وليلٍand a night رَسَبْناwe sank فيin عُبابِthe billows of ظَلامِهِits darkness
وليلٍ رَسَبْنا في عُبابِ ظَلامِهِ
إِلىuntil أَنthat طفاfloated up للصُّبحfor dawn فيin أُفْقهِits horizon نجمُa star
إِلى أَن طفا للصُّبح في أُفْقهِ نجمُ
And one night we sank in the billows of its darkness,
Through the dark night we drifted,
Until a star of dawn surfaced on its horizon.
Until dawn's star rose on the horizon.
كأنّas though الثريّاthe Pleiades فيهin it سَبْعُseven جواهرٍjewels
كأنّ الثريّا فيه سَبْعُ جواهرٍ
فواصلُهاtheir spacers جَزْعٌonyx بهwith it فُصّلَwas divided النظمُthe necklace
فواصلُها جَزْعٌ به فُصّلَ النظمُ
As though the Pleiades in it were seven jewels,
As if the Pleiades were there, seven gems,
Their spacers were onyx, separating the gems on the strand.
With a necklace strung between, composing a poem.
وتحسبهاand you think them منfrom عسكرthe army الشهبthe bright stars سُرْبةًa troop
وتحسبها من عسكر الشهب سُرْبةً
عمائمهمْtheir turbans بيضٌwhite وخيلهمُand their horses دُهمُblack
عمائمهمْ بيضٌ وخيلهمُ دُهمُ
And you would think them a troop from the army of bright stars,
You'd think them a troop of shooting stars
Their turbans white, and their horses black.
In white turbans, on gray steeds.
كأنّas though السُّهاAl-Suha مضنىًan ailing man أتاهcame to him بنعشهِwith his bier
كأنّ السُّها مضنىً أتاه بنعشهِ
بَنوهhis sons وظنُّواand they thought أنthat موْتَتَهُhis death حَتْمُinevitable
بَنوه وظنُّوا أن موْتَتَهُ حَتْمُ
As though Al-Suha were an ailing man, whose bier was brought to him
As if a bier were brought to a man in grief
By his sons, who thought his death inevitable.
By his sons, who thought his death was certain.
كأنّas though انصداعَthe cleaving of الفجرdawn نارٌa fire يُرَىis seen لهاbelonging to it
كأنّ انصداعَ الفجر نارٌ يُرَى لها
وراءbehind حجابٍa veil حالكٍpitch-black نَفَسٌa breath يسموrises high
وراء حجابٍ حالكٍ نَفَسٌ يسمو
As though the rift of dawn were a fire, from which is seen
As if the dawn's cleft were fire, behind
Behind a pitch-black veil a breath rising high.
A thick veil, with a soul rising through it.
وتحسبهُand you think it طفلاًa child منfrom الرّومِthe Romans طَرّقَتْshe gave birth
وتحسبهُ طفلاً من الرّومِ طَرّقَتْ
بهto him منamong بناتِthe daughters of الزنجthe Zanj قائمةًstanding upright أُمّa mother
به من بناتِ الزنج قائمةً أُمّ
And you would think it a child of the Romans, brought forth
You'd think it a Roman child, born
By a mother among the daughters of the Zanj, standing upright.
To a black maid, standing erect.
أأُعْلِمَwas he told? فيin أحشائِهاher womb أنّthat عُمْرَهُhis lifespan
أأُعْلِمَ في أحشائِها أنّ عُمْرَهُ
لدىat وضعْهِhis birth يومٌone day فشيّبهso it turned him gray الوهمُthe apprehension
لدى وضعْهِ يومٌ فشيّبه الوهمُ
Was he told within her womb that his lifespan
Did she sense, when bearing him,
At birth would be one day, so apprehension turned him gray?
That he was born for a single day, so old age whitened him?
وذَرّتْand it rose لناfor us شمسُthe sun of النّهارِthe day مذيبّةًmelting
وذَرّتْ لنا شمسُ النّهارِ مذيبّةً
علىupon الأرضthe earth روحاًa spirit فيin السماءِthe sky لهit has جسمa body
على الأرض روحاً في السماءِ له جسم
And the sun of day rose for us, melting
The day's sun melted for us
Upon the earth a spirit whose body is in the sky.
A spirit in the sky, with a body on earth.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.