أَطِعobey الَهوىpassion واعْصِand disobey المُعاتِبْthe reproacher
أَطِع الَهوى واعْصِ المُعاتِبْ
واصْدِفand turn away عنfrom الواشِيthe tale-bearer المُراقِبْthe watcher
واصْدِف عن الواشِي المُراقِبْ
Obey passion and disobey the reproacher.
Obey desire, though censurers reprove,
And turn away from the watchful tale-bearer.
And turn aside from eve's observing eyes.
وتَغَنَّمِand seize اللّذّاتpleasures إنindeed (continued)
وتَغَنَّمِ اللّذّات إن
نَcompletion of 'indeed' مَمَرّهاtheir passage مَرُّpassing السَّحائِبْthe clouds
نَ مَمَرّها مَرُّ السَّحائِبْ
And seize pleasures, for
Make merry and the flying moments seize,
they pass as clouds pass.
For, look! Their course is rapid as the clouds'.
وانْظُرand look إلىat الأغصانِthe branches حاbearing (continued)
وانْظُر إلى الأغصانِ حا
مِلةًcompletion of 'bearing' شُموساًsuns فيin غَياهِبْdepths of darkness
مِلةً شُموساً في غَياهِبْ
And look at the branches,
Behold the boughs how they are laden down
bearing suns in depths of darkness.
With suns in all their brilliant canopies!
منof كلِّevery حَاوٍsnake-charmer قدalready تَكَنsurrounded him (continued)
من كلِّ حَاوٍ قد تَكَن
نَفَهُcompletion of 'surrounded him' ثَعابِينُserpents الذّوائِبْthe tresses
نَفَهُ ثَعابِينُ الذّوائِبْ
Each a snake-charmer, already encircled
In every nook lurks hidden from your sight
by the serpents of his tresses.
The adder of seductive qualities.
فيin وجهِهِhis face ضِدّانِtwo opposites كُلeach (continued)
في وجهِهِ ضِدّانِ كُل
لٌcompletion of 'each' مِنهُماof the two of them لِلُّبِّof the mind سَالِبْa thief
لٌ مِنهُما لِلُّبِّ سَالِبْ
In his face are two opposites, each
Her face shows opposites in each detail,
of them a thief of the mind:
Her every feature thieving hearts of men.
نارٌfire بلاwithout لَفْحٍscorching تَضَرblazes (continued)
نارٌ بلا لَفْحٍ تَضَر
مُcompletion of 'blazes' وسْطَamid ماءٍwater غيرِnot ذَائِبْmelted
مُ وسْطَ ماءٍ غيرِ ذَائِبْ
a fire without scorching, blazing
A flame that burns yet does not scorch at all,
amid water that does not melt.
A sea of water that is never turbid.
هَذيthese بقاياremnants سِحْرِmagic بَاBabylon (continued)
هَذي بقايا سِحْرِ بَا
بِلَcompletion of 'Babylon' وهيَand it is منamong إحدىone of العجائِبْthe wonders
بِلَ وهيَ من إحدى العجائِبْ
These are remnants of the magic of
These are the remnants of old Babylon,
Babylon, and this is one of the wonders.
Among the wonders they were famous for.
فحذَارِso beware ياO أُسْدَlions الشَّرىal-Sharā
فحذَارِ يا أُسْدَ الشَّرى
منof فَتكِdeadly assault ألحاظِglances الرّبَارِبْthe wild-cattle herds
من فَتكِ ألحاظِ الرّبَارِبْ
So beware, O lions of al-Sharā,
So, lion of mankind, beware her glances'
of the deadly glances of the wild-cattle herds.
Murderous onslaught and the typhoon's roar!
غَضبانُangry أفديهِI would ransom him عَلىdespite
غَضبانُ أفديهِ عَلى
ماwhatever كانَhas been منهُُfrom him مِنof مَغَاضبْprovocations
ما كانَ منهُُ مِن مَغَاضبْ
He is angry; I would ransom him, despite
Angered I am because of what occurred
whatever provocations have come from him.
Twixt me and him in way of enmity.
دَعْleave ذاthis فماthen what عُذرُexcuse الفَتىthe young man
دَعْ ذا فما عُذرُ الفَتى
فيin غَيِّهhis waywardness والفودُwhile the temple hair شَائِبْgray
في غَيِّه والفودُ شَائِبْ
Leave this—what excuse has a man
Cease now, for what excuse can serve the youth
for his waywardness, when his temple hair is gray?
Bewildered, when the old themselves mislead?
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.