أَلَمhave you not تَسأَلِasked الرَبعَthe campsite الخَلاءَdeserted فَيَنطِقُso it might speak
أَلَم تَسأَلِ الرَبعَ الخَلاءَ فَيَنطِقُ
وَهَلand will تُخبِرَنكِtell you اليَومَtoday بَيداءَa wilderness سَملَقُbare and level
وَهَل تُخبِرَنكِ اليَومَ بَيداءَ سَملَقُ
Have you not questioned the deserted campsite, so it might speak?
Did you not ask the empty quarter that it might speak
And will a bare, level wilderness give you news today?
And would the barren plain today tell you
وَقَفتُI stood بِهاat it حَتّىuntil تَجَلَّتcleared عَمايَتيmy bewilderment
وَقَفتُ بِها حَتّى تَجَلَّت عَمايَتي
وَمَلَّand grew weary of الوُقوفَstanding الأَرحَبِيُّthe Arhabi camel المُنَوَّقُwell-trained
وَمَلَّ الوُقوفَ الأَرحَبِيُّ المُنَوَّقُ
I stood there until my bewilderment cleared,
I stood there until my blindness lifted
And the well-trained Arhabi camel tired of standing.
And the spacious yard was filled by the restive, the snorting
بِمُختَلَفِwhere they pass to and fro الأَرواحِthe winds بَينَbetween سُوَيقَةٍSuwayqah
بِمُختَلَفِ الأَرواحِ بَينَ سُوَيقَةٍ
وَأَحدَبَand Ahdab كادَتit nearly بَعدَafter عَهدِكِyour time there تَخلُقُgrew worn
وَأَحدَبَ كادَت بَعدَ عَهدِكِ تَخلُقُ
Where the winds pass to and fro, between Suwayqah
With mingled spirits between Suiqa and Ahda
And Ahdab, it had almost decayed since you last knew it.
He frowned, after your absence it seemed to create
أَضَرَّتcaused harm بِهاto it النَكباءُthe crosswind كُلَّevery عَشِيَّةٍevening
أَضَرَّت بِها النَكباءُ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
وَنَفخُand the blowing of الصَباthe east wind وَالوابِلُand the downpour المُتَبَعِّقُpouring in torrents
وَنَفخُ الصَبا وَالوابِلُ المُتَبَعِّقُ
The crosswind battered it every evening,
It was harmed by misfortune every evening
And the east wind's blasts and the rain pouring in torrents.
By the blowing wind and dripping rain
وَقالَand said خَليليmy friend إِنَّindeed ذاthis لَصَبابَةٌsurely passionate longing
وَقالَ خَليلي إِنَّ ذا لَصَبابَةٌ
أَلاwill you not تَزجُرُcurb القَلبَthe heart اللَجوجَobstinate فَيُلحَقُso it may be brought along
أَلا تَزجُرُ القَلبَ اللَجوجَ فَيُلحَقُ
My friend said: this is surely passionate longing.
And my friend said this is but madness
Will you not curb your obstinate heart, so it may be brought along?
Does it not restrain the stubborn heart that it may follow
تَعَزَّtake comfort وَإِنand even if كانَتshe is عَلَيكَto you كَريمَةًdear
تَعَزَّ وَإِن كانَت عَلَيكَ كَريمَةً
لَعَلَّكَperhaps you مِنfrom رِقّbondage لبَثنَةَto Bathnah تَعتِقُwill be freed
لَعَلَّكَ مِن رِقّ لبَثنَةَ تَعتِقُ
Take comfort, even though she is dear to you;
Be firm though she was generous to you
Perhaps you will escape your bondage to Bathnah.
Perhaps you may free yourself from the fetters of yearning
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him إِنَّindeed البعادَseparation لَشائِقيsurely stirs my longing
فَقُلتُ لَهُ إِنَّ البعادَ لَشائِقي
وَبَعضُand some بِعادِremoteness of البَينِseparation وَالنَأيand distance أَشوَقُmore longing-stirring
وَبَعضُ بِعادِ البَينِ وَالنَأي أَشوَقُ
So I told him: separation surely stirs my longing,
So I said to him that separation makes me yearn
And some partings and distances stir still greater longing.
And some of the distance and remoteness is more ardent
لَعَلَّكَperhaps you مَحزونٌsorrowful وَمُبدٍand revealing صَبابَةًpassionate longing
لَعَلَّكَ مَحزونٌ وَمُبدٍ صَبابَةً
وَمُظهِرُand voicing شَكوىa complaint مِنbecause of أُناسٍpeople تَفَرَّقواwho have scattered
وَمُظهِرُ شَكوى مِن أُناسٍ تَفَرَّقوا
Perhaps you are sorrowful, revealing passionate longing,
Perhaps you are sad and extending madness
And voicing grief over people who have scattered.
And showing complaint against people who scattered
وَماand what يَبتَغيseek مِنّيfrom me عُداةٌenemies تَعاقَدواwho have made a pact
وَما يَبتَغي مِنّي عُداةٌ تَعاقَدوا
وَمِنand from جِلدِthe hide of جاموسٍa buffalo سَمينٍfat مُطَرَّقُa layered shield
وَمِن جِلدِ جاموسٍ سَمينٍ مُطَرَّقُ
And what do enemies who have made a pact seek from me?
And what my enemies conspired against me desire
And a layered shield made from a fat buffalo's hide,
And from the skin of a sleek buffalo stripped
وَأَبيَضَand a white blade مِنof ماءِthe pure essence of الحَديدِiron مُهَنَّدIndian-forged
وَأَبيَضَ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ مُهَنَّد
لَهُit has بَعدَafter إِخلاصِcleanly cleaving الضَريبَةِthe struck target رَونَقُluster
لَهُ بَعدَ إِخلاصِ الضَريبَةِ رَونَقُ
And a white, Indian-forged blade of pure iron,
And whiter than the water of polished iron
Still gleaming after cleanly cleaving its target.
It has elegance after paying the due tax
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عَلَتshe climbs نَشزاًa rise تَمُدُّshe stretches زِمامَهاher rein
إِذا ما عَلَت نَشزاً تَمُدُّ زِمامَها
كَماas اِمتَدَّstretched جِلدُthe hide of الأَصلَفِthe aṣlaf (exact animal uncertain) المُتَرَقرِقُquivering
كَما اِمتَدَّ جِلدُ الأَصلَفِ المُتَرَقرِقُ
When she climbs a rise, she stretches out her rein,
When it rises high extending its bridle
As the hide of the quivering aṣlaf stretches.
As the hide of the dappled extended and ripped
وَبيضٍand fair-skinned women غَريراتٍguileless تُثَنّيbend خُصورَهاtheir waists
وَبيضٍ غَريراتٍ تُثَنّي خُصورَها
إِذاwhen قُمنَthey rise أَعجازٌbuttocks ثِقالٌheavy وَأَسوُقُand legs
إِذا قُمنَ أَعجازٌ ثِقالٌ وَأَسوُقُ
And fair, guileless women whose waists are bent,
And white heifers bending their backs
When they rise, by heavy buttocks and legs;
When sturdy rumps and cruppers stood up
غَرائِرَguileless maidens لَمnot يَعرِفنَhave known بُؤسَthe hardship of مَعيشَةٍlife
غَرائِرَ لَم يَعرِفنَ بُؤسَ مَعيشَةٍ
يُجَنَّis driven mad بِهِنَّby them الناظِرُthe onlooker المُتَنَوِّقُdiscerning
يُجَنَّ بِهِنَّ الناظِرُ المُتَنَوِّقُ
Guileless maidens who have never known life's hardship,
Heifers who knew no misery of life
Who drive the discerning onlooker mad.
By them the onlooker becomes distracted
وَغَلغَلتُand I slipped through مِنout of وَجدٍardent longing إِلَيهِنَّto them بَعدَماafter
وَغَلغَلتُ مِن وَجدٍ إِلَيهِنَّ بَعدَما
سَرَيتُI traveled by night وَأَحشائيand my innards مِنَfrom الخَوفِfear تَخفِقُthrobbed
سَرَيتُ وَأَحشائي مِنَ الخَوفِ تَخفِقُ
And I slipped through to them out of longing, after
And I rushed from passion to them after
Traveling by night, my innards throbbing with fear.
I walked while my insides trembled with fear
مَعيwith me صارِمٌa keen sword قَدalready أَخلَصَperfected القَينُthe smith صَقلَهُits polishing
مَعي صارِمٌ قَد أَخلَصَ القَينُ صَقلَهُ
لَهُit has حينَwhen أَغشيهِI bring it down upon الضَريبَةَthe struck target رَونَقُluster
لَهُ حينَ أَغشيهِ الضَريبَةَ رَونَقُ
With me was a keen sword whose polish the smith had perfected;
With me a sword whose blade the whetstone made smooth
It gleams when I bring it down upon its target.
It had elegance when raiding the tax
فَلَولاso were it not for اِحتِياليmy resourcefulness ضِقنَthey would feel constrained ذَرعاًin endurance بِزائِرٍby a visitor
فَلَولا اِحتِيالي ضِقنَ ذَرعاً بِزائِرٍ
بِهِin him مِنfrom صَباباتٍpassionate longings إِلَيهنَّfor them أَولَقُmadness
بِهِ مِن صَباباتٍ إِلَيهنَّ أَولَقُ
But for my resourcefulness, they would have been overwhelmed by a visitor
Had I not cunningly contrived with a visitor
Possessed by madness from his passionate longing for them.
By it to loose some heifers towards them
تَسوكُshe brushes بِقُضبانِwith twigs of الأَراكِarak مُفَلَّجاًa mouth with spaced teeth
تَسوكُ بِقُضبانِ الأَراكِ مُفَلَّجاً
يُشَعشِعُis mingled فيهِin it الفارِسِيُّPersian wine المُرَوَّقُclarified
يُشَعشِعُ فيهِ الفارِسِيُّ المُرَوَّقُ
She brushes her spaced teeth with arak twigs,
It drags by the poles of the litter, paralyzed
In a mouth where clarified Persian wine is mingled.
In it the adorned Persian ripped
أَبَثنَةُO Bathnah لَلوَصلُsurely the union الَّذيthat كانَwas بَينَناbetween us
أَبَثنَةُ لَلوَصلُ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا
نَضاhas faded مِثلَماjust as يَنضوfades الخِضابُdye فَيَخلُقُand grows worn
نَضا مِثلَما يَنضو الخِضابُ فَيَخلُقُ
O Bathnah, surely the bond that was between us
The yearning that was between us, Abathnah
Has faded as dye fades, and is wearing thin.
Is as smooth as henna when it peels and forms
أَبثنَةُO Bathnah ماnever تَنأَينَyou go far away إِلّاexcept كَأَنَّنيas though I
أَبثنَةُ ما تَنأَينَ إِلّا كَأَنَّني
بِنَجمِfrom a star of الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades ماas long as نَأَيتِyou are far away مُعَلَّقُhanging
بِنَجمِ الثُرَيّا ما نَأَيتِ مُعَلَّقُ
O Bathnah, whenever you go far away, it is as though I
Abathnah, you did not distance yourself except as though
Were hanging from a star of the Pleiades for as long as you are away.
I by the star Al-Thurayya did not distance
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.