لَقَدindeed كُنتُI was أَحياناًat times صَبوراًpatient فَهاجَنيthen stirred me
لَقَد كُنتُ أَحياناً صَبوراً فَهاجَني
مَشاعِفَlove-kindling women بِالدَيرَينِat al-Dayrayn (the two monasteries) رُجحُheavy الرَوادِفِthe haunches
مَشاعِفَ بِالدَيرَينِ رُجحُ الرَوادِفِ
I had indeed been patient at times, but I was stirred
I used to be patient sometimes, yet passion agitated me,
By love-kindling women at al-Dayrayn, heavy of haunch.
With oars doubled, the heavier side of the scales inclined,
نَواعِمُdelicate women لَمdid not يَدرينَthey know ماwhat أَهلُthe keepers of صِرمَةٍa small camel herd
نَواعِمُ لَم يَدرينَ ما أَهلُ صِرمَةٍ
عِجافٍlean وَلَمand did not يَتبَعنَthey follow أَحمالَthe loads of قائِفِa tracker
عِجافٍ وَلَم يَتبَعنَ أَحمالَ قائِفِ
Soft and delicate, they knew nothing of folk tending a herd
Gentle ladies knew not what the people of barren, waterless desert suffer,
Of lean camels, nor had they followed a tracker's loads.
Nor followed the loads of fortune’s vicissitudes,
وَلَمand did not يَدَّلِجhe journeys by night لَيلاًby night بِهِنَّwith them مُعَزِّبٌa distant-pasturing herdsman
وَلَم يَدَّلِج لَيلاً بِهِنَّ مُعَزِّبٌ
شَقِيٌّwretched وَلَمand did not يَسمَعنَthey hear صَوتَthe cry of العَوازِفِthe wailing spirits
شَقِيٌّ وَلَم يَسمَعنَ صَوتَ العَوازِفِ
Nor had a herdsman of far-off pastures led them through the night,
No lovesick man wandered with them at night,
A wretched man; nor had they heard the cry of the wailing spirits.
Wretched, nor did they hear the sound of musical instruments,
إِذاwhen رُحنَthey went forth at evening فيin الديباجِbrocade وَالخُزُّand silk-and-wool cloth فَوقَهُover it
إِذا رُحنَ في الديباجِ وَالخُزُّ فَوقَهُ
مَعاًtogether مِثلَlike أَبكارِyoung camels الهِجانِpurebred white camels العَلائِفِfodder-fed
مَعاً مِثلَ أَبكارِ الهِجانِ العَلائِفِ
When they went forth at evening in brocade, with silk-and-wool cloth over it,
When they rode in silk and brocade upon them,
Together, like young, fodder-fed camels of pure white stock,
Together like undefiled, high-bred mares,
إِلىto مَلعَبٍa place of play خالٍempty لَهُنَّfor them بَلَغنَهُthey reached it
إِلى مَلعَبٍ خالٍ لَهُنَّ بَلَغنَهُ
بِدَلِّwith the coquettish grace of الغَوانيthe beauties المُكرَماتِthe honored العَفائِفِthe chaste
بِدَلِّ الغَواني المُكرَماتِ العَفائِفِ
They reached an empty place of play of their own
To an empty playground reserved for them they came,
With the coquettish grace of honored, chaste beauties.
Instead of loved ones, honorable, virtuous ladies.
يُنازِعنَthey exchange مَكنونَthe secrets of الحَديثِconversation كَأَنَّماas though
يُنازِعنَ مَكنونَ الحَديثِ كَأَنَّما
يُنازِعنَthey exchange مِسكاًmusk بِالأَكُفِّwith the palms الدَوائِفِperfume-blending
يُنازِعنَ مِسكاً بِالأَكُفِّ الدَوائِفِ
They exchanged their secret talk, as though
They vied in intimate discourse, as though
They were exchanging musk with palms that blended it.
They vied in wafting gentle airs.
وَقُلنَand they said لِلَيلىto Layla حَدِّثيناtell us فَلَمso did not تَكَدshe almost did
وَقُلنَ لِلَيلى حَدِّثينا فَلَم تَكَد
تَقولُshe speaks بِأَدنىin the faintest tones of صَوتِهاher voice المُتَهانِفِsoftly laughing
تَقولُ بِأَدنى صَوتِها المُتَهانِفِ
And they said to Layla, 'Tell us'; she scarcely
And they said to Layla , “Talk to us,” yet hardly
Spoke in the faintest tones of her softly laughing voice.
Did she speak in the softest of voices,
رَواعِفُdripping بِالجادِيِّwith saffron كُلَّevery عَشِيَّةٍevening
رَواعِفُ بِالجادِيِّ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
إِذاwhen سُفنَهُthey sniffed it سَوفَthe sniffing of الهِجانِpurebred white camels الرَواشِفِthat sip
إِذا سُفنَهُ سَوفَ الهِجانِ الرَواشِفِ
Dripping with saffron every evening,
Ships with the north wind every evening
When they sniffed it as purebred white camels sniff while sipping.
When its breezes blow to striped, Yemeni ships,
بَناتُdaughters of نَعيمٍluxury زانَهاadorned them العَيشُcomfortable living وَالغِنىand wealth
بَناتُ نَعيمٍ زانَها العَيشُ وَالغِنى
يَمِلنَthey sway إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis قُمنَthey rose مِثلَlike الأَحاقِفِcurving sand dunes
يَمِلنَ إِذا ما قُمنَ مِثلَ الأَحاقِفِ
Daughters of luxury, adorned by ease and wealth,
Daughters of luxury, whom life and wealth adorned,
They swayed as they rose, like curving sand dunes.
Sway when they stand, like intertwined branches.
تَبَيَّنlook closely خَليليmy friend هَلdo ...? تَرىyou see مِنany ظَعائِنٍtraveling women in litters
تَبَيَّن خَليلي هَل تَرى مِن ظَعائِنٍ
لِمَيَّةَbelonging to Mayya أَمثالِlike النَخيلِdate-palms المَخارِفِladen with ripe fruit
لِمَيَّةَ أَمثالِ النَخيلِ المَخارِفِ
Look closely, my friend: do you see any women in litters
Make clear, my friend, do you see any twisting branches
Of Mayya, like date-palms laden with ripe fruit?
Resembling the bending stems of the date palm,
تَواضَعُthey sink low حَتّىuntil يَأتِيَcomes الآلُthe mirage دونَهاbefore them
تَواضَعُ حَتّى يَأتِيَ الآلُ دونَها
مِراراًrepeatedly وَتَزهاهاand lifts them الضُحىthe morning sun بِالأَصالِفِover the hard, barren ground
مِراراً وَتَزهاها الضُحى بِالأَصالِفِ
They sink low until the mirage comes before them,
Bowing down until the family comes to her,
Again and again; the morning sun lifts them over the hard, barren ground.
As the morn decks her out in yellow robes,
إِذاwhen عَرَضَتthey appear broadside مَرَّتthey pass عَلىover اللُجِّthe deep water جارِياًflowing
إِذا عَرَضَت مَرَّت عَلى اللُجِّ جارِياً
تَخالُyou imagine بِهاin them مَرُّthe passage of السَفينِthe ships النَواصِفِwater-cleaving
تَخالُ بِها مَرُّ السَفينِ النَواصِفِ
When they appear broadside, they pass over a flowing deep,
When she sails by, she glides over the surface of the river,
You fancy in them the passage of water-cleaving ships.
Appearing to cleave it like ships with prows cleaving waves,
يَجورُhe turns aside بِهاwith them المَلّاحُthe sailor ثُمَّthen يُقيمُهاhe sets them straight
يَجورُ بِها المَلّاحُ ثُمَّ يُقيمُها
وَتَحفِزُهاand propels them أَيديthe hands of الرِجالِthe men الجَواذِفِrowing
وَتَحفِزُها أَيدي الرِجالِ الجَواذِفِ
The sailor turns them aside, then sets their course straight,
The sailor struggles to steer her straight,
And men's rowing hands thrust them onward.
And men’s hands on oars drive her on.
إِلَيكَto you اِبنَO son of خَيرِthe best of الناسِmankind حَمَّلتُI loaded حاجَتيmy plea
إِلَيكَ اِبنَ خَيرِ الناسِ حَمَّلتُ حاجَتي
عَلىupon ضُمَّرٍlean camels كُلِّفنَthey were made to bear عَرضَthe crosswise span of السَنائِفِthe breast-straps
عَلى ضُمَّرٍ كُلِّفنَ عَرضَ السَنائِفِ
To you, son of the best of men, I have loaded my plea
To you, son of the best of men, I conveyed my wish,
On lean camels made to bear crosswise breast-straps.
On a howdah which careers were appointed to carry.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.