بكَin you منfrom جَورِthe tyranny طَرفِكَyour gaze الُمستجارُthe refuge sought
بكَ من جَورِ طَرفِكَ الُمستجارُ
وإلىand toward عَطفthe tenderness عطفكضyour favor (corrupt spelling) الاعتذارُthe plea for pardon
وإلى عَطف عطفكض الاعتذارُ
In you is refuge from the tyranny of your gaze;
I seek refuge with you from the injustice of your glances,
and to your tender favor goes my plea for pardon.
And with your kindness I make my apologies.
أيُّwhat صبرٍpatience علىwith جَفاكَyour cruelty لصبِّfor a lovesick lover
أيُّ صبرٍ على جَفاكَ لصبِّ
ماnot لهُfor him مذsince نأيتَyou withdrew عنهُfrom him اصطبارُendurance
ما لهُ مذ نأيتَ عنهُ اصطبارُ
What patience can a lovesick lover have with your cruelty,
What patience is there for your disdain,
when he has had no endurance since you withdrew from him?
He who has none when you are away from him.
ياO هِلالاًa crescent يحميguards شَقائِقَthe anemones خَدَّيtwo cheeks (continued)
يا هِلالاً يحمي شَقائِقَ خَدَّي
هِhis (completes 'his two cheeks') حُسامٌa sword منfrom جفنهِhis eyelid بتَّارُkeen-edged
هِ حُسامٌ من جفنهِ بتَّارُ
O crescent, the anemones of whose cheeks are guarded
O crescent that protects the daisies on my cheeks,
by a keen-edged sword from his eyelid.
O sword from whose blade pours blood.
قلtell لعينيكَto your two eyes ماwhat رأيتَyou saw عِياناًwith your own eyes
قل لعينيكَ ما رأيتَ عِياناً
كيفَhow يُحمَىis guarded بالنَّرجِسby narcissi الجُلَّنارُpomegranate blossoms
كيفَ يُحمَى بالنَّرجِس الجُلَّنارُ
Tell your eyes what you have seen firsthand:
Say to your eyes, "What have you seen?
how are pomegranate blossoms guarded by narcissi?
How can the narcissus protect the fiery tulip?"
أنتَyou أسهرتَyou kept awake ناظريmy eye ويميناًand I swear
أنتَ أسهرتَ ناظري ويميناً
ماnot علىfor هائمٍan infatuated lover بمثلِكَwith someone like you عارُshame
ما على هائمٍ بمثلِكَ عارُ
You have kept my eyes awake—and I swear,
You have kept my eyes awake, and to the right,
there is no shame in being infatuated with one like you.
No blame lies on one enraptured by you.
كيفَhow والخدُّwhile the cheek منكَof yours يعرفُknows قتليmy slaying
كيفَ والخدُّ منكَ يعرفُ قتلي
قلتَyou said ماnot عندَwith مُقلتيmy eye لكَfor you ثارُa blood-debt
قلتَ ما عندَ مُقلتي لكَ ثارُ
How, when your cheek knows of my slaying,
How, when your cheek knows I am slain by you,
could you say, 'My eye owes you no blood-debt'?
Could you say my tears are no revenge for you?
لكَyou have جفنٌan eyelid عَجبتُI marveled إِذwhen فازَit won بالنَّصwith victory (continued)
لكَ جفنٌ عَجبتُ إِذ فازَ بالنَّص
رِcompletion of 'victory' علىdespite ضَعفهits weakness وفيهِand in it انكسارُlanguid drooping
رِ على ضَعفه وفيهِ انكسارُ
You have an eyelid—I marveled when it gained
Your eyelid I wondered at when it won by grace
victory despite its weakness and its languid droop.
Over its weakness, though in it is ruin.
منwho بسفكِon shedding الدماءِblood فيin الحُبِّlove أفتاissued a ruling (continued)
من بسفكِ الدماءِ في الحُبِّ أفتا
كto you (suffix) ومنand who قالsaid ماwhat تُريقُyou spill جُبارُrequiring no blood-money
ك ومن قال ما تُريقُ جُبارُ
Who sanctioned the shedding of blood in love
Who claims bloodshed in love is error,
for you, and who said the blood you spill calls for no recompense?
And who says, "No shedding of blood by the mighty!"
راقبِbe mindful of اللهَGod فيconcerning النُّفوسlives فماfor not يَغفَis heedless (continued)
راقبِ اللهَ في النُّفوس فما يَغفَ
لُcompletion of 'is heedless' عنهاof them خلاَّقُهاtheir Creator الجبَّارُthe Almighty
لُ عنها خلاَّقُها الجبَّارُ
Be mindful of God concerning lives, for He is never heedless
Observe God in souls, for He will not forgive
of them—their Creator, the Almighty.
Their Creator to neglect them, the Almighty.
ياO نَديميmy drinking companion كمhow long ذاthis التَّوانيdelay عنaway from اللَّهrevelry (continued)
يا نَديمي كم ذا التَّواني عن اللَّه
وِcompletion of 'revelry' وَهذيand this الُمدامُthe wine والأوتارُand the strings
وِ وَهذي الُمدامُ والأوتارُ
O my drinking companion, how long will you put off revelry,
My friend, how long this estrangement from God,
when wine and the strings are here?
These drinks and lutes that multiply sorrows?
فاصرفِso banish الهمَّcare إنif ألمَّit comes بصِرفٍwith unmixed wine
فاصرفِ الهمَّ إن ألمَّ بصِرفٍ
ذاتِpossessing معنىًa meaning فيهاin it العقولُminds تحارُare bewildered
ذاتِ معنىً فيها العقولُ تحارُ
So banish care, should it come, with unmixed wine,
So turn your care, if you are visited by fortune
whose meaning leaves minds bewildered.
With meaning, wherein reason wanders astray.
واغتنمهاand seize it منfrom كفِّthe palm ظبيةِa gazelle خدرٍa secluded chamber
واغتنمها من كفِّ ظبيةِ خدرٍ
فيon يديهاher two hands منfrom صبغِهاher dye آثارُtraces
في يديها من صبغِها آثارُ
And seize it from the palm of a gazelle in her secluded chamber,
And profit from the hand of a lovely gazelle,
with traces of her dye upon her hands.
In whose hands traces of dye remain.
ذاتُpossessing شعرٍhair كأنَّهas though it were جُنحُthe darkness ليلٍof night
ذاتُ شعرٍ كأنَّه جُنحُ ليلٍ
تحتَهُbeneath it منfrom سناthe radiance الجَبينِthe brow نَهارُdaylight
تحتَهُ من سنا الجَبينِ نَهارُ
Her hair is like the darkness of night;
A creature of hair like the wings of night,
beneath it, the radiance of her brow is daylight.
Under it, from the brightness of her temples, day.
إنif تجلِّتshe reveals herself فبدرُthen a full moon تمِّfullness وإنand if ماshe sways (continued)
إن تجلِّت فبدرُ تمِّ وإن ما
ستcompletion of 'she sways' فَغصنٌthen a bough وإِنand if شَدَتshe sings فَهزارُthen a nightingale
ست فَغصنٌ وإِن شَدَت فَهزارُ
If she reveals herself, a full moon; and if she
When she appears, a full moon rising,
sways, a bough; and if she sings, a nightingale.
When she is hidden, a branch, and if she is merry, joking.
أَيُّwhat a شَمسٍsun علىupon قضيبِa slender branch أراكٍan arak tree
أَيُّ شَمسٍ على قضيبِ أراكٍ
فيin كَثيبٍa sand dune يَضُمُّمنهاenfolds [part] of her الإزارُthe waist-wrap
في كَثيبٍ يَضُمُّمنها الإزارُ
What a sun upon an arak bough,
What sun is on the litter's pole
set in a sand dune that her waist-wrap enfolds!
In a howdah, containing her robes?
أنكرتshe denied قتلslaying عاشقِيهاher lovers فياso, O وَجcheek (continued)
أنكرت قتل عاشقِيها فيا وَج
نَةُcompletion of 'cheek' مِنfrom أينَwhere ذَلكَthat الاحمِرارُredness
نَةُ مِن أينَ ذَلكَ الاحمِرارُ
She denied slaying her lovers—so, O
She denied slaying her lover. But her cheek -
cheek, where did that redness come from?
How came that redness on it?
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.