هذاthis الصفاءُserenity معwith النعيمbliss تبارىvied
هذا الصفاءُ مع النعيم تبارى
فيin بلدةٍa city تهديoffers الهناءَhappiness نثاراscattered gifts
في بلدةٍ تهدي الهناءَ نثارا
This serenity vies with bliss
This serenity with bliss contended,
In a city that scatters happiness as gifts.
In a country that grants joy scattered,
ماhow كانwould be اخصبهاhow fertile she is واطيبand how pleasant عيشهاher life
ما كان اخصبها واطيب عيشها
لوif أنthat رَهطthe band النائمينof sleepers سهارىwakeful
لو أن رَهط النائمين سهارى
How fertile she would be, how pleasant her life,
It was not as fertile or pleasant living,
If only the band of sleepers were wakeful!
If the folk of slumber were wakeful,
عجباًhow strange! يحرّمforbid اهلهاher people شربَdrinking الطلاwine
عجباً يحرّم اهلها شربَ الطلا
والقائمونand those presiding علىover الدسوتthe seats of authority سكارىdrunk
والقائمون على الدسوت سكارى
How strange: her people forbid drinking wine,
Strange how its people forbid drinking nectar,
While those presiding over the seats of power are drunk.
While those standing on carpets are drunk,
فهمُso they فرادىsolitary individuals والشتاتand disunity يضمُّهمgathers them
فهمُ فرادى والشتات يضمُّهم
لتهاتُرٍfor mutual abuse قدalready مزَّقٍtore apart الاعماراlifetimes
لتهاتُرٍ قد مزَّقٍ الاعمارا
So they are solitary, yet disunity gathers them
They are single and scattered, united
For mutual abuse that has torn their lives apart.
By the rubbish that tore down buildings,
ألهاهُمdistracted them الدينارthe dinar عنfrom إلباسهاclothing her
ألهاهُم الدينار عن إلباسها
حللrobes البهاءِof splendor فألَّهواso they deified الديناراthe dinar
حلل البهاءِ فألَّهوا الدينارا
The dinar distracted them from clothing her
The dinar distracted them from clothing it
In robes of splendor; so they deified the dinar.
In robes of splendor, so they revered the dinar,
وقفواthey dedicated لهto it كلَّall الوجودexistence فصارso it became فيin
وقفوا له كلَّ الوجود فصار في
ابصارهمtheir eyes هذاthis الوجودexistence غباراdust
ابصارهم هذا الوجود غبارا
They dedicated all existence to it, so that in
They stood still for it, the whole existence, so it became
Their eyes this existence became dust.
In their sights, this existence specks of dust,
فمدئنُso the cities السودانof Sudan صرنَbecame عرائساًbrides
فمدئنُ السودان صرنَ عرائساً
يسحبنَthey trail اذيالَthe hems الدلالof coquetry فخاراproudly
يسحبنَ اذيالَ الدلال فخارا
Thus the cities of Sudan became brides,
The cities of Sudan became brides,
Proudly trailing the hems of coquetry.
Dragging the train of coquetry arrogantly,
وعروسُand the bride مدنof cities الشرقof the East تحنيbows راسهاher head
وعروسُ مدن الشرق تحني راسها
خزياًin shame بذلُّthrough abasement اثريa wealthy man (uncertain reading) تلبسshe wears عاراdisgrace
خزياً بذلُّ اثري تلبس عارا
Yet the bride of the cities of the East bows her head,
And the bride of the cities of the East bows her head
In shame, humiliated by [a wealthy man?], she wears disgrace.
In shame wearing a beggar’s clothes in disgrace,
حسناءٌa beautiful woman سرَبلَهاclothed her الجمالُbeauty فجُرّدَتthen she was stripped
حسناءٌ سرَبلَها الجمالُ فجُرّدَت
بيدby the hand البنينof the sons فاصبحتso she became تتورىshe conceals herself
بيد البنين فاصبحت تتورى
A beauty whom beauty robed, only to be stripped
A beauty whose regal raiment was stripped
By her sons' hands, so she hides herself.
By the evil hands, so she began to conceal herself,
محجوبةٌveiled خلفbehind الجدارthe wall كأنهاas though she
محجوبةٌ خلف الجدار كأنها
ماتتshe died فصارso became لهاfor her البلىdecay اطماراtattered robes
ماتت فصار لها البلى اطمارا
Veiled behind a wall, as though
Secluded behind a wall as if she died,
She had died and decay had become her tattered robes.
And decay became her burying shroud,
ياO منyou who تربَّعsat enthroned فوقupon دستa seat of authority لمnot يكنwas
يا من تربَّع فوق دست لم يكن
اهلاًworthy لهof it يهديbestows الجيوبthe pockets اطماراrags
اهلاً له يهدي الجيوب اطمارا
O you who settled upon a seat for which you were not
O you who sat atop a palm you didn't deserve,
Worthy, bestowing tattered rags upon pockets:
Throwing dirt on pockets generously!
ماذاwhat يقولsays لكto you الغريبُthe stranger اذاif رأىsees
ماذا يقول لك الغريبُ اذا رأى
الاقذارfilth حولaround قصورهاher palaces سواراa bracelet
الاقذار حول قصورها سوارا
What would a stranger say to you if he saw
What would a stranger say when he sees
Filth around her palaces like a bracelet,
The filth surrounding its palaces as bracelets?
والوحلand mud فيin الاسواقthe markets طوداًa mountain شامخاًtowering
والوحل في الاسواق طوداً شامخاً
والطُرقand the roads تدميmake bleed الغاديينthose setting out عثرstumbling (apparently truncated)
والطُرق تدمي الغاديين عثر
And mud in the markets, a towering mountain,
And mud in the markets a towering dune,
And roads making those who set out bleed as they stumble,
And the roads make passersby stumble,
والنورand the light فيamid الظُلُماتthe darkness روحُa soul مُنازعٍof one in death's throes
والنور في الظُلُمات روحُ مُنازعٍ
هجَرforsook الحيوةlife وودَّعand bade farewell to الاعماراlifespans
هجَر الحيوة وودَّع الاعمارا
And light amid the darkness, the soul of one in death's throes,
And light in the darkness a contending soul,
Who has forsaken life and bidden farewell to his years?
Who abandoned life and bid buildings farewell,
أفلاthen does ... not? يمدُّextend لكَtoward you الضميرُconscience مناخساًgoads
أفلا يمدُّ لكَ الضميرُ مناخساً
فتعدُّso you consider نفسكَyourself ياO جهولُignorant one حماراa donkey
فتعدُّ نفسكَ يا جهولُ حمارا
Does conscience not hold out goads to you,
Does your conscience not whisper to you
So you reckon yourself, you fool, a donkey?
To consider yourself, o ignorant, a donkey?
امor لاnot ترقُّyou feel pity لحالfor the plight أُمٍّof a mother خنتَهاyou betrayed her
ام لا ترقُّ لحال أُمٍّ خنتَها
وجنيتand you incurred فيthrough إذلالهاhumiliating her الاوزارsins
وجنيت في إذلالها الاوزار
Or do you not pity the plight of a mother you betrayed,
Or are you not moved by the state of a mother you betrayed,
And amassed sins by humiliating her?
And harvested in her humiliation burdens?
أفيعجزare ... then incapable? الابناءُthe sons عنof إلباسهاclothing her
أفيعجز الابناءُ عن إلباسها
حللrobes الشموسof suns لتستبيso she may captivate الأقماراthe moons
حلل الشموس لتستبي الأقمارا
Are her sons then unable to clothe her
Are the sons incapable of clothing her
In robes of suns, so she may enthrall the moons?
In robes of suns to outshine the moons?
حاشاfar from it! وكلاand certainly not! انماonly الهاهمُdistracted them
حاشا وكلا انما الهاهمُ
فيهاwithin her التكاثُرrivalry for more فالجميعso everyone حيارىbewildered
فيها التكاثُر فالجميع حيارى
Far from it! Certainly not! They have merely been distracted
Never! But they are distracted
By rivalry for riches within her, so all are bewildered.
By reproduction, so all are confused,
ماذاwhat اقولshall I say وكيفand how ارثيshall I lament بلدةًa city
ماذا اقول وكيف ارثي بلدةً
بجمالهاthrough her beauty مَثَلُthe proverb الاوائلof the ancients ساراspread
بجمالها مَثَلُ الاوائل سارا
What shall I say, and how can I lament a city
What can I say and how can I eulogize a country
Whose beauty was proverbial among the ancients?
Whose beauty exemplified early achievements?
هيshe حيزبونthe ancient crone الارضof the earth امthe mother بلادهاof its lands
هي حيزبون الارض ام بلادها
ترديshe lays low القرونthe centuries وتدفنand buries الادهاراthe ages
تردي القرون وتدفن الادهارا
She is the earth's ancient crone, the mother of its lands;
Is it the most fertile spot on earth or its land
She fells centuries and buries ages.
Deteriorates eras and buries civilizations?
دامتshe endured علىdespite قدمthe antiquity الزمانof time جديدةnew
دامت على قدم الزمان جديدة
تبقىshe endures وتنفيand banishes دونهاother than herself الامصاراthe cities
تبقى وتنفي دونها الامصارا
She has remained new despite the antiquity of time;
It remained new in the course of time,
She endures and banishes other cities.
Remaining while ages pass away,
وتعودand she returns فيin مرطthe mantle الصباof youth مختالةstrutting
وتعود في مرط الصبا مختالة
تسبيshe captivates العقولminds تدللاcoquettishly ونفاراand with aloofness
تسبي العقول تدللا ونفارا
And returns, strutting in youth's mantle,
And it returns in the path of youth swaggering,
Captivating minds with coquetry and aloofness.
Dazzling minds, flirting and prancing,
كالنسرlike the eagle فيin زعمthe belief اليهودof the Jews مجدّدٌrenewing
كالنسر في زعم اليهود مجدّدٌ
عهدَthe season الشبابُof youth يُكافحbattles الاعصاراthe ages
عهدَ الشبابُ يُكافح الاعصارا
Like the eagle that, in the Jews' belief, renews
Like the phoenix in Jewish legend renewed
Its youthful prime and battles the ages.
By youth battling the storms,
قامتshe stood بأبهجin the loveliest غوطةٍGhouta (fertile oasis) منof بقعةٍa tract of land
قامت بأبهج غوطةٍ من بقعةٍ
حرسguarded الملائكُthe angels جوَّهاher air النوَّاراradiant
حرس الملائكُ جوَّها النوَّارا
She stands in the loveliest Ghouta, upon a tract of land
It rose in the most delightful valley from a spot
Whose radiant air the angels guarded.
Angels guarded, scintillating,
جناتgardens عَدنٍof Eden قدalready جرتflowed منfrom تحتهاbeneath them لاthe (apparently a broken article)
جنات عَدنٍ قد جرت من تحتها لا
نهارrivers (apparently a split word) تأويshelter الوحشَwild beasts والاطباراand birds (apparent typo)
نهار تأوي الوحشَ والاطبارا
Gardens of Eden, beneath which have flowed the
Gardens of Eden beneath which rivers flowed,
Rivers, sheltering wild beasts and birds.
No light housing beasts and singles,
حيثwherever التفتَّyou turned شممتَyou smelled منfrom أرجائهاher surroundings
حيث التفتَّ شممتَ من أرجائها
أَرَجاًfragrance وشمتَand you beheld عباهراًnarcissi وبهاراand oxeye blossoms
أَرَجاً وشمتَ عباهراً وبهارا
Wherever you turn, you breathe from her surroundings
Wherever you turned you smelled from its corners
Fragrance, and behold narcissi and oxeye blossoms.
Scents, and smelled flowers and perfumes,
نسماتهاher breezes تحييrevive الرميمَdecayed remains وماؤهاand her water
نسماتها تحيي الرميمَ وماؤها
يشفيُّheals السقيمthe sick وتربَهاand her soil المعطاراfragrant
يشفيُّ السقيم وتربَها المعطارا
Her breezes revive decayed remains, and her water
Its breezes revive the withered, its water
Heals the sick and her fragrant soil.
Heals the sick, and its soil is fragrant,
فُتنَتwere enchanted بهاby her أهلpeople of القرائحpoetic gifts فاغتدواso they became
فُتنَت بها أهل القرائح فاغتدوا
يتناشدونthey recite to one another بوصفهاin describing her الأشعاراpoems
يتناشدون بوصفها الأشعارا
People of poetic gifts were enchanted by her, and came to
The gifted were infatuated with it and took to
Recite to one another poems describing her.
Composing poems describing it,
فإليكِso toward you ياO مثوىabode الحبورof joy أحنُّI yearn ماas long as
فإليكِ يا مثوى الحبور أحنُّ ما
خلبتcaptivated روائعُwonders فكرتيof my thought الأبكاراthe maidens
خلبت روائعُ فكرتي الأبكارا
So for you, O abode of joy, I yearn as long as
So to you, o lair of the brilliant, I yearn
The wonders of my thought captivate maidens.
As the prime of my thoughts were enchanted.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.