فَقدُ الحَبيبِ عَلى العَي
نِ(completes 'eye') قَذاةٌa mote وَفيand in الفُؤادِthe heart سَقامُsickness
نِ قَذاةٌ وَفي الفُؤادِ سَقامُ
O son of Musa, the loss of a loved one is to the eye
O son of Musa, when a loved friend is lost
a mote, and in the heart a sickness.
'Tis a smart in one's eye and a sickness at most
كَيفَhow يَصفوcan be unclouded لِيَfor me النَعيمُbliss وَحيداًalone
كَيفَ يَصفو لِيَ النَعيمُ وَحيداً
وَالأَخِلّاءُand dear friends فيin المَقابِرِthe graves هامُskulls
وَالأَخِلّاءُ في المَقابِرِ هامُ
How can bliss be unclouded for me, alone,
How can life joyful for me ever be
while my dear friends are skulls in the graves?
When dear boon companions lie under the tree?
نَفِسَتهُمshe begrudged them عَلَيَّto me أُمُّmother of المَناياdeaths
نَفِسَتهُم عَلَيَّ أُمُّ المَنايا
فَأَنامَتهُمُso she put them to sleep بِعُنفٍby force فَنامواso they slept
فَأَنامَتهُمُ بِعُنفٍ فَناموا
The Mother of Deaths begrudged them to me,
Upon them grim death swooped and clutched them away
so she put them to sleep by force, and so they slept.
And so in deep slumber they silently lay
لاnot يَغيضُebbs اِنسِجامُstreaming tears عَينيmy eye علَيهِمfor them
لا يَغيضُ اِنسِجامُ عَيني علَيهِم
إِنَّماonly غايَةُthe utmost الحَزينِof the grieving one السِجامُflowing tears
إِنَّما غايَةُ الحَزينِ السِجامُ
The tears my eye pours out for them never ebb;
No gluing my eyes on them eases my grief
the grieving can do no more than let tears flow.
For mourning hearts solace alone is in brief
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.