خمْسونُfifty ولَّتْhave passed... ماnot أردْتُّI wanted وداعَهاbidding them farewell
خمْسونُ ولَّتْ... ما أردْتُّ وداعَها
رَحلَتْdeparted وخلَّتْand left فيin يَدَيَّmy two hands مَتاعَهاtheir belongings
رَحلَتْ وخلَّتْ في يَدَيَّ مَتاعَها
Fifty years have passed... I did not want to bid them farewell.
Fifty passed... I did not want to bid her farewell
They departed, leaving their belongings in my hands.
She left and abandoned her belongings in my hands
كنتُI was الصَّبيَّthe boy وكانand was عُمْريَmy life فكرةًa thought
كنتُ الصَّبيَّ وكان عُمْريَ فكرةً
هَمَستْwhispered إلىto كَفٍa palm تَلومُreproaches ذِراعَهاits arm:
هَمَستْ إلى كَفٍ تَلومُ ذِراعَها:
I was the boy, and my life was a thought
I was a boy and my age was an idea
That whispered to a palm reproaching its arm:
She whispered to a palm blaming its arm:
أيلولُSeptember ماتَdied وماand not تبلَّلَbecame wet نازحٌa displaced person
أيلولُ ماتَ وما تبلَّلَ نازحٌ
سَكَنَdwelt in الخيامَthe tents فأسْكنَتهُso made him settle طِباعَهاtheir ways!
سَكَنَ الخيامَ فأسْكنَتهُ طِباعَها!
September died, and no displaced person got wet
September died without shedding a tear
Who dwelt in the tents, whose ways then made him settle!
It settled the tents so it suited its nature
كبُرَgrew up الصَّبيُّthe boy وصارَand became بَحْرًاa sea طـيِّـبًاkindly
كبُرَ الصَّبيُّ وصارَ بَحْرًا طـيِّـبًا
حَمَلَcarried الغريبةَthe female stranger واستظلَّand sheltered in the shade of شِراعَهاher sail
حَمَلَ الغريبةَ واستظلَّ شِراعَها
The boy grew up and became a kindly sea
The boy grew up and became a gentle sea
He carried the stranger and sheltered in the shade of her sail.
It carried the stranger and shaded her sails
لكنَّهـاbut she لمّـاwhen تَـفَـتَّـحَblossomed قـلبُهاher heart
لكنَّهـا لمّـا تَـفَـتَّـحَ قـلبُها
هَجَرتْshe left، وألقتْand cast للسُّؤالِto the question قِناعَهاher mask
هَجَرتْ، وألقتْ للسُّؤالِ قِناعَها
But when her heart blossomed,
But when her heart blossomed
She left, and cast her mask to the question.
She left, and gave an excuse for questioning
فأجابتthen answered المرآةُthe mirror: مهلًاwait، ماnot أناI
فأجابت المرآةُ: مهلًا، ما أنا
دارُhouse الوجوهِthe faces، وماand not ألِفْتُI grew accustomed to خِداعَهاtheir deceit
دارُ الوجوهِ، وما ألِفْتُ خِداعَها
Then the mirror replied: “Wait, I am not
So the mirror answered: Wait, I am not
The house of faces, nor have I grown used to their deceit.”
The home of faces, and am not accustomed to deceiving her
كمْhow often راودتنيshe tempted me مثلَlike ماءٍwater غافلٍheedless
كمْ راودتني مثلَ ماءٍ غافلٍ
رَجَفَtrembled امتثالًاin submission للحَصىto the pebbles وأطاعَهاand obeyed them
رَجَفَ امتثالًا للحَصى وأطاعَها
How often she tempted me, like heedless water
How often has something heedless courted me
That trembled in submission to the pebbles and obeyed them.
Trembling in obedience to pebbles and obeying them
والآنَand now أمضيْI go on نحوَtoward موتيَmy death شاعِرًاas a poet
والآنَ أمضيْ نحوَ موتيَ شاعِرًا
مَلَكَpossessed الحياةَlife بلحظةٍin a moment... وأضاعَهاand squandered it
مَلَكَ الحياةَ بلحظةٍ... وأضاعَها
And now I go toward my death, a poet
And now I go towards my death as a poet
Who possessed life in a moment... and squandered it.
Who possessed life in a moment...and lost it
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.