وَلَيلَةٍand a night حالِكَةِpitch-dark الإِزارِthe mantle
وَلَيلَةٍ حالِكَةِ الإِزارِ
مَدّتْspread جناحاًa wing كسوادِlike the blackness of القارِpitch
مَدّتْ جناحاً كسوادِ القارِ
And a night, black-mantled,
And on a dark night when the covers were drawn
spread a wing as black as pitch,
Spreading wings black as pitch
يَحْجُبُhides عَنّاfrom us غُرّةَthe bright brow of النّهارِday
يَحْجُبُ عَنّا غُرّةَ النّهارِ
عَقَرْتُI slew فيهاin it الهَمَّcare بِالعقارِwith wine
عَقَرْتُ فيها الهَمَّ بِالعقارِ
hiding from us the bright brow of day.
Shielding from us the first light of dawn
In it I slew care with wine,
I banished cares with a sober drink
بِجِسمِwith a body of ماءٍwater فيهِin it رُوحُa soul of نارِfire
بِجِسمِ ماءٍ فيهِ رُوحُ نارِ
فيin مَجلِسٍa gathering ضَمَّembraced بَنيthe sons of الفَخارِglory
في مَجلِسٍ ضَمَّ بَني الفَخارِ
with a body of water containing a soul of fire,
A body of water with the spirit of fire
in a gathering that embraced the sons of glory,
In a gathering that brought together the earthenware
كَهالَةٍlike a halo تَضحَكُsmiles عَنto reveal أَقمارِmoons
كَهالَةٍ تَضحَكُ عَن أَقمارِ
تَزَاحَمَتْjostled together بِأَنْجُمٍamong stars دَراريradiant
تَزَاحَمَتْ بِأَنْجُمٍ دَراري
like a halo smiling to reveal moons
A beauty laughing above the moons
jostling among radiant stars:
Crowded with twinkling stars
مِنof كُلِّevery ذِمْرٍvaliant man فيin حِمَىthe sanctuary of الذِّمارِwhat must be protected
مِن كُلِّ ذِمْرٍ في حِمَى الذِّمارِ
مُهينُscorning مَالٍwealth وَمُعِزُّand honoring جارِa neighbor
مُهينُ مَالٍ وَمُعِزُّ جارِ
each a valiant defender of what he holds sacred,
From every torch in the protected grounds
scorning wealth and honoring his neighbor.
Degrading wealth and honoring a neighbor
يُسْقَوْنَthey are served drink منfrom ساطِعَةِradiant with الأَنوارِlight
يُسْقَوْنَ من ساطِعَةِ الأَنوارِ
كَثيرَةِhaving many الأَسماءِnames وَالأَعمارِand ages
كَثيرَةِ الأَسماءِ وَالأَعمارِ
They are served wine radiant with light,
They are given to drink from the brilliant lights
with many names and many ages,
Many are their names and ages
أَعبَقَmore fragrant مِنthan نَفحَةِa waft of مِسْكٍmusk دَاريfrom Darin
أَعبَقَ مِن نَفحَةِ مِسْكٍ دَاري
أَرَقَّmore delicate فيin حُسْنٍbeauty وَفيand in احمِرارِredness
أَرَقَّ في حُسْنٍ وَفي احمِرارِ
more fragrant than a breath of Darin musk,
More fragrant than the scent of musk
more delicate in beauty and redness
More subtle in beauty and redness
مِنthan ماءِthe lustre of خَدٍّa cheek راقَwas lovely فيwithin عجارِa veil
مِن ماءِ خَدٍّ راقَ في عجارِ
تَكادُalmost ذاتُthe woman wearing القرطِthe earring وَالسِوارِand the bracelet
تَكادُ ذاتُ القرطِ وَالسِوارِ
than the lustre of a cheek, lovely within a veil.
Than the water of a cheek flowing in tattoos
Almost, the wearer of an earring and bracelet,
The one with earrings and bracelets
وَالنَّغمُand the melody الرَّطبُsupple علىupon الأَوتارِthe strings
وَالنَّغمُ الرَّطبُ على الأَوتارِ
إِذwhen أَسمَعَتناshe made us hear نَغَمَthe song of الهَزارِthe nightingale
إِذ أَسمَعَتنا نَغَمَ الهَزارِ
and the supple melody upon the strings,
And the moist melody on the strings
as she let us hear the nightingale's song,
When she made us hear the music of jest
يَجريflows معَwith الأَرواحِthe souls فيthrough المجاريthe channels
يَجري معَ الأَرواحِ في المجاري
حَتّىuntil إذاwhen ماemphatic particle غَنَّتِsang القَمَاريthe turtledoves
حَتّى إذا ما غَنَّتِ القَمَاري
flow with the souls through their channels.
It flows with the spirits through the veins
Until, when the turtledoves sang,
Until when the gamblers sang
مُناغِماتٍsinging in harmony with حِزَقَflocks of الأَطيارِbirds
مُناغِماتٍ حِزَقَ الأَطيارِ
صَوافِراًwhistling وَالصُّبحُwhile dawn فيin الأَسفارِthe brightening
صَوافِراً وَالصُّبحُ في الأَسفارِ
in harmony with flocks of birds,
The melodies the birds twittered
whistling while dawn brightened,
And the morning on its journeys
قُمناwe rose لِنَنفيto banish عَرَضَthe affliction of الخُمارِthe hangover
قُمنا لِنَنفي عَرَضَ الخُمارِ
عَنfrom جَوهَرِthe essence of الأَنفُسِthe souls فيin الصَّحاريthe deserts
عَن جَوهَرِ الأَنفُسِ في الصَّحاري
we rose to banish the hangover's affliction
We got up to deny the veil of wine
from the essence of our souls, out in the deserts,
From the essence of souls in the deserts
بِكُلِّon every طِرْفٍthoroughbred steed سَلْهَبٍtall and long-limbed مُطَارِswift-flying
بِكُلِّ طِرْفٍ سَلْهَبٍ مُطَارِ
مُوَجَّهِhandsome in الإقبالِapproaching والإدبارِand departing
مُوَجَّهِ الإقبالِ والإدبارِ
on every tall, swift-flying steed,
With every flaming glance
handsome whether coming or going.
Facing beginnings and endings
إِنif بادَرَraced for السَّبقَthe lead مَعَwith المَجاريthe racing rival
إِن بادَرَ السَّبقَ مَعَ المَجاري
طَارَتْflew بِهِbearing it قَوادِمُthe flight-feathers of النجارِlineage
طَارَتْ بِهِ قَوادِمُ النجارِ
If it raced for the lead against a rival,
If he took the lead along with the currents
the pinions of its lineage bore it aloft.
The ships of carpenters carried him
يَتبَعُهُfollows it كُلُّevery صَيودٍhunting hound ضارِfierce
يَتبَعُهُ كُلُّ صَيودٍ ضارِ
ظاميlean in الضُّلوعِthe ribs ضامِرُslender in الأَخْصارِthe waists
ظامي الضُّلوعِ ضامِرُ الأَخْصارِ
Every fierce hunting hound follows it,
Followed by every predatory hunter
lean-ribbed and slender-waisted,
Hollow of ribs, gaunt of belly
كَأنَّهُas though it were فيwithin عُقدَةِthe knot of الزُّنَّارِthe girdle
كَأنَّهُ في عُقدَةِ الزُّنَّارِ
بِأَعيُنٍwith eyes لَمnot تُغْضِclose منfrom عُوّارِeye irritation
بِأَعيُنٍ لَم تُغْضِ من عُوّارِ
as though enclosed in a girdle's knot,
As if he were in the knot of the belt
with eyes not closed by soreness,
With eyes that did not wink from the spear points
كَالجَّمرِlike embers بَينَbetween الهُدْبِthe lashes والأَشفارِand the eyelid rims
كَالجَّمرِ بَينَ الهُدْبِ والأَشفارِ
تَكادُalmost تَرميpelts الصَّيدَthe game بِالشرارِwith sparks
تَكادُ تَرمي الصَّيدَ بِالشرارِ
like embers between lashes and eyelid rims,
Like embers between the cheeks and eyelids
almost pelting the game with sparks.
Almost casting the prey with sparks
كَأنَّماas though يُكَشِّرُbares its teeth عَنto reveal جِمَارِlive coals
كَأنَّما يُكَشِّرُ عَن جِمَارِ
يُعَقِّفُcurls الأَذنابَthe tails لِلصُّوارِtoward wild-cattle herds
يُعَقِّفُ الأَذنابَ لِلصُّوارِ
It seems to bare live coals in its snarl;
As if baring teeth for the warring
they curl their tails toward wild-cattle herds,
Flicking tails for the rivals
كَأَنَّهاas though they were عَقاربُscorpions of القِفارِthe wastelands
كَأَنَّها عَقاربُ القِفارِ
وَحاكِمٌand a judge فيover الوَحشِthe wild beasts بِالتَّبارِwith destruction
وَحاكِمٌ في الوَحشِ بِالتَّبارِ
as though those tails were scorpions of the wastes.
Like they were scorpions of the deserts
And a judge of wild beasts, condemning them to ruin,
And a judge among the beasts with revenge
أسْرَعُswifter منthan برْقٍlightning ومنand than إعْصَارِa whirlwind
أسْرَعُ من برْقٍ ومن إعْصَارِ
ولَحظَةِand the glance of الصَّبِّthe lovesick lover علىin حذارِwariness
ولَحظَةِ الصَّبِّ على حذارِ
swifter than lightning and a whirlwind,
Swifter than lightning and hurricanes
and than a lover's glance when on his guard,
And in the moment of pouring at the ready
أَصفَرُyellower مِنthan لَونٍthe hue of جَنَىfresh-plucked blossoms of بَهارِbahar (yellow flowers)
أَصفَرُ مِن لَونٍ جَنَى بَهارِ
كَأَنَّماas though صِيغَwas fashioned مِنَfrom النّضَارِpure gold
كَأَنَّما صِيغَ مِنَ النّضَارِ
yellower than the hue of fresh-plucked bahar blossoms,
Yellower than the color of ripe apricots
as though fashioned from pure gold.
As if formed from vitality
آسَدتُهI urged it to attack وَالظَبيِwhile the gazelle فيin نِفارِflight
آسَدتُه وَالظَبيِ في نِفارِ
ماwhat lies بَينَbetween جَثجَاثٍjathjath (fleabane) إِلىto عَرارِarar (yellow wildflowers)
ما بَينَ جَثجَاثٍ إِلى عَرارِ
I urged it to attack while the gazelle fled,
I subdued it and the gazelle in flight
from jathjath shrubs to arar blossoms;
Between rugged ground and flat plain
فَمَرَّso it sped فيthrough غَيمٍa cloud منَof الغُّبارِdust
فَمَرَّ في غَيمٍ منَ الغُّبارِ
يُشْكِلُadds vowel marks to منهfrom it أحْرُفَthe letters of الآثارِthe tracks
يُشْكِلُ منه أحْرُفَ الآثارِ
and it sped through a cloud of dust,
So it passed in a cloud of dust
using it to vowel-mark the letters of its tracks,
Blurring its tracks
كَأَنَّماas though يَطلُبُهُit pursues it بِثارِfor blood-revenge
كَأَنَّما يَطلُبُهُ بِثارِ
ماذاwhat يُريدُseeks الظَّبيُthe gazelle بِالفِرارِby fleeing
ماذا يُريدُ الظَّبيُ بِالفِرارِ
as though pursuing it for blood-revenge.
As if seeking revenge
What does the gazelle hope to gain by fleeing
What does the gazelle want with escape
مِنِfrom ابنِa son of ريحٍwind فيin قَميصِa shirt of نارِfire
مِنِ ابنِ ريحٍ في قَميصِ نارِ
وَهوَand it مَعَamid الإِجهادِexhaustion وَالإِضرارِand distress
وَهوَ مَعَ الإِجهادِ وَالإِضرارِ
from a son of wind in a shirt of fire?
From a son of the wind in a shirt of fire
And, amid exhaustion and distress,
While he with fatigue and harm
يَحذِفُهُit pelts it بِيَرْمَعٍwith white pebbles صغارِsmall
يَحذِفُهُ بِيَرْمَعٍ صغارِ
حَذْفَthe flinging of المُوَلِّيone turning away بِاليَدِwith the hand اليَسارِleft
حَذْفَ المُوَلِّي بِاليَدِ اليَسارِ
it pelts the other with small white pebbles,
Hurls small spears at him
as one turning away flings with his left hand.
The throw of a left-handed spearman
فَلَوand if only تَراناyou could see us فيin انتِزاحِbeing far from الدَّارِhome
فَلَو تَرانا في انتِزاحِ الدَّارِ
فيin رَوضَةٍa meadow كالغادةِlike a graceful maiden المِعطارِrichly perfumed
في رَوضَةٍ كالغادةِ المِعطارِ
If only you could see us, far from home,
If only you could see us in the departure of the house
in a meadow like a richly perfumed maiden,
To a garden like a perfumed meadow
نَأكُلُwe eat مِنof صَيدِthe game of أَبيAbu (father of) العَقّارِal-Aqqar (the habitual slayer)
نَأكُلُ مِن صَيدِ أَبي العَقّارِ
وَنَشرَبُand we drink الصَّهباءَthe tawny wine بِالكبارِfrom large goblets
وَنَشرَبُ الصَّهباءَ بِالكبارِ
eating the game of Abu al-Aqqar,
Eating of the hunt of my father the healer
and drinking tawny wine from great goblets—
And drinking the blond-haired wine in goblets
ماnot كُنتُI was إِلّاexcept خالِعَone casting off العِذَارِthe bridle
ما كُنتُ إِلّا خالِعَ العِذَارِ
I was simply one who cast off the bridle.
I would not be but casting off inhibitions
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.