إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle العَذارىthe maidens قُلنَthey say عَمِّmy uncle! فَلَيتَنيthen would that I
إِذا ما العَذارى قُلنَ عَمِّ فَلَيتَني
إِذاwhen كانَit becomes ليfor me اِسماًa name كُنتُI were تَحتَbeneath الصَفائِحِthe burial slabs
إِذا كانَ لي اِسماً كُنتُ تَحتَ الصَفائِحِ
When maidens call me 'Uncle,' would that I
If the maidens say, “Who is he?” I wish
were beneath the burial slabs when that becomes my name.
I had a name while you lie under the sheets
دَنَونَthey drew near وَأَدناهُنَّand brought them closer ليto me أَنthat رَأَينَنيthey saw me
دَنَونَ وَأَدناهُنَّ لي أَن رَأَينَني
أَخَذتُI had taken up العَصاthe staff وَاِبيَضَّand turned white لَونُthe color of المَسائِحِthe temple-locks
أَخَذتُ العَصا وَاِبيَضَّ لَونُ المَسائِحِ
They drew near; what drew them to me was seeing that
They came near and closer so I could see them
I had taken up a staff and my temple-locks had turned white.
I took my stick and my face turned white
فَقَدso indeed جَعَلَhas become enamored المَفروكُthe wife-spurned man لاmay not نامَsleep لَيلُهُhis night
فَقَد جَعَلَ المَفروكُ لا نامَ لَيلُهُ
بِحُبِّwith love of حَديثيmy conversation وَالغَيورِand the jealous man المُشايِحِthe fiercely protective one
بِحُبِّ حَديثي وَالغَيورِ المُشايِحِ
So the wife-spurned man—may his nights be sleepless!—has become enamored
So the jealous one doesn’t sleep at night
of my conversation, as has the jealous, fiercely protective man.
For love of my talk and the jealous whisperers
وَقَدand indeed كُنتُI used to مِمّاoften أَعرِفُunderstand الوَحيَthe secret signal ماnot لَهُfor it
وَقَد كُنتُ مِمّا أَعرِفُ الوَحيَ ما لَهُ
رَسولٌa messenger سِوىsave طَرفٌa glance مِنَfrom العَينِthe eye لامِحِfleeting
رَسولٌ سِوى طَرفٌ مِنَ العَينِ لامِحِ
And I would often understand the secret signal that had no
And I knew what revelation is for him
messenger save a fleeting glance from the eye.
A messenger other than a hint from the eye perceiving
وَقُلتُand I said لِعَمروٍto Amr إِذwhen مَرَرنَthey passed أَقاطِعٌcutting across?
وَقُلتُ لِعَمروٍ إِذ مَرَرنَ أَقاطِعٌ
بِهاwith her أَنتَyou آثارَthe tracks of الظِباءِthe gazelles السَوانِحِpassing across
بِها أَنتَ آثارَ الظِباءِ السَوانِحِ
And I said to Amr, as they passed, 'Will you cut across
And I said to Amr when separatists passed by
with her the tracks of the passing gazelles?'
With it you are the traces of fleeing gazelles
لَئِنif indeed سَكَنَتfelt at ease بيwith me الوَحشُthe wild creatures يَوماًone day لَطالَماhow often indeed
لَئِن سَكَنَت بي الوَحشُ يَوماً لَطالَما
ذَعَرتُI startled قُلوبَthe hearts of المُرشِقاتِthe slender ones المَلائِحِthe lovely ones
ذَعَرتُ قُلوبَ المُرشِقاتِ المَلائِحِ
If wild creatures have ever felt safe with me, how often
If the wild beasts dwell with me one day, for long
have I startled the hearts of slender beauties!
I have startled the hearts of the radiant beauties
لَقَدindeed عَلِقَتhave clung بِالعَبدِto the slave زَيداًZayd وَريحِهِand his reek
لَقَد عَلِقَت بِالعَبدِ زَيداً وَريحِهِ
حَماليقُthe inner lids of عَينَيهاher two eyes قَذىًa mote غَيرُnot بارِحِdeparting
حَماليقُ عَينَيها قَذىً غَيرُ بارِحِ
To the slave Zayd and his reek have indeed clung
She has clung to the slave Zayd and his scent
the inner lids of her eyes, like a mote that will not leave.
The carriers of her eyes specks of dust not sleeping
وَمِنand from قَبلِهاbefore her حَنَّتyearned عَجوزُكَyour old mother حِنَّةًa yearning
وَمِن قَبلِها حَنَّت عَجوزُكَ حِنَّةً
وَأُختُكَand your sister لِلأَدنىfor the lowliest man حَنينَthe wailing of النَوائِحِthe mourning women
وَأُختُكَ لِلأَدنى حَنينَ النَوائِحِ
And before her, your old mother cried out in longing,
And before her your old woman pined
and your sister, for the lowliest man, with mourners' wailing.
And your sister for the nearest the wailing of lamenters
تُبَكّيshe weeps bitterly عَلىfor زَيدٍZayd وَلَمand has not تَلقَmet مِثلَهُhis like
تُبَكّي عَلى زَيدٍ وَلَم تَلقَ مِثلَهُ
بَريئاًfree مِنَfrom الحُمّىfever صَحيحَsound in الجَوانِحِthe ribs
بَريئاً مِنَ الحُمّى صَحيحَ الجَوانِحِ
She weeps bitterly for Zayd, and has never met his like,
Crying over Zayd and did not find his equal
free from fever and sound of chest.
Innocent of fever, intact of sideburns
وَلَوand if أَنَّهاthat she ياO اِبنَson of المَراغَةِal-Maraghah حُرَّةٌa free woman
وَلَو أَنَّها يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ حُرَّةٌ
سَقَتكَshe would make you drink بِكَفَّيكَwith your two palms دِماءَthe blood of الذَرارِحِblister beetles
سَقَتكَ بِكَفَّيكَ دِماءَ الذَرارِحِ
And if she were a free woman, O son of al-Maraghah,
And if she, O son of Maragha, were free
she would make you drink, from your own palms, the blood of blister beetles.
She would have watered you with her hands the blood of predators
وَلَكِنَّهاbut she مَملوكَةٌa slave woman عافَhas loathed أَنفُهاher nose
وَلَكِنَّها مَملوكَةٌ عافَ أَنفُها
لَهُof his عَرَقاًsweat يَهميstreaming بِأَخبَثَwith the foulest راشِحِoozing secretion
لَهُ عَرَقاً يَهمي بِأَخبَثَ راشِحِ
But she is a slave woman; her nose has loathed
But she is owned, her self-respect prohibiting her
his sweat, streaming with the foulest ooze.
For him sweat that smells of the filthiest armpit
لَئِنif indeed أَنشَدَتrecites verses بيabout me أُمُّUmm (mother of) غَيلانَGhaylan أَوor رَوَتtransmits verses
لَئِن أَنشَدَت بي أُمُّ غَيلانَ أَو رَوَت
عَلَيَّagainst me لِتَرتَدَّنَّshe shall surely return مِنّيfrom me بِناطِحِwith a head-butting retort
عَلَيَّ لِتَرتَدَّنَّ مِنّي بِناطِحِ
If Umm Ghaylan recites verses about me or repeats them
If Umm Ghailan recited poetry to me or transmitted
against me, she shall surely come away from me with a head-butting retort.
About me she would surely return from me with a smasher
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.