تَيَمَّمتُI made for لَهبًاLahb أَبتَغيI seek العِلمknowledge عِندَهُمamong them
تَيَمَّمتُ لَهبًا أَبتَغي العِلم عِندَهُم
وَقَدand indeed رُدَّwas referred back عِلمُknowledge العَائِفينَthe bird-diviners إلىto لَهبِLahb
وَقَد رُدَّ عِلمُ العَائِفينَ إلى لَهبِ
I made for Lahb, seeking knowledge among them,
I sought knowledge from their conflagration
and the augurs' lore had been referred back to Lahb.
Yet the learning of effeminate ones has returned to conflagration
تَيَمَّمتُI sought شَيخًاan elder مِنهُمُfrom among them ذاpossessing بَجَالةٍdignity
تَيَمَّمتُ شَيخًا مِنهُمُ ذا بَجَالةٍ
بَصيرًاwell versed بِزَجرِin divining by الطَيرِbirds مُنحنيَbent الصُلبِthe spine
بَصيرًا بِزَجرِ الطَيرِ مُنحنيَ الصُلبِ
I sought an elder among them, a man of dignity,
I sought out an elder among them of great dignity
versed in bird augury, his spine bent.
Insightful in divining the language of birds, bent of spine
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him مَاذاwhat تَرىdo you see فيin سَوَانِحٍrightward-crossing animals
فَقُلتُ لَهُ مَاذا تَرى في سَوَانِحٍ
وَصَوتِand the cry غُرابٍa raven يَفحَصُscratches الوَجهَthe face بالتُربِwith dust
وَصَوتِ غُرابٍ يَفحَصُ الوَجهَ بالتُربِ
So I said to him: What do you see in rightward-crossing animals
So I asked him, “What do you see in the entrails
and the cry of a raven scratching its face with dust?
And the cawing of a raven probing the sand with its beak?”
فَقَالَso he said جَرَىran الظَبيُthe gazelle السَنيحُcrossing to the right بِبَينِهاforetelling separation from her
فَقَالَ جَرَى الظَبيُ السَنيحُ بِبَينِها
وقالand said غُرابٌa raven جَدَّbegan in earnest مُنهَمِرُpouring profusely السَّكبِthe shedding of tears
وقال غُرابٌ جَدَّ مُنهَمِرُ السَّكبِ
He said: The rightward-crossing gazelle ran, foretelling separation from her;
He said, “The young gazelle has trotted across them
and a raven said: A torrent of tears has begun in earnest.
And a raven has buried what was left from the downpour.”
فإِلّاthen if not تَكُنshe has ماتَتdied فَقَدthen indeed حَالَhas intervened دُونَهاbarring access to her
فإِلّا تَكُن ماتَت فَقَد حَالَ دُونَها
سِواكَother than you خَليلٌa lover باطنٌintimate مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of كَعبِKa'b
سِواكَ خَليلٌ باطنٌ مِن بَني كَعبِ
If she has not died, then barring your way to her is
Unless she had died, something would have prevented her
an intimate lover other than you, from Banu Ka'b.
Other than you, an intimate friend from the tribe of Ka’b
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.