ألمّhe came upon بهاher فيin حسنهاher beauty وشبابهاand her youth
ألمّ بها في حسنها وشبابها
كوردةlike a rose of بستانa garden جنتهاplucked it أناملهْhis fingertips
كوردة بستان جنتها أناملهْ
He came upon her in her beauty and youth,
She captivated him with her beauty and youth
like a garden rose plucked by his fingertips.
Like a rose blossoming in the garden of paradise are her fingers
فلماand when مشىwalked منfrom قلبهhis heart نحوtoward قلبهاher heart
فلما مشى من قلبه نحو قلبها
رسولthe messenger of الهوىlove خابتfailed لديهfor him وسائلهْhis means
رسول الهوى خابت لديه وسائلهْ
And when from his heart toward hers went
But when the messenger of love walked from his heart to hers
love’s messenger, his means availed him nothing.
The ways to reach her failed him
دهاهاhe assailed her وسترand the veil of التيهpride أسبلwas lowered دونهاbefore her
دهاها وستر التيه أسبل دونها
فماand did not زالcease حتىuntil رفّعraised السترthe veil سابلهthe one who lowered it
فما زال حتى رفّع الستر سابله
He assailed her, while pride’s veil was lowered before her;
He lured her and lowered the veil of confusion upon her
he persisted until the one who had lowered it raised the veil.
He did not stop until he lifted the hanging veil
ولوand had لمnot يحاولsought to win ذلكthat القلبheart باطشاًusing force
ولو لم يحاول ذلك القلب باطشاً
لحالwould have barred the way علىin رغمspite of الخلافةthe caliphate حائلهhis barrier
لحال على رغم الخلافة حائله
And had he not sought that heart by force,
And had his heart not attempted to seize hers by force
a barrier would have blocked him, despite the caliphate.
Obstacles would have stood in his way despite his power
غزالةa gazelle of وادa valley فيin حبالةthe snare of قانصa hunter
غزالة واد في حبالة قانص
تُبتmay be severed لغزلانfor the gazelles of الصريمthe thicket حبائلهhis snares
تُبت لغزلان الصريم حبائله
A valley gazelle in a hunter’s snare—
A gazelle of the valley in her bonds
may his snares be severed for the thicket’s gazelles!
Who used to entice the bucks with her snares
أقامhe spent اللياليthe nights وهيwhile she فيin قيدthe bonds of أسرهhis captivity
أقام الليالي وهي في قيد أسره
يغازلهاhe woos her لكنهاbut she لاnot تغازلهwoos him
يغازلها لكنها لا تغازله
He spent the nights while she was bound in his captivity,
He spent the nights while she was in his captivity
wooing her, though she did not woo him.
He flirted with her but she did not flirt back
تضنshe withholds ويسخوand he is generous بالودادwith affection وهكذاand thus
تضن ويسخو بالوداد وهكذا
يقابلresponds to قلبa heart نافرrecoiling منwhoever يقابلهapproaches it
يقابل قلب نافر من يقابله
She withholds, while he lavishes affection; and so
She was vexed while he was generous with affection and so
a recoiling heart responds to whoever approaches it.
A repulsed heart met the heart that faced it
قضاهاawarded her لهto him الظلمinjustice الذيwhich كانwas قاضياًa judge
قضاها له الظلم الذي كان قاضياً
وذلكand that عهدan age أظلمthe most unjust of الناسpeople عادلهits just man
وذلك عهد أظلم الناس عادله
Injustice, acting as judge, awarded her to him;
Fate condemned her to him, that unjust judge
and that was an age whose just man was the most unjust of men.
That was an era where the most unjust of people acted with justice
تقضيshe spends ربيعthe spring of العمرlife فيin غيرother than روضهits meadow
تقضي ربيع العمر في غير روضه
وماتand it died وماand not ناحتlamented عليهover it بلابلهits nightingales
ومات وما ناحت عليه بلابله
She spends life’s spring in a meadow not its own;
She spent the springtime of her life not in a meadow
and it died, with none of its nightingales lamenting it.
And he died without her warblers mourning him
فياso, O حسرتاmy sorrow! للغصنfor the branch يذبلit withers وحدهُalone
فيا حسرتا للغصن يذبل وحدهُ
وتبقىand remain عليهupon it ناضراتfresh غلائلهits fine robes
وتبقى عليه ناضرات غلائله
So, alas for the branch that withers alone,
Oh what sorrow for the branch that withers alone
while its robes remain fresh upon it.
While vibrant tendrils remain upon it
تجاوزexceeding غاياتthe bounds of الثلاثينthirty جائزpermissible
تجاوز غايات الثلاثين جائز
أبحتُهُI permitted it لوif انصفتهtreated him fairly عواذلهhis reproachers
أبحتُهُ لو انصفته عواذله
Exceeding the bounds of thirty is permissible;
He exceeded the boundaries of his thirties
I would have allowed it, had his reproachers done him justice.
I would have deemed him worthy if his peers were fair to him
مضىhas passed حكمهhis rule لاmay not أرجعrestore اللهGod حكمهُhis rule
مضى حكمه لا أرجع الله حكمهُ
أواخرهits latter days مذمومةblameworthy وأوائلهand its first days
أواخره مذمومة وأوائله
His rule has passed—may God never restore his rule—
His rule has passed, may God not restore his rule
its latter days are blameworthy, and so are its first.
The ends of it were disreputable, and the beginnings
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.