ماnever بَرِقَتflashed بيضُكَyour white swords فيamid غَمامِهاtheir clouds
ما بَرِقَت بيضُكَ في غَمامِها
إِلّاexcept that وَغَيْثand the rain of الدّينِreligion لاِبتِسامِهاat their smiling
إِلّا وَغَيْث الدّينِ لاِبتِسامِها
Your white blades never flashed amid their clouds
Your whiteness did not flash in its clouds
without religion's rain falling at their smile.
Except the rain of religion smiled for it
مَحمودٌMahmud المَحمودُthe praiseworthy جَدّاًin fortune وجِدّاًand in earnest endeavor
مَحمودٌ المَحمودُ جَدّاً وجِدّاً
أَرخَصَhe cheapened جِلدَthe hide of الأَرضِthe earth حكمَthe rule of عامِهاits year
أَرخَصَ جِلدَ الأَرضِ حكمَ عامِها
Mahmud, praised in fortune and earnest endeavor,
Very much praised, the praised one, earnestly and truly
cheapened the earth's hide under its year's rule [wording unclear].
He spread the skin of earth with the rule of its generality
مَلْكٌa king أَزالَdrove away الرُّومَthe Byzantines عَنfrom صُلبانِهاtheir crosses
مَلْكٌ أَزالَ الرُّومَ عَن صُلبانِها
دِفاعُهُhis resistance وكبَّand cast down مِنsome of أَصنامِهاtheir idols
دِفاعُهُ وكبَّ مِن أَصنامِها
A king: the Byzantines were driven from their crosses
A king who removed Rome from its crosses
by his resistance, which cast down some of their idols.
His defence and attack made its idols collapse
جالَhe swept عَلىacross الجَوْلانِthe Golan أَمسyesterday جَولةًa foray
جالَ عَلى الجَوْلانِ أَمس جَولةً
صَفَّرَتِemptied الأُدحيَّthe ostrich nests مِنof نَعامِهاtheir ostriches
صَفَّرَتِ الأُدحيَّ مِن نَعامِها
Yesterday he swept across the Golan in a foray
He roamed yesterday over the Golan
that emptied the ostrich nests of their ostriches.
The Oryxes yellowed from his ostriches
وَالجَوْنُand al-Jawn قَدalready جَرَّعَهاmade them drink أُجونُهُits stagnant water
وَالجَوْنُ قَد جَرَّعَها أُجونُهُ
وفَلَّand blunted مشحوذاًa sharpened edge مِنِof اِعتِزامِهاtheir resolve
وفَلَّ مشحوذاً مِنِ اِعتِزامِها
And al-Jawn had already made them drink its stagnant water,
And he made it drink the bitterness of his bitterness
and blunted the whetted edge of their resolve.
And a sharp brave from his determination set forth
وَشَدَّand secured فيin القدِّrawhide thongs لَهُfor him مَليكُهاtheir petty king
وَشَدَّ في القدِّ لَهُ مَليكُها
قَودthe leading of عَتودِa young goat of القَوْطِthe Goths فيin شبامِهاits wooden gag
قَود عَتودِ القَوْطِ في شبامِها
And their petty king was bound for him in rawhide,
The youth tightened the knots for him
led like the Goths' young goat in its wooden gag.
Fuel for the fire of stoked Qaht grains in its midst
وَفيand at الرُّهاEdessa صابَتpoured down لهُfor him سَحابَةٌa cloud
وَفي الرُّها صابَت لهُ سَحابَةٌ
صَارواthey became جُفَاءfroth خَفَّtossed lightly فيamid اِلتِطامِهاits surging
صَاروا جُفَاء خَفَّ في اِلتِطامِها
And at Edessa a cloud poured down for him;
And in the commotion, a cloud came to him
they became froth, tossed lightly amid its surging.
They became rainless, dried in its collision
وَهبَّand arose فيat هابٍHāb لَهُfor him عَواصِفٌtempests
وَهبَّ في هابٍ لَهُ عَواصِفٌ
تَجَهّمتهاscowled upon them الْهِفَّthe thin clouds مِنamong جَهامِهاtheir rainless clouds
تَجَهّمتها الْهِفَّ مِن جَهامِها
And at Hāb tempests arose for him;
And storms blew to him in blowing
their thin, rainless clouds scowled upon them.
Thunder roared from its roaring
وَكَفْرُand Kafr لاثاLāthā لاثَwound around فيon جَبينِهاits brow
وَكَفْرُ لاثا لاثَ في جَبينِها
لَثمُa kiss of ظُباًsword-edges أَبَتrefused علىagainst أَشامِهاits marks (uncertain)
لَثمُ ظُباً أَبَت على أَشامِها
And at Kafr Lāthā, across its brow was wound
And blasphemy babbles incoherently on its forehead
a kiss of sword-edges, defying its marks [wording unclear].
The kiss of gazelles, refused over its markings
وَقائِعٌbattles يَرفَضُّis scattered تَحتَbeneath وَقعِهاtheir impact
وَقائِعٌ يَرفَضُّ تَحتَ وَقعِها
نَظمُthe necklace of الثُّرَيَّاthe Pleiades فيin فضاthe expanse of مصامِهاtheir clashes
نَظمُ الثُّرَيَّا في فضا مصامِها
Battles beneath whose blows is scattered
And incidents under which prosody is dismissed
the Pleiades' necklace in the expanse of their clashes.
The stringing of Pleiades in the expanse of its sphere
فَساعَةthus an hour of البيضِthe white swords إِذاwhen عدَّدهاhe reckons it
فَساعَة البيضِ إِذا عدَّدها
سَوطa scourge of عَذابٍtorment صبَّpoured فيupon أيّامهاtheir days
سَوط عَذابٍ صبَّ في أيّامها
Thus an hour of white blades, when he reckons it,
So the moment of whiteness when he counts it
is a scourge of torment poured upon their days.
A whip of torment poured in its days
وَاoh عَجباًwhat wonder لعُصبِat the bands of الشّركِidolatry الّتيwhich
وَا عَجباً لعُصبِ الشّركِ الّتي
لَمnot يَعصِبbound الرُّشدُright judgment عَلىaround أَحلامِهاtheir minds
لَم يَعصِب الرُّشدُ عَلى أَحلامِها
O wonder at those bands of idolatry:
And how strange are the ties of polytheism
right judgment has not bound about their minds
Reasonability did not tie over its dreams
حِكمَةَthe wisdom of اِستِواءهاtheir straightening فيamid غيّهاtheir error
حِكمَةَ اِستِواءها في غيّها
فيby نَقصِweakening ماwhat أحصدَwas tightly twisted مِنof إِبرامِهاtheir firm resolve
في نَقصِ ما أحصدَ مِن إِبرامِها
the wisdom of setting them straight amid their error,
The wisdom of its moderation in its madness
by weakening their tightly woven resolve.
In the deficiency of what I reaped from its project
مُظفَّرvictorious الرّاياتِin banners والرّأيِand counsel إذاwhen الthe
مُظفَّر الرّاياتِ والرّأيِ إذا ال
حَربُwar مَشتadvanced تَعثُرstumbling فيin خِطامِهاits halter
حَربُ مَشت تَعثُر في خِطامِها
Victorious in banners and counsel, when
The banners and opinion are victorious when
war advances, stumbling in its halter.
War walks stumbling in its bridle
عَدَتcarried beyond بِهِhim حَدَّthe bounds of العَلاءِglory هِمَمٌambitions
عَدَت بِهِ حَدَّ العَلاءِ هِمَمٌ
هُنّthey النجومُthe stars أَوor نَواصيthe forelocks of هامِهاtheir crowns
هُنّ النجومُ أَو نَواصي هامِها
Ambitions bore him beyond the bounds of glory—
With him the ambitions reached the height of sublimity
they are the stars, or the forelocks upon their crowns.
Either they are the stars or the forelocks of resolve
جَلَتunveiled herself لَهُto him الدُّنياthe world عَلىin زَبرجِهاher finery
جَلَت لَهُ الدُّنيا عَلى زَبرجِها
عَفواًfreely فَلمand did not تلوِstrain علىagainst خطامِهاher halter
عَفواً فَلم تلوِ على خطامِها
The world unveiled herself to him in all her finery,
The life bowed to him beyond its coffin
freely, without straining against her halter.
Excuse me, it did not twist on its bridle
رَأتهُshe saw him وهوَwhile he was اللَّيْثُthe lion يدميdraws blood ظفرُهُhis claw
رَأتهُ وهوَ اللَّيْثُ يدمي ظفرُهُ
أَنفذmore discerning فيin المشكِلِdifficult matters مِنthan حُكّامِهاher judges
أَنفذ في المشكِلِ مِن حُكّامِها
She saw him—a lion whose claw draws blood—
It saw him and he is the lion whose nails are bloodied
more discerning in hard cases than her judges.
More conclusive in the problematic than its rulers
فَتَوّجَتهُso she crowned him العزّwith glory فيin مَرتَبَةٍa station
فَتَوّجَتهُ العزّ في مَرتَبَةٍ
تَمنطّقَhe girded himself with الجَوزاءOrion فيin نِظامِهاits strung array
تَمنطّقَ الجَوزاء في نِظامِها
So she crowned him with glory in a station
And crowned him glory in a position
where he wore Orion's strung stars as a girdle.
The Belt of Orion girded itself in its system
غَضبانwrathful لِلإِسلامfor Islam لاnot يُغيظُهُangers him اِسْstart of 'submission'
غَضبان لِلإِسلام لا يُغيظُهُ اِسْ
تِسلامُهاher submission (continued) لِلقسّرto coercion مِنrather than إِسلامِهاher embracing Islam
تِسلامُها لِلقسّر مِن إِسلامِها
Wrathful for Islam, he is not angered by
Wrathful to Islam, he is not angered by the
her submission to force rather than her embracing Islam.
Surrendering to compulsion from its Islam
خَطَّhe traced عَلىafter مِثلthe pattern of أَبٍa father طاعَتsubmitted لَهُto him الْthe
خَطَّ عَلى مِثل أَبٍ طاعَت لَهُ الْ
آفاقُhorizons وَاِستَشرَفَand aspired لاِغتِشامِهاto storming them
آفاقُ وَاِستَشرَفَ لاِغتِشامِها
He traced the pattern of a father to whom the
He walked in the footsteps of a father obeyed by the
horizons submitted, and who aspired to storm them.
Horizons and watched carefully for its plunder
تَصرِفُturns over الدّنياthe world عَلىaccording to إِيثارِهِhis preference
تَصرِفُ الدّنيا عَلى إِيثارِهِ
عِراقَهاher Iraq مُستردفاًfollowed behind بِشامِهاby her Syria
عِراقَها مُستردفاً بِشامِها
The world turns over, at his choosing,
The world moves on to his preference
her Iraq, with her Syria following behind.
Iraq versus Syria vying for his attention
لَوif لَمnot يَكُنhe had stood دونَin defense of مِنىMinā فاتَwould have failed المُنىhopes
لَو لَم يَكُن دونَ مِنى فاتَ المُنى
وَأَقعدَand would have laid low الفائِزَthe victorious one مِنamong قوّامهاher guardians
وَأَقعدَ الفائِزَ مِن قوّامها
Had he not stood in defense of Minā, hopes would have failed,
If there were none except the granted wish then he missed the wish
and even the victor among her guardians would have been laid low;
And seated the winner from its pillars
وامْتَكand sucked up ماءَthe water of مَكّةَMecca رَواضعٌsucklings
وامْتَك ماءَ مَكّةَ رَواضعٌ
يَقصُرُfalls short باعُthe reach of الدّهرِtime عَنof فِطامِهاweaning them
يَقصُرُ باعُ الدّهرِ عَن فِطامِها
sucklings would have sucked up Mecca's water,
The water of Mecca quenched many places
whom time's own reach falls short of weaning.
The live-long day falls short of weaning itself from it
وَصارَand would have become كَالجَمرِlike embers الجمارthe stoning-pebbles وَخَلاand stood empty
وَصارَ كَالجَمرِ الجمار وَخَلا
مِنof أَهلِهِits people الأَشرَفُthe noblest part مِنof مَقامِهاher sanctuary
مِن أَهلِهِ الأَشرَفُ مِن مَقامِها
The stoning-pebbles would have turned to embers, and empty
And he became like the burning ember, and his
of its people would stand the noblest part of her sanctuary.
Noblest family deserted from its position
وَدونَهاand in her defense لازِلتَmay you ever تَرقىrise فيwithin حِمىًprotection
وَدونَها لازِلتَ تَرقى في حِمىً
مِنfrom مُؤلِمِthe painful effects of الأَرواءِal-arwāʾ (unclear; perhaps calamities) أَوor لِمامِهاtheir passing visitations
مِن مُؤلِمِ الأَرواءِ أَو لِمامِها
In her defense, may you ever rise, sheltered
And through it you continue to rise in a protected place
from painful [calamities?] or their passing visitations.
From the painful wounds or wrappings
تُلْبِسُyou clothe بَيتَthe House of اللَّهِGod وَشيَthe brocade of يَمَنٍYemen
تُلْبِسُ بَيتَ اللَّهِ وَشيَ يَمَنٍ
يَقَرأit reads آياتكَyour signs مِنfrom أَعلامِهاits embroidered borders
يَقَرأ آياتكَ مِن أَعلامِها
You clothe God's House in Yemeni brocade;
You dress the House of God in the raiment of Yemen
it reads your signs in its embroidered borders.
Which reads your signs from its flags
فَإِنّماfor indeed, only الدّينُreligion رَحىًa millstone قَطّبتَهاyou fitted with a pivot
فَإِنّما الدّينُ رَحىً قَطّبتَها
وَبازِلand a mature camel مُكِّنتَyou were given mastery مِنover زِمامِهاits rein
وَبازِل مُكِّنتَ مِن زِمامِها
For religion is but a millstone you have fitted with a pivot,
Indeed religion is a mill you geared
and a full-grown camel whose rein you have been given.
And a resolute man empowered over its reins
أَمَّتheaded toward بِناwith us الآمالُthe hopes مِنكَin you كَعبَةًa Kaaba
أَمَّت بِنا الآمالُ مِنكَ كَعبَةً
سِلمthe peace of اللّياليthe nights آيَةُthe sign of اِستِسلامِهاtheir submission
سِلم اللّيالي آيَةُ اِستِسلامِها
Our hopes have led us to a Kaaba in you;
Hopes led us to you like the Kaaba
the peace of the nights is the sign of their submission.
The night bowed in verse to its surrender
وَأَرشفَتناand made us sip بكَthrough you ثَغرَthe lips of نِعمَةٍa blessing
وَأَرشفَتنا بكَ ثَغرَ نِعمَةٍ
لاnot نَسأَلُwe ask اللَّهGod سِوىexcept دَوامِهاits continuance
لا نَسأَلُ اللَّه سِوى دَوامِها
And through you they have let us sip a blessing's lips—
And you ennobled us with the honor of grace
we ask God for nothing but its continuance.
We ask Allah for nothing but its permanence
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.