مَاذَاwhat لَقينَاwe encountered بِمَاغُوسٍat Maghus مِنَof اللَّغَطِthe clamor
مَاذَا لَقينَا بِمَاغُوسٍ مِنَ اللَّغَطِ
لَيْلاًat night وَمِنْand from هَرَجuproar الأَحْرَاسِthe guards وَالشُّرِطِand the police
لَيْلاً وَمِنْ هَرَج الأَحْرَاسِ وَالشُّرِطِ
What clamor we endured at Maghus
What did we endure in Magoos at night
by night, and what uproar from the guards and police!
Of the clamor of guards and police?
وَمِنْand from رَدَاءَةِthe foulness of مَاءٍwater لاَnot يَسُوغُis palatable لَنَاto us
وَمِنْ رَدَاءَةِ مَاءٍ لاَ يَسُوغُ لَنَا
شَرَابُdrinking جُرْعَتِهِa draught of it إِلاَّexcept عَلَىwith شَطَطِgreat difficulty
شَرَابُ جُرْعَتِهِ إِلاَّ عَلَى شَطَطِ
And what foul water—we could not stomach
Of foul water not fit for us to drink
a draught of it except with great difficulty.
Except by overindulging to excess
وَمِنْand from لُغَاتٍlanguages حَوَالَيْنَاaround us مُبَرْبَرَةٍjabbering
وَمِنْ لُغَاتٍ حَوَالَيْنَا مُبَرْبَرَةٍ
كَأَنَّنَاas though we were فِيin بِلاَدِthe lands of الزَّنْجِthe Zanj وَالنَّبَطِand the Nabataeans
كَأَنَّنَا فِي بِلاَدِ الزَّنْجِ وَالنَّبَطِ
And what jabbering tongues all around us,
Languages surrounding us, garbled
as though we were in the lands of the Zanj and the Nabataeans!
As though we were in the lands of Zanj and Nabat
جَرْدَاءُbarren لاَno شَجَرَاتٌtrees يُسْتَظَلُّshade is sought بِهَاbeneath them
جَرْدَاءُ لاَ شَجَرَاتٌ يُسْتَظَلُّ بِهَا
وَلاَand no أَنِيسٌa companion يُرِيحُrelieves النَّفْسَthe soul مِنfrom قَنَطِdespair
وَلاَ أَنِيسٌ يُرِيحُ النَّفْسَ مِن قَنَطِ
A barren place, with no trees to shelter beneath,
Barren, no trees for shade
and no companion to relieve the soul of despair.
No friend to refresh the weary soul
مَنَارُهاits minaret قَعَدَfell short الْبَانِيthe builder بِنِصْبَتِهِin erecting it
مَنَارُها قَعَدَ الْبَانِي بِنِصْبَتِهِ
فَلاَso no تُشِيرُpoints إِلَيْهِtoward it عَيْنُan eye مُغْتَبِطِa delighted person
فَلاَ تُشِيرُ إِلَيْهِ عَيْنُ مُغْتَبِطِ
Its minaret—the builder fell short in erecting it,
Its minaret, the builder placed crookedly
so no admiring eye looks toward it.
No cheerful eye gestures towards it
كَأَنَّهُas though it were فَيْشَةٌa penis جَاءُواthey came لِقُلْفَتِهَاfor its foreskin
كَأَنَّهُ فَيْشَةٌ جَاءُوا لِقُلْفَتِهَا
بِخَاتِنٍwith a circumciser قَطَّcut off مِنْهَاfrom it النِّصْفَthe half عَنْthrough غَلَطِa mistake
بِخَاتِنٍ قَطَّ مِنْهَا النِّصْفَ عَنْ غَلَطِ
As though it were a penis: to remove its foreskin they brought
As if it were a rag-doll they came to strip
a circumciser who cut off half of it by mistake.
Of its clothing, taking half away erroneously
لَكِنَّbut فَاضِلَthe distinguished one كُتَّابِscribes الشُّرُوُطِlegal contracts بِهَاin it
لَكِنَّ فَاضِلَ كُتَّابِ الشُّرُوُطِ بِهَا
يَحْيَYahya أَبَرَّmost virtuous فَتَىًa young man لِلْفَضْلِfor virtue مُشْتَرِطٍone who stipulates
يَحْيَ أَبَرَّ فَتَىً لِلْفَضْلِ مُشْتَرِطٍ
But the distinguished one among its contract scribes,
But the eminent scribes of conditions therein
Yahya, was the noblest youth to make virtue his condition.
Revived the finest young man strictly principled
أَحْيَىrevived بِهَاin it الأُنْسَcompanionship يَحْيَىYahya بَعْدَafter وَحْشِتَهَاits desolation
أَحْيَى بِهَا الأُنْسَ يَحْيَى بَعْدَ وَحْشِتَهَا
وَنَابَand stood in عَنْfor جُمْلَةٍa whole group مِنْof ذَلِكَthat النَّمَطِthe kind
وَنَابَ عَنْ جُمْلَةٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النَّمَطِ
Yahya revived companionship there after its desolation,
Yahya revived companionship after its desolation
and stood in for a whole company of that kind.
And substituted for all of that flawed pattern
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.