ياO دَهرُTime ياO صاحِبَcompanion of الفَجيعاتِcalamities
يا دَهرُ يا صاحِبَ الفَجيعاتِ
فيin كُلِّevery يَومٍday تُسيءُyou do harm مَرّاتِrepeatedly
في كُلِّ يَومٍ تُسيءُ مَرّاتِ
O Time, O companion of calamities,
O fate, O friend of calamities
every day you do harm again and again.
Each day you bring distress repeatedly
ياO دَهرُTime إِنَّindeed القَومَthe people الأُلىwho شَحَطَتcarried far away
يا دَهرُ إِنَّ القَومَ الأُلى شَحَطَت
بِهِمwith them نَوىًseparation أَكثَرواthey multiplied مُصيباتيmy afflictions
بِهِم نَوىً أَكثَروا مُصيباتي
O Time, indeed, the people who were carried far away
O fate, my dear people were carried off
by separation have multiplied my afflictions.
By misfortune though they increased my sorrows
حَرَّمتُI forbade مِنfrom بَعدِهِمafter them مَسيرَmovement of يَديmy hand
حَرَّمتُ مِن بَعدِهِم مَسيرَ يَدي
إِلىto فَميmy mouth شارِباًdrinking بِكاساتِfrom cups
إِلى فَمي شارِباً بِكاساتِ
After they were gone, I forbade my hand's movement
After them I forbade my hand
to my mouth to drink from cups,
From bringing a cup to my lips
وَأَنand that أُرىI be seen ضاحِكاًsmiling إِلىtoward أَحَدٍanyone
وَأَن أُرى ضاحِكاً إِلى أَحَدٍ
إِلّاexcept بِقَلبٍwith a heart جَمِّfull of الكَآباتِsorrows
إِلّا بِقَلبٍ جَمِّ الكَآباتِ
and being seen smiling at anyone
And that I see anyone laughing
except with a heart full of sorrows.
Except with a heart full of sadness
ماnot زالَceased صَرفُvicissitudes of الزَمانِtime يَقسِمُناdivides us
ما زالَ صَرفُ الزَمانِ يَقسِمُنا
عَلىbetween المَسَرّاتِjoys وَالمَساءاتِand sorrows
عَلى المَسَرّاتِ وَالمَساءاتِ
Time's vicissitudes have never ceased dividing us
The wheel of time continues to divide us
between joys and sorrows.
Between joys and sorrows
ماليwhat ails me إِذاwhen قُلتُI say قَدalready ظَفِرتُI have found بِإِخwith bro- (word fragment)
مالي إِذا قُلتُ قَد ظَفِرتُ بِإِخ
وانٍ-thers (word continuation) أَرىI see فيهِمُin them مَحَبّاتِaffection
وانٍ أَرى فيهِمُ مَحَبّاتِ
Why, whenever I say I have found
What good is it if I say I found
brothers in whom I see affection,
Brothers I see affection in them
شَتَّتَهُمscattered them حادِثٌa calamity فَأَفرَدَنيso it left me alone
شَتَّتَهُم حادِثٌ فَأَفرَدَني
مِنهُمfrom them وَكانَand it was مُشتاقَlonging for لَحَظاتيmy glances
مِنهُم وَكانَ مُشتاقَ لَحَظاتي
does a calamity scatter them and leave me alone
An event scattered them leaving me
apart from them, longing for my glances?
Without them though I longed for their company
ياO شَملَunity of قَلبِيَmy heart لِلَّهوِfor mirth بَعدَهُمُafter them
يا شَملَ قَلبِيَ لِلَّهوِ بَعدَهُمُ
حَتّىuntil أَراهُمI see them فَذاكَso that is ميقاتيmy appointed time
حَتّى أَراهُم فَذاكَ ميقاتي
O my heart's wholeness for mirth after them—
O desires of my heart after them
until I see them—that is my appointed time.
Until I see them again that is my appointed time
عَسىperhaps أُرَجّيI hope رُجوعَa reversal of غايَتِهِمtheir end
عَسى أُرَجّي رُجوعَ غايَتِهِم
فَكَيفَbut how لاno كَيفَhow بِأَمواتِwith the dead
فَكَيفَ لا كَيفَ بِأَمواتِ
Perhaps I may hope that their end can be reversed—
Perhaps I hope for the return of their absence
but how? There is no way with the dead.
How not, how with the dead
قَدindeed كُنتُI used to أَبكيweep أَهلَpeople of المَوَدّاتِaffection
قَد كُنتُ أَبكي أَهلَ المَوَدّاتِ
فَصِرتُso I came to أَبكيweep أَهلَpeople of المُروءاتِnoble character
فَصِرتُ أَبكي أَهلَ المُروءاتِ
I once wept for people of affection;
I used to cry for the people of affection
now I weep for people of noble character.
I came to cry for the people of integrity
خُلِّفتُI was left behind فيamong شَرِّthe worst عُصبَةٍband خُلِقَتwas created
خُلِّفتُ في شَرِّ عُصبَةٍ خُلِقَت
أَثكَلَنيهاmay He bereave me of it رَبُّthe Lord of السَماواتِthe heavens
أَثكَلَنيها رَبُّ السَماواتِ
I was left among the worst band ever created;
I was left among the worst of mobs created
may the Lord of the heavens bereave me of them!
May the Lord of the heavens forsake them
كِلابُdogs of حَيٍّa settlement إِذاwhen حَضَرتُI am present فَإِنbut if
كِلابُ حَيٍّ إِذا حَضَرتُ فَإِن
غِبتُI am absent فُواقاًfor an instant فَأُسدُthen lions of غاباتِforests
غِبتُ فُواقاً فَأُسدُ غاباتِ
Dogs of the settlement when I am present; but if
Living dogs when I attend but
I am gone for an instant, lions of the forests.
If I am absent ruthless lions of the jungles
إِنif أودِعواthey are entrusted السِرَّthe secret ضَيَّعوهُthey betray it وَلاand not
إِن أودِعوا السِرَّ ضَيَّعوهُ وَلا
يُغضونَthey avert طَرفاًa gaze عَنِfrom الجِناياتِwrongdoing
يُغضونَ طَرفاً عَنِ الجِناياتِ
If entrusted with a secret, they betray it, and never
If they safeguard a secret they lose it and do not
turn their gaze away from wrongdoing.
Turn their eyes away from crimes
وَإِنand if أَرَدتَyou wish اِنتِهاكَthe violation of عِرضِكَyour honor فَاِرthen re- (word fragment)
وَإِن أَرَدتَ اِنتِهاكَ عِرضِكَ فَاِر
دُدهُمُ-ject them (word continuation) يُعذَرواthey may be excused لِحاجاتِon account of needs
دُدهُمُ يُعذَروا لِحاجاتِ
And if you wish your honor violated, then turn
And if you want to violate your honor then beware
them away; their needs will excuse them.
They justify it for their needs
يَلقَونَthey meet ذاthe possessor of الفَقرِpoverty بِالقُطوبِwith scowls وَذاand the possessor of الthe
يَلقَونَ ذا الفَقرِ بِالقُطوبِ وَذا ال
وَفرِwealth بِلَبَّيكَwith 'at your service' وَالتَحِيّاتِand greetings
وَفرِ بِلَبَّيكَ وَالتَحِيّاتِ
They meet the poor with scowls, and the man of
They meet the poor with harshness and the
wealth with 'At your service!' and greetings.
Rich with greetings and salutations
فَهُمso they لَهاfor those greetings لاnot لِدَفعِfor warding off نائِبَةٍa calamity
فَهُم لَها لا لِدَفعِ نائِبَةٍ
يَومَa day of اِفتِقارٍneed إِلىfor المَوَدّاتِaffection
يَومَ اِفتِقارٍ إِلى المَوَدّاتِ
So they are for greetings, not for warding off calamity
It is for the latter not to ward off adversity
on a day of need for affection.
On a day of need for affections
كُلٌّeach عَلىupon مَنwhoever يُريدُwishes نَفعَهُمُto benefit them
كُلٌّ عَلى مَن يُريدُ نَفعَهُمُ
لَكِنَّهُمbut they مِنهُtoward him فيin جِناياتِoffenses
لَكِنَّهُم مِنهُ في جِناياتِ
Each is a burden on whoever seeks to help them,
Each one intends benefit for those
yet they commit wrongs against him.
He wants but they are in his crimes
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.