لِعَمرَةَfor ʿAmrah إِذwhen قَلبُهُhis heart مُعجَبٌenamored
لِعَمرَةَ إِذ قَلبُهُ مُعجَبٌ
فَأَنّىso how بِعَمرَةَto reach ʿAmrah أَنّىhow بِهاto reach her
فَأَنّى بِعَمرَةَ أَنّى بِها
His heart was then enamored of ʿAmrah;
For the night when his heart was smitten
Yet how to reach ʿAmrah—how to reach her?
With Amra, oh where was Amra!
لَيالٍnights لَناfor us وُدُّهاher love مُنصِبٌwearisome
لَيالٍ لَنا وُدُّها مُنصِبٌ
إِذاwhen الشَولُthe dry she-camels لَطَّتpressed close بِأَذنابِهاwith their tails
إِذا الشَولُ لَطَّت بِأَذنابِها
Nights when her love wearied us,
The night he yearned for her embrace
When the dry she-camels tucked their tails close,
When the Pleiades dipped low.
وَراحَتand returned at evening حَدابيرَgaunt camels حُدبَhunched الظُهوthe backs (word fragment)
وَراحَت حَدابيرَ حُدبَ الظُهو
رِcompletion of 'backs' مُجتَلَماًstripped away لَحمُthe flesh أَصلابِهاof their spines
رِ مُجتَلَماً لَحمُ أَصلابِها
And returned gaunt, with hunched backs,
The maidens glided, swaying hips,
The flesh stripped from their spines.
Their thighs plump, firm flesh showing.
كَأَنَّas though القَرَنفُلَcloves وَالزَنجَبيلَand ginger
كَأَنَّ القَرَنفُلَ وَالزَنجَبيلَ
وَذاكيand strong-scented العَبيرِblended perfume بِجِلبابِهاin her cloak
وَذاكي العَبيرِ بِجِلبابِها
As though cloves and ginger
As though carnation and ginger they were,
And heady perfume were in her cloak.
Fragrant with scent enthralling.
نَمَتهاraised her اليَهودُthe Jews إِلىto قُبَّةٍa domed pavilion
نَمَتها اليَهودُ إِلى قُبَّةٍ
دُوَينَjust beneath السَماءِthe sky بِمِحرابِهاin its upper chamber
دُوَينَ السَماءِ بِمِحرابِها
The Jews raised her to a domed pavilion,
The Jews built her a dome by heaven’s skirt
Just beneath the sky, in its upper chamber.
With prayer niche mihrab in its wall.
وَنارٍand a fire يُقَصِّرُfalls short عَنهاof it الدَنِيthe ignoble (word fragment)
وَنارٍ يُقَصِّرُ عَنها الدَنِي
يُcompletion of 'the ignoble' آخِرَat the end of لَيلٍa night صَلَيناwe endured the heat بِهاfrom it
يُ آخِرَ لَيلٍ صَلَينا بِها
And a fire beyond the reach of the ignoble—
A fire we prayed by through the night’s dark end—
Late one night we endured its heat.
It fell short of giving her warmth.
وَمَلمومَةٍand a massed host كَصَفاةِlike a smooth rock المَسيthe watercourse (word fragment)
وَمَلمومَةٍ كَصَفاةِ المَسي
لِcompletion of 'watercourse' دارَتturned رَحاهاits millstone وَدُرناand we turned بِهاwith it
لِ دارَت رَحاها وَدُرنا بِها
And a massed host, like a smooth rock in a watercourse—
And she circled about, restless, perturbed,
Its millstone turned, and we turned with it.
Her shelter and refuge eluding.
مَشَيناwe marched إِلَيهاtoward it كَجُربِlike mangy ones الجِماthe camels (word fragment)
مَشَينا إِلَيها كَجُربِ الجِما
لِcompletion of 'camels' باقيremaining الهِناءِtar salve بِأَقرابِهاon their flanks
لِ باقي الهِناءِ بِأَقرابِها
We marched toward it like mangy camels,
We walked to her like camels in rut
Tar still remaining on their flanks.
Drawn by a mating urge goading.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.