أَمِنis it from ذِكرِremembering سَلمىSalma ماءُwater عَينِكَyour eye يَهمِلُstreams
أَمِن ذِكرِ سَلمى ماءُ عَينِكَ يَهمِلُ
كَماjust as اِنهَلَّpoured down خَرزٌbead-like drops مِنfrom شَعيبٍa waterskin مُشَلشِلُcascading
كَما اِنهَلَّ خَرزٌ مِن شَعيبٍ مُشَلشِلُ
Is it remembering Salma that makes your eye's water stream,
Does the water of your eye neglect to flow from the mention of Salma
As beads of water cascade from a waterskin?
As necklaces cascade down a rugged mountainside?
وَماذاand what تُرَجّيdo you hope for بِالسَلامَةِthrough survival بَعدَماafter
وَماذا تُرَجّي بِالسَلامَةِ بَعدَما
نَأَتhave receded حِقَبٌlong ages وَاِبيَضَّand has turned white مِنكَof yours المُرَجَّلُthe combed hair
نَأَت حِقَبٌ وَاِبيَضَّ مِنكَ المُرَجَّلُ
And what do you hope to gain by surviving, now that
What hope remains for peace after times
Long ages have passed, and your combed hair has turned white?
When white hairs sprouted and the staff grew unsteady?
وَحالَتand intervened عَواديthe ravages of الحَربِwar بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهاand between her
وَحالَت عَوادي الحَربِ بَيني وَبَينَها
وَحَربٌand a war تُعِلُّgives a second draught المَوتَdeath صِرفاًundiluted وَتُنهِلُand gives a first draught
وَحَربٌ تُعِلُّ المَوتَ صِرفاً وَتُنهِلُ
And war's ravages have come between me and her,
The vicissitudes of war stand between me and her.
And war serves undiluted death, first draught and second.
A war where death changes course and pours forth.
قِراهاher guest-fare إِذاwhen باتَتshe spends the night لَدَيَّwith me مُفاضَةٌa full-length coat of mail
قِراها إِذا باتَت لَدَيَّ مُفاضَةٌ
وَذوand one possessing خُصَلٍlocks of hair نَهدُstout المَراكِلِthe flanks هَيكَلُlarge-framed
وَذو خُصَلٍ نَهدُ المَراكِلِ هَيكَلُ
Her fare, when she spends the night with me, is full-length mail,
When her villages spend the night with me they are places
And a flowing-maned horse, stout-flanked and mighty,
Where the thighs of the fair sway like camel litters.
كَميشٌnimble كَتَيسِlike a buck of الرَملِthe sands أَخلَصَhas made firm مَتنَهُhis back
كَميشٌ كَتَيسِ الرَملِ أَخلَصَ مَتنَهُ
ضَريبُblended milk الخَلاياthe milch-camels وَالنَقيعُand the infusion المُعَجَّلُswiftly prepared
ضَريبُ الخَلايا وَالنَقيعُ المُعَجَّلُ
Nimble as a buck of the sands, his back made firm
Moving like the measured gait of a camel over sand
By the milch-camels' blended milk and a swiftly prepared infusion.
My poetry’s rhythm bounds free yet remains orderly.
عَتيدٌready لِأَيّامِfor the days of الحُروبِwars كَأَنَّهُas though he were
عَتيدٌ لِأَيّامِ الحُروبِ كَأَنَّهُ
إِذاwhen اِنجابَclears away رَيعانُthe first surge of العَجاجَةِthe dust-cloud أَجدَلُa falcon
إِذا اِنجابَ رَيعانُ العَجاجَةِ أَجدَلُ
Ready for the days of war, as though he were—
Ready for the days of war as though
When the dust-cloud's first surge clears—a falcon.
When the chicks of the wild hen first took flight.
يَجاوِبُhe answers جُرداًsleek-coated steeds كَالسَراحينِlike wolves ضُمَّراًlean
يَجاوِبُ جُرداً كَالسَراحينِ ضُمَّراً
تَرودُroam بِأَبوابِat the doors of البُيوتِdwellings وَتَصهَلِand neigh
تَرودُ بِأَبوابِ البُيوتِ وَتَصهَلِ
He answers sleek, lean steeds, like wolves,
Answering the naked swords with other naked swords
That roam by the doors of dwellings and neigh.
That strike tents’ doors and make them ring.
عَلىupon كُلِّevery حَيٍّclan قَدalready أَطَلَّتhave descended بِغارَةٍwith a raid
عَلى كُلِّ حَيٍّ قَد أَطَلَّت بِغارَةٍ
وَلاand nothing مِثلَlike ماwhat لاقىendured الحِماسُal-Himas وَزَعبَلُand Za'bal
وَلا مِثلَ ما لاقى الحِماسُ وَزَعبَلُ
Upon every clan they have descended in a raid,
Against every living thing I have launched a raid
But nothing matched what al-Himas and Za'bal endured,
But none suffered as Hudhayl and Dhu Za'bal did:
غَداةَon the morning رَأَوناthey saw us بِالغَريفِat al-Gharif كَأَنَّناas though we were
غَداةَ رَأَونا بِالغَريفِ كَأَنَّنا
حَبِيٌّa massed cloud أَدَرَّتهُmade it pour rain الصَباthe east wind مُتَهَلِّلُflashing with lightning
حَبِيٌّ أَدَرَّتهُ الصَبا مُتَهَلِّلُ
On the morning they saw us at al-Gharif, as though we were
The morning we were on the hill as though we were
A massed cloud, made to pour by the east wind, flashing with lightning,
Tousled locks the dawn breeze had just stirred.
بِمُشعَلَةٍwith a spreading host تَدعوcalls out هَوازِنَHawazin فَوقَهاabove it
بِمُشعَلَةٍ تَدعو هَوازِنَ فَوقَها
نَسيجٌa weave مِنَof الماذِيِّgleaming iron لَأمٌarmor مُرَفَّلُlong and flowing
نَسيجٌ مِنَ الماذِيِّ لَأمٌ مُرَفَّلُ
With a far-spreading host crying 'Hawazin!', above it
With a flaming torch calling Hawazin from on high
A weave of gleaming iron—long, flowing armor.
Above it a banner of twisted strands.
لَدىat مَعرَكٍa battlefield فيهاin it تَرَكناwe left سَراتَهُمtheir chiefs
لَدى مَعرَكٍ فيها تَرَكنا سَراتَهُم
يُنادونَcrying out مِنهُمamong them موثَقٌone bound وَمُجَدَّلُand one felled
يُنادونَ مِنهُم موثَقٌ وَمُجَدَّلُ
There, on the battlefield, we left their chiefs
In a battle where we left their chieftains
Crying out—some of them bound, others felled.
Calling out, bound and fettered.
نَجُذُّwe sever جَهاراًopenly بِالسُيوفِwith swords رُؤوسَهُمtheir heads
نَجُذُّ جَهاراً بِالسُيوفِ رُؤوسَهُم
وَأَرماحُناand our spears مِنهُمfrom them تَعُلُّdrink a second draught وَتَنهَلُand drink a first draught
وَأَرماحُنا مِنهُم تَعُلُّ وَتَنهَلُ
Openly we sever their heads with swords,
Loudly we lop off their heads with swords
And our spears drink from them, first draught and second.
And our spears in them flare up and flow.
تَرىyou see كُلَّevery مُسوَدِّblack-haired العِذارَينِthe two sideburns فارِسٍhorseman
تَرى كُلَّ مُسوَدِّ العِذارَينِ فارِسٍ
يُطيفُcircles بِهِaround him نَسرٌa vulture وَعَرفاءُand shaggy-maned جَيأَلُa female hyena
يُطيفُ بِهِ نَسرٌ وَعَرفاءُ جَيأَلُ
You see every horseman with black hair on both cheeks
You see every dark-tressed knight in armor
With a vulture and a shaggy-maned hyena circling him.
Plundered by an eagle and nimble resourceful ones.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.