قالواthey said وَقَدand already أَكثَرواthey increased فيover حَبِّهِlove of him عَذَليreproaching me
قالوا وَقَد أَكثَروا في حَبِّهِ عَذَلي
لَوif only لَمnot تَهِمyou became infatuated بِمُذالِwith one debased القَدرِrank مُبتَذَلِheld cheap
لَو لَم تَهِم بِمُذالِ القَدرِ مُبتَذَلِ
They said, having often reproached me for loving him:
They blamed me and accused me much of loving him,
If only you had not fallen for one of lowly station, held cheap!
As if I had not been destined for humiliation.
فَقُلتُso I said لَوif أَنَّthat أَمريmy affair فيin الصَبابَةِardent love ليin my power
فَقُلتُ لَو أَنَّ أَمري في الصَبابَةِ لي
لَاِختَرتُI would have chosen ذاكَthat وَلكِنbut لَيسَis not ذلِكَthat ليin my power
لَاِختَرتُ ذاكَ وَلكِن لَيسَ ذلِكَ لي
So I said: If my course in ardent love were mine to choose,
I said, had it been up to my youthful passion,
I would have chosen that; but that is not in my power.
I would have chosen that, but it was not up to me.
فيin كُلِّevery قَلبٍheart غَريزاتٍinnate inclinations مُدلَّلَةٌindulged
في كُلِّ قَلبٍ غَريزاتٍ مُدلَّلَةٌ
لِلحُسنِfor beauty وَالحُسنُand beauty مَلكٌa king حَيثُwherever حَلَّit settles وَليit reigns
لِلحُسنِ وَالحُسنُ مَلكٌ حَيثُ حَلَّ وَلي
In every heart are fondly indulged instincts
In every heart there are spoiled tendencies
For beauty; and beauty is a king, reigning wherever it dwells.
To beauty, and beauty reigns wherever it settles.
عُلِّقتُهُI was enamored of him حَبَبِيَّbubble-like الثَغرِthe mouth عاطِرَهُhis mouth fragrant
عُلِّقتُهُ حَبَبِيَّ الثَغرِ عاطِرَهُ
أَلمىdusky المُقَبِّلِthe kissing-place أَحوىdark-hued ساحِرَenchanting المُقَلِthe eyes
أَلمى المُقَبِّلِ أَحوى ساحِرَ المُقَلِ
I was enamored of him, with bubble-bright teeth and a fragrant mouth,
I hung him, the fragrance of my delicious mouth,
Dusky of lip, dark-hued, with spellbinding eyes.
Tempting the kisser, more magic than a charm.
إِذاwhen تَأَمَّلتَهُyou gaze at him أَعطاكَhe gives you مُلتَفِتاًturning
إِذا تَأَمَّلتَهُ أَعطاكَ مُلتَفِتاً
ماwhatever شِئتَyou wish مِنof لَحَظاتِglances الشادِنِthe young gazelle الغَزِلِamorous
ما شِئتَ مِن لَحَظاتِ الشادِنِ الغَزِلِ
When you gaze at him, he turns and offers you
When you look upon him, he gives you, turning,
All the glances of an amorous young gazelle you could wish for.
Whatever you wish of the amorous glances of the fawn.
هَيهاتِfar from it أَبغيI seek سِواهُother than him فيin الهَوىlove بَدَلاًa substitute
هَيهاتِ أَبغي سِواهُ في الهَوى بَدَلاً
أُخرىthe last of اللَياليthe nights وَهَلand is there فيin الحُبِّlove مِنany بَدَلِsubstitute
أُخرى اللَيالي وَهَل في الحُبِّ مِن بَدَلِ
Never shall I seek another to replace him in love,
Alas! Would I seek other than him for love?
To the last of nights—and is there any substitute in love?
The nights pass by—and is there any substitute for love?
أَماis it not يُعابُis reproached عَلَيهِagainst him شغلُthe work of راحَتِهِhis palm
أَما يُعابُ عَلَيهِ شغلُ راحَتِهِ
مَنone who يُحسِنُknows well الفَرقَthe difference بَينَbetween الحَليِadornment وَالعَطَلِand being unadorned
مَن يُحسِنُ الفَرقَ بَينَ الحَليِ وَالعَطَلِ
Is he not reproached for the work of his palm—
Is he blamed that pleasure keeps him occupied?
He who knows the difference between adornment and bareness?
Who can distinguish properly between ornament and leisure?
غُزَيِّلٌa little gazelle لَمnot تَزَلhave ceased فيin الغَزلِspinning جائِلَةًroaming
غُزَيِّلٌ لَم تَزَل في الغَزلِ جائِلَةً
بَنانُهُhis fingers جَوَلانَthe roaming of الفِكرِthought فيin الغَزَلِlove poetry
بَنانُهُ جَوَلانَ الفِكرِ في الغَزَلِ
A little gazelle: ceaselessly roaming through the yarn
A gazelle, you have not ceased being artful in love,
Are his fingers, as thought roams through love poetry.
Your fingers roaming in thought over love.
جَذلانُjoyous تَلعَبُplay بِالمِحواكِwith the shuttle أَنمُلُهُhis fingertips
جَذلانُ تَلعَبُ بِالمِحواكِ أَنمُلُهُ
عَلىon السَدىthe warp لَعِبَthe play of الأَيّامِthe days بِالدُوَلِwith dynasties
عَلى السَدى لَعِبَ الأَيّامِ بِالدُوَلِ
He is joyous; his fingertips play with the shuttle
A fawn playing with the spindle, his fingers
On the warp, as the days play with dynasties.
Sporting with the pole on which the days spin.
ماnot إِنat all يَنيhe slackens تَعِبَweary الأَطرافِthe limbs مُشتَغِلاًworking
ما إِن يَني تَعِبَ الأَطرافِ مُشتَغِلاً
أَفديهِI would ransom him مِنsuch a تَعِبِweary الأَطرافِthe limbs مُشتَغِلِworker
أَفديهِ مِن تَعِبِ الأَطرافِ مُشتَغِلِ
He never slackens, working with weary limbs.
No sooner does fatigue visit his limbs, busily working,
I would give my life for him, a weary-limbed worker!
Than I ransom him from the fatigue of busily working limbs,
جَذباًpulling بِكَفَّيهِwith both his palms أَوor فَحصاًscraping بِأَخمَصِهِwith the arch of his foot
جَذباً بِكَفَّيهِ أَو فَحصاً بِأَخمَصِهِ
تَخَبُّطَthe flailing of الظَبيِthe gazelle فيin أَشراكِthe snares of مُحتَبِلِa trapper
تَخَبُّطَ الظَبيِ في أَشراكِ مُحتَبِلِ
Pulling with both palms, or scraping with the arch of his foot,
Whether tugging with his palms or feeling with his toes—
Like a gazelle flailing in a trapper's snares.
The struggling of the gazelle in cleverly set snares.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.