تَصيحُcry out بِهِwithin it الأَصداءُthe owls يُخشىis feared بِهِwithin it الرَدىdeath
تَصيحُ بِهِ الأَصداءُ يُخشى بِهِ الرَدى
فَسيحٌspacious لِأَذيالِfor the trailing skirts of الرِياحِthe winds العَواصِفِstormy
فَسيحٌ لِأَذيالِ الرِياحِ العَواصِفِ
Owls cry out within it, and death is feared there,
Its echoes resound, it instills fear,
a vast expanse for the trailing skirts of stormy winds.
A refuge for the tails of fierce winds.
إِلَيكَto you أَميرَCommander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful تَعَسَّفَتtook a trackless course
إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ تَعَسَّفَت
بِناwith us الصُهبُthe tawny camels أَجوازَthe depths of الفَلاةِthe desert التَنائِفِthe desolate wastes
بِنا الصُهبُ أَجوازَ الفَلاةِ التَنائِفِ
To you, Commander of the Faithful, they took a trackless course,
O Commander of the Faithful, to you we were led,
the tawny camels bearing us through the desert's depths and desolate wastes.
Traversing the barren desolate wilderness.
إِذاwhen صَوَّتَcalled out الحاديthe chanting camel-driver بِهِنَّto them تَقاذَفَتbounded forward
إِذا صَوَّتَ الحادي بِهِنَّ تَقاذَفَت
تَسامىrose high بِأَعناقٍwith necks وَأَيدٍand forelegs خَوانِفِswinging outward
تَسامى بِأَعناقٍ وَأَيدٍ خَوانِفِ
When the chanting camel-driver calls to them, they bound forward,
When the guide calls to them, up they leap,
rising with necks held high and forelegs swinging outward.
With outstretched necks and pleading hands.
سَفينَةُa ship of بَرٍّland مُستَعَدٌّmade ready نَجائُهاher swift pace
سَفينَةُ بَرٍّ مُستَعَدٌّ نَجائُها
لِتَوجابِfor traversing رَوعاتِthe terrors of القُلوبِthe hearts الرَواجِفِtrembling
لِتَوجابِ رَوعاتِ القُلوبِ الرَواجِفِ
A ship of the land, her swift pace made ready
A land vessel prepared for salvation,
to traverse terrors that make hearts tremble.
From the terrors that shake trembling hearts.
عِذافِرَةٌa mighty she-camel حَرفٌlean and hardy تَئطُّcreak نُسوعُهاher saddle-girths
عِذافِرَةٌ حَرفٌ تَئطُّ نُسوعُها
مِنَamong الذامِلاتِthe trotting camels اللَيلَthrough the night ذاتِpossessing العَجارِفِheadlong vigor
مِنَ الذامِلاتِ اللَيلَ ذاتِ العَجارِفِ
A mighty, lean she-camel whose saddle-girths creak,
A boat that folds its sail,
one of the night-trotting camels, full of headlong vigor.
From the nightly traveling camels.
كَأَنَّas though نَديفَcarded fibers of القُطنِcotton أُلبِسَwas put on خَطمَهاher muzzle
كَأَنَّ نَديفَ القُطنِ أُلبِسَ خَطمَها
بِهِupon it نِدفُtufts أَوتارِstrings of القِسِيِّthe bows النَوادِفِcotton-carding
بِهِ نِدفُ أَوتارِ القِسِيِّ النَوادِفِ
As though her muzzle had been clothed in carded cotton,
As if cotton wadding clothes its snout,
with tufts upon it from the strings of cotton-carding bows.
With the strings of a sturdy bow.
دَعَوتُI called upon أَمينَthe trustee of اللَهِGod فيon الأَرضِthe earth دَعوَةًa plea
دَعَوتُ أَمينَ اللَهِ في الأَرضِ دَعوَةً
لِيَفرِجَso that he might bring relief عَنfrom ساقَيَّmy two legs خَيرُthe best of الخَلائِفِthe caliphs
لِيَفرِجَ عَن ساقَيَّ خَيرُ الخَلائِفِ
I made a plea to God's trustee on earth,
I called upon Allah's trustee on earth with a plea,
that the best of caliphs might set my legs free.
To relieve my legs, best of successors.
فَياso, O خَيرَbest of أَهلِthe people of الأَرضِthe earth إِنَّكَindeed you لَوif تَرىcould see
فَيا خَيرَ أَهلِ الأَرضِ إِنَّكَ لَو تَرى
بِساقَيَّon my two legs آثارَmarks of القُيودِthe fetters النَواسِفِchafing
بِساقَيَّ آثارَ القُيودِ النَواسِفِ
So, O best of earth's people, if you could see
O best of people, if you could but see,
on my legs the marks of the chafing fetters,
On my legs, traces of heavy shackles.
إِذاًthen لَرَجَوتُI would surely hope for العَفوَpardon مِنكَfrom you وَرَحمَةًand mercy
إِذاً لَرَجَوتُ العَفوَ مِنكَ وَرَحمَةً
وَعَدلَand the justice of إِمامٍa ruler بِالرَعِيَّةِtoward the subjects رائِفِcompassionate
وَعَدلَ إِمامٍ بِالرَعِيَّةِ رائِفِ
then I would surely hope for pardon from you, and mercy,
Then I would hope for your pardon and mercy,
and the justice of a ruler compassionate toward his subjects.
And the justice of an imam caring for his flock.
هِشامَHisham بنَson of خَيرِthe best of الناسِpeople إِلّاexcept مُحَمَّداًMuhammad
هِشامَ بنَ خَيرِ الناسِ إِلّا مُحَمَّداً
وَأَصحابَهُand his companions إِنّيindeed I لَكُمtoward you لَمdid not أُقارِفِcommit
وَأَصحابَهُ إِنّي لَكُم لَم أُقارِفِ
Hisham, son of the best of men, save Muhammad
Hisham, son of the best of people except Muhammad,
and his companions—I have never committed against you
And his companions, I swear I committed no wrong.
مِنَof الغِشِّdeceit شَيئاًanything وَالَّذيby Him who نَحَرَتslaughtered لَهُfor Him
مِنَ الغِشِّ شَيئاً وَالَّذي نَحَرَت لَهُ
قُرَيشٌQuraysh هَداياsacrificial offerings كُلَّevery وَرقاءَgray شارِفِaged she-camel
قُرَيشٌ هَدايا كُلَّ وَرقاءَ شارِفِ
any deceit—by Him for whom were slaughtered
No dishonesty by Him to whom Quraish
Quraysh's offerings: every gray, aged she-camel.
Offered gifts, every glorious chieftain.
أَلَمdid ... not? يَكفِنيprotect me مَروانُMarwan لَمّاwhen أَتَيتُهُI came to him
أَلَم يَكفِني مَروانُ لَمّا أَتَيتُهُ
نِفاراًfleeing وَرَدُّand the drawing back of النَفسِthe breath بَينَbetween الشَراسِفِthe rib-tips
نِفاراً وَرَدُّ النَفسِ بَينَ الشَراسِفِ
Did Marwan not protect me when I came to him
Did Marwan not suffice when I came to him
in flight, with my breath drawn back between my ribs?
As an exile, though resentment burned within?
وَيَمنَعُand he protects جاراًa neighbor إِنif أَناخَhe knelt his camel فِناءَهُhis forecourt
وَيَمنَعُ جاراً إِن أَناخَ فِناءَهُ
لَهُfor him مُستَقىًa watering-place عِندَwith اِبنِthe son of مَروانَMarwan غارِفِdrawing water
لَهُ مُستَقىً عِندَ اِبنِ مَروانَ غارِفِ
And he protects a neighbor who kneels his camel in his forecourt;
And deny a neighbor, should he tether his mount
with Marwan's son he has a watering-place from which to draw.
At his well, while Ibn Marwan forbids.
إِلىto آلِthe house of مَروانَMarwan اِنتَهَتhas come كُلُّall عِزَّةٍglory
إِلى آلِ مَروانَ اِنتَهَت كُلُّ عِزَّةٍ
وَكُلُّand every حَصىًmultitude ذيpossessing حَومَةٍa massed host لِلخَنادِفِof the Khanadif
وَكُلُّ حَصىً ذي حَومَةٍ لِلخَنادِفِ
To the house of Marwan all glory has come,
All honor belongs to the clan of Marwan,
and every massed multitude of the Khanadif.
And any mere pebble of an arrogant tyrant.
هُمُthey الأَكرَمونَthe noblest الأَكثَرونَthe most numerous وَلَمand has not يَزَلceased
هُمُ الأَكرَمونَ الأَكثَرونَ وَلَم يَزَل
لَهُمamong them مُنكِرُone who rejects النَكراءِevil لِلحَقِّof what is right عارِفُaware
لَهُم مُنكِرُ النَكراءِ لِلحَقِّ عارِفُ
They are the noblest, the most numerous; there has always been
They are the noblest, the greatest, nor will
among them one who rejects evil and recognizes what is right.
The denier of the right, to the ignoble, ever know.
أَبوكُمyour forefather أَبوAbu العاصيal-Asi الَّذيwho كانَwas جارُهُhis neighbor
أَبوكُم أَبو العاصي الَّذي كانَ جارُهُ
أَعَزَّmore unassailable مِنَthan العَصماءِthe white-footed ibex فَوقَabove النَفانِفِthe chasms
أَعَزَّ مِنَ العَصماءِ فَوقَ النَفانِفِ
Your forefather is Abu al-Asi, whose neighbor was
Your father, disobeyer, whose neighbor
more unassailable than the white-footed ibex above the chasms.
Was nobler than the loftiest summit.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.