ياO سائِليyou who ask me بِأَميرِناabout our emir
يا سائِلي بِأَميرِنا
اِسمَعlisten إِلىto الخَبَرِthe tale المُحَبَّرembellished
اِسمَع إِلى الخَبَرِ المُحَبَّر
O you who ask me about our emir,
O questioner about our prince,
listen to this embellished tale:
Listen to the rhymed news:
إِنّيindeed I رَكِبتُI rode وَماand not أَكَلate (verb stem)
إِنّي رَكِبتُ وَما أَكَل
تُI (ending completing 'I ate') إِلىto الأَميرِthe emir كَماas تُقَدَّرmay be supposed
تُ إِلى الأَميرِ كَما تُقَدَّر
I rode out, having eaten nothing,
I rode, though I had not breakfasted,
to the emir, as might be supposed.
To the prince, as was fated.
قالَhe said الطَعامَthe food فَجاءَthen came خاser— (start of 'servant')
قالَ الطَعامَ فَجاءَ خا
دِمُهُ—vant of his بِفَرخٍwith a chick قَدalready تَغَيَّرhad changed; gone bad
دِمُهُ بِفَرخٍ قَد تَغَيَّر
He said, 'Food!' Then came his
He called for food, so his servant came
servant with a chick that had gone bad.
With a chick grown green from age.
قَدindeed كانَit was فِقّيعاًbright yellow فَأَصبَحَthen it became
قَد كانَ فِقّيعاً فَأَصبَحَ
عِندَafter طولِlength المَكثِof the stay أَخضَرgreen
عِندَ طولِ المَكثِ أَخضَر
It had been bright yellow, then turned
It had been roasted, but had stayed
green after being left so long.
Till it turned green from long delay.
وَتَناعَرَتand shouted to one another داياتُهُhis nursemaids
وَتَناعَرَت داياتُهُ
هاتواbring (plural command) لَهُfor him الجَنبَthe flank المُبَزَّرseasoned with spices
هاتوا لَهُ الجَنبَ المُبَزَّر
And his nursemaids shouted to one another:
Its joints quarrelled. "Fetch him cheese!"
'Bring him the spiced flank!'
Came the order, "well peppered!"
فَأَتَواso they came بِهِwith it فيin صَحفَةٍa dish
فَأَتَوا بِهِ في صَحفَةٍ
نُجِرَتwas carved لِكِسرىfor Khosrow أَوor لِقَيصَرfor Caesar
نُجِرَت لِكِسرى أَو لِقَيصَر
So they brought it in a dish
So they brought it on a tray
carved for Khosrow or Caesar.
Big enough for Kisra or Caesar.
كَرِفادَةِlike a pad الفَصدِfor bloodletting الصَغيthe sma— (start of 'small')
كَرِفادَةِ الفَصدِ الصَغي
رَةِ—ll (ending of 'small') بَلrather أَظُنُّI think الجَنبَthe flank أَصغَرsmaller
رَةِ بَل أَظُنُّ الجَنبَ أَصغَر
Like a small bloodletting pad—
No bigger than a sparrow's kneecap -
rather, I think the flank was smaller.
Or so I thought; I think the cheese was smaller!
الحَمدُpraise لِلَّهِto God الَّذيwho
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي
جَعَلَmade السَماحَةَgenerosity خَيرَthe best مَتجَرtrade
جَعَلَ السَماحَةَ خَيرَ مَتجَر
Praise be to God, who
Thanks be to God who made
made generosity the best trade.
Generosity the best merchandise.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.