ياO طَيْفُdream-vision ياO أكْرَمَnoblest طَيفٍdream-vision قَدhas طَرَقْvisited by night
يا طَيْفُ يا أكْرَمَ طَيفٍ قَد طَرَقْ
لِمِثْلِهِfor one like it تُعْقَدُare bound shut أَجْفانُthe eyelids الحَدَقْthe pupils
لِمِثْلِهِ تُعْقَدُ أَجْفانُ الحَدَقْ
O dream-vision, O noblest vision ever to visit by night!
O gentle ghost that came knocking
For its like, the eyes’ lids are bound shut.
For the likes of him eyelids keep vigil
تَراكَضَتْraced one another خَيْلُthe steeds دُموعِيmy tears وَدَمِيand my blood
تَراكَضَتْ خَيْلُ دُموعِي وَدَمِي
فِيin حَلْبَةِthe racetrack الخَدِّthe cheek فَلِلْحُمْرِso to the red ones السَّبَقْthe lead
فِي حَلْبَةِ الخَدِّ فَلِلْحُمْرِ السَّبَقْ
The steeds of my tears and my blood raced one another
My tears and blood raced
On the cheek’s racetrack; the red steeds took the lead.
In the arena of my cheek, and red won the race
جُدْتَyou were generous فَلَولاso, were it not for أَنْthat أَراكَI see you زائِراًvisiting
جُدْتَ فَلَولا أَنْ أَراكَ زائِراً
مَاnot عُتِقَتْwas freed عَيْنِيَmy eye مِنfrom رِقِّthe bondage الأرَقْsleeplessness
مَا عُتِقَتْ عَيْنِيَ مِن رِقِّ الأرَقْ
You were generous; had I not seen you come to visit,
You came, else had I not seen you visiting
My eye would not have been freed from the bondage of sleeplessness.
My eyes would not be free of insomnia's shackles
هَلْis there مِنany سَبِيلٍway أَنْto أُرَوِّيI quench عَطَشِيmy thirst
هَلْ مِن سَبِيلٍ أَنْ أُرَوِّي عَطَشِي
مِنْfrom بَرَدِhailstones الثَّغْرِthe mouth الَّذِيwhich قَدِhas اتَّسَقْbecome evenly arrayed
مِنْ بَرَدِ الثَّغْرِ الَّذِي قَدِ اتَّسَقْ
Is there a way for me to quench my thirst
Is there a way I can quench my thirst
With the hailstones of that mouth, so evenly arrayed?
From the coolness of the lips that have been sated?
مُهَفْهَفٌslender جَبِينُهُhis brow وَشَعْرُهُand his hair
مُهَفْهَفٌ جَبِينُهُ وَشَعْرُهُ
يَنْتَسِبانِboth trace their lineage لِلصَّباحِto morning وَالغَسَقْand to dusk
يَنْتَسِبانِ لِلصَّباحِ وَالغَسَقْ
Slender is he; his brow and his hair
Breeze tousled his locks and brow
Trace their lineage to morning and dusk.
Belonging to dawn and dusk
خُضْرَةُgreenness خّدَّيْهِhis cheeks رَبِيعُspringtime ناظِرِيmy eye
خُضْرَةُ خّدَّيْهِ رَبِيعُ ناظِرِي
كالغُصْنِlike the branch فِيin أَوَّلِthe beginning إِخْرَاجِputting forth الوَرَقْleaves
كالغُصْنِ فِي أَوَّلِ إِخْرَاجِ الوَرَقْ
The green of his cheeks is springtime to my eye,
Green are his cheeks, spring to my eyes
Like a branch when it first puts forth leaves.
Like a branch first budding leaves
حُلْوُsweet اللَّمَىthe lips’ dusky hue يَميلُhe sways مِنْfrom خَمْرِthe wine الصِّبَىyouth
حُلْوُ اللَّمَى يَميلُ مِنْ خَمْرِ الصِّبَى
طُوبَىblessedness لِمَنْfor whoever قبَّلَهُkissed him أَوِor اعْتَنَقْembraced
طُوبَى لِمَنْ قبَّلَهُ أَوِ اعْتَنَقْ
His dusky lips are sweet; he sways with the wine of youth.
Sweet saliva tilts from the wine of youth
Blessed is whoever has kissed him or embraced him!
Blessed is he who kissed him or embraced
حَذارِbeware مِنْof جَمْرَةِthe ember خَدَّيْهِhis cheeks فَقَدْfor indeed
حَذارِ مِنْ جَمْرَةِ خَدَّيْهِ فَقَدْ
تَجاسَرَdared venture الخالُthe beauty mark عَلَيهِupon it فَاحْتَرَقْso it burned
تَجاسَرَ الخالُ عَلَيهِ فَاحْتَرَقْ
Beware the ember of his cheeks, for indeed
Beware the embers of his cheeks where
The beauty mark dared to venture onto it and burned.
The mole dared and got scorched
ياO أَيُّهاyou العَاذِلُthe reproacher ماnot لِيfor me سَلْوَةٌforgetting
يا أَيُّها العَاذِلُ ما لِي سَلْوَةٌ
عَنهُof him وَلاَnor حُبِّيmy love لَهُfor him كَماas اتَّفَقْhappened by chance
عَنهُ وَلاَ حُبِّي لَهُ كَما اتَّفَقْ
O you who reproach me, I cannot forget
O critic, I've no excuse for him
Him, nor is my love for him a matter of chance.
Nor is my love for him, as you claimed
دَعِlet الفُؤَادَthe heart عِنْدَat ذِكْرِthe mention حُبِّهِlove for him
دَعِ الفُؤَادَ عِنْدَ ذِكْرِ حُبِّهِ
يَخْفِقُit throbs فَالعُذْرُso the excuse لَهُbelongs to it إِذَاwhen خَفَقْit throbs
يَخْفِقُ فَالعُذْرُ لَهُ إِذَا خَفَقْ
Let the heart, at the mention of love for him,
Leave my heart, at mention of his love,
Throb, for it is excused when it throbs.
To flutter, forgive it if it flutters
ماnot كُنْتَyou were ياO طِيبَsweetness زَمانِthe time وَصْلِهِunion with him
ما كُنْتَ يا طِيبَ زَمانِ وَصْلِهِ
مِنfrom دَوْلَةِthe rule الصَّاحِبِal-Sahib إِلاexcept مُسْتَرَقْstolen
مِن دَوْلَةِ الصَّاحِبِ إِلا مُسْتَرَقْ
You were nothing, O sweetness of the time of union with him,
You were not, O days of union with him,
But something stolen from al-Sahib’s rule.
Just fleeting moments stolen
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.