أَبلغاyou two, convey عنِّيon my behalf الوزيرَthe minister الذيwho ليnot (opening of ليس)
أَبلغا عنِّي الوزيرَ الذي لي
سَnot (completion of ليس) لهfor him فيin كَمالهِhis perfection منany (emphatic) عَديلِequal
سَ له في كَمالهِ من عَديلِ
You two, convey from me to the minister who
Convey on my behalf to the minister who is mine
has no equal in his perfection:
None can match his perfection and grace
جُنَّتيmy shield فيamid الخُطوبِcalamities منagainst كلevery رَيبٍperil
جُنَّتي في الخُطوبِ من كل رَيبٍ
وخليليand my friend منfrom دونapart from كلevery خليلِfriend
وخليلي من دون كل خليلِ
my shield amid calamities against every peril,
My heart is free of all worries and doubts
and my friend above every other friend,
And my companion is without equal
اننيindeed I لوif أَشاءُI wish قارعتI would assail غَرْبيtwo tear-ducts (continued)
انني لو أَشاءُ قارعت غَرْبي
كَyour (completing غربيك) بسيفِwith a sword المَلامَةِreproach المَسْلُولِunsheathed
كَ بسيفِ المَلامَةِ المَسْلُولِ
that, if I wished, I would assail your two tear-ducts
If I wished, I could change my fortune
with reproach's unsheathed sword,
With the unsheathed sword of blame
أَنفاًout of disdain أَنْthat تكونyou should be للدهرِto Time طوعاًsubmissive
أَنفاً أَنْ تكون للدهرِ طوعاً
أَوor جنيباًa led mount لهto it بكلِّin every سَبيلِway
أَو جنيباً له بكلِّ سَبيلِ
disdaining that you should submit to Time
I refuse to surrender to fate
or be its led mount in every way.
Or be compliant in all ways
ولَعمريand by my life للبنتُindeed, the daughter أَصْبَثُmore tenacious للقَلْto the heart (continued)
ولَعمري للبنتُ أَصْبَثُ للقَلْ
بِheart (completion of للقلب) وأَدنىand nearer الىto نَوالِbounty البَخِيلِthe miser
بِ وأَدنى الى نَوالِ البَخِيلِ
By my life, a daughter has a firmer hold upon the heart,
By my life, I yearn for the daughter of nobility
and is nearer to drawing bounty from a miser.
And aspire for the favor of the stingy
قاتلَmay ... confound اللهُGod قربهاher nearness ماhow أَلذَّsweet الthe (opening of اللثم)
قاتلَ اللهُ قربها ما أَلذَّ ال
لَثْمَkissing (completion of اللثم) منهاfrom her وضَمَّةَand an embrace التقبيلِkissing
لَثْمَ منها وضَمَّةَ التقبيلِ
God confound her nearness! How sweet
Cursed be the proximity to her - how sweet
her kisses and the embrace of kissing!
Is the touch of her lips and the embrace of her kiss
ماwhat لهاfor her منof هَوىlove النفوسِsouls وماand what صُبْwas poured (continued)
ما لها من هَوى النفوسِ وما صُبْ
بَwas poured (completion) عليهاupon her منof رحمةِcompassion وقَبولِand favor
بَ عليها من رحمةِ وقَبولِ
What love souls bear her, and what is poured
She captivates hearts and is blessed
upon her of compassion and favor!
With mercy and acceptance
لاdo not كَمَنْlike one who ماتَdied فيover البناتِdaughters ولاnor مثlike (opening of مثلك)
لا كَمَنْ ماتَ في البناتِ ولا مث
لُكَlike you (completion of مثلك) للحادثِfor the calamity المُلِمّbesetting الجَليلِgrave
لُكَ للحادثِ المُلِمّ الجَليلِ
Do not be like one who dies grieving over daughters; nor should one like
Not like one who died from daughters
you yield to a grave, besetting calamity.
Or succumbed to an immense calamity
أللواتيthose who (feminine) يحفَظنَthey preserve عهدَكَyour covenant بالغَيin absence (continued)
أللواتي يحفَظنَ عهدَكَ بالغَي
بِabsence (completion of بالغيب) ويَرعينَand they guard سِرَّthe secret كلِّevery خليلِfriend
بِ ويَرعينَ سِرَّ كلِّ خليلِ
They preserve your covenant in your absence,
Those who keep your secret absent
and guard every friend's secret.
And safeguard the confidence of each lover
واذاand if غِبْنَthey are absent عنfrom سَقَامِكَyour sickness والبُرْand recovery (continued)
واذا غِبْنَ عن سَقَامِكَ والبُرْ
ءِrecovery (completion of والبرء) فمنthen who للدلالِfor tender affection والتَّعليلِand comforting care
ءِ فمن للدلالِ والتَّعليلِ
And if they are absent during your sickness and recovery,
When you are absent due to illness or health
who will offer tenderness and comforting care?
Who then can empathize and console?
لاno عقوقُdisobedience البنينsons يُعْهَدُis known فيهنin them (feminine; continued)
لا عقوقُ البنين يُعْهَدُ فيهن
نَin them (completion) ولاnor جَفْوَةُshunning الأَبِthe father المَملولِgrown tiresome
نَ ولا جَفْوَةُ الأَبِ المَملولِ
In them one finds neither sons' disobedience
Unlike defiant sons or aloof fathers
nor the shunning of a father grown tiresome,
The daughters are always loving and loyal
وثباتُand steadfastness الآباءِfathers فيin سَلبِthe taking away of الأبsons (opening of الأبناء)
وثباتُ الآباءِ في سَلبِ الأب
ناءِsons (completion of الأبناء) عندwhen اشتباهِهاtheir resemblance فيin الطُّولِstature
ناءِ عند اشتباهِها في الطُّولِ
nor fathers' steadfastness when robbed of their sons,
Fathers often disown their sons over petty disputes
once they have grown alike in stature.
While the daughters remain obedient and faithful
ولَهُنَّand for them الحظُّthe share الجزيلُabundant فيin الحُthe burning anguish (opening; uncertain reading)
ولَهُنَّ الحظُّ الجزيلُ في الحُ
قةِburning anguish (ending; uncertain reading) والوجدِand sorrow والحنينِand yearning الطويلِlong
قةِ والوجدِ والحنينِ الطويلِ
They have the ample share in [burning anguish?],
The daughters deserve a generous share
in sorrow and long yearning,
Of love, loyalty and lifelong devotion
والزياراتُand visits للقُبورِto the graves علىdespite البأanguish (opening of البأس)
والزياراتُ للقُبورِ على البأ
سِanguish (completion of البأس) وبُعدِand remoteness الرجاءِhope والتَّأميلِand expectation
سِ وبُعدِ الرجاءِ والتَّأميلِ
and in visits to graves, despite anguish
They frequently visit graves in grief
and the remoteness of hope and expectation.
With little hope and much longing
ذلكَthat الوصلُdevotion لاnot سؤالُquestioning المَغَانيthe dwellings
ذلكَ الوصلُ لا سؤالُ المَغَاني
ووقوفٌand standing علىover رسومِtraces الطُّلُولِruined camps
ووقوفٌ على رسومِ الطُّلُولِ
That is devotion—not questioning the dwellings,
Such is their loyalty, not fleeting passions
nor standing over the traces of ruined camps,
Or standing at the ruins of past lovers
وانتظارُand awaiting الجييعِunclear as written أَنْthat تعْقِبَgain successors الداthe dwelling (continued)
وانتظارُ الجييعِ أَنْ تعْقِبَ الدا
رُdwelling (completion of الدار) ولاnor السيرُjourneying فيin طِلابpursuit of الحُمُولِladen caravans
رُ ولا السيرُ في طِلاب الحُمُولِ
nor awaiting [unclear word], in hope that the dwelling
Awaiting the gatherings, not seeking fortunes
will gain successors, nor journeying in search of laden caravans.
Or traveling in quest of wealth
ولهذاand for this reason يُقالُit is said فيin المثلِthe proverb الساcurrent (opening of السائر)
ولهذا يُقالُ في المثلِ السا
ئرِcurrent (completion of السائر) ولاand no وَجْدَgrief فوقَabove وجدِgrief الثَّكُولِthe child-bereaved mother
ئرِ ولا وَجْدَ فوقَ وجدِ الثَّكُولِ
Hence it is said in the current proverb:
That's why it's said in the common phrase
No grief surpasses a bereaved mother's grief.
There is no devotion like a daughter's devotion
ياO ابنَson of حَمْدٍHamd اذاwhen غَزتكَassail you المُصِيبَاcalamities (continued)
يا ابنَ حَمْدٍ اذا غَزتكَ المُصِيبَا
تُcalamities (completion of المصيبات) فلاthen do not تَلقَهاmeet them بحَدٍّwith an edge كَلِيلِblunted
تُ فلا تَلقَها بحَدٍّ كَلِيلِ
O Ibn Hamd, when calamities assail you,
Oh son of Hamad, when faced with calamities
do not meet them with a blunted edge.
Counter them with strength, not frailty
واجعلِand make الغايةَthe endpoint التيwhich يَنتهيcomes to an end الحزsorrow (opening of الحزن)
واجعلِ الغايةَ التي يَنتهي الحز
نُsorrow (completion of الحزن) اليهاto it شكيمةًa bridle-bit للغَلِيلِfor burning anguish
نُ اليها شكيمةً للغَلِيلِ
And make the end to which sorrow comes
Make forbearance your destination
a bridle-bit for burning anguish.
To find solace from anguish
ومتىand whenever لمnot تذُدْyou check بوادرُfirst outbursts عينيeyes (dual; continued)
ومتى لم تذُدْ بوادرُ عيني
كَyour (completing عينيك) وأَعربتَand you reveal طُرقَهاtheir channels بالهُمُولِwith streaming tears
كَ وأَعربتَ طُرقَها بالهُمُولِ
Whenever you fail to check the first rush from your eyes,
If your eyes show no sign of tears
and reveal their channels with streaming tears,
And you conceal your sorrows stoically
كنتَyou would be للنائباتِto misfortunes عوناًan ally علىin ضيoppression (opening of ضيمك)
كنتَ للنائباتِ عوناً على ضي
مكَyour oppression (completion of ضيمك) فيin طاعةِobedience to البكاweeping والعَويلِand wailing
مكَ في طاعةِ البكا والعَويلِ
you become an ally of calamities in oppressing
You will be a consoling friend
you, by submitting to weeping and wailing.
To those mourning in weeping and wailing
هَبْكَsuppose that you لاnot تملِكُyou control المنونَDeath أمَاcan you not? تمyou control (opening of تملك)
هَبْكَ لا تملِكُ المنونَ أمَا تم
لِكُcontrol (completion of تملك) صلحاًa settlement عنfor نيلكَthe injury done to you المطلولِleft unredressed
لِكُ صلحاً عن نيلكَ المطلولِ
Grant that you cannot master Death; can you not
Alas, death cannot be stopped - make peace, not war, your goal
make peace over the wrong done you, left unredressed?
And patience your path to achieve your aims
والىand to الصبرpatience ماan emphatic particle تَؤُولُyou return فيسلوand so fades
والى الصبر ما تَؤُولُ فيسلو
كلُّevery رُزءٍbereavement ولاbut not رَزَايَاcalamities العُقُولِthe minds
كلُّ رُزءٍ ولا رَزَايَا العُقُولِ
And to patience you ultimately return; there is solace for
With time, all pain is soothed
every bereavement—but not for calamities of the mind.
And the mind finds tranquility
انَّماonly المرءُa person منfrom شبابِyouth اللياليthe nights
انَّما المرءُ من شبابِ الليالي
ومشيبِand greying الأَيامِthe days فيin تَضليلِdelusion
ومشيبِ الأَيامِ في تَضليلِ
A person is but deceived by the youth of nights
Man is but a fleeting moment
and the greying of days.
Between the darkness of night and morning's light
هَمُّهُhis concern فيfor الغِنىwealth يُقَنِّعُهُsatisfies him منfrom (opening of منه)
هَمُّهُ في الغِنى يُقَنِّعُهُ من
هit (completion of منه) وجودُthe availability الملبوسِclothing والمأكولِand food
ه وجودُ الملبوسِ والمأكولِ
For all his concern for wealth, he is content with
In wealth, he finds contentment
having clothing and food from it.
In food, clothing and the basics of life
مالهُhe has nothing مِنْof رياشهِhis finery غيرَexcept ماwhat يصaccompanies (opening of يصحب)
مالهُ مِنْ رياشهِ غيرَ ما يص
حبُaccompanies (completion of يصحب) فيin اللَّحْدِthe grave منof ثِيابِgarments جَميلِfine
حبُ في اللَّحْدِ من ثِيابِ جَميلِ
Of his finery he has nothing but what he takes
All he takes to the grave
into the grave: fine garments.
Are the shrouds wrapping his fragile body
فازَtriumphed منwhoever نَزَّهَpurified المطامعَdesires عنهاfrom them
فازَ من نَزَّهَ المطامعَ عنها
واكتفَىand was content منfrom كثيرهَاtheir abundance بالقَلِيلِwith little
واكتفَى من كثيرهَا بالقَلِيلِ
He triumphs who frees his desires from them,
Triumphant is he who curbs greed
and is content with a little of their abundance.
And is content with little wealth
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.