أرىI see أناساًpeople ساءgrew unfavorable بيof me ظنُّهُمtheir opinion
أرى أناساً ساء بي ظنُّهُم
فيconcerning كلّall ماthat which قلتُI have said منof الشعِرpoetry
في كلّ ما قلتُ من الشعِر
I see people who think ill of me
I see people who have ill thoughts of me
in all that I have spoken in verse.
In all the poetry I have recited
لمّاwhen تطأطاsank low بهمُwith them عِلْمُهُمْtheir knowledge
لمّا تطأطا بهمُ عِلْمُهُمْ
قاسُواthey measured بأقدارهِمُby their own worth قدريmy worth
قاسُوا بأقدارهِمُ قدري
When their knowledge brought them low,
When their knowledge stumbled over them
they measured my worth by their own.
They judged me by their own worth
قالواthey said سواهsomeone other than him صانعٌa composer of كلَّall ماthat which
قالوا سواه صانعٌ كلَّ ما
يأتيhe comes بهwith it فيin السرّsecrecy والجهرِand openness
يأتي به في السرّ والجهرِ
They said: Someone else composes all
They said, "Another is the maker of all
he brings forth in private and in public.
That comes in secret and openly"
لوif فهِمواthey understood أوor عقلواthey reasoned لاستحَوْاthey would have been ashamed
لو فهِموا أو عقلوا لاستحَوْا
أنto يجعلواthey make المِرِّيخَMars كالبدرlike the full moon
أن يجعلوا المِرِّيخَ كالبدر
Had they understood or reasoned, they would have been ashamed
If they understood or reasoned
to make Mars the equal of the full moon.
They would be ashamed to make Mars like the moon
قِيسواcompare بشعريwith my poetry شعرَهhis poetry تعلمواyou will know
قِيسوا بشعري شعرَه تعلموا
تضايُقَnarrowness النهرthe river عنcompared with البحرthe sea
تضايُقَ النهر عن البحر
Compare his poetry with mine, and you will know
Compare my poetry to his poetry, learn
how narrow the river is beside the sea.
The river is too narrow for the sea
منwhoever بَطَّلdenies الحقّthe truth هجاsatirizes نفسهhimself
من بَطَّل الحقّ هجا نفسه
بجهلهthrough his ignorance منfrom حيثwhere لاnot يدريhe knows
بجهله من حيث لا يدري
Whoever denies the truth satirizes himself,
Whoever negates the truth has blamed himself
through his ignorance, without realizing it.
In his ignorance, without knowing
فناظرونيso debate me فيهabout it أوor فاشرحواthen explain
فناظروني فيه أو فاشرحوا
شعريَmy poetry إنif أنكرتمُyou dispute أمريmy claim
شعريَ إن أنكرتمُ أمري
So debate me about it, or else explain
So look at me in it or explain my
my poetry, if you dispute my claim.
Poetry if you deny my affair
أولاor else فقولواthen say حسدٌenvy قاتلdeadly
أولا فقولوا حسدٌ قاتل
مستمِكنٌfirmly entrenched فيin القلبthe heart والصدرand the breast
مستمِكنٌ في القلب والصدر
Otherwise, say: a deadly envy
First say, "Deadly envy
is entrenched in the heart and breast.
Resides in the heart and chest"
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.