نَديميَmy boon companion علّلْنيsoothe me بمَشْمولَةٍwith north-wind-cooled wine واسْقِand pour
نَديميَ علّلْني بمَشْمولَةٍ واسْقِ
ولاand do not تولِجَنْever let enter سَمْعيmy hearing حَديثاًtalk عنِabout العِشْقِpassionate love
ولا تولِجَنْ سَمْعي حَديثاً عنِ العِشْقِ
My boon companion, soothe me with wine cooled by the north wind, and pour.
My friend, refresh me with a sip and pour,
And let no talk of love enter my hearing.
But speak no words to me of love's allure,
فقدfor indeed ضاقَhas grown narrow ميْدانُthe arena الشّبابِyouth عنِfor الهَوىpassion
فقد ضاقَ ميْدانُ الشّبابِ عنِ الهَوى
فآثَرتِso preferred النّفْسُthe soul الرّجوعَreturning الىto الحَقِّthe truth
فآثَرتِ النّفْسُ الرّجوعَ الى الحَقِّ
For youth's arena has grown too narrow for passion,
For the field of youth is too constricted for passion now,
So the soul has chosen to return to the truth.
So my soul returns to truth and equity.
وهَذاand this زمانُthe season الزّهْرِflowers حيّاكَgreeted you باسِماًsmiling
وهَذا زمانُ الزّهْرِ حيّاكَ باسِماً
تَلوحُgleam سِماتُsigns البِشْرِgladness فيon وجْهِهِits face الطّلْقِcheerful
تَلوحُ سِماتُ البِشْرِ في وجْهِهِ الطّلْقِ
And here is the season of flowers, greeting you with a smile;
This is the season of blossoms, greeting you by name,
Signs of gladness gleam upon its cheerful face.
The traits of mankind apparent on its serene face.
وقدand indeed قادَled يوْمُthe day الغيْمِcloud cover سُحْباًclouds كأنّهاas though they were
وقد قادَ يوْمُ الغيْمِ سُحْباً كأنّها
رِفاقٌcompanions أتتْcame تمشيwalking الهُوَيْنىslowly علىwith رِفقِgentleness
رِفاقٌ أتتْ تمشي الهُوَيْنى على رِفقِ
And the cloudy day has led forth clouds, as though they were
The day of clouds has led a procession, as though
Companions come walking slowly and gently.
They are companions come walking gently apace.
كأنّas though حُداةَcamel-drivers الرّعْدِthunder ضلّتْlost طريقَهاtheir way
كأنّ حُداةَ الرّعْدِ ضلّتْ طريقَها
فهزّتْso they shook لكَيْماso that تهْتَديthey might find their way مِشْعَلَthe torch البرْقِlightning
فهزّتْ لكَيْما تهْتَدي مِشْعَلَ البرْقِ
As though thunder's camel-drivers had lost their way,
Like thunder’s guide that lost its way,
And so shaken lightning's torch to find their path.
Shaking the lightning’s torch to find its place.
وكعْبَةِand a Kaaba روْضٍa garden زارَهاvisited it القَطْرُthe rain والتَقَتْand met
وكعْبَةِ روْضٍ زارَها القَطْرُ والتَقَتْ
بميقاتِهاat its appointed station جوّابةُthe far-roamers الغَرْبِthe west والشّرْقِand the east
بميقاتِها جوّابةُ الغَرْبِ والشّرْقِ
And a garden's Kaaba, visited by rain, where met
A meadow’s sanctuary the rain visited and met
At its appointed station the wanderers of west and east;
Its east and west pilgrims at the set time and space.
وقدand indeed قلَبَreversed السّوسانُthe iris فيهin it رِداءَهُits cloak
وقد قلَبَ السّوسانُ فيه رِداءَهُ
كأنّas though النُعامَىthe south wind أبرزَتْهُbrought it forth ليَسْتَسْقيto pray for rain
كأنّ النُعامَى أبرزَتْهُ ليَسْتَسْقي
And there the iris had reversed its cloak,
The lily has turned its gown therein,
As though the south wind had brought it forth to pray for rain.
As ostriches displayed it to partake of grace.
كأنّas though عليلَthe ailing one النّرْجِسِthe narcissus اهْتاجَflared up داؤهُits illness
كأنّ عليلَ النّرْجِسِ اهْتاجَ داؤهُ
وقدْand indeed قعَلَتْunclear; likely 'began' تبْكيهِweeps for it ساجِعةُthe cooing one الوُرْقِthe gray doves
وقدْ قعَلَتْ تبْكيهِ ساجِعةُ الوُرْقِ
As though the sickly narcissus's illness had flared up,
The narcissus’ ailing soul grew restless,
And the cooing gray dove [began] to weep for it.
As foliage wept loudly in its place.
وقدand indeed أشفَقَtook pity الغيْمُthe cloud الظّليلُshade-giving لِماbecause of what بهِis in it
وقد أشفَقَ الغيْمُ الظّليلُ لِما بهِ
فتَنفُثُso breathe gently فيهِupon it سُحْبُهits clouds والصَّباand the east wind ترْقيrecites healing charms
فتَنفُثُ فيهِ سُحْبُه والصَّبا ترْقي
And the shade-giving cloud took pity on what ailed it,
The shady raincloud pitied what it held
So its clouds breathe upon it, and the east wind chants healing charms.
Spilling its clouds as the breeze climbed to its place.
حلَلْتُI alighted بِهاin it والوَرْدُand the roses هدْيٌa sacrificial offering مقَرَّبٌpresented
حلَلْتُ بِها والوَرْدُ هدْيٌ مقَرَّبٌ
فماso not كانwas إلاexcept أنْthat نحَرْتُI slaughtered بهاin it زِقّيmy wineskin
فما كان إلا أنْ نحَرْتُ بها زِقّي
I alighted there, the roses a proffered sacrificial offering;
I arrived with roses, a gift of oblation,
So all I did was slaughter my wineskin there.
So I could sacrifice my drinking horn in their place.
وسيّلْتُهاand I let her flow حَمْراءَred والغيْمُand the cloud عاكِفٌkeeping vigil
وسيّلْتُها حَمْراءَ والغيْمُ عاكِفٌ
فضاءَso shone لهاfor her جوّيmy sky وضاعَand grew fragrant بهاwith her أفْقيmy horizon
فضاءَ لها جوّي وضاعَ بها أفْقي
And I let her flow, red, while the cloud kept vigil;
I flooded it red as the raincloud hovered
So my sky shone for her, and my horizon grew fragrant with her.
Above, making room for it in the aerial space.
وقدand indeed هرِمَتْshe grew old ممّاbecause of how تطاوَلَgrew long عُمْرُهاher lifespan
وقد هرِمَتْ ممّا تطاوَلَ عُمْرُها
وممّاand because of how محَتْerased أعْضاءَهاher limbs حَمْيَةُthe heat الزِّقِّthe wineskin
وممّا محَتْ أعْضاءَها حَمْيَةُ الزِّقِّ
She had grown old from the long stretch of her life,
It has aged from the elongation of its life
And from the wineskin's heat, which had worn away her limbs.
And the burning of its limbs in the kiln’s embrace.
وحيّيْتُand I greeted أكْواسيmy cups بهاwith her فكأنّهاso they seemed
وحيّيْتُ أكْواسي بها فكأنّها
جُسومٌbodies تُشِفُّlet show through الرّوحَthe spirit فيat بَدْأةِthe beginning الخَلْقِcreation
جُسومٌ تُشِفُّ الرّوحَ في بَدْأةِ الخَلْقِ
And I greeted my cups with her, so they seemed
I toasted it with cups as if they were
Bodies revealing the spirit at the beginning of creation.
Bodies that revive the soul at existence’s base.
تخالُyou would think بِهاwith her الإبريقَthe ewer عندَat سُجودِهِits prostration
تخالُ بِها الإبريقَ عندَ سُجودِهِ
إماماًan imam يُطيلُprolongs المَكْثَthe lingering فيover أحْرُفِletters الحلْقِthe throat
إماماً يُطيلُ المَكْثَ في أحْرُفِ الحلْقِ
With her, you would take the ewer, as it prostrates,
The pitcher mistakes them during its prostration
For an imam lingering over the letters of the throat.
For an imam prolonging his bow at “qalqalah’s” place.
يُرَدِّدُهاhe repeats them كيْso that يكْسِبَgive الطّبْعَnatural aptitude دُرْبَةًpractice
يُرَدِّدُها كيْ يكْسِبَ الطّبْعَ دُرْبَةً
بهِنّwith them ولكِنْand yet ليسَdoes not يُفْصِحُspeak clearly فيin النُّطْقِspeech
بهِنّ ولكِنْ ليسَ يُفْصِحُ في النُّطْقِ
He repeats them to train his natural aptitude
It repeats them to train its nature through practice,
With them, yet he does not speak distinctly.
But cannot articulate them with eloquence and grace.
وعودٌand an oud حنىarched أضْلاعَهُits ribs فوقَabove كاهِنٍa soothsayer
وعودٌ حنى أضْلاعَهُ فوقَ كاهِنٍ
يفوهُutters بِماwith what يوحِيinspires البَنانُthe fingertips وماand what يُلْقيimparts
يفوهُ بِما يوحِي البَنانُ وما يُلْقي
And an oud arched its ribs above a soothsayer,
The lute has bent its ribs over a priest
Voicing what the fingertips inspire and impart,
Who utters what the fingerboard prompts at its place,
ويُعْرِبُand expresses عمّاabout what فيin الضّميرِthe inner self كأنّماas though
ويُعْرِبُ عمّا في الضّميرِ كأنّما
قصَدْناwe sought سَطيحاSatih أوor حُبِسْناwe were detained الىto شِقِّShiqq
قصَدْنا سَطيحا أو حُبِسْنا الى شِقِّ
And revealing the inmost thoughts, as though
And expresses what is in the heart as though
We had sought Satih, or been detained before Shiqq.
We sought augury or were confined in a strait place,
عكَفْناwe devoted ourselves علَيْهِto it والبُروقُand the lightning flashes كأنّهاas though they were
عكَفْنا علَيْهِ والبُروقُ كأنّها
مُطهّمةًwell-built steeds شُقرٌchestnut-colored تبارَتْvied with one another الىtoward السّبْقِfirst place
مُطهّمةً شُقرٌ تبارَتْ الى السّبْقِ
We devoted ourselves to it, while the lightning flashes seemed
We dwelled on it as lightning, resembling
Well-built chestnut steeds racing one another for the lead.
A herd of blond gazelles racing to the winning place.
وقدand indeed شابَturned gray فَوْدُthe hair at the temple اللّيلِthe night منْfrom روعةِterror الضِّياthe radiance
وقد شابَ فَوْدُ اللّيلِ منْ روعةِ الضِّيا
وطارَتْand took flight قلوبُthe hearts النّجْمِthe stars منfrom شِدّةِintensity الخَفْقِfluttering
وطارَتْ قلوبُ النّجْمِ من شِدّةِ الخَفْقِ
And the hair at night's temple turned gray in terror at the glare,
The night’s expanse was filled with awe from the light’s radiance,
And the stars' hearts took flight from the force of their fluttering.
And the hearts of stars raced from the intensity apace.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle اللّياليthe nights أنْهَجَتْwore threadbare بُرْدَةthe mantle الصِّباyouth
إذا ما اللّيالي أنْهَجَتْ بُرْدَة الصِّبا
وسدّتْand blocked الىto اللّذّاتِpleasures سالِكَةَpassable الطُّرقِthe paths
وسدّتْ الى اللّذّاتِ سالِكَةَ الطُّرقِ
When the nights have worn youth's mantle threadbare,
If nights don the coldness of the morning breeze
And barred the open paths to pleasure,
And block the paths to pleasures in that time and space,
تَعَلّلْtake solace بنَزْرِin a scant portion منْof زَمانٍtime مُساعدٍfavorable
تَعَلّلْ بنَزْرِ منْ زَمانٍ مُساعدٍ
فماfor no لكَfor you إنْif ولّىit passes سَبيلٌa way الىto اللّحْقِcatching up
فما لكَ إنْ ولّى سَبيلٌ الى اللّحْقِ
Take solace in a brief spell of favorable time,
Console yourself with a hint of favoring days,
For if it passes, you have no way to catch up with it.
What loss if a way leads you to pursue and chase?
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.