أَقسَمتُI swore إِذاwhen طَلَعَتrose عَلَيَّupon me شُموسَهاher suns
أَقسَمتُ إِذا طَلَعَت عَلَيَّ شُموسَها
وَزَهَتand shone بِهاwith her الأَرجاءِthe surroundings وَهيَand she is عَروسَهاtheir bride
وَزَهَت بِها الأَرجاءِ وَهيَ عَروسَها
I swore, when her suns rose upon me,
I swear, when her suns rise upon me
And the surroundings shone with her, their bride:
And the horizons are adorned with her beauty as she is their bride
أَعلىthe highest مَحلٍstation فيin الجَمالِbeauty مَحلُهاher station
أَعلى مَحلٍ في الجَمالِ مَحلُها
وَبِهاand through her فَأَجمَلَthus the fairest بَلدَةَtown طَرسوسَهاher Tarsus
وَبِها فَأَجمَلَ بَلدَةَ طَرسوسَها
Hers is the highest station in beauty,
She is in the highest place in beauty
And through her, her Tarsus is the fairest town.
And with her, the fairest of cities is Tarsoos
لَمdid not أَحسُدِenvy العُشّاقَthe lovers إِلّاexcept واحِداًone
لَم أَحسُدِ العُشّاقَ إِلّا واحِداً
أَحظاهُfavored him رَبُّthe Lord العَرشِof the Throne فَهوَso he is جَليسُهاher companion
أَحظاهُ رَبُّ العَرشِ فَهوَ جَليسُها
I envied none of the lovers but one:
I envied not the lovers except for one
The Lord of the Throne favored him, so he is her companion.
Whom the Lord of the Throne made her companion
فيin مَجلِسٍa gathering يَدَعُleaves الحَليمَthe self-possessed man مُرَنِّحاًreeling
في مَجلِسٍ يَدَعُ الحَليمَ مُرَنِّحاً
سِيّانَalike فيهِin it لِحاظِهاher glances وَكُؤوسُهاand her cups
سِيّانَ فيهِ لِحاظِها وَكُؤوسُها
In a gathering that leaves the self-possessed man reeling,
In a gathering that makes the forbearing sigh
Her glances and her cups are alike there.
Two cups are equal for her- her glance and her cup
ماnot إِنever (emphatic) رَأَتهاsaw her مُهجَةٌa soul إِلّاexcept فَدَتransomed
ما إِن رَأَتها مُهجَةٌ إِلّا فَدَت
ذاكَthat المُحَيّاcountenance نَفسَهاits life وَنَفيسِهاand its precious possessions
ذاكَ المُحَيّا نَفسَها وَنَفيسِها
No soul ever saw her without ransoming
No enamored one saw her except she would give
That countenance with its life and its precious possessions.
That smooth-cheeked one her soul and her preciousness
وَمِنَand among العَجائِبِthe wonders وَهيَwhile she is ريمَةٌa gazelle رامَةٌRama
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ وَهيَ ريمَةٌ رامَةٌ
تَعنوbow لَهاto her غُلبُthe mighty الرِجالِmen وَشوسُهاand their fierce ones
تَعنو لَها غُلبُ الرِجالِ وَشوسُها
And among the wonders, though she is a gazelle of Rama:
And of the wonders, she is shooting and bent
Mighty men and their fiercest bow before her.
Her charm makes the boldness of men submissive
هِيَshe جُؤذُرٍa wild-ox calf وَلَكُمand how many سَبَتshe took captive مِنof ضَيغَمِa lion
هِيَ جُؤذُرٍ وَلَكُم سَبَت مِن ضَيغَمِ
لاnot يَستَبيهِtakes him captive مِنَof الجُيوشِthe armies خَميسَهاtheir five-division host
لا يَستَبيهِ مِنَ الجُيوشِ خَميسَها
She is a wild-ox calf, yet how many lions she has captured,
She is a gazelle, and you have gained from Dhi Gham
Whom no army's fivefold host can take captive.
One whom the best of armies cannot equal
جارَتwas cruel عَلَيهاto her وَهيَwhile she was بَعدَstill ظُبَيَّةًa little gazelle
جارَت عَلَيها وَهيَ بَعدَ ظُبَيَّةً
نَكباءُa baleful wind تَصطَلِمُannihilates الأُسودَthe lions ضَروسُهاits savage force
نَكباءُ تَصطَلِمُ الأُسودَ ضَروسُها
While still a little gazelle, she was cruelly assailed
The lionesses attacked her and she was still a gazelle
By a baleful wind whose savage force annihilates lions.
Whose kicking hooves split the lions' heads
فَعَداso rushed عَلَيهاupon her مُذsince نُعومَةِthe softness ظَفرِهاof her fingernail
فَعَدا عَلَيها مُذ نُعومَةِ ظَفرِها
خَبَباًat a trot نَعيمَthe joys الحادِثاتِof life's vicissitudes وَبَوسِهاand their misery
خَبَباً نَعيمَ الحادِثاتِ وَبَوسِها
So, from her tender infancy, there rushed upon her
Since the delicacy of her fingers' infancy
At a trot, the joys and woes of fortune.
The delights of events have kissed her
بَعدَafter القُصورِthe palaces العالِياتِlofty رَأَيتُهاI saw her
بَعدَ القُصورِ العالِياتِ رَأَيتُها
فيin كَسرِa corner بَيتِof a house قَصرِهاher palace ناموسِهاher honor
في كَسرِ بَيتِ قَصرِها ناموسِها
After lofty palaces, I saw her
After lofty palaces, I saw her
In a corner of a house—her honor her palace.
In the brokenness of her palace, its moth
بَعدَafter الثَراءِwealth الجَمِّabundant حُلَّةًa garment صانِعِof an artisan
بَعدَ الثَراءِ الجَمِّ حُلَّةً صانِعِ
وَلِكُلِّand for every حالٍcondition فيin الزَمانِtime لَبوسِهاits attire
وَلِكُلِّ حالٍ في الزَمانِ لَبوسِها
After abundant wealth, in an artisan's garb—
After abundant riches, wearing the mantle
And every condition in time has its own attire.
Of the times in an ever-changing world
تَمضيmove onward لَهاfor her فيin الغَزلِspinning بيضُwhite أَنامِلٍfingertips
تَمضي لَها في الغَزلِ بيضُ أَنامِلٍ
ظَلَمَwronged الَّذيthe one who هُوَhe بِالحَريرِwith silk يَقيسُهاcompares them
ظَلَمَ الَّذي هُوَ بِالحَريرِ يَقيسُها
Her white fingertips go on spinning;
For her spins the white of dexterous fingers
Whoever compares them with silk does them wrong.
Darker than silk its darkness measures her
القَطنُcotton يَهزَاُmocks بِالدَمَقسِat white silk بِكَفِّهاin her palm
القَطنُ يَهزَاُ بِالدَمَقسِ بِكَفِّها
وَالخَزُّand silk-and-wool cloth وَدَّwished لَوif only أَنَّهُthat it مَلموسُهاwere touched by her
وَالخَزُّ وَدَّ لَو أَنَّهُ مَلموسُها
Cotton mocks white silk in her palm,
Cotton teases her with its softness in her hand
And silk-and-wool cloth longs for her touch.
And satin wished it could caress her skin
فيin الغَزلِspinning أَصبَحَhas become وَلَناand we have بِهِabout it
في الغَزلِ أَصبَحَ وَلَنا بِهِ
مُتَحَرِّكاًset in motion قَطَعَpieces of verse تَيضقُgrow cramped (apparent misspelling) طُروسُهاtheir pages
مُتَحَرِّكاً قَطَعَ تَيضقُ طُروسُها
In spinning, it has become ... and about it we have [text unclear],
Spinning has come alive for us through her
Set in motion ... pieces of verse whose pages grow cramped [text unclear].
Cutting panels that pierce the breasts
يَرجوhope for المُلوكَthe kings نَظيرُهاher equal لِبَنيهِمfor their sons
يَرجو المُلوكَ نَظيرُها لِبَنيهِم
فَيَعودُso returns رَبُّthe lord المُلوكِof kings وَهوَwhile he is يَئيسُهاdespairing of her
فَيَعودُ رَبُّ المُلوكِ وَهوَ يَئيسُها
Kings hope to find her equal for their sons,
Kings wish for her like her for their sons
But the lord of kings returns, despairing of her.
But the Lord of Kings despairs her loss
اَحَبَبتُI loved عيسىJesus وَالصَليبُand the Cross لِأَجلِهاfor her sake
اَحَبَبتُ عيسى وَالصَليبُ لِأَجلِها
حَتّىuntil يَكادُalmost يَؤُمُّleads in prayer بيwith me قَسيسُهاher priest
حَتّى يَكادُ يَؤُمُّ بي قَسيسُها
I loved Jesus and the Cross for her sake,
I loved Jesus and the cross for her sake
Till her priest all but leads me in prayer.
Until her priest nearly converted me
وَأُخالِفُand I disagree with الشَيخَthe sheikh التَميميal-Tamimi الَّذيwho
وَأُخالِفُ الشَيخَ التَميمي الَّذي
ماnot كانَwas يَطرَبُtakes delight سَمعُهُhis hearing ناfirst fragment of 'bell' قوسَهاher bell (remaining word fragment)
ما كانَ يَطرَبُ سَمعُهُ نا قوسَها
And I disagree with the sheikh al-Tamimi, whose
And I opposed Shaykh Tamimi who
Ear took no delight in her church bell.
Was never aroused by the tunes of her strings
لَوif كانَhad been شاهِدُa witness to وَجهَهاher face وَعَفافِهاand her chastity
لَو كانَ شاهِدُ وَجهَها وَعَفافِها
مَعَalong with حُسنِهاher beauty ماnot آدَّهُburdened him تَقديسَهاvenerating her
مَعَ حُسنِها ما آدَّهُ تَقديسَها
Had he witnessed her face and her chastity,
Had he witnessed her face, her chastity
Along with her beauty, venerating her would not have burdened him.
With her beauty, her devotion would not have led him
بَطَشَتshe assailed بِناagainst us وَهيَthough she is الضَعيفُthe weak one بِذاتِهاin herself
بَطَشَت بِنا وَهيَ الضَعيفُ بِذاتِها
بِطَشاتُonslaughts أَنوَرُAnwar بِالعِداةِagainst the foes يَدوسَهاhe tramples them
بِطَشاتُ أَنوَرُ بِالعِداةِ يَدوسَها
She assailed us, though weak in herself,
She has assaulted us, though weak in herself
With Anwar's onslaughts against the foes he tramples.
With assaults that tread the foe underfoot
هُوَhe ذَلِكَthat البَطَلُthe hero الَّذيwho فيin ذِكرِهِhis mention
هُوَ ذَلِكَ البَطَلُ الَّذي في ذِكرِهِ
أَبَداًalways يُضيءُbrightens مِنَamong الوُجوهِthe faces عَبوسَهاtheir frowning ones
أَبَداً يُضيءُ مِنَ الوُجوهِ عَبوسَها
He is that hero at whose mention
That hero about whom, when mentioned
Frowning faces always brighten.
The gloomy faces are lit with joy
عادَتreturned بِهِthrough him الآمالُhopes سُعودُهُhis good fortunes مَوصولَةًunbroken
عادَت بِهِ الآمالُ سُعودُهُ مَوصولَةً
فيهاin them تَغيبُvanish عَنِfrom الدِيارِthe lands نُحوسَهاtheir ill fortunes
فيها تَغيبُ عَنِ الدِيارِ نُحوسَها
Through him hopes returned; his good fortunes were unbroken.
With him hopes returned, his good fortune unbroken
In them, ill fortune vanishes from the lands.
Through him the misfortunes vanished from the lands
وَأَراهُand showed him كُلَّall الكاشِحينَthe spiteful enemies أَذِلَّةًhumbled
وَأَراهُ كُلَّ الكاشِحينَ أَذِلَّةً
مَخفوضَةًlowered بِذَرىat the summits of عُلاهُhis glory رُءوسَهاtheir heads
مَخفوضَةً بِذَرى عُلاهُ رُءوسَها
And he was shown all the spiteful humbled,
And I see all the arrogant ones humbled before him
Their heads bowed before the summits of his glory.
Their heads bowed low beneath the dust of his shoes
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.