ماnot الفتكُdeadly assault إلاَّexcept لفتىًfor a youth لاno بدalternative
ما الفتكُ إلاَّ لفتىً لا بد
مُنخرَطِplunged into الشِّدَّةِhardship مُسْتأسِدِfierce as a lion
مُنخرَطِ الشِّدَّةِ مُسْتأسِدِ
Deadly assault is only for a youth who must be
No raider except a hero whose mind is set,
plunged into hardship, fierce as a lion.
Resolute, lying in wait.
يسامحtolerates الضِغنَrancor إلىuntil أنْthat يَرىhe sees
يسامح الضِغنَ إلى أنْ يَرى
فُرصةَan opening يومِday الثَّائرِthe avenger الحَاقِدِspiteful
فُرصةَ يومِ الثَّائرِ الحَاقِدِ
He tolerates rancor until he sees
He tolerates despite until he sees
an opening for the spiteful avenger's day.
The chance for the day of the vengeful rebel.
يرغبturns away عنfrom جِدَّةِnewness أَثوابِهِhis robes
يرغب عن جِدَّةِ أَثوابِهِ
كالسَّيفِlike a sword لاnot يَرضىaccepts يَدthe hand الغَامِدِthe one who sheathes
كالسَّيفِ لا يَرضى يَد الغَامِدِ
He shuns the newness of his robes,
He is averse to the stiffness of his clothes
like a sword that rejects the hand that sheathes it.
Like a sword dissatisfied with the hand of the scabbard.
ياO عضدَsupport الدَّوْلَةِthe state لاno واحدٌpeerless one
يا عضدَ الدَّوْلَةِ لا واحدٌ
غيرَكَother than you بعدَafter الصمدِthe Self-Sufficient الواحِدِthe One
غيرَكَ بعدَ الصمدِ الواحِدِ
O Adud al-Dawla, none is peerless
O pillar of the state, none but you
but you, after the Self-Sufficient, the One.
After the Eternal, the One.
تركتَyou left أخبارَtales قُرونٍgenerations خَلواpassed away
تركتَ أخبارَ قُرونٍ خَلوا
حوادثاًevents بادتْvanished معَwith البائِدِthe vanished
حوادثاً بادتْ معَ البائِدِ
You have left the tales of generations gone
You have left the events of past generations,
as events that vanished with the vanished.
Incidents faded with the faded one.
فيin كلِّevery يومٍday غارةٌa raid تنطويenfolds
في كلِّ يومٍ غارةٌ تنطوي
علىupon لذيذِsweet المغنمِthe spoils البَارِدِcool and easily won
على لذيذِ المغنمِ البَارِدِ
Each day brings a raid that enfolds
In every day a raid folds
sweet, cool spoils, easily won.
Upon the sweetest of cold booty.
ينسىforgets لهاbecause of it الذاكرُthe mindful man فيin يَوْمِهِhis day
ينسى لها الذاكرُ في يَوْمِهِ
أَعجبَthe most wondrous ماwhat فيin أَمْسِهِhis yesterday النافِدِspent
أَعجبَ ما في أَمْسِهِ النافِدِ
Because of it, the mindful man forgets today
The memorizer forgets it in his day
the greatest wonder in his spent yesterday.
More amazing than his expired yesterday.
ومعجزاتٌand miracles لكَare yours آياتُهاtheir signs
ومعجزاتٌ لكَ آياتُها
يَسنِدُهَاtransmits them الراويthe narrator عنِon the authority of الحَاسِدِthe envier
يَسنِدُهَا الراوي عنِ الحَاسِدِ
And yours are miracles whose signs
And miracles are signs for you
the narrator reports on the envier's authority.
Supported by the narrator against the envious one.
كالشَّمسِlike the sun فيin الأعينِthe eyes تُغنيهمspare them the need
كالشَّمسِ في الأعينِ تُغنيهم
عنfrom طلبِseeking الحُجَّةِthe proof والشَّاهِدِand the witness
عن طلبِ الحُجَّةِ والشَّاهِدِ
Like the sun before their eyes, they spare them
Like the sun in the eyes, satisfying them
the need to seek proof and a witness.
From seeking evidence and witness.
منwho منهمamong them يفتحُopens أَقفالَهُhis locks
من منهم يفتحُ أَقفالَهُ
بمُبْرمٍwith a firm plan عنagainst كيدكَyour stratagem الكائِدِcunning
بمُبْرمٍ عن كيدكَ الكائِدِ
Who among them can open his locks
Who of them dares unlock his padlocks
with a firm plan against your cunning stratagem?
Against your deceitful traps?
ورغبةٌand desire تُغْمَدُis sheathed فيin رَهْبَةٍdread
ورغبةٌ تُغْمَدُ في رَهْبَةٍ
تُذيبُmelts قلبَthe heart الحَجَرِthe stone الجامِدِsolid
تُذيبُ قلبَ الحَجَرِ الجامِدِ
And desire is sheathed in dread
And a desire sheathed in awe
that melts the heart of solid stone.
That melts the heart of solid rock.
يَبيتspends the night عنهاaway from it الجيشُthe army فيin مَعْزلٍseclusion
يَبيت عنها الجيشُ في مَعْزلٍ
وأَنتَand you مِثلُlike الحَيَّةِthe serpent الراصِدِlying in wait
وأَنتَ مِثلُ الحَيَّةِ الراصِدِ
The army spends the night apart from it,
The army spends the night in seclusion from it
while you are like a serpent lying in wait.
While you are like the lurking snake.
تَسهرkeep vigil للنائمِfor the sleeper حاجاتُهhis needs
تَسهر للنائمِ حاجاتُه
ويكدحُand toils القائمُthe standing one للقاعِدِfor the seated one
ويكدحُ القائمُ للقاعِدِ
The sleeper's needs keep vigil for him,
You stay up for the needs of the sleeping one
and the standing man toils for the seated.
While the standing one toils for the seated one.
لمdid not يدرِknow منthe one who فيin آملٍAmul وأَنَّهُand that he
لم يدرِ من في آملٍ وأَنَّهُ
بينَbetween خُطاهُhis footsteps شَرَكُthe snare الصائِدِthe hunter
بينَ خُطاهُ شَرَكُ الصائِدِ
The man in Amul did not know that
He who is hopeful does not know that
the hunter's snare lay between his footsteps.
Between his steps is the hunter’s trap.
يفرحُrejoices بالصحةِin health فيin جسْمهِhis body
يفرحُ بالصحةِ في جسْمهِ
وسقمُهand his sickness فيin رأيهِhis judgment الفاسِدِunsound
وسقمُه في رأيهِ الفاسِدِ
He rejoices in the health of his body,
He rejoices in the health of his body
while his sickness lies in his unsound judgment.
While his mind’s illness is corrupt.
ويلwoe to طِلابِthe quest for المجدِglory لوif نالَهُattained it
ويل طِلابِ المجدِ لو نالَهُ
كلُّevery طويلِlong الباعِreach والسَّاعِدِand the forearm
كلُّ طويلِ الباعِ والسَّاعِدِ
Woe to the quest for glory, if it were attained
Woe to the seekers of glory if it was attained
by every man of long reach and forearm!
By every long-armed and broad-shouldered one.
يَنْظُرُgazes فيin هِزَّةِthe swaying أَعْطَافِهِhis flanks
يَنْظُرُ في هِزَّةِ أَعْطَافِهِ
بمثلِwith the like of طَرْفِthe gaze الأسدِthe lion الحارِدِangry
بمثلِ طَرْفِ الأسدِ الحارِدِ
He gazes as his flanks sway,
He looks with the glance of a snarling lion
with a gaze like an angry lion's.
At the shuddering of shoulders.
لاnot أَجحدُI deny المجدَglory يَداًa beneficent hand طَوَّقَتْhas encircled
لا أَجحدُ المجدَ يَداً طَوَّقَتْ
عُنقيmy neck وغَلَّتْهُand shackled it إلىto سَاعِدِيmy forearm
عُنقي وغَلَّتْهُ إلى سَاعِدِي
I do not deny glory's bounteous hand, which has encircled
I do not deny the glory my hand adorned
my neck and shackled it to my forearm,
My neck with and tied to my forearm.
وَنِعْمَةand a blessing لمdid not يَرضَهاَaccept it شَاكِرٌa grateful man
وَنِعْمَة لم يَرضَهاَ شَاكِرٌ
فَصَادفتنيso it found me نيقةُdiscernment الرائِدِthe scout
فَصَادفتني نيقةُ الرائِدِ
and a blessing no grateful man had accepted;
And a blessing no thankful one was pleased with
so the scout's discerning choice fell upon me.
I was fortunate to attain from the pioneering one.
لاnot لِنوالٍfor a bounty منكfrom you مستبطئاًdeeming slow
لا لِنوالٍ منك مستبطئاً
ولاnor لِنَعْمَائِكَof your blessings بالجَاحِدِas a denier
ولا لِنَعْمَائِكَ بالجَاحِدِ
Not deeming a bounty from you slow in coming,
Neither belated in gaining from you
nor denying your blessings.
Nor ungrateful for your favors.
اِنْif أَكُI am فيماin what قُلتُهُI said it عاجِزاًfalling short
اِنْ أَكُ فيما قُلتُهُ عاجِزاً
عنof وَصْفِdescribing تَاجِcrown الملةِthe faith الماجِدِnoble
عن وَصْفِ تَاجِ الملةِ الماجِدِ
If, in what I have said, I fall short
If I fall short in describing the crown
of describing the noble Taj al-Milla,
Of the glorious religion.
فالعَجْزُthen the shortcoming شيءٌsomething ماnot تعمدتُهُI intended it
فالعَجْزُ شيءٌ ما تعمدتُهُ
فيin مَدْحِهِpraising him والذنبُand the blame للعَامِدِfor whoever acts deliberately
في مَدْحِهِ والذنبُ للعَامِدِ
then my shortcoming is something I did not intend
It is no sin I intended
in praising him; blame lies with whoever acts deliberately.
In praising it, the blame is on the supporter.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.