بُوسَىmisery اللَّيَاليthe nights عَقِيْبَةُthe aftermath of النِّعَمblessings
بُوسَى اللَّيَالي عَقِيْبَةُ النِّعَم
وَكُلُّand every مَاemphatic particle غِبْطَةٍjoy إِلَىto نَدَمِregret
وَكُلُّ مَا غِبْطَةٍ إِلَى نَدَمِ
The misery of nights is the aftermath of blessings.
The nights kiss the heels of blessings,
And every joy ends in regret.
And all delight leads to regret.
مَنْwhoever سَاوَرَتْهُassailed him الخُطُوبُcalamities أَقْصَدَهُstruck him down
مَنْ سَاوَرَتْهُ الخُطُوبُ أَقْصَدَهُ
الحَتْفُdeath وَمَنْand whoever أَغْفَلَتْهُoverlooked him لَمْhas not يَرِمِdeparted
الحَتْفُ وَمَنْ أَغْفَلَتْهُ لَمْ يَرِمِ
Whoever is assailed by calamities is struck down by
He who is tested by afflictions,
death; whoever they overlook has not departed.
Death claims him; he who is heedless does not aspire.
وَكُلُّand every مَاemphatic particle صِحَّةٍhealth إِلَىto سَقَمٍsickness
وَكُلُّ مَا صِحَّةٍ إِلَى سَقَمٍ
وَكُلُّand every مَاجِدَّةٍyouthfulness إِلَىto هِرَمِdecrepitude
وَكُلُّ مَاجِدَّةٍ إِلَى هِرَمِ
And all health ends in sickness.
All health leads to illness,
And all youth ends in decrepitude.
All vigor leads to frailty.
وَلِلْمَنَايَاand death has عَيْنٌan eye مُوَكَّلَةٌcharged
وَلِلْمَنَايَا عَيْنٌ مُوَكَّلَةٌ
بِالْحَيِّwith the living لَمْhas not تَغْتَمِضْclosed وَلَمْand has not تَنَمِslept
بِالْحَيِّ لَمْ تَغْتَمِضْ وَلَمْ تَنَمِ
And death has an eye charged
Death has an eye assigned
with watching the living; it has neither closed nor slept.
To the living that does not sleep or nod.
وَأَيُّand what عُذْرٍexcuse لِمُقْلَةٍfor an eye بَعْدَafter
وَأَيُّ عُذْرٍ لِمُقْلَةٍ بَعْدَ
الطَّاوُوسُthe peacock عَنْهَاfrom it إِنْif لَمْdoes not تَفِضْoverflow بِدَمِwith blood
الطَّاوُوسُ عَنْهَا إِنْ لَمْ تَفِضْ بِدَمِ
And what excuse has an eye, after
What excuse remains for an archer
the peacock has gone from its sight, if it does not overflow with blood?
If, after the peacock, she fails to shoot an arrow?
رُزِئْتُهُI was bereaved of him رَوْضَةًa garden تَرِفُّflutters وَلَمْand have not
رُزِئْتُهُ رَوْضَةً تَرِفُّ وَلَمْ
أَسْمَعْheard بِرَوْضٍof a garden يَسْعَىwalks عَلَىon قَدَمِa foot
أَسْمَعْ بِرَوْضٍ يَسْعَى عَلَى قَدَمِ
I lost him—a fluttering garden—and never
I imagined it a garden of luxury never hearing
have I heard of a garden that walks on foot.
Of a garden that ambled on one foot.
جَثْلُthick-feathered الدُّنَابِيthe tail-feathers كَأَنَّas though سُنْدُسَةًa cloth of fine silk
جَثْلُ الدُّنَابِي كَأَنَّ سُنْدُسَةً
سُنَّتْwas draped عَلَيْهِover him مَوْشِيَّةَembroidered العَلَمِthe border
سُنَّتْ عَلَيْهِ مَوْشِيَّةَ العَلَمِ
Thick in tail-feathers, as though a cloth of fine silk
The mane of the zebras appears as if
were draped over him, its border embroidered.
The banners of glory were draped over it.
مُتَوَّجَاًcrowned خِلْقَةًby nature حَبَاهُendowed him بِهَاwith it
مُتَوَّجَاً خِلْقَةً حَبَاهُ بِهَا
ذُوthe possessor of الفِطَرِcreations المُعْجِزَاتِwondrous وَالحِكَمِand wisdom
ذُو الفِطَرِ المُعْجِزَاتِ وَالحِكَمِ
Crowned by nature—a gift bestowed on him
Crowned with a creation endowed to him
by the Lord of wondrous creations and wisdom.
By the Originator of miracles and wisdom.
كَأَنَّهُas though he يَزْدَجِرْدُYazdegerd مُنْتَصِبَاًstanding upright
كَأَنَّهُ يَزْدَجِرْدُ مُنْتَصِبَاً
يَبْنِيbuilds فَيُعْلِيand so raises مَآثِرَglorious achievements العَجَمِthe Persians
يَبْنِي فَيُعْلِي مَآثِرَ العَجَمِ
As though he were Yazdegerd standing tall,
As if it prances erect
building and raising high the glories of the Persians.
Building and elevating the glories of the non-Arabs.
تَطْبِقُclose أَجْفَانُهُhis eyelids وَتَحْسِرُand draw back عَنْfrom
تَطْبِقُ أَجْفَانُهُ وَتَحْسِرُ عَنْ
فَصَّيْنِtwo gemstones يُسْتَصْبَحَانِboth used for light فِيin الظُّلَمِthe darkness
فَصَّيْنِ يُسْتَصْبَحَانِ فِي الظُّلَمِ
His eyelids close and draw back from
Its eyelids close and reveal
two gems used as lamps in the darkness.
Two china cups in the darkness.
أَدَلَّswaggered بِالْحُسْنِin his beauty فَاسْتَذَالَso let trail لَهُfor it
أَدَلَّ بِالْحُسْنِ فَاسْتَذَالَ لَهُ
ذَيْلاَa tail مِنَout of الكِبْرِpride غَيْرَnot مُحْتَشِمِabashed
ذَيْلاَ مِنَ الكِبْرِ غَيْرَ مُحْتَشِمِ
He gloried in his beauty and so let trail for its sake
It flirts with beauty so that
a tail, out of pride, unashamed.
Its tail might follow without modesty.
ثُمَّthen مَشَىwalked مِشْيَةَthe gait of العَرُوسِthe bride فَمَنْand so some
ثُمَّ مَشَى مِشْيَةَ العَرُوسِ فَمَنْ
مُسْتَطْرِفٍfinding him charming مُعْجَبٍadmiring وَمُبْتَسِمِand smiling
مُسْتَطْرِفٍ مُعْجَبٍ وَمُبْتَسِمِ
Then he walked with a bride's gait: some
Then it walked with the gait of a bride, captivating
found him charming, some admired, and some smiled.
The onlooker, pleasing and smiling.
زَيْنُthe ornament of صُحُونِcourtyards الدِّيَارِthe houses عُوِّضَwas given in exchange مِنْinstead of
زَيْنُ صُحُونِ الدِّيَارِ عُوِّضَ مِنْ
فَسِيْحِهَاtheir spaciousness ضِيْقَthe narrowness of وَهْدَةَa hollow الرَّجَمِthe stone-marked grave
فَسِيْحِهَا ضِيْقَ وَهْدَةَ الرَّجَمِ
The ornament of the houses' courtyards was given, instead of
The adornment of the dwellings was compensated for
their expanse, the narrow hollow of a stone-marked grave.
Their spaciousness by the narrowness of the enclosure.
وَلِلرَّدَىand death has هِمَّةٌa resolve يَغُولُdestroys بِهَاwith it
وَلِلرَّدَى هِمَّةٌ يَغُولُ بِهَا
كُلَّevery نَفِيْسٍprecious thing وَكُلَّand every ذِيpossessor of هِمَمِlofty aims
كُلَّ نَفِيْسٍ وَكُلَّ ذِي هِمَمِ
And death has a resolve with which it destroys
Ruin has an ambition that plunders
every precious thing and everyone with lofty aims.
All things precious and all things aspiring.
كَأَنَّمَاas though الَّلازِوَرْدَlapis lazuli لَمَّعَةُa sheen
كَأَنَّمَا الَّلازِوَرْدَ لَمَّعَةُ
وَنُقِّطَand was dotted الَّلازِوَرْدُthe lapis lazuli بِالْعَنَمِwith the red ʿanam plant
وَنُقِّطَ الَّلازِوَرْدُ بِالْعَنَمِ
As though his sheen were lapis lazuli,
As if what was illuminated by the jacinth
and the lapis lazuli were dotted with crimson ʿanam.
Was speckled with drops of dew.
مَاhow أَحْسَنَfine الصَّبْرَpatience فِيin البَلاَءِaffliction وَمَاand how
مَا أَحْسَنَ الصَّبْرَ فِي البَلاَءِ وَمَا
أَجْمَلَهُbeautiful it is عِصْمَةًa safeguard لَمُعْتَصِمِfor one seeking protection
أَجْمَلَهُ عِصْمَةً لَمُعْتَصِمِ
How fine is patience in affliction, and how
How excellent is patience in affliction and how
beautiful it is as a safeguard for one who holds fast to it!
Beautiful is its preservation for one steadfast.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.