لَوif أَعلَمُI know الأَيّامَthe days راجِعَةًreturning لَناto us
لَو أَعلَمُ الأَيّامَ راجِعَةً لَنا
بَكَيتُI would weep عَلىfor أَهلِthe people of القِرىhospitality مِنfrom among مُجاشِعِMujāshiʿ
بَكَيتُ عَلى أَهلِ القِرى مِن مُجاشِعِ
If I knew the days would return to us,
If I knew the days would come back to us
I would weep for the generous hosts of Mujāshiʿ.
I would have wept for the people of the settlements out of longing
بَكَيتُI wept عَلىfor القَومِthe people الَّذينَwho هَوَتfell بِهِمwith them
بَكَيتُ عَلى القَومِ الَّذينَ هَوَت بِهِم
دَعائِمُthe pillars of مَجدٍglory كانَwas ضَخمُgreat in الدَسائِعِlavish gifts
دَعائِمُ مَجدٍ كانَ ضَخمُ الدَسائِعِ
I wept for the people with whom fell
I would have wept for the people who honorable pillars
the pillars of a glory once mighty in its largesse.
of glory fell down taking away their great hopes
إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle بَكىweeps العَجعاجُal-ʿAjʿāj هَيَّجَstirs عَبرَةًa tear
إِذا ما بَكى العَجعاجُ هَيَّجَ عَبرَةً
لِعَينَيfor the two eyes of حَزينٍa grieving man شَجوُهُhis cause of grief غَيرُnot راجِعِreturning
لِعَينَي حَزينٍ شَجوُهُ غَيرُ راجِعِ
When al-ʿAjʿāj weeps, he stirs a tear
When the crested lark cries it stirs up tears
in a grieving man's eyes—what he mourns will not return.
in the eyes of the grieving whose lament does not cease
فَإِنso if أَبكِI weep for قَوميmy people ياO نَوارُNawār فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I
فَإِن أَبكِ قَومي يا نَوارُ فَإِنَّني
أَرىsee مَسجِدَيهِمtheir two mosques مِنهُمُwithout them كَالبَلاقِعِlike barren wastes
أَرى مَسجِدَيهِم مِنهُمُ كَالبَلاقِعِ
So if I weep for my people, O Nawār, it is because
So if you make my people cry, O Nawar, I do
I see their two mosques, bereft of them, like barren wastes,
see their mosques among them like patches
خَلاءَينِboth empty بَعدَafter الحِلمِforbearance وَالجَهلِand rashness فيهِماin them both
خَلاءَينِ بَعدَ الحِلمِ وَالجَهلِ فيهِما
وَبَعدَand after عُبابِيِّthe surging flood of النَدىgenerosity المُتَدافِعِrushing in waves
وَبَعدَ عُبابِيِّ النَدى المُتَدافِعِ
both empty after the forbearance and rashness within them,
Empty after wisdom and ignorance in them
and after the surging flood of generosity, rushing in waves.
and after the descending copious, pouring rain
فَأَصبَحتُso I have come to be قَدalready كادَتalmost بُيوتيmy dwellings يَنالُهاreaches them
فَأَصبَحتُ قَد كادَت بُيوتي يَنالُها
بِحَيثُwhere اِنتَهىended سَيلُthe torrent of التِلاعِthe ravines الدَوافِعِpouring forth
بِحَيثُ اِنتَهى سَيلُ التِلاعِ الدَوافِعِ
So now I find my dwellings all but overtaken,
So my houses have come to be almost reached
where the torrent of the gushing ravines has run its course.
by where the surging violent flood ended
عَلىdespite أَنَّthe fact that فيناamong us مِنamong بَقاياthe remnants of كُهولِناour mature men
عَلى أَنَّ فينا مِن بَقايا كُهولِنا
أُساةَhealers of الثَأىrifts وَالمُفظِعاتِand dreadful calamities الصَوادِعِshattering
أُساةَ الثَأى وَالمُفظِعاتِ الصَوادِعِ
Yet among us, among our surviving mature men,
Yet among us there are remnants of our elders
are healers of rifts and dreadful, shattering calamities.
the misery of loss and the terrifying calamities
كَأَنَّas though الرُدَينِيّاتِthe Rudaynī spears كانَwere بُرودُهُمtheir cloaks
كَأَنَّ الرُدَينِيّاتِ كانَ بُرودُهُم
عَلَيهِنَّupon them فيin أَيدٍhands طِوالَlong in الأَجاشِعِthe finger-joints
عَلَيهِنَّ في أَيدٍ طِوالَ الأَجاشِعِ
As though their cloaks lay upon Rudaynī spears,
As if their coolness upon the soft dunes
held in long-fingered hands.
were in hands that were long in yearning
إِذاwhenever قُلتُI say هَذاthis آخِرُthe last part of اللَيلِthe night قَدalready مَضىhas passed
إِذا قُلتُ هَذا آخِرُ اللَيلِ قَد مَضى
تَرَدَّدَreturns مُسوَدٌّa blackened one بَهيمِpitch-dark in الأَكارِعِthe shanks
تَرَدَّدَ مُسوَدٌّ بَهيمِ الأَكارِعِ
Whenever I say, 'This last stretch of night has passed,'
When I say this is the end of night passing
a black one returns, its shanks pitch-dark.
an ominous pitch dark night replies insistently
وَكائِنand how many تَرَكناwe left بِالخُرَيبَةِat al-Khuraybah مِنof فَتىًa young man
وَكائِن تَرَكنا بِالخُرَيبَةِ مِن فَتىً
كَريمٍnoble وَسَيفٍand a sword لِلضَريبَةِfor striking قاطِعِcleaving
كَريمٍ وَسَيفٍ لِلضَريبَةِ قاطِعِ
And how many a young man we left at al-Khuraybah,
And we left in the ruins some generous gallant youth
noble, and a sword that cuts through what it strikes,
and sword cutting off the enemy
وَمِنand of جَفنَةٍa large serving bowl كانَwere اليَتامىthe orphans عِيالَهاits dependents
وَمِن جَفنَةٍ كانَ اليَتامى عِيالَها
وَسابِغَةٍand a full-length coat of mail تَغشىcovers بَنانَthe tips of الأَصابِعِthe fingers
وَسابِغَةٍ تَغشى بَنانَ الأَصابِعِ
and a great bowl whose dependents were orphans,
And some Jafnah whose dependents were orphans
and a full-length coat of mail covering the fingertips,
and Sābiġah covering the fingers in henna
وَمِنand of مُهرَةٍa filly شَوهاءَwide-mouthed أَودىwas lost عِنانِهاher rein
وَمِن مُهرَةٍ شَوهاءَ أَودى عِنانِها
وَقَدand indeed كانَwas مَحفوظاًkept safe لَهاfor her غَيرَnot ضائِعِlost
وَقَد كانَ مَحفوظاً لَها غَيرَ ضائِعِ
and a wide-mouthed filly whose rein was lost,
And some Muhrah, unlucky, whose reins betrayed her
though once it had been kept safe for her, never lost.
though they had been kept safe for her, not lost
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.