لَبِسَhe donned الظَلامَthe darkness إِلَيكِtoward you (feminine) مُكتَتِماًconcealing himself
لَبِسَ الظَلامَ إِلَيكِ مُكتَتِماً
خَفِراًbashful لِحاجَةِfor the need of آلِفٍa devoted lover صَبِّlovesick
خَفِراً لِحاجَةِ آلِفٍ صَبِّ
He donned the darkness, coming to you in secret,
The darkness donned to you concealing
bashful, to fulfill a lovesick lover's need.
A guard for the need of thousands rallying
لَمَعَتshe signaled بِأَطرافِwith the tips of البَنانِthe fingers لَناto us
لَمَعَت بِأَطرافِ البَنانِ لَنا
إِنّاindeed we نُحاذِرُare wary of أَعيُنَthe eyes of الرَكبِthe riders
إِنّا نُحاذِرُ أَعيُنَ الرَكبِ
She signaled to us with her fingertips:
At the edges of the peaks there shone for us
We are wary of the riders' eyes.
Beware we do the eyes of the convoy prying
اِرجَعgo back وَرَدِّدand keep redirecting طَرفَthe gaze of تابِعِناour follower
اِرجَع وَرَدِّد طَرفَ تابِعِنا
حَتّىuntil يُجَدَّدَis renewed دارِسُthe faded traces of الحُبِّlove
حَتّى يُجَدَّدَ دارِسُ الحُبِّ
Go back, and keep diverting our follower's gaze,
Return and turn the gaze of our scout
until love's faded traces are renewed.
Until the lover spying is renewed
فَإِذاand behold شُخوصٌfigures كُنتُI was أَعرِفُهاI recognize them
فَإِذا شُخوصٌ كُنتُ أَعرِفُها
فيin المِسكِthe musk وَالأَكباشِand the ornaments وَالعَصبِand the striped fabrics
في المِسكِ وَالأَكباشِ وَالعَصبِ
Then, behold, figures I knew,
When figures I knew were approaching
in musk, ornaments, and striped robes,
With musk, sheepskins and headbands vying
تَمشيthey walk الضَراءَthe concealing thicket عَلىat بَهينَتِهاtheir ease
تَمشي الضَراءَ عَلى بَهينَتِها
تَبدوshows غَضاضَتُهاtheir youthful freshness مِنَfrom الإِتبِthe sleeveless tunic
تَبدو غَضاضَتُها مِنَ الإِتبِ
walking through the thicket at their ease,
Distress walked in its glory
their youthful freshness showing through sleeveless tunics.
Its torment from toil appearing
قالَتshe said أُمَامَةُUmamah يَومَon the day of زَورَتِهاher visit
قالَت أُمَامَةُ يَومَ زَورَتِها
قَولَthe words of المُؤارِبِone speaking obliquely غَيرِnot ذيpossessing عَتبِreproach
قَولَ المُؤارِبِ غَيرِ ذي عَتبِ
Umamah said on the day of her visit,
Umamah said when she visited
with the words of one speaking obliquely, without reproach:
The words of the complainer no blame implying
هَذاthis man الَّذيwho لَجَّpersisted relentlessly البُعادُseparation بِهِwith him
هَذا الَّذي لَجَّ البُعادُ بِهِ
ماnot كانَit was عَنfrom رَأيٍjudgment وَلاnor لُبِّsense
ما كانَ عَن رَأيٍ وَلا لُبِّ
This is the man whom separation has dogged;
He whom distance has secluded
it came of neither judgment nor sense.
Not by plan or heart complying
باعَsold الصَديقُthe friend بِوُدِّfor the love of غائِبَةٍan absent woman
باعَ الصَديقُ بِوُدِّ غائِبَةٍ
بِالشامِin al-Sham (the Levant) فيin مُتَمَنِّعٍan inaccessible place صَعبِhard to reach
بِالشامِ في مُتَمَنِّعٍ صَعبِ
The friend sold out for an absent woman's love,
The friend sold with love of an absent one
in al-Sham, in a forbidding place, hard to reach.
In Damascus a retreat denying
لاdo not تُهلِكينيdestroy me (feminine address) فيin عَذابِكُمُyour torment (plural)
لا تُهلِكيني في عَذابِكُمُ
فَاللَهُfor God يَعلَمُknows غائِبَthe hidden secrets of القَلبِthe heart
فَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ غائِبَ القَلبِ
Do not destroy me with your torment,
Destroy me not in your torments
for God knows what lies hidden in the heart.
For God knows the heart in hiding
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.