اللَّهُGod أَطفَأَextinguished ماwhat أَذكىkindled أبوAbu قَصَبَهQasabah
اللَّهُ أَطفَأَ ما أَذكى أبو قَصَبَه
منof حَربِهِhis warfare وَأَزالَand dispelled السِحرَthe sorcery بِالغَلَبَهthrough victory
من حَربِهِ وَأَزالَ السِحرَ بِالغَلَبَه
God extinguished what Abu Qasabah had kindled
God has extinguished Abu Qasabah’s flames
Of his warfare, and dispelled the sorcery through victory.
Of war, and dispelled sorcery with conquest
أَمرُthe command of الخَليفَةِthe caliph وافاهُreached him عَلىin عَجَلٍhaste
أَمرُ الخَليفَةِ وافاهُ عَلى عَجَلٍ
يَدعوهُcalling him لِلحَقِّto the truth لَمّاwhen اِغتَرَّهُdeceived him كَذِبَهhis falsehood
يَدعوهُ لِلحَقِّ لَمّا اِغتَرَّهُ كَذِبَه
The caliph's command reached him in haste,
The Caliph’s command reached him in haste
Calling him to truth when his falsehood had deceived him.
Calling him to truth when lies had led him astray
فَمَنso whoever أَرادَwished سُؤالاًan inquiry عَنabout قَضِيَّتِهِhis case
فَمَن أَرادَ سُؤالاً عَن قَضِيَّتِهِ
فَجُملَةُthen the gist of الأَمرِthe matter أَنَّthat الحَقَّthe truth قَدindeed غَلَبَهovercame him
فَجُملَةُ الأَمرِ أَنَّ الحَقَّ قَد غَلَبَه
So, for anyone wishing to inquire about his case,
Let those who would ask of his affair know
The gist of the matter is that truth has overcome him.
That truth has prevailed overall
لَقَدindeed شَفىsoothed النَفسَthe soul أَنthat وافىarrived بِهامَتِهِwith his head
لَقَد شَفى النَفسَ أَن وافى بِهامَتِهِ
صَدرَthe tip of القَناةِthe lance مَكانَin place of الصَدرِthe chest وَالرَقَبَهand the neck
صَدرَ القَناةِ مَكانَ الصَدرِ وَالرَقَبَه
Indeed, it soothed the soul that his head arrived
My soul found relief that his onslaught
At the lance's tip, rather than upon chest and neck.
Reached the breast of the channel instead of chest and nape
لَمّاwhen اِستَمَرَّpersisted جِماحاًheadstrongly فيin ضَلالَتِهِhis error
لَمّا اِستَمَرَّ جِماحاً في ضَلالَتِهِ
عادَتbecame عَلَيهِupon him لِجاماًa bridle تِلكُمُthat (addressing you all) القَصَبَهthe reed
عادَت عَلَيهِ لِجاماً تِلكُمُ القَصَبَه
When he persisted, headstrong, in his error,
When he persisted lost in misguidance
That reed became a bridle upon him.
Those staves recoiled and struck him down
كانَتwas عَصاهُhis staff الَّتيwhich غَرَّdeceived الأَنامَmankind بِهاwith it
كانَت عَصاهُ الَّتي غَرَّ الأَنامَ بِها
لَماfor what يُقَرِّبُhe brings near مِنof نارِthe fire of الوَغىbattle حَطَبَهhis firewood
لَما يُقَرِّبُ مِن نارِ الوَغى حَطَبَه
His staff, with which he had deceived mankind,
The staff which he used to deceive people
Was his firewood for the battle-fire he brought near.
When bringing firewood nearer to the flames of strife
ياO خَجلَةَthe shame of القَلَمِthe pen المَحمودِthe praised إِذwhen ذَكَرواthey said
يا خَجلَةَ القَلَمِ المَحمودِ إِذ ذَكَروا
أَنَّthat البَراعَةَexcellence لِلأَقلامِto pens مُنتَسِبَهattributed
أَنَّ البَراعَةَ لِلأَقلامِ مُنتَسِبَه
Oh, the shame of the praised pen, when they said
Oh shame of the vaunted pen, when they mentioned
That excellence is attributed to pens!
That eloquence is attributed to pens
أَطَلَّappeared يَعثُرُstumbling فيin أَذيالِthe trailing hems of مِشيَتِهِits gait
أَطَلَّ يَعثُرُ في أَذيالِ مِشيَتِهِ
مِنَfrom الحَياءِshame وَيَلحىand reproaches قَومَهُits kin الخَلَبَهthe deceivers
مِنَ الحَياءِ وَيَلحى قَومَهُ الخَلَبَه
It appeared, stumbling in the trailing hems of its gait,
He stumbled, trailing his garments in shame
From shame, and reproaching its deceitful kin.
And his people smoothed over his clumsiness
قَدindeed أَحزَنَتهُsaddened it شُماتاتُthe gloating of السُيوفِthe swords بِهِover it
قَد أَحزَنَتهُ شُماتاتُ السُيوفِ بِهِ
لَمّاwhen وَلينَthey took command وَأَضحىىand it became حائِنَdoomed العَصَبَهthe clan
لَمّا وَلينَ وَأَضحىى حائِنَ العَصَبَه
The swords' gloating over it had saddened it,
The gloating of swords saddened him
When they took command and it stood doomed among its kin.
When he grew weak and the clan betrayed him
كَمhow many مِنof حُسامٍa keen sword لَدىamid الهَيجاءِbattle مُنصَلِتٍunsheathed
كَم مِن حُسامٍ لَدى الهَيجاءِ مُنصَلِتٍ
لاnot يَردَعُchecks الدِرعُmail حَدَّيهِits two edges وَلاnor اليَلَبَهleather armor
لا يَردَعُ الدِرعُ حَدَّيهِ وَلا اليَلَبَه
How many a keen sword, unsheathed amid the fray,
How many sharp swords amidst the turmoil
Whose two edges neither mail nor leather armor can check!
No coat of mail or armor can withstand
يَنهَلُّpours down قَطرُthe rain of المَناياdeath مِنfrom مَضارِبِهِits striking edges
يَنهَلُّ قَطرُ المَنايا مِن مَضارِبِهِ
كَأَنَّas though مُزناًa raincloud بِأَعلىatop مُزنِهِits cloud سَكَبَهpoured it out
كَأَنَّ مُزناً بِأَعلى مُزنِهِ سَكَبَه
The rain of death pours from its striking edges,
Death's drops pour from their blades
As though a raincloud atop its cloud had poured it out.
As if a water-skin spilled from its carrier above
كَأَنَّهُas though it were الجَدوَلُthe brook السَيّالُthe flowing يَجذِبُهُdraws it
كَأَنَّهُ الجَدوَلُ السَيّالُ يَجذِبُهُ
كَفُّthe hand of النَسيمِthe breeze إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle مَيَّلواthey tilted شُطبَهits grooves
كَفُّ النَسيمِ إِذا ما مَيَّلوا شُطبَه
As though it were a flowing brook, drawn along
As if it were the flowing stream pulled
By the breeze's hand whenever they tilted its grooved blade.
By the palm fronds bending as they direct its course
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.