لَعَمْريby my life إِنّيindeed I يومَon the day of بُصْرىBusra وناقتيand my she-camel
لَعَمْري إِنّي يومَ بُصْرى وناقتي
لَمُخْتَلِفاsurely differing, we two الأَهواءِdesires مُصْطَحِبانِtwo companions
لَمُخْتَلِفا الأَهواءِ مُصْطَحِبانِ
By my life, that day at Busra, I and my she-camel
By my life! When my camel and I
were surely companions with different longings.
Were seeking different passions, journeying together,
فَلَوْfor if تَرَكَتْنيshe spared me ناقتيmy she-camel منfrom حَنينِهاher yearning cries
فَلَوْ تَرَكَتْني ناقتي من حَنينِها
وماand what بِيَis in me منof وَجْدٍanguish إِذاًthen لكَفانيwould surely suffice me
وما بِيَ من وَجْدٍ إِذاً لكَفاني
For if my she-camel had spared me her yearning cries,
Had she left me because of her yearning,
the anguish within me would then surely have sufficed.
I would have enough sadness then to suffice me.
متىwhenever تَجْمعيyou combine شوقيmy longing وشوقَكِand your longing تُفْدِحيyou are overburdened
متى تَجْمعي شوقي وشوقَكِ تُفْدِحي
وماand not لكِyou have بِالْعِبْءِto bear the burden الثَّقيلِheavy يَدانِtwo hands (strength)
وما لكِ بِالْعِبْءِ الثَّقيلِ يَدانِ
Whenever you combine my longing with yours, you are overburdened,
When will you join my passion with yours
and your two hands cannot bear the heavy load.
And why do you not help me bear the heavy burden?
فياso, O كَبِدَيْناour two livers منfrom مَخافَةِfear of لوعةِburning anguish
فيا كَبِدَيْنا من مَخافَةِ لوعةِ
الفِراقِparting ومنand from صَرْفِthe blows of النّوىseparation تَجْفانyou both grow dry
الفِراقِ ومن صَرْفِ النّوى تَجْفان
So, O our two livers, from fear of the burning anguish
O my two livers, from fear of the agony
of parting, and from separation's blows, you both grow parched.
Of parting and from being diverted from purpose, you are scorched.
وإِذْand when نحنwe مِنْfrom أَنْthat تَشْحَطَgrow distant الدّارُthe home غُرْبةًin exile
وإِذْ نحن مِنْ أَنْ تَشْحَطَ الدّارُ غُرْبةً
وإِنْand if شُقّwas split لِلْبَيْنِfor separation العَصاthe staff وَجِلانِboth afraid
وإِنْ شُقّ لِلْبَيْنِ العَصا وَجِلانِ
And when we feared that home would grow distant in exile,
When we are about to leave the abode desolate
and both trembled should the staff be split for parting,
And the staves of separation are broken in twain,
يقولُsay لِيَto me الأصحابُthe companions إِذْas يَعْذلُونَنيthey reproach me
يقولُ لِيَ الأصحابُ إِذْ يَعْذلُونَني
أَشَوْقٌis it longing? عِراقِيٌّIraqi وأنتَwhile you يَمانِYemeni
أَشَوْقٌ عِراقِيٌّ وأنتَ يَمانِ
my companions say to me as they reproach me:
My friends say to me, blaming me,
An Iraqi longing, though you are Yemeni?
“An Iraqi longing for one from Yemen!”
وليسَand is not يَمانٍa Yemeni للعراقيْto an Iraqi بِصاحبٍa companion
وليسَ يَمانٍ للعراقيْ بِصاحبٍ
عسىperhaps فيin صُرُوفِthe vicissitudes of الدَّهْرِtime يَلْتَقِيانِthe two meet
عسى في صُرُوفِ الدَّهْرِ يَلْتَقِيانِ
And no Yemeni is a companion to an Iraqi.
“The Iraqi has no friend from Yemen”
Perhaps, amid time's changing fortunes, the two will meet.
Perhaps in the twists of fate they will meet.
تَحَمَّلْتُI have borne مِنْbecause of عفراءَAfra ماwhat ليسis not ليبِهِfor me to bear it
تَحَمَّلْتُ مِنْ عفراءَ ما ليس ليبِهِ
ولاnor لِلجبالِfor the mountains الرَّاسياتِfirmly rooted يَدانِtwo hands (strength)
ولا لِلجبالِ الرَّاسياتِ يَدانِ
Because of Afra, I have borne what neither I
I have endured from a dusky beauty what
nor the firmly rooted mountains have hands to bear.
Neither mountain nor arm has strength for.
كَأَنَّas though قَطاةًa sandgrouse عُلِّقَتْwas suspended بِجَناحِهاby its wing
كَأَنَّ قَطاةً عُلِّقَتْ بِجَناحِها
علىupon كَبِديmy liver منfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of الخَفَقانِthe throbbing
على كَبِدي من شِدَّةِ الخَفَقانِ
As though a sandgrouse were suspended by its wing
As though wild cats with claws unsheathed
upon my liver, so violent is the throbbing.
Were hung to my bosom because of the throbbing.
جَعَلْتُI promised لِعَرّافِto the diviner of اليَمامةِal-Yamama حُكْمَهُhis chosen fee
جَعَلْتُ لِعَرّافِ اليَمامةِ حُكْمَهُ
وعَرّافِand the diviner of حَجْرٍHajr إِنْif هماthe two of them شَفيانيthey healed me
وعَرّافِ حَجْرٍ إِنْ هما شَفياني
I promised the diviner of al-Yamama whatever fee he chose,
I made the diviner of al-Yamamah to be my judge
and the diviner of Hajr, if the two would heal me.
And the diviner of Hajar, if the two could cure me.
فقالاso they both said نَعَمْyes نَشْفيwe cure مِنَfrom الدّاءِthe illness كُلِّهِall of it
فقالا نَعَمْ نَشْفي مِنَ الدّاءِ كُلِّهِ
وقاماand they both rose معwith العُوّادِthe sickbed visitors يَبتَدِرانِboth hastening
وقاما مع العُوّادِ يَبتَدِرانِ
They said, 'Yes, we cure every illness,'
They said, “Yes, we cure all disease”
and rose with the sickbed visitors, both hastening.
And they stood up with the visitors competing.
نعمyes وبلىand indeed قالاthey both said متىsince when كنتَyou have been هكذاlike this
نعم وبلى قالا متى كنتَ هكذا
لِيَسْتَخْبِرانيto question me قلتُI said منذfor زَمانِsome time
لِيَسْتَخْبِراني قلتُ منذ زَمانِ
'Yes, indeed,' they said. 'Since when have you been like this?'
“Yes and amen,” they said, when I was in this state,
seeking to learn my condition; I said, 'For some time.'
To examine me. I said, “For a long time now.”
فماso not تركاthey both left منany رُقْيَةٍincantation يَعْلَمانِهاthey both know it
فما تركا من رُقْيَةٍ يَعْلَمانِها
ولاnor شُرْبَةٍa potion إِلاّexcept وقدand already سَقَيانيthey both gave me to drink
ولا شُرْبَةٍ إِلاّ وقد سَقَياني
So they left no incantation they knew untried,
They left no chant they knew
nor any potion they had not given me to drink.
Or potion but they gave it to me to drink.
فماyet not شَفَياthey both cured الدّاءَthe illness الذيthat بيَis in me كُلَّهُall of it
فما شَفَيا الدّاءَ الذي بيَ كُلَّهُ
وماand not ذَخَراthey both withheld نُصْحاًsincere care ولاnor أَلَوانيthey failed me
وما ذَخَرا نُصْحاً ولا أَلَواني
Yet they did not wholly cure the illness within me,
They cured not at all the disease that was in me
and withheld no sincere care, nor spared any effort for me.
And hoarded no good advice or treatments for me.
فقالاso they both said شفاكَmay He heal you اللهُGod واللهِby God ماnot لَناwe have
فقالا شفاكَ اللهُ واللهِ ما لَنا
بِماwith what ضُمِّنَتْwere made to contain منكَof you الضّلوعُthe ribs يَدانِtwo hands (strength)
بِما ضُمِّنَتْ منكَ الضّلوعُ يَدانِ
They said, 'May God heal you! By God, we have
They said, “May God cure you, by God we have no way
no hands to cope with what your ribs enclose.'
To what your ribs contain, O hand of strife!”
فرُحْتُso I went away مِنَfrom العَرّافِthe diviner تسقُطُfalls عِمَّتيmy turban
فرُحْتُ مِنَ العَرّافِ تسقُطُ عِمَّتي
عَنِfrom الرّأْسِthe head ماnot أَلْتاثُهاI wind it on بِبَنانِwith fingertips
عَنِ الرّأْسِ ما أَلْتاثُها بِبَنانِ
So I left the diviner, my turban falling
I rejoiced that the diviners’ turbans
from my head, unable to wind it on with my fingers.
Were falling from their heads, so useless were they.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.