أَهلاًwelcome بِشُهبٍto meteors فيin سَماءِthe sky of المَجلِسِthe gathering
أَهلاً بِشُهبٍ في سَماءِ المَجلِسِ
هَتَكَتtore أَشِعَّتُهاtheir rays حِجابَthe veil of الحِندَسِpitch darkness
هَتَكَت أَشِعَّتُها حِجابَ الحِندَسِ
Welcome to meteors in the sky of the gathering!
Stars appear in the sky of the council
Their rays have torn the veil of pitch-black night.
Their rays tear the veil of shadows
زُهرٌradiant ones إِذاwhen أَرخىlowered الظَلامُdarkness سُتورَهُits curtains
زُهرٌ إِذا أَرخى الظَلامُ سُتورَهُ
فَعَلَتthey dealt بِهاwith them كَصَحيفَةِas with the letter of المُتَلَمِّسِal-Mutalammis
فَعَلَت بِها كَصَحيفَةِ المُتَلَمِّسِ
Radiant ones: when darkness lowers its curtains,
A flower that spreads its petals
they treat them as al-Mutalammis's letter was treated.
When darkness lets down its curtains
هيفُslender القُدودِin figure تُريكَthey show you بَهجَةَthe beauty of مَنظَرٍa sight
هيفُ القُدودِ تُريكَ بَهجَةَ مَنظَرٍ
أَبهىlovelier لَديكَto you مِنَthan الجَواريthe coursing stars الكُنَّسِthat withdraw from sight
أَبهى لَديكَ مِنَ الجَواري الكُنَّسِ
Slender of figure, they show you a lovely sight,
Slender branches show you the charm of a scene
lovelier to you than the stars that course and hide.
More gorgeous to you than well-dressed slave girls
كَالقُضبِlike boughs إِلّاexcept أَنَّهاthat they لاnot تَنثَنيbend
كَالقُضبِ إِلّا أَنَّها لا تَنثَني
مِنهاin them القُدودُthe figures وَزَهرُهاand their blossoms لَمnot يُلمَسِbe touched
مِنها القُدودُ وَزَهرُها لَم يُلمَسِ
Like boughs, except that no bend is found
Like twigs except they do not bend
in their forms, and their blossoms remain untouched.
The branches and the flowers are untouched
أَذكَتkindled لِحاظَthe glances of عُيونِهاtheir eyes فَكَأَنَّهاso they seem like
أَذكَت لِحاظَ عُيونِها فَكَأَنَّها
زَهرٌflowers تَفَتَّحَbloomed فيin حَديقَةِa garden of نَرجِسِnarcissi
زَهرٌ تَفَتَّحَ في حَديقَةِ نَرجِسِ
They have kindled their eyes' glances, and seem like
Their bright eyes are aflame so it’s as if
flowers blooming in a garden of narcissi.
A flower bloomed in a narcissus garden
نابَتstood in عَنِfor الشَمسِthe sun المُنيرَةِradiant عِندَماwhen
نابَت عَنِ الشَمسِ المُنيرَةِ عِندَما
حُبِسَتwas confined وَساطِعُand the radiance of نورِهاher light لَمnot يُحبَسِbe confined
حُبِسَت وَساطِعُ نورِها لَم يُحبَسِ
They took the radiant sun's place when
Independent from the shining sun when
she was confined, while her brilliant light was not.
Its light was trapped but did not diminish
وَإِذاand when تَحَدَّرَتِdescended النُجومُthe stars رَأيتَهاyou saw them
وَإِذا تَحَدَّرَتِ النُجومُ رَأيتَها
تَرعىwatching النُجومَthe stars بِمُقلَةٍwith an eye لَمnot تَنعَسِgrow drowsy
تَرعى النُجومَ بِمُقلَةٍ لَم تَنعَسِ
And when the stars descended, you saw them
When stars descend you see them
watching the stars with an eye that never dozed.
Shepherd the stars tirelessly
وَضَحَتshone أَسِرَّتُهاtheir faces وَقَدwhile already عَبِسَfrowned الدُجىthe darkness
وَضَحَت أَسِرَّتُها وَقَد عَبِسَ الدُجى
وَتَنَفَّسَتand they breathed وَالصُبحُwhile the dawn لَمnot يَتَنَفَّسِbreathe
وَتَنَفَّسَت وَالصُبحُ لَم يَتَنَفَّسِ
Their faces shone while darkness frowned,
Their secrets became clear and gloom frowned
and they breathed while dawn had not yet breathed.
They breathed though dawn had not breathed
إِنif خاطَبَتهاaddressed them الريحُthe wind رَدَّanswered لِسانُهاtheir tongue
إِن خاطَبَتها الريحُ رَدَّ لِسانُها
هَمساًin a whisper كَلَجلَجَةِlike the stammering of اللِسانِthe tongue الأَخرَسِmute
هَمساً كَلَجلَجَةِ اللِسانِ الأَخرَسِ
If the wind addressed them, their tongue replied
If the wind addresses it, its tongue responds
in a whisper, like the stammering of a mute tongue.
With a stutter like the tongue of a mute
وَإِذاand when تَوَعَّدَهاthreatened them النَسيمُthe breeze تَرىyou see لَهاin them
وَإِذا تَوَعَّدَها النَسيمُ تَرى لَها
خَفقاًa fluttering كَقَلبِlike the heart of الخائِفِthe frightened one المُتَوَسوِسِbeset by fears
خَفقاً كَقَلبِ الخائِفِ المُتَوَسوِسِ
And when the breeze threatens them, you see in them
When the breeze threatens it, you see it
a fluttering like the heart of someone frightened and anxious.
Flutter like a fearful, anxious heart
فيin طَرفِهاtheir gaze عُمقٌdepth إِذاif حَقَّقتَهُyou examine it closely
في طَرفِها عُمقٌ إِذا حَقَّقتَهُ
لَمnot يَبدُappear مِنهاfrom them الإِسمُthe name إِنif لَمnot يُعكَسِbe reversed
لَم يَبدُ مِنها الإِسمُ إِن لَم يُعكَسِ
There is depth in their gaze; if you examine it closely,
In its glance there is depth that if examined
their name will not appear unless it is reversed.
Its identity will not appear unless reflected
عَجَباًwonder لَهاat them تُبديthey show لَقَطَّat the clipping of لِسانَهاtheir tongue
عَجَباً لَها تُبدي لَقَطَّ لِسانَها
بِشراًdelight وَتَحياand they live عِندَupon قَطعِcutting off الأَرؤُسِthe heads
بِشراً وَتَحيا عِندَ قَطعِ الأَرؤُسِ
How wondrous they are! When their tongue is clipped, they show
Wondrously, it shows snippets of its tongue
delight, and come to life when heads are cut off.
In good times and lives on when heads roll
رَضِيَتwere content بِبَذلِwith giving up النَفسِlife حينَwhen تَبَوَّأَتthey occupied
رَضِيَت بِبَذلِ النَفسِ حينَ تَبَوَّأَت
مِنfrom حَضرَةِthe presence of السُلطانِthe sultan أَشرَفَthe noblest مَجلِسِseat
مِن حَضرَةِ السُلطانِ أَشرَفَ مَجلِسِ
They were content to give their lives when they took
It was content with sacrificing itself when it assumed
the noblest seat in the sultan's presence—
The most noble position in the sultan’s council
الصالِحِal-Salih المَلِكِthe king الَّذيwho إِنعامُهُhis bounty
الصالِحِ المَلِكِ الَّذي إِنعامُهُ
قَيدُa fetter for الغَنِيِّthe wealthy وَطَوقُand a necklace for جيدِthe neck of المُفلِسِthe penniless
قَيدُ الغَنِيِّ وَطَوقُ جيدِ المُفلِسِ
al-Salih, the king whose bounty
Of the righteous king whose generosity
is a fetter for the rich and a necklace for the pauper's neck.
Is provision for the wealthy and asset of the bankrupt
شَمسٌa sun حَكىresembled الشَمسَthe sun المُنيرَةَradiant بِاِسمِهِin his name
شَمسٌ حَكى الشَمسَ المُنيرَةَ بِاِسمِهِ
وَضِياءِand the radiance of مَجلِسِهِhis court وَبُعدِand remoteness from المَلمَسِtouch
وَضِياءِ مَجلِسِهِ وَبُعدِ المَلمَسِ
A sun, he resembles the radiant sun in his name,
A sun whose name echoes the shining sun
and in his court's radiance, and in being beyond reach.
And the brilliance of his council and lack of blemish
هُوَhe صاحِبُthe lord of البَلَدِthe land الَّذيwhich لِسَماحِهِthanks to his generosity
هُوَ صاحِبُ البَلَدِ الَّذي لِسَماحِهِ
بِالرِفقِwith ease يَبلُغُone reaches لاnot بِشَقِّwith strain upon الأَنفُسِthe souls
بِالرِفقِ يَبلُغُ لا بِشَقِّ الأَنفُسِ
He is lord of the land which, thanks to his generosity,
He is the owner of the country who with his
one reaches with ease, not with exhausting toil.
Gentleness reaches not by splitting souls
لاmay he never زالَcease فيin أَوجِthe zenith of السَعادَةِhappiness لابِساًwearing
لا زالَ في أَوجِ السَعادَةِ لابِساً
مِنfrom حُلَّةِthe raiment of النُعماءِblessings أَشرَفَthe noblest مَلبَسِgarment
مِن حُلَّةِ النُعماءِ أَشرَفَ مَلبَسِ
May he ever remain at the zenith of happiness, wearing
He still remains at the peak of fortune wearing
the noblest garment from the robes of blessing.
The most noble attire of bliss
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.