صَنَمٌan idol عَلَيهِupon him مِنَof المَلاحَةِbeauty رَونَقُradiance
صَنَمٌ عَلَيهِ مِنَ المَلاحَةِ رَونَقُ
رَيّانُbrimming مِنwith ماءِthe water of الشَبابِyouth مُقَرطَقِclad in a short coat
رَيّانُ مِن ماءِ الشَبابِ مُقَرطَقِ
An idol upon whom beauty's radiance rests,
An idol upon which the polish of youth still shines
Brimming with the water of youth, clad in a short coat.
Fresh as the water of youth, cheeks still rosy
كَالرُمحِlike a spear فَتّاكَdeadly الطَعينَةَthe thrust قَدُّهُhis stature
كَالرُمحِ فَتّاكَ الطَعينَةَ قَدُّهُ
لَكِنَّbut ناظِرَهُhis eye السِنانُthe spearhead الأَزرَقُblue
لَكِنَّ ناظِرَهُ السِنانُ الأَزرَقُ
His stature is like a spear, deadly in its thrust,
His neck straight as a spear, deadly to the foe
But his eye is the blue spearhead.
But his blue-eyed gaze is gentle
نادَمتُهُI drank with him وَالعَيشُand life بَردَcoolness نَعيمِهِits bliss
نادَمتُهُ وَالعَيشُ بَردَ نَعيمِهِ
صافٍuntroubled وَشَملand the ranks of الحادِثاتِcalamities مُمَزَّقُtorn apart
صافٍ وَشَمل الحادِثاتِ مُمَزَّقُ
I drank with him while life's cool delight
His pleasure faded and life grew cold
Was untroubled, and calamities' ranks were torn apart.
Clear and simple though torn by events
وَالكَأسُand the cup فيin يَدِهِhis hand تُدارُis passed around وَبَينَناand between us
وَالكَأسُ في يَدِهِ تُدارُ وَبَينَنا
عَتبٌreproach تَكادُalmost لَهُat it المَسامِعُthe ears تُشرِقُshine
عَتبٌ تَكادُ لَهُ المَسامِعُ تُشرِقُ
And the cup was passed around in his hand, while between us
The cup in his hand passed around while between us
Was reproach that almost set the ears aglow.
Reproaches that made the ears burn
فيin لَيلَةٍa night سَمَحَgranted generously الزَمانُTime بِطيبِهاwith its sweetness
في لَيلَةٍ سَمَحَ الزَمانُ بِطيبِها
لَيلاًby night وَنَشرُand the fragrance of القُربِcloseness مِنهاfrom it يَعبِقُwafts fragrantly
لَيلاً وَنَشرُ القُربِ مِنها يَعبِقُ
On a night whose sweetness Time generously granted,
On a night when time was kind
By night, while the fragrance of closeness wafted from it.
A night whose nearness was fragrant
ماnot خِلتُI thought قَبلَbefore تَمَتُّعيmy enjoyment بِنَعيمِهاof its bliss
ما خِلتُ قَبلَ تَمَتُّعي بِنَعيمِها
أَنَّthat اِعتِراضاتِpassing fancies الأَمانيwishes تُصَدَّقُare proven true
أَنَّ اِعتِراضاتِ الأَماني تُصَدَّقُ
I had not thought, before enjoying its bliss,
Never before had I enjoyed such bliss
That the passing fancies of desire could come true.
As if all wishing was made real
لِلَهِfor God (in admiration) أَيُّwhat a لُبانَةٍlonging قَضَّيتُهاI satisfied it
لِلَهِ أَيُّ لُبانَةٍ قَضَّيتُها
لَوif only لَمnot يُنَغِّصهاspoil it الصَباحُthe morning المُشرِقُradiant
لَو لَم يُنَغِّصها الصَباحُ المُشرِقُ
By God, what a longing I satisfied—
Praise God for such sweet incense I offered up
If only the radiant morning had not spoiled it!
Before the bright dawn could embitter it
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom وَأُمّيand my mother مَنthe one who إِذاwhenever عاتَبتُهُI reproached him
بِأَبي وَأُمّي مَن إِذا عاتَبتُهُ
لَمnot أَدرِI know مِنfrom وَلَهٍlovesick bewilderment بِماذاwith what أَنطِقُI speak
لَم أَدرِ مِن وَلَهٍ بِماذا أَنطِقُ
My father and mother be his ransom! Whenever I chide him,
By my father and mother, if I reproached him
I know not, in lovesick bewilderment, what to say.
I knew not what words I could speak
ماnot لِاِبنِfor Ibn مُقلَةَMuqla صادa ṣād (letter ṣ) مُقلَتِهِhis eye وَلاnor
ما لِاِبنِ مُقلَةَ صاد مُقلَتِهِ وَلا
نونٌa nūn (letter n) كَنونيْlike the two nūns of حاجِبَيهِhis two eyebrows مُعَرَّقُwith a curved descender
نونٌ كَنونيْ حاجِبَيهِ مُعَرَّقُ
Ibn Muqla has no ṣād like that of his eye, nor
The son of Muqla had no quivering dotted sad
A curved-tailed nūn like the twin nūns of his brows.
Nor a nuun like my eyebrows, lined and flexed
لامُthe lām (letter l) العِذارِthe sideburn مُحَقَّقٌfirmly traced فيon خَدِّهِhis cheek
لامُ العِذارِ مُحَقَّقٌ في خَدِّهِ
لَكِنَّbut واوَthe wāw (letter w) الصدغِthe temple-lock مِنهُof him مُعَلَّقُsuspended
لَكِنَّ واوَ الصدغِ مِنهُ مُعَلَّقُ
The lām of his sideburn is firmly traced upon his cheek,
On his cheek the laam of excuse was marked
But the wāw of his temple-lock hangs suspended.
But the waw of his temple still hung
بَينَbetween السُيوفِthe swords المُرهَفاتِkeen-edged وَلَحظِهand his glance
بَينَ السُيوفِ المُرهَفاتِ وَلَحظِه
عَهدٌa pact عَلىto سَفكِshedding الدِماءِblood وَمَوثِقُand a binding pledge
عَهدٌ عَلى سَفكِ الدِماءِ وَمَوثِقُ
Between keen-edged swords and his glance
Between the unsheathed swords and his glance
Is a pact to shed blood, and a binding pledge.
A pact to refrain from shedding blood was sealed
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.