خليليَّmy two friends ضُمَّانيdraw me close, you two ونِضويand my worn-out mount إلَيكُمَاto you both
خليليَّ ضُمَّاني ونِضوي إلَيكُمَا
إذاif كانَis حِسيthe sandy waterhole المُنحنَىal-Munhana تَرِدانِyou both go for water
إذا كانَ حِسي المُنحنَى تَرِدانِ
My two friends, draw me and my worn-out mount close to you,
My two friends, embrace me and let me lean on you both,
If you two are heading to the waterhole at al-Munhana.
When my stooped self turns to you.
فإنَّfor indeed بِحِسيat the waterhole المُنحَنَىal-Munhana لوif only عَلِمتُماyou both knew
فإنَّ بِحِسي المُنحَنَى لو عَلِمتُما
غَريماًa debtor لوانيhas delayed paying me الدينthe debt منذُfor زَمانِa long time
غَريماً لواني الدين منذُ زَمانِ
For at the waterhole of al-Munhana, if you two only knew,
For if you knew my stooped self,
Is a debtor who has delayed repaying me the debt for ages.
You would know I have been lovesick for ages.
ألاah! لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether أَسيرَنَّI shall indeed drive ناقتيmy she-camel
ألا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَسيرَنَّ ناقتي
بوَادٍthrough a valley بِضَيفَيهon its two banks الأَراكthe arak trees يَمانYemeni
بوَادٍ بِضَيفَيه الأَراك يَمان
Ah, would that I knew: shall I ever drive my she-camel
Oh, I wonder, will my she-camel go
Through a valley with Yemeni arak trees on its two banks?
Through a valley with two cliffsides in Yemen,
يَمُجُّgushes out النَّدىmoisture مِنfrom بَعدِماafter وَقَدblazed with heat الحَصَىthe pebbles
يَمُجُّ النَّدى مِن بَعدِما وَقَد الحَصَى
شِعَابٌravines لَهُit has مَولِيَّةٌwatered by later rains ومَحَانِand winding bends
شِعَابٌ لَهُ مَولِيَّةٌ ومَحَانِ
It gushes moisture after the pebbles have blazed with heat;
Where dew springs after the fires are kindled
It has ravines watered by later rains, and winding bends.
On a plain with an ally and a refuge?
مَرَرتُI passed عَلَيهover it والمناسِمُwhile the camel footpads تَحتَسيsipped
مَرَرتُ عَلَيه والمناسِمُ تَحتَسي
بِهِin it وسِمَاطاand the two banks سيلِهِof its torrent غلِلانِboth thirsty
بِهِ وسِمَاطا سيلِهِ غلِلانِ
I passed over it while the camel footpads sipped
I passed by it while the milestones almost vanished
From it, while both banks of its torrent were thirsty.
In its flood and its flowing torrents.
وهلand whether أَرَينَّI shall indeed see اللَّحيَal-Lahy يَبدُوappearing كأنَّهُas though it were
وهل أَرَينَّ اللَّحيَ يَبدُو كأنَّهُ
مِنَfrom البُعدِafar سَيقَاtwo racers غايَةٍa finishing mark نِزقَانِboth restless
مِنَ البُعدِ سَيقَا غايَةٍ نِزقَانِ
And shall I ever see al-Lahy appearing as though it were,
Did I see a beard looming as if
From afar, two restless racers at a finishing mark?
From afar like the tip of a spear?
رآكsaw you خليلاكyour two companions اللَّذانِthe two who تَقَادَمَتhad grown old
رآك خليلاك اللَّذانِ تَقَادَمَت
عُهُودُهُماtheir acquaintance يَوماًone day فَمَاyet did not عَرَفَانيthey both recognize me
عُهُودُهُما يَوماً فَمَا عَرَفَاني
Your two companions saw you—the two whose
Your two friends whom you’ve known for ages
Acquaintance was long past—one day, yet they did not recognize me.
Saw you, but they did not recognize me.
فقالاthen they both said ألاindeed كُنَّاwe used to نَخَالُكthink you مَرَّةًonce
فقالا ألا كُنَّا نَخَالُك مَرَّةً
صَديقاًa friend فَلَمَّاbut when شَبَّهاthey both saw a likeness نَسيَانيthey both forgot me
صَديقاً فَلَمَّا شَبَّها نَسيَاني
They said, “Indeed, we once thought you
They said, “Were you not once
A friend”; but when they saw the likeness, they forgot me.
Our friend? But when we grew up, we forgot you.”
فقُلتُso I said أناI الشَّخصُthe person الَّذيwhom تَشدوَانِهyou both speak of him
فقُلتُ أنا الشَّخصُ الَّذي تَشدوَانِه
ولكنَّbut مرَّhas passed الدَهرtime ذُوpossessing حَدَثانِchanges of fortune
ولكنَّ مرَّ الدَهر ذُو حَدَثانِ
So I said, “I am the person you two speak of,
I said, “I am the one whose praises you sing,
But time, full of changes, has passed.”
But time with its events has passed.”
خَليليَّmy two friends عنabout أيِّwhich الَّذيthat which كانwas بَينناbetween us
خَليليَّ عن أيِّ الَّذي كان بَيننا
منof الودّaffection أوor باقيthe remainder of الهَوىpassion تَسَلانيyou both ask me
من الودّ أو باقي الهَوى تَسَلاني
My two friends, which of the feelings once between us—
My two friends, ask me which of the affection
Affection or lingering passion—do you ask me about?
And passion between us do you deny?
فماfor nothing is حُبُّlove of أُمِّUmm, mother of العَمرِal-Amr إلاexcept سجيةٌan innate disposition
فما حُبُّ أُمِّ العَمرِ إلا سجيةٌ
بَرانيHe fashioned me عليهاwith it اللَهGod حينwhen برانيHe fashioned me
بَراني عليها اللَه حين براني
For love of Umm al-Amr is nothing but an innate disposition,
A mother’s love is but natural disposition
With which God fashioned me when He fashioned me.
That God made me inclined to then deprived me of.
طَوَانيHe formed my nature علىfor بَذلٍgenerosity لهاtoward her ومَوَدَّةٍand affection
طَوَاني على بَذلٍ لها ومَوَدَّةٍ
أَجَلyes وأَنوفُand the noses الكاشِحينَof spiteful foes عَوَانِhumbled
أَجَل وأَنوفُ الكاشِحينَ عَوَانِ
He formed me for generosity toward her and affection;
She brought me up with generosity and affection,
Yes—and the noses of spiteful foes are humbled.
Yes, but the envious blamed me.
خَليلانِtwo beloveds أَمَّاas for أُمُّUmm, mother of عَمروٍAmr فَمِنهُماthen she is one of them
خَليلانِ أَمَّا أُمُّ عَمروٍ فَمِنهُما
وَأَمَّاand as for عنabout الأُخرىthe other woman فلاthen do not تَسلانيask me, you two
وَأَمَّا عن الأُخرى فلا تَسلاني
Two beloveds: as for Umm Amr, she is one of them;
My two friends, as for the mother of Amr, she is one of you,
And as for the other, do not ask me about her.
But do not ask me of the other.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.