بِأَيby what حُدُودٍbounds حُدَّwas confined مِنْfrom قَبْلِكَbefore you الشِّعْرُpoetry
بِأَي حُدُودٍ حُدَّ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ الشِّعْرُ
وَأَيِّand what قُيُودٍfetters قُيِّدَwas fettered الحِسُّfeeling وَالفِكْرُand thought
وَأَيِّ قُيُودٍ قُيِّدَ الحِسُّ وَالفِكْرُ
Within what bounds was poetry confined before you?
With what boundaries was poetry bounded before you
And with what fetters were feeling and thought bound?
And with what shackles were sense and thought shackled
عَلَىaccording to مَاwhat رَأَىconceived الإِغْرِيقُthe Greeks وَالرَّسْمُand the pattern رَسْمُهُمْtheir pattern
عَلَى مَا رَأَى الإِغْرِيقُ وَالرَّسْمُ رَسْمُهُمْ
جَرَىproceeded الجِيلُthe generation بَعْدَafter الجِيلِthe generation وَالعَصْرُand the age فَالعَصْرُthen the age
جَرَى الجِيلُ بَعْدَ الجِيلِ وَالعَصْرُ فَالعَصْرُ
Following what the Greeks conceived, with the pattern theirs,
Based on what the Greeks saw and their method was their method
Generation after generation proceeded, and age after age.
The generations flowed after the generations and the age after the age
وَظَلَّand remained مَثالاًa model لِلبَيَانِfor eloquence مِثَالُهُمْtheir model
وَظَلَّ مَثالاً لِلبَيَانِ مِثَالُهُمْ
وَأَمْرُهُمُand their decree حَتَّىuntil أَتَيْتَyou came هُوَit الأَمْرُthe decree
وَأَمْرُهُمُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتَ هُوَ الأَمْرُ
And their model remained a model for eloquence,
And their example remained an example of eloquence
And their decree, until you came, was law.
And their affair until you came was the affair
فَلَمَّاthen when هَدَتْكَguided you الفِطْرَةُinnate nature السَّمْحَةُgenerous الَّتِيthat
فَلَمَّا هَدَتْكَ الفِطْرَةُ السَّمْحَةُ الَّتِي
رَأَتْsaw أَنَّthat أَسْراًbondage كَيْفَhowever كَانَit might be هُوَit الأَسْرُbondage
رَأَتْ أَنَّ أَسْراً كَيْفَ كَانَ هُوَ الأَسْرُ
Then, when your generous nature guided you—the nature that
So when the good nature that guided you saw
Saw that bondage, whatever its form, is bondage,
That bondage no matter how it was is bondage
وَأنَّand that افْتِكاكاًbreaking free مِنfrom هَوىًa passion مُتَمَكنٍentrenched
وَأنَّ افْتِكاكاً مِن هَوىً مُتَمَكنٍ
عَنَاءٌtoil عَلَىin proportion to مِقْدَارِهِits measure يَعْظُمُgrows greater الفَخْرُpride
عَنَاءٌ عَلَى مِقْدَارِهِ يَعْظُمُ الفَخْرُ
And that release from an entrenched passion
And that liberation from an entrenched passion
Is toil, in proportion to which pride grows,
Is an ordeal according to its extent great pride
وَأَنَّand that العُقُولَminds المُسْتَرَقَّةَenslaved حُرِّرَتْwere freed
وَأَنَّ العُقُولَ المُسْتَرَقَّةَ حُرِّرَتْ
وَقَدْand already آنَthe time had come أَنْto يَقْتَادَهَاlead them القَلَمُthe pen الحُرُّfree
وَقَدْ آنَ أَنْ يَقْتَادَهَا القَلَمُ الحُرُّ
And that enslaved minds had been freed,
And that emancipated minds were liberated
And the time had come for the free pen to lead them,
And it was time for the free pen to lead them
أَسَلْتَyou set flowing يَنَابِيعَsprings الفَصَاحَةِof eloquence كُلَّهَاall of them
أَسَلْتَ يَنَابِيعَ الفَصَاحَةِ كُلَّهَا
وَكَانَand it was الَّذِيwhat يُمْتَاحُis drawn مِنْهَاfrom them هُوَit النَّزْرُthe scant amount
وَكَانَ الَّذِي يُمْتَاحُ مِنْهَا هُوَ النَّزْرُ
You set all the springs of eloquence flowing,
You unleashed the springs of eloquence all
Though what was drawn from them had been scant.
And what was attainable from it was the little
فَللّهِso to God belongs دَرَّthe bounty العَبْقَرِيَّةِof genius إِنَّهُindeed it is
فَللّهِ دَرَّ العَبْقَرِيَّةِ إِنَّهُ
لَفَيْضٌindeed a flood إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle غَاضَdwindled مِنْfrom غَيْرِهَاother than it الدُّرُّpearls
لَفَيْضٌ إِذَا مَا غَاضَ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا الدُّرُّ
So, God bless the bounty of genius! It is
So for God the value of genius it is
Indeed a flood when pearls elsewhere grow scarce.
An outpouring when the pearls of others ebb
لَهُit has فِيin النُّهَىthe intellect عَزْمُresolve الإِتيِّof the torrent وَصَوْتُهُand its voice
لَهُ فِي النُّهَى عَزْمُ الإِتيِّ وَصَوْتُهُ
يُصَاحِبُهُaccompanies it تَطْريبُهُits melody الفَخمُmajestic وَالهَدْرُand the roar
يُصَاحِبُهُ تَطْريبُهُ الفَخمُ وَالهَدْرُ
Within the intellect it has a torrent's resolve, and its voice
For it in purpose is strong determination and its voice
Is accompanied by its majestic melody and roar.
Its solemn and gentle murmur accompanies it
تَسَاقَاهُshare in drinking it أَعْشَابٌgrasses فُتُوِفيso receive in full نَصِيبَهَاtheir share
تَسَاقَاهُ أَعْشَابٌ فُتُوِفي نَصِيبَهَا
مِنَof الحُسْنِbeauty فِيin الدُّنْيَاthe world وَلاَand not يُحْرَمُis deprived الزَّهْرُthe flowers
مِنَ الحُسْنِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلاَ يُحْرَمُ الزَّهْرُ
Grasses drink of it together, receiving their full share
It was watered by plants and each got its share
Of beauty in the world, nor are the flowers deprived.
Of beauty in life and the flower was not deprived
فَمِنthen from أَيِّwhat أَوْجٍheight بِالحَيَاةِwith life وَأَهْلِهَاand its people
فَمِن أَيِّ أَوْجٍ بِالحَيَاةِ وَأَهْلِهَا
وَبِالكَوْنِand with the universe وَالأَحْدَاثِand events أَلْمَمْتَyou became acquainted يَاO نَسْرُeagle
وَبِالكَوْنِ وَالأَحْدَاثِ أَلْمَمْتَ يَا نَسْرُ
Then from what height did you survey life and its people,
So from which horizons in life and its people
And the universe and events, O eagle?
And in the universe and events did you swoop, O eagle
وَفِيand in أَيِّwhich فَنٍّart مِنْamong فُنُونِthe arts جَمَالِهَاof its beauty
وَفِي أَيِّ فَنٍّ مِنْ فُنُونِ جَمَالِهَا
تَعَايَىproved too difficult عَلَيْكَfor you النَّظْمُverse أَوْفَاتَكَor eluded you النَّثْرprose
تَعَايَى عَلَيْكَ النَّظْمُ أَوْفَاتَكَ النَّثْر
And in which art among the arts of its beauty
And in which art of its arts of beauty
Did verse defy you, or prose elude you?
Did prosody fail you or prose miss you
تُرَىare seen سِيَرُhistories الأَحْقَابِof the ages فِيمَاin what خَطَطْتَهُyou wrote it
تُرَى سِيَرُ الأَحْقَابِ فِيمَا خَطَطْتَهُ
موَاثِلَvisibly present وَهْيَand they الطِّرْسُthe written page بِالعَيْنِto the eye وَالحِبْرُand ink
موَاثِلَ وَهْيَ الطِّرْسُ بِالعَيْنِ وَالحِبْرُ
The histories of the ages are seen in what you have written,
The course of the eras is seen in what you planned
Visibly present, though to the eye they are merely page and ink.
Confrontations, and it is the inscription with the eye and the ink
وَتَطَّرِدُand pass in succession الأَحْقَابُthe ages مِنَّاfrom us بِمَشْهَدٍin sight
وَتَطَّرِدُ الأَحْقَابُ مِنَّا بِمَشْهَدٍ
وَإِنْand not هِيَthey إِلاَّbut السَّطْرُa line يَتْبَعُهُfollows it السَّطْرُa line
وَإِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ السَّطْرُ يَتْبَعُهُ السَّطْرُ
And the ages unfold in succession before us,
And the eras elapse from us in a scene
Yet they are nothing but one line followed by another.
And it is but a line followed by a line
لَقَدْindeed جِئْتَyou came بِالبِدْعِwith an innovation الَّذِيthat آبَbecame سُنَّةًa tradition
لَقَدْ جِئْتَ بِالبِدْعِ الَّذِي آبَ سُنَّةً
لَكَyours الفَضْلِthe credit فيهَاin it خَالِداًeverlasting وَلَكَand yours الذِّكْرُrenown
لَكَ الفَضْلِ فيهَا خَالِداً وَلَكَ الذِّكْرُ
You have indeed brought an innovation that became a tradition;
You have come with the innovation which became a tradition
Yours is the everlasting credit for it, and yours the renown.
Yours is the merit in it enduring and yours is the mention
وَجَارَاكَand kept pace with you فِيin الفَتْحِthe conquest الحَدِيثِnew فَوَارِسٌknights
وَجَارَاكَ فِي الفَتْحِ الحَدِيثِ فَوَارِسٌ
تَوَازَعَwas shared out فِيin عُقْبَاهُits aftermath بَيْنَكُمُamong you النَّصْرُvictory
تَوَازَعَ فِي عُقْبَاهُ بَيْنَكُمُ النَّصْرُ
And knights kept pace with you in the new conquest;
And competing with you in the new conquest are horsemen
In its wake, victory was shared among you.
Victory in its aftermath is shared between you
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.