بأبيmay my father be his ransom أهيفُa slender one مهضومُdrawn-in الحشاthe waist
بأبي أهيفُ مهضومُ الحشا
مستَعارborrowed اللَّحظthe glance عنfrom عَينthe eye الرَّشاthe young gazelle
مستَعار اللَّحظ عن عَين الرَّشا
May my father be ransom for a slender one with a narrow waist,
By my father taken in his prime,
His glance borrowed from a young gazelle’s eye.
Whose glances borrow from the eyes of fawns their charm,
يُخجلputs to shame الأقمارَthe moons وجهاًin countenance إنif بداhe appears
يُخجل الأقمارَ وجهاً إن بدا
وغصونَand the branches البانof the bān tree عِطفاًin his figure إنif مشىhe walks
وغصونَ البان عِطفاً إن مشى
His face puts the moons to shame when he appears,
Whose face would shame the moon should it appear,
And his figure the bān tree’s branches when he walks.
Whose swaying form puts boughs of ban to shame when he walks by,
ثَمِلُdrunken الأعطافِthe flanks منfrom خَمرthe wine الصِّباyouth
ثَمِلُ الأعطافِ من خَمر الصِّبا
مُنتشيtipsy الألحاظِthe glances صاحٍsober ماnot انتشىhe grew drunk
مُنتشي الألحاظِ صاحٍ ما انتشى
His flanks are drunk on the wine of youth,
Ripely curved by the wine of youth,
His glances tipsy, yet he is sober—he has not grown drunk.
With glances inebriating though no wine they've tasted,
آنِسٌat ease بالناسwith people غيريexcept me فإذاbut when اسfirst part of “took comfort”
آنِسٌ بالناس غيري فإذا اس
تأنستrest of “took comfort” عينيَmy eye منهfrom him استوحشاhe grew uneasy
تأنست عينيَ منه استوحشا
At ease with everyone but me; yet when
Sociable with others, unlike me, so when
My eye takes comfort in him, he grows uneasy.
My eyes have found in him a friend, to all else they’re closed.
أيّهاO you الُمعرضwho turn away عنيfrom me عبَثاwithout cause
أيّها الُمعرض عني عبَثا
مَنwho وَشىslandered بيagainst me ليتwould that شعريmy knowledge لاmay he not وشىslander
مَن وَشى بي ليت شعري لا وشى
O you who turn away from me without cause,
O you who’ve purposelessly turned from me,
Who slandered me? Would that I knew—may he never slander!
Who has maligned me, would that I knew!
سوفwill أرشوI bribe عنكaway from you قلبيmy heart فعسىso perhaps
سوف أرشو عنك قلبي فعسى
يَقبلُaccepts المسكينُthe poor thing فيin الُحبِlove الرُّشاbribes
يَقبلُ المسكينُ في الُحبِ الرُّشا
I shall bribe my heart to turn from you; perhaps
I will probingly unveil my heart, perhaps
The poor thing will accept bribes in love.
The wretched will accept this impassioned plea.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.