لَمنwhose الحُمولthe howdahs بجوin an open plain ضاحيsunlit
لَمن الحُمول بجو ضاحي
منsome باكرٍsetting out early غَلَساًin dawn's darkness وضاحيand setting out at midmorning
من باكرٍ غَلَساً وضاحي
Whose are the howdahs in the sunlit plain,
For whom are the burdens in the air of the meadows
some setting out in dawn's gloom, some at midmorning?
In the early dewy and bright morning
مِثلlike الأَداحِيostrich nests تحتهاbeneath them
مِثل الأَداحِي تحتها
أمثالُlikenesses of أُمَّاتِthe mothers of الأداحيostrich nests
أمثالُ أُمَّاتِ الأداحي
Like ostrich nests, beneath which
Like the humid places under which
are creatures like those nests' mothers.
Are types of mothers of the wet places
يحملنthey carry أقماراًmoons حَملbore (continued)
يحملن أقماراً حَمل
نthey (feminine plural ending) السقمَsickness فيin مُقَلٍeyes صحاحِsound
ن السقمَ في مُقَلٍ صحاحِ
They carry moons that have borne
They carry moons, a pregnancy
sickness in eyes that are sound.
Of illness in a healthy pregnancy
منfrom دونbefore أطرافthe tips of الحديconversation (continued)
من دون أطراف الحدي
ثcompletes 'conversation' لهنّfor them أطرافُthe points of الرماحِspears
ث لهنّ أطرافُ الرماحِ
Before the very tips of conversation
Without the edges of talk
stand spearpoints, guarding them.
For them are the edges of spears
مَنwho مخبريwill inform me عنabout رائحdeparting travelers (continued)
مَن مخبري عن رائح
ينplural ending of 'departing travelers' نكِرتُI found unfamiliar بعدهُمُafter them مراحيmy evening resting-place
ين نكِرتُ بعدهُمُ مراحي
Who will tell me of those departing,
Who informs me of the smells
after whom my resting-place seemed strange?
I denied after them the places of rest
هيهاتfar beyond reach! لوif صدقwas truthful الدليthe guide (continued)
هيهات لو صدق الدلي
لُcompletes 'the guide' سألتُI asked ليليmy night عنabout صباحيmy dawn
لُ سألتُ ليلي عن صباحي
Far indeed! Had the guide been truthful,
Alas! If the guide were truthful
I would have asked my night about my dawn.
I would have asked Laila about my love
والنجمُand the star يحملbears كأسهاher goblet
والنجمُ يحمل كأسها
منهاfrom it الحبابُfoam بغيرwithout راحِwine
منها الحبابُ بغير راحِ
And the star bears her goblet;
And the star carries her cup
from it comes foam, without wine.
From it the seeds without comfort
حَظَرَforbade الكرىsleep مَنْthe one who لاnot يُطاis obeyed (continued)
حَظَرَ الكرى مَنْ لا يُطا
عcompletes 'is obeyed' سواهanyone but him فيin حَظْرforbidding المباحِwhat is permitted
ع سواه في حَظْر المباحِ
Sleep was banned by him who alone
He forbade whoever does not obey
is obeyed when he bans what is lawful.
Him alone in the sanctuary of the lawful
راضٍcontent إذاwhen سفكhe shed الدماblood (continued)
راضٍ إذا سفك الدما
ءَcompletes 'blood' بماwith what تقلَّدhe hung about his neck منof جُناحِguilt
ءَ بما تقلَّد من جُناحِ
Content, when he sheds blood,
Pleased when blood is shed
with the guilt he has hung about his neck.
With what he wore of wings
كَثُرَbecame numerous الملاحُthe beautiful وماyet not لهhe has
كَثُرَ الملاحُ وما له
مِثْلٌan equal بإُقرارby the admission of المِلاحِthe beautiful
مِثْلٌ بإُقرار المِلاحِ
The beautiful are many, yet he has
The sailors have multiplied but they have no
no equal, as the beautiful themselves admit.
Equal in recognizing the sailors
بأبيmay my father ransom ثناياهhis front teeth لقدindeed
بأبي ثناياه لقد
غولطتُI was misled عنّهاabout them بالأقاحيby daisies
غولطتُ عنّها بالأقاحي
May my father ransom his front teeth! Indeed,
By my father her molars I have
I was deceived about them by daisies,
Mistaken them with the mills
غَلَطَthe error of المُقايسِone who compares بابنwith Ibn (son of) أيAyyub (continued)
غَلَطَ المُقايسِ بابن أي
وبَcompletes 'Ayyub' السحابةَa raincloud فيin السماحِgenerosity
وبَ السحابةَ في السماحِ
as errs the one who compares with Ibn Ayyub
The measures have mistaken Ibn Ayoub
a raincloud in generosity.
And the cloud in the sky
ومحمدٌand Muhammad أزكىsweeter نسيbreeze (continued)
ومحمدٌ أزكى نسي
مَcompletes 'breeze' ثرىًsoil وأندَىand dewier بطنَthe hollow of راحِa palm
مَ ثرىً وأندَى بطنَ راحِ
And Muhammad is sweeter in the breeze
And Muhammad is the purest path
of his soil, and dewier in the hollow of his palm,
Soil and the most dewy soft bellying
وأعمّand more all-embracing حينwhen يخصّsingles out جوbounty (continued)
وأعمّ حين يخصّ جو
دُcompletes 'bounty' الغيثof rain ساحاًan open tract بعدafter ساحِan open tract
دُ الغيث ساحاً بعد ساحِ
and more all-embracing, while the bounty
And most comprehensive when the generosity of the rain
of rain singles out tract after tract.
Singles out a plain after a plain
طالتrose high بهwith him عينٌan eye إلىtoward الthe
طالت به عينٌ إلى ال
علياءheights واسعةُboundless الطماحِin aspiration
علياء واسعةُ الطماحِ
An eye has raised him toward
An eye longing for it
the heights, boundless in aspiration,
To the most high, vast in ambition
ويدٌand a hand تقلِّبُmoves أنملاfingers (continued)
ويدٌ تقلِّبُ أنملا
تِcompletes 'fingers' مكارمٍof generosity سُبطٍsupple سِجاحِgentle
تِ مكارمٍ سُبطٍ سِجاحِ
and a hand that moves fingers
And a hand that turns the soft
of generosity, supple and gentle.
Fingers of glory, elite's elite
لمdid not تدرِit knew أنّthat اللّهَGod خاcreator (continued)
لم تدرِ أنّ اللّهَ خا
لقُcompletes 'creator' هذهthese الأيديhands الشحاحِmiserly
لقُ هذه الأيدي الشحاحِ
It never knew that God was the creator
It did not know that Allah has created
of these miserly hands.
These generous hands
منfrom معشرٍa people يتذمّموthey deem shameful (continued)
من معشرٍ يتذمّمو
نplural verb ending المالَwealth ليسis not بمستباحِfreely available
ن المالَ ليس بمستباحِ
Of a people who count it shame
From a group who perfume themselves
for wealth not to be free for all.
With money that is not violable
لاnot يُطعَمونthey are given a taste معat العشevening (continued)
لا يُطعَمون مع العش
يّcompletes 'evening' حلاوةَsweetness النَّعمِof livestock المُراحِbrought home at evening
يّ حلاوةَ النَّعمِ المُراحِ
They are given no taste, at evening,
They are not fed with intimacy
of the sweetness of herds driven home.
The sweetness of pleasant blessings
فإذاthen when تزاحمتcrowded together الوفوdelegations (continued)
فإذا تزاحمت الوفو
دcompletes 'delegations' علىaround بيوتهمtheir houses الفِساحِspacious
د على بيوتهم الفِساحِ
And when the delegations crowd
So when the delegations gathered
around their spacious houses,
At their spacious homes
يَسَرواthey cast lots فكانthen there was لمنfor whoever يفوwins (continued)
يَسَروا فكان لمن يفو
زcompletes 'wins' بضيفهwith his guest فوزُthe victory القِداحِof gaming arrows
ز بضيفه فوزُ القِداحِ
they draw lots; whoever wins
They were hospitable so he who
a guest wins as the gaming arrows do.
Excels his guest excels in generosity
فيfor عِرضهمtheir honor سَرَفُexcess القِصاof retribution (continued)
في عِرضهم سَرَفُ القِصا
صِcompletes 'retribution' ومالِهمand their wealth هَدرُunrequited loss الجراحِof wounds
صِ ومالِهم هَدرُ الجراحِ
For their honor, retribution knows no bounds;
In their honor there is excess of stories
for their wealth, wounds go unavenged.
And their money is spilled blood
فإذاthen when انتضَواthey unsheathed زُبَرَsolid steel الصحاof blades (continued)
فإذا انتضَوا زُبَرَ الصحا
ئفcompletes 'blades' ثلَّمواthey notched زُبَرsolid steel الصِّفاحِof broadswords
ئف ثلَّموا زُبَر الصِّفاحِ
When they unsheathe the steel of their blades,
So if they gird the loins of endeavor
they notch the steel of broadswords.
They patch up the loins of hardship
وإذاand when قِيامةُthe stature سؤدُدٍof nobility
وإذا قِيامةُ سؤدُدٍ
كذَبتكdisappoints you فيin الصُّوَرforms القِباحِugly
كذَبتك في الصُّوَر القِباحِ
And when nobility's stature
And if the uproar of misfortune
disappoints you in ugly forms,
Belies you in the ugly forms
بلَجواthey shone forth علىin ضوءthe light of الصَّباmorning (continued)
بلَجوا على ضوء الصَّبا
حِcompletes 'morning' ببهجةِwith the splendor of الغُررradiant brows الصِّباحِhandsome
حِ ببهجةِ الغُرر الصِّباحِ
they shine out in the light of morning,
They plunged into the light of the morning
with the splendor of fair, radiant brows.
With the joy of the delightful morning
لبيّكat your service عدةَas many times as ماwhat اكتسبgained (continued)
لبيّك عدةَ ما اكتسب
تُI (verb ending) وقدand already دعوتُكI called upon you منof صلاحِgood
تُ وقد دعوتُك من صلاحِ
At your service, as often as I have gained
At your service however much
good by calling upon you.
I have gained when I called you in integrity
وضممتنيand you embraced me والدهرُwhile Time مجmassed (continued)
وضممتني والدهرُ مج
تمعُcompletes 'massed' الصروفvicissitudes علىto اطراحيcasting me out
تمعُ الصروف على اطراحي
You embraced me while Time had marshaled
And it held me while time gathers
its reversals to cast me out.
Circumstances against my leaning
وإذاand whenever شهرتُI drew عليهagainst it سيa sword (continued)
وإذا شهرتُ عليه سي
فاًcompletes 'a sword' عادreturned يُدمينيmaking me bleed جِراحيmy wounds
فاً عاد يُدميني جِراحي
Whenever I drew a sword against it,
And if I brandish a sword against it
my wounds returned to make me bleed.
It returns wounding my wounds
قدindeed كنتُI had been مقترِحاًmaking a wish فجاthen came (continued)
قد كنتُ مقترِحاً فجا
ءcompletes 'came' بكwith you الزمانُTime علىin accordance with اقتراحيmy wish
ء بك الزمانُ على اقتراحي
I had made a wish; then came
I used to be hopeful but time came against me
Time, bringing you just as I had wished.
In my hope
لاdo not توسعنِّيlavish upon me منfrom نواbounty (continued)
لا توسعنِّي من نوا
لكyour (completes 'your bounty') فوقbeyond ماwhat يسَعُcan encompass امتداحيmy praise
لك فوق ما يسَعُ امتداحي
Do not lavish on me your bounty
Do not expand me from your attainments
beyond what my praise can encompass.
Beyond what my praise can comprise
دعنيlet me أطيرُfly بشكرهwith thanks for it
دعني أطيرُ بشكره
ماwhile دامcontinues يحملنيto carry me جَناحيmy wing
ما دام يحملني جَناحي
Let me fly with thanks for it
Let me fly in gratitude
as long as my wing can carry me,
As long as it carries me, my wing
فيin كلّevery شاردةٍwandering verse مباfar-ranging (continued)
في كلّ شاردةٍ مبا
عِدةِcompletes 'far-ranging' الغدوِّin morning's journey معtogether with الرواحِevening's journey
عِدةِ الغدوِّ مع الرواحِ
in every wandering verse, far-ranging
In every distracted with the blessings
in morning's journey and evening's journey:
Of the eve with the soul
بِكرٍa virgin وَلودٍprolific منamong بناdaughters (continued)
بِكرٍ وَلودٍ من بنا
تِcompletes 'daughters' الناتجاتthose giving birth بلاwithout لقاحِimpregnation
تِ الناتجات بلا لقاحِ
a virgin yet prolific, one of the daughters
Early born even if
of those who give birth without mating.
From daughters born without pollination
أحبُوكI present you منهاfrom them كلَّevery عيfeast day (continued)
أحبُوك منها كلَّ عي
دcompletes 'feast day' بالخريدةِwith a secluded maiden والرَّداحِand a full-bodied beauty
د بالخريدةِ والرَّداحِ
From these I present you, each feast day,
They loved you each holiday with
with a secluded maiden and a full-bodied beauty.
The bead and the fine garment
تصفdescribe اللطائمُthe perfume caravans طيبَهاtheir fragrance
تصف اللطائمُ طيبَها
منfrom طيبكyour fragrance الشرفnoble الصُّراحِunalloyed
من طيبك الشرف الصُّراحِ
The perfume-caravans declare their fragrance
It describes its perfume from your
to come from your pure, noble fragrance,
Noble perfume, the frankincense
ماas long as كُسِّرتare battered رُجُمُstone cairns الجِماof the stoning sites (continued)
ما كُسِّرت رُجُمُ الجِما
رِcompletes 'stoning sites' وسُوِّقتand are driven forth بُدُنُcamels الأضاحيfor sacrifice
رِ وسُوِّقت بُدُنُ الأضاحي
as long as the stoning cairns are battered,
The stones of the moon night were not broken
and sacrificial camels are driven forth.
And the bodies of the sacrifices were marketed
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.