تَعَجَّبُmarvels جارَتيmy female neighbor لَمّاwhen رَأَتنيshe saw me
تَعَجَّبُ جارَتي لَمّا رَأَتني
كَذاتِlike one bearing النوطِa hanging load مَخدِرَتيnumbing me جِراحيmy wounds
كَذاتِ النوطِ مَخدِرَتي جِراحي
My neighbor marveled when she saw me,
My neighbor was astonished when she saw me
Like one bearing a hanging load, my wounds numbing me.
Like a captive doe nursing my wounds
كَأَنَّكِas though you لَمnot تَرَيyou had seen قَبليbefore me أَسيراًa captive
كَأَنَّكِ لَم تَرَي قَبلي أَسيراً
يُقادُis led بِهِwith him عَلىupon جَمَلٍa camel رَداحِmassive
يُقادُ بِهِ عَلى جَمَلٍ رَداحِ
As though you had never before me seen a captive,
As if you've never seen a prisoner before
Led away upon a massive camel,
Led on a camel, writhing in agony
عَلىalong آثارِthe tracks of أَحمِرَةٍdonkeys وَفِرقٍand a flock
عَلى آثارِ أَحمِرَةٍ وَفِرقٍ
تُقَسَّمُare divided بَينَamong أَغوِلَةٍogres شِحاحِmiserly
تُقَسَّمُ بَينَ أَغوِلَةٍ شِحاحِ
In the wake of donkeys and a flock,
On the tracks of red camels and raiding parties
Being divided among miserly ogres.
Divided among greedy, rapacious thieves
فَلَمّاso when أَنزَلونيthey made me dismount كُنتُI was حُرّاًfree
فَلَمّا أَنزَلوني كُنتُ حُرّاً
أُجالِدُهُمI battle them لَدىbeside كَفَلِthe flank of الجَناحِal-Janah
أُجالِدُهُم لَدى كَفَلِ الجَناحِ
So when they made me dismount, I had been free,
When they brought me down, I was free
Battling them beside the flank of al-Janah.
Fighting them at the bend of the wing
تَعاوَرَهُthey assailed it in turn الرِجالُthe men فَأَنزَلونيthen they brought me down
تَعاوَرَهُ الرِجالُ فَأَنزَلوني
عَنِfrom الفَرَسِthe mare المُطَهَّمَةِwell-built الوَقاحِhard-hoofed
عَنِ الفَرَسِ المُطَهَّمَةِ الوَقاحِ
The men assailed it in turn, then brought me down
The men took turns bringing me down
From the well-built, hard-hoofed mare.
From the impudent, decked-out horse
فَلَمّاso when أَنthat كُثِرتُI was outnumbered وَغابَand were absent قَوميmy people
فَلَمّا أَن كُثِرتُ وَغابَ قَومي
أُسِرتُI was captured إِسارَthe binding of مُحتَبَلِone ensnared البَراحِthe open country
أُسِرتُ إِسارَ مُحتَبَلِ البَراحِ
So when I was outnumbered and my people were gone,
When my tribe grew large and absent
I was taken captive, bound like one snared in open country.
I was captured, bound in shackles
رَأَونيthey saw me مُفرَداًalone فَتَناذَرونيso they warned one another against me
رَأَوني مُفرَداً فَتَناذَروني
وَماand not صَدَعَتbroke كُماتُهُمtheir armored champions جِماحيmy defiance
وَما صَدَعَت كُماتُهُم جِماحي
They saw me alone and warned one another against me,
They saw me alone, so they warned me
Yet their armored champions did not break my defiance.
And their threats did not make me blink
وَقَدand indeed رَوَّعتُهُمI terrified them قِدماًlong ago بِخَيلٍwith horses
وَقَد رَوَّعتُهُم قِدماً بِخَيلٍ
جَوانِفَveering sideways فيagainst الأَعِنَّةِthe reins كَالسَراحِlike wolves
جَوانِفَ في الأَعِنَّةِ كَالسَراحِ
And I had terrified them long ago with horses,
I had frightened them, once on horses
Straining sideways against the reins like wolves.
Charging amidst the sandstorms like ghosts
إِذاwhen بَلَّتmoistened أَعِنَّتَهاtheir reins بَنانيmy fingertips
إِذا بَلَّت أَعِنَّتَها بَناني
خَرَجنَthey went forth بِناcarrying us نَواشِطَbounding كَالقِراحِlike arrow shafts
خَرَجنَ بِنا نَواشِطَ كَالقِراحِ
When my fingers moistened their reins,
Just as their sandstorms intensified
They bore us forth, bounding like arrow shafts.
They came at us like violent thunder
وَلَوand if أَنّيI جَمَعتُI gathered لَهُمfor them شَواريmy war-gear
وَلَو أَنّي جَمَعتُ لَهُم شَواري
عَلىupon نَهدٍa sturdy steed مَراكِلُهُits flanks شَناحِlong
عَلى نَهدٍ مَراكِلُهُ شَناحِ
And had I gathered my war-gear against them,
Had I gathered their drinking cups
On a sturdy steed with long flanks,
On a meadow, its pastor a hawk
لِأَنكَرَنيwould surely not have recognized me الَّذينَthose who تَبادَرونيrushed upon me
لِأَنكَرَني الَّذينَ تَبادَروني
عَلَيَّupon me مَفاضَتيmy ample coat of mail وَمَعيand with me سِلاحيmy weapons
عَلَيَّ مَفاضَتي وَمَعي سِلاحي
Those who rushed me would not have recognized me,
Those who came at me would not recognize me
My ample mail upon me and my weapons with me.
As I overflowed at them, weapons in hand
كَأَنَّas though عَدِيَّهُمtheir charging band حَوليaround me عُبابٌa surging wave
كَأَنَّ عَدِيَّهُم حَولي عُبابٌ
تَغَطمَّطَroared فيin قَموسِthe depths of البَحرِthe sea ضاحيexposed
تَغَطمَّطَ في قَموسِ البَحرِ ضاحي
As though their charging band around me were a surging wave,
It was as if their army swarmed around me
Roaring in the deep sea, out in the open.
Plunging into the sea's deep darkness
وَغابَand were absent حَلائِبيmy allies وَبَقيتُand I remained فَرداًalone
وَغابَ حَلائِبي وَبَقيتُ فَرداً
أُماصِعُهُمI cross swords with them وَنَهضُكَand your departure بِالجَناحِat al-Janah
أُماصِعُهُم وَنَهضُكَ بِالجَناحِ
My allies were gone, and I remained alone,
And my warriors vanished, leaving me alone
Crossing swords with them, while you were setting out at al-Janah.
Battling them, swooping with my wings
فَماso not أَدريI know وَظَنّيand my suspicion كُلُّevery ظَنٍّsuspicion
فَما أَدري وَظَنّي كُلُّ ظَنٍّ
أَيُسلِمُنيwill they surrender me? بَنوsons of البَرءِal-Bar' اللِقاحِunsubjugated
أَيُسلِمُني بَنو البَرءِ اللِقاحِ
So I do not know, and my suspicions run every way:
So I do not know, though I suspect
Will the independent Banu al-Bar' surrender me,
Will the innocent ones make peace with me?
فَتَقتُلَنيso they may kill me بَنوsons of خَمرٍKhamr بِذُهلٍin Dhuhl
فَتَقتُلَني بَنو خَمرٍ بِذُهلٍ
وَكِدتُand I nearly أَكونَbecome مِنamong قَتلىthose slain by الرِياحِthe winds
وَكِدتُ أَكونَ مِن قَتلى الرِياحِ
So that Banu Khamr may kill me in Dhuhl?
Lest the wine-drinkers kill me in confusion
And I nearly became one of those slain by the winds.
And I become one of the winds' dead
وَظَنّيand my supposition أَنthat سَتَشغَلُكَwill occupy you النَدامَىthe drinking companions
وَظَنّي أَن سَتَشغَلُكَ النَدامَى
غُدُوُّهُمtheir morning visits إِلَيكَto you مَعَalong with الرَواحِthe evening visits
غُدُوُّهُم إِلَيكَ مَعَ الرَواحِ
And I think your drinking companions will keep you busy,
I expect the penitents will occupy you
With their visits to you morning and evening.
Coming to you at dawn with the departing souls
تُغَنّيكَsings to you الحَمامَةُthe dove كُلَّevery فَجرٍdawn
تُغَنّيكَ الحَمامَةُ كُلَّ فَجرٍ
عَلىon التُكَآتِthe reclining cushions فيamong النُجُبِthe fine-bred mounts الصِباحِhandsome
عَلى التُكَآتِ في النُجُبِ الصِباحِ
The dove sings to you at every dawn,
The dove will sing to you each dawn
On cushions among the fine-bred, handsome mounts.
On the hillocks at first light
إِذاif فارَقتَyou parted from نَدماناًa drinking companion بِلَيلٍat night
إِذا فارَقتَ نَدماناً بِلَيلٍ
تُواعِدُهُyou arrange with him لِقاءَكَmeeting you ذاone صَباحِmorning
تُواعِدُهُ لِقاءَكَ ذا صَباحِ
If you part from a drinking companion at night,
When you leave a regretful one at night
You arrange for him to meet you one morning.
Promising to meet him at dawn
وَإِنَّand indeed أَخاكَyour brother إِنif غُيِّبتَyou are kept away عَنهُfrom him
وَإِنَّ أَخاكَ إِن غُيِّبتَ عَنهُ
يَغَصُّchokes بِنُغبَةِon a sip of الماءِwater القَراحِpure
يَغَصُّ بِنُغبَةِ الماءِ القَراحِ
Yet your brother, if you are kept away from him,
If your brother disappears from you
Chokes on a sip of pure water.
He will choke with thirst like hot embers
فَلَوso if كُنتَyou were الأَسيرَthe captive وَلاand may you not تَكُنهُbe one
فَلَو كُنتَ الأَسيرَ وَلا تَكُنهُ
لَزُرتُهُمI would surely have visited them بِمُرتَجَفِwith a trembling host النَواحِthe flanks
لَزُرتُهُم بِمُرتَجَفِ النَواحِ
If you were the captive—may you never be one—
If you were the captive, do not hide it
I would have visited them with a host whose flanks trembled.
I would visit them in great distress
فَإِنso if لَمnot يُطلِقواthey release مِنكُمfrom among you أَسيراًa captive
فَإِن لَم يُطلِقوا مِنكُم أَسيراً
فَقودواthen lead الخَيلَthe horses أَسفَلَlower down مِنthan رَباحِRabah
فَقودوا الخَيلَ أَسفَلَ مِن رَباحِ
If they do not release a captive from among you,
If they do not release any captive among you
Then lead the horses below Rabah.
Then ride the horses south of the meadows
وَلاand do not يَردَعكُمُhold you back شَفَقٌpity عَلَيناfor us
وَلا يَردَعكُمُ شَفَقٌ عَلَينا
فَبَعضُfor some القَودِraiding أَدنىnearer لِلنَجاحِto success
فَبَعضُ القَودِ أَدنى لِلنَجاحِ
And do not let pity for us hold you back,
Let no mercy for us hold you back
For some raids are likelier to bring success.
For some loss paves the way for success
وَإِنَّand indeed القَودَraiding بَعدَafter القَودِraiding يَشفيheals
وَإِنَّ القَودَ بَعدَ القَودِ يَشفي
ذَويthose possessing الأَضغانِgrudges مِنfrom لَهَبِthe blaze of الأُجاحِraging fire
ذَوي الأَضغانِ مِن لَهَبِ الأُجاحِ
And raid after raid brings relief
Loss after loss will heal
To the resentful, from the blaze of raging fire.
The fiery pain of the wounded
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.