مَنْwho للقيادةfor procuring جاءcame بعدafter منيَّبُMunayyab
مَنْ للقيادة جاء بعد منيَّبُ
أمّor (uncertain reading) منْwho يُصادare caught بهاthrough her الظِباthe gazelles فتَجيَّبُso they respond (uncertain reading)
أمّ منْ يُصاد بها الظِبا فتَجيَّبُ
Who has come to take up procuring after Munayyab?
Who after me shall lead,
Or who can snare the gazelles through her, so they respond? [Reading uncertain.]
Or with them hunt the gazelle fleet?
منwho يقتلslays الغلسthe predawn darkness الحصيفdense ويدخلand enters الthe
من يقتل الغلس الحصيف ويدخل ال
بابdoor اللطيفthe small إذاwhen أدلهمّgrew pitch-black الغيهبthe deep darkness
باب اللطيف إذا أدلهمّ الغيهب
Who slays the dense predawn darkness and enters the
Who shall slay the sly fox and stride
small door when the gloom grows pitch-black?
Through the door of grace when darkness spreads its sheet?
منwho ذاis it that يقودleads فلانso-and-so (a man) نحوtoward فلانةso-and-so (a woman)
من ذا يقود فلان نحو فلانة
ويروغand slips away عنهfrom him كماas يروغslips away الثعلبthe fox
ويروغ عنه كما يروغ الثعلب
Who is it that leads so-and-so toward such-and-such a woman,
Who shall lead So-and-so to So-and-so
and slips away from him as a fox slips away?
And slink away like the wily fox?
ماتتshe died مفتشةthe woman who searches القلوبhearts بكيدهاwith her cunning
ماتت مفتشة القلوب بكيدها
فترىso you see بهاthrough her القلبthe heart الجليدsteadfast يُقلبُis overturned
فترى بها القلب الجليد يُقلبُ
The woman who searched hearts with her cunning has died;
Dead is she who probed hearts with her tricks,
so through her you see the steadfast heart overturned.
So the icy heart you see tossed and turned.
كانتshe used to إذاwhen البُليُّthe bulayy (unclear term) تُوبِعwas kept up نقرهits tapping
كانت إذا البُليُّ تُوبِع نقره
تبقىshe keeps on تفرfleeing كماas تفرflees الأرنبthe rabbit
تبقى تفر كما تفر الأرنب
Whenever the bulayy’s tapping was kept up [term unclear],
When mischief was afoot, its tap she would trace,
she would keep fleeing as a rabbit flees.
Fleeing like a startled hare through space.
كانتshe used to إذاwhen ماemphatic particle الليلthe night مَدَّspread جناحَهits wing
كانت إذا ما الليل مَدَّ جناحَه
قامتshe rose تدبshe creeps كماas تدبcreeps العقربthe scorpion
قامت تدب كما تدب العقرب
Whenever night spread its wing,
When night wrapped its wing in dark embrace,
she would rise and creep as a scorpion creeps.
She crawled forth like scorpion from its lair.
كانتshe was عجوزاًan old woman وغدةًbase صَنْعَاتهhis crafts (unclear in context)
كانت عجوزاً وغدةً صَنْعَاته
تأتيshe comes إليكto you بكلwith every فَنِart يُعجبُdelights
تأتي إليك بكل فَنِ يُعجبُ
She was an old, base woman [final word unclear: literally “his crafts”],
An old hag she was, though her cunning art
bringing you every art that delights.
Approached you with every captivating flair.
فتكاملتْso became complete فيهاin her الصفاتthe qualities وهكذاand thus
فتكاملتْ فيها الصفات وهكذا
أبداًalways يعزis hard to find الشيءthe thing سَاعةat the moment يُطْلبُis sought
أبداً يعز الشيء سَاعة يُطْلبُ
So all the qualities came together in her; and thus,
In her qualities perfection found its part,
a thing is always hard to find just when it is sought.
For elusive is a thing sought with care.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.