أَلاَAh! طَرَقَتْنَاshe visited us by night بِالْمَدِينَةِin Medina بَعْدَمَafter
أَلاَ طَرَقَتْنَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ بَعْدَمَ
طَلَىcoated الَّليْلُthe night أَذْنَابَthe tails النِّجَادِof the ridges فَأَظْلَمَاand then grew dark
طَلَى الَّليْلُ أَذْنَابَ النِّجَادِ فَأَظْلَمَا
Ah, she visited us by night in Medina, after
Alas, at night in the town we kept knocking,
night had coated the tails of the ridges and grown dark.
After the darkness draped the tails of the stars and darkened them.
تَخَطَّتْshe passed beyond إِلَيْنَاto us الدُّورَthe houses والسُّوقَand the market كُلَّهَاall of it
تَخَطَّتْ إِلَيْنَا الدُّورَ والسُّوقَ كُلَّهَا
ومَنْand whoever كَانَwas فِيهَاin it مِنْamong فَصِيحٍarticulate speakers وأَعْجَمَاand inarticulate ones
ومَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا مِنْ فَصِيحٍ وأَعْجَمَا
She passed the houses and the whole market to reach us,
It crept upon us, the houses, markets and all
and everyone there, articulate and inarticulate.
Who were eloquent or inarticulate therein.
عَشِيَّةَon the evening وَافَىarrived مِنْfrom قُرَيْشٍQuraysh وَعَامِرٍand Amir
عَشِيَّةَ وَافَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ وَعَامِرٍ
ومِنْand from غَطَفَانَGhatafan مَأْتَمٌa gathering of women رُزْنَthey appraised مَأْتَمَاa gathering of women
ومِنْ غَطَفَانَ مَأْتَمٌ رُزْنَ مَأْتَمَا
On an evening when there came from Quraysh and Amir,
In the evening came to us of Quraish, and 'Aamir,
and from Ghatafan, a gathering of women who appraised another gathering.
And of Gatafan, a grieving assembly that grieved.
يَمحْنَthey swayed بِأَطْرَافِwith the tips الذُّيُولِof the trailing hems عَشِيَّةًone evening
يَمحْنَ بِأَطْرَافِ الذُّيُولِ عَشِيَّةً
كَمَاas بَهَرَleft breathless الوَعْثُthe soft sand الهِجَانَthe white thoroughbred camel المَزَنَّمَاmarked with an ear-lappet
كَمَا بَهَرَ الوَعْثُ الهِجَانَ المَزَنَّمَا
They swayed with the tips of their trailing hems that evening,
They wiped their mounts' croups in the evening
as soft sand leaves a white, ear-marked thoroughbred camel breathless.
As the down had adorned the decorated camel gear.
كَأَنَّas though السُّرَىnight travel أَهْدَتْhad bestowed لنَاon us بَعْدَمَاafter ونَىgrew weary
كَأَنَّ السُّرَى أَهْدَتْ لنَا بَعْدَمَا ونَى
مِنَof اللَّيْلِthe night سُمَّارُnight-talkers الدَّجَاجِof the fowls فَنَوَّمَاand then fell asleep
مِنَ اللَّيْلِ سُمَّارُ الدَّجَاجِ فَنَوَّمَا
As though night travel had brought us—after they grew weary
As if the Pleiades, after the night had departed,
of the night, the fowls’ night-talkers, and fell asleep—
Brought to us the rooster's crowing that induced slumber.
رَبِيبَةَa female nursling حُرٍّof pure sand دَافَعَتْshe pushed aside فيamong حُقُوفِهِits curved dunes
رَبِيبَةَ حُرٍّ دَافَعَتْ في حُقُوفِهِ
رَخَاخَsoft expanses الثَّرَىof moist earth والأُقْحُوَانَand the daisies المُدَيَّمَاwatered by steady rain
رَخَاخَ الثَّرَى والأُقْحُوَانَ المُدَيَّمَا
a nursling of pure sand, pushing aside among its curved dunes
The free woman urged ahead her camel with a litter
soft, moist earth and daisies watered by steady rain.
Whose streaming banners trailed, and saddle cloths of leather.
تُرَاعِيshe watches شَبُوباًa full-grown bull فيin المَرَادِthe grazing ground كَأَنَّهُas though he were
تُرَاعِي شَبُوباً في المَرَادِ كَأَنَّهُ
سُهَيْلٌSuhayl بَدَاappeared فيin عَارِضٍa cloud-bank مِنْfrom يَلَمْلَمَاYalamlam
سُهَيْلٌ بَدَا في عَارِضٍ مِنْ يَلَمْلَمَا
She watches a full-grown bull in his grazing ground, as though he were
She herds a colt in foal that seems as if
Suhayl appearing in a cloud-bank from Yalamlam.
Suhail rose in the cheek of one dark-lipped.
تظَلُّremains الرُّخَامَىthe rukhama plant غَضَّةًtender فيin مَرَادِهِhis grazing ground
تظَلُّ الرُّخَامَى غَضَّةً في مَرَادِهِ
مِنَsince الأَمْسِyesterday أَعْلَىthe upper part لِيطِهَاof its rind قدْalready تَهَضَّمَاhas been nibbled down
مِنَ الأَمْسِ أَعْلَى لِيطِهَا قدْ تَهَضَّمَا
The rukhama plant stays tender in his grazing ground,
The slit-eared camels, unmilked, in her herd
its upper rind already nibbled down since yesterday.
Were by last night too high for her to milk.
حَشَاhe stuffed ضِغْثَa bundle شُقَّارَىof shuqqara herbage شَرَاسِيفَlower ribs ضُمَّراًlean
حَشَا ضِغْثَ شُقَّارَى شَرَاسِيفَ ضُمَّراً
تَخَذَّمَhe tore off مِنْfrom أَطْرَافِهَاits tips مَاwhat تَخَذَّمَاhe tore off
تَخَذَّمَ مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا مَا تَخَذَّمَا
He packed his lean ribs with a bundle of shuqqara,
He packed a bundle of dry sjubar-wood, fragments of dry 'ud and sammar,
tearing from its tips whatever he tore.
Taking from their edges as much as he could take.
يَبِيتُhe spends the night عَلْيَهماover them both طَاوِياًhollow-bellied بِمَبِيتِهِat his resting place
يَبِيتُ عَلْيَهما طَاوِياً بِمَبِيتِهِ
بِمَاon what خَفَّwas light مِنْof زَادٍprovisions ومَاand what طَابَwas pleasant مَطْعَمَاto eat
بِمَا خَفَّ مِنْ زَادٍ ومَا طَابَ مَطْعَمَا
He spends the night over them both, hollow-bellied at his resting place,
He spends the night bent over it, sleeping
on light provisions and whatever is pleasant to eat.
On what little provision remained good to eat.
يَظَلُّhe spends the day إِلَىbeside أَرْطَأةِan arta shrub حِقْفٍon a curved dune يُثِيرُهَاhe stirs it
يَظَلُّ إِلَى أَرْطَأةِ حِقْفٍ يُثِيرُهَا
يُكَابِدُhe struggles with عَنْهَاaway from it تُرْبَهَاits soil أَنْso that يُهَدَّمَاit may be broken down
يُكَابِدُ عَنْهَا تُرْبَهَا أَنْ يُهَدَّمَا
He spends the day beside an arta shrub on a curved dune, stirring it,
He remains next to the sand-dune, disturbing it,
labouring to break up and clear away its soil.
Enduring its soil lest it be demolished.
يَبِيتُhe spends the night وحُرِّيٌّand fine, clean sand مِنَof الرَّملِthe sand تَحْتَهُbeneath him
يَبِيتُ وحُرِّيٌّ مِنَ الرَّملِ تَحْتَهُ
إلَىbeside نَعِجٍa white sandhill مِنْof ضَائِنِthe soft, fine kind الرَّمْلِof sand أَهْيَمَاever-thirsty
إلَى نَعِجٍ مِنْ ضَائِنِ الرَّمْلِ أَهْيَمَا
He sleeps with fine, clean sand beneath him,
He spends the night, fretful about the sand beneath him,
beside a white mound of soft, ever-thirsty sand.
Bleating to a ewe lost in the sands.
كَاَنَّas though مَجْوِسيّاًa Magian أَتَىhad come دُونَjust outside ظِلِّهَاits shade
كَاَنَّ مَجْوِسيّاً أَتَى دُونَ ظِلِّهَا
ومَاتَand died النَّدَىthe dew مِنْfrom جَانِبَيْهِhis two sides فَأَصْرَمَاand then vanished
ومَاتَ النَّدَى مِنْ جَانِبَيْهِ فَأَصْرَمَا
As though a Magian had come just outside its shade,
As if he were a Magian who came without his shade
and the dew on both sides of him had died and vanished.
And the dew died off on both his sides, so he was stripped bare.
غَدَاhe went out at dawn كَالفِرِنْدِlike a watered-steel blade العَضْبِkeen-edged يَهْنَزُّquivers مَتْنُهُhis back
غَدَا كَالفِرِنْدِ العَضْبِ يَهْنَزُّ مَتْنُهُ
مِنَfrom العِتْقِfine breeding لَوْلاَbut for لِيتُهُthe side of his neck لَتَحَطَّمَاhe would surely shatter
مِنَ العِتْقِ لَوْلاَ لِيتُهُ لَتَحَطَّمَا
He went out at dawn like a keen, watered blade, his back quivering
In the morning he sways like an 'ud stick, his trunk
from fine breeding; but for his neck, he would shatter.
Creaking from bondage, were it not for his weakness it would have snapped.
تَوَرِّعُهُturn him back الأَهْوَالُterrifying dangers مِنْfrom دُونِshort of هَمِّهِhis aim
تَوَرِّعُهُ الأَهْوَالُ مِنْ دُونِ هَمِّهِ
كَمَاas وَرَّعَrestrained الرَّاعِيthe herdsman الفَنِيقَthe prized stud camel المُسَدَّمَاkept from mating
كَمَا وَرَّعَ الرَّاعِي الفَنِيقَ المُسَدَّمَا
Terrifying dangers turn him back short of his aim,
Fears dissuade him from his concern
as a herdsman checks the prized stud camel kept from mating.
As they dissuaded the shepherd from the saddle-patched camel.
لَنَاwe have حَاضِرٌa settled community فَخْمٌmighty وبَادٍand nomadic kin كَأنَّهُas though they were
لَنَا حَاضِرٌ فَخْمٌ وبَادٍ كَأنَّهُ
شَمَارِيخُthe peaks رَضْوَىof Radwa عِزَّةًin might وتَكَرُّمَاand generous nobility
شَمَارِيخُ رَضْوَى عِزَّةً وتَكَرُّمَا
We have a mighty settled people, and nomadic kin like
We have a glorious, splendid present and past, as if
the peaks of Radwa in might and generous nobility.
It were lofty pillars of honor and generosity.
نُقَطِّعُwe apportion أَوْسَاطَthe central parts الحُقُوفِof the curved dunes لِقَوْمِنَاfor our people
نُقَطِّعُ أَوْسَاطَ الحُقُوفِ لِقَوْمِنَا
إِذَاwhen طُلِبَتْthey are requested فيin غَيْرِother than أَنْthat تَتَهَضَّمَاthey be encroached upon
إِذَا طُلِبَتْ في غَيْرِ أَنْ تَتَهَضَّمَا
We apportion the hearts of the curved dunes to our people,
We apportion the interiors of the dwellings to our people
when they are requested, but never through unjust encroachment.
When asked, without their being demolished.
لَنَاours are أَصْلُهَاtheir roots ولِلسَّمَاحِand for generosity صُدُورُهَاtheir foremost parts
لَنَا أَصْلُهَا ولِلسَّمَاحِ صُدُورُهَا
ونُنْصِفُand we deal fairly with مَوْلاَنَاour ally وإِنْeven if كَانَhe is أَظْلَمَاmore unjust
ونُنْصِفُ مَوْلاَنَا وإِنْ كَانَ أَظْلَمَا
Their roots are ours; their foremost portions belong to generosity,
To us belongs their origin, and to the generous their hearts,
and we deal fairly with our ally, even if he is more in the wrong.
And we treat our lord with fairness, even if he were unjust.
وصَهْبَاءَand tawny wine يَسْتَوشيdraws out secrets بِذِيfrom one possessing اللُبِّreason مِثْلُهَاits like
وصَهْبَاءَ يَسْتَوشي بِذِي اللُبِّ مِثْلُهَا
قَرَعْتُI struck بِهَاwith it نَفْسيmy soul إِذَاwhen الدِّيكُthe cock أَعْتَمَاdelayed its crow
قَرَعْتُ بِهَا نَفْسي إِذَا الدِّيكُ أَعْتَمَا
And tawny wine, whose like draws secrets from a man of reason—
By her of excellent character I swear equal to it -
I struck my soul with it when the cock delayed its crow.
I have censured myself whenever the cock crowed.
تَمَزَّزْتُهَاI sipped it صِرْفاًunmixed وقَارَعْتُand I tapped دَنَّهَاits wine-jar
تَمَزَّزْتُهَا صِرْفاً وقَارَعْتُ دَنَّهَا
بِعُودِwith a stick of أَرَاكٍarak wood هَزَّهُshook it فَتَرَنَّمَاand so it sang
بِعُودِ أَرَاكٍ هَزَّهُ فَتَرَنَّمَا
I sipped it unmixed and tapped its wine-jar
I have rejected her coldly and rapped her cheek gently
with an arak stick that shook it, and it sang.
With a sweet basil stick he had waved and so made melodious.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.