عَجَباًastonishment! لأحمدَat Ahmad والعجائبُand wonders جمَّةٌmany
عَجَباً لأحمدَ والعجائبُ جمَّةٌ
أنىhow يلومُhe blames علىon الزمانِTime تَبذُّليmy lowly state
أنى يلومُ على الزمانِ تَبذُّلي
How astonishing Ahmad is—and wonders abound!
How strange is Ahmed though wonders abound,
How can he blame my lowly state on Time?
That he should blame the times for my decline!
إنَّindeed الَعجيبَthe astonishing thing لماindeed what أبثكI disclose to you أمرهَhis condition
إنَّ الَعجيبَ لما أبثك أمرهَ
منof كلِّevery مثلوجِfrozen الفؤادِthe heart مهبَّلِwitless
من كلِّ مثلوجِ الفؤادِ مهبَّلِ
The true wonder is the condition I describe to you
Yet nothing strange when your command's proclaimed
Of every frozen-hearted, witless fellow:
And heart’s desires are burned in Passion’s fire.
وَغدٌa lout يلوكُchews لِسانَهُhis tongue بلهاتِهagainst his uvula
وَغدٌ يلوكُ لِسانَهُ بلهاتِه
وَتَرىand you see ضَبَابةَthe mist قلبهِof his heart لاnot تنجلىclears
وَتَرى ضَبَابةَ قلبهِ لا تنجلى
A lout who chews his tongue against his uvula,
Tomorrow his tongue may feed on falsehood’s food
And you see that the mist within his heart will not lift.
And mist will shroud his heart, no light within.
مُتصرفُbusy للنَّوكِwith folly فيin غُلوائِهits headlong frenzy
مُتصرفُ للنَّوكِ في غُلوائِه
زمرscant المروءةin manly virtue جامحunruly فيin المسحلthe bridle-bit
زمر المروءة جامح في المسحل
Busy with folly in its headlong frenzy,
A slave of passion in his pride perverse,
Scant in honor, bolting against the bit.
A raging bull trampling man’s dignity.
وإذاand when شهدتyou attend بهwith him مجالسَgatherings ذيone endowed with النُّهىreason
وإذا شهدت به مجالسَ ذي النُّهى
وَبَلَتْpoured down rain سحابَتهُhis cloud بنوكٍwith folly مُسهلِfreely flowing
وَبَلَتْ سحابَتهُ بنوكٍ مُسهلِ
And when you attend with him the councils of the wise,
When wanton assemblies witness him in sin,
His cloud pours down freely flowing folly.
His clouds will burst in floods of shame untold.
غَلَبَconquered الزمانَTime بجِدَّهby his striving فسماand so rose بهِthrough it
غَلَبَ الزمانَ بجِدَّه فسما بهِ
وكباand fell headlong الزمانُTime لوجهِهِonto its face والكَلْكَلِand the breast
وكبا الزمانُ لوجهِهِ والكَلْكَلِ
He conquered Time by his striving, and rose through it;
He conquered Time by purpose and pure heart,
And Time fell onto its face and breast.
And Time bowed down its head to him, resplendent.
ولقدand indeed سَمَوتُI rose بهمتيthrough my ambition وسماand rose بهاthrough it
ولقد سَمَوتُ بهمتي وسما بها
طَلَبِيmy pursuit المكارمَnoble virtues بالفعالِthrough deeds الأفضلِthe finest
طَلَبِي المكارمَ بالفعالِ الأفضلِ
Indeed, I rose through my ambition, and through it rose
My aspiration soared and with it soared
My pursuit of noble virtues through the finest deeds,
My quest for noble deeds and excellence,
لأنالَthat I might attain مَكرُمَةَhonor الحياةِof life وربماand sometimes
لأنالَ مَكرُمَةَ الحياةِ وربما
عَثَرَtripped الزمانُTime الدَّهاءthe cunning man الحوّلresourceful
عَثَرَ الزمانُ الدَّهاء الحوّل
That I might attain honor in life; yet sometimes
That I life's treasured gifts may win, though Time,
Time trips the cunning, resourceful man.
The cunning rogue, may seek to trip my feet.
فَلَئنْso if غُلبتُI am defeated لَتُمضيَنَّwill surely carry through ضريبتيmy nature
فَلَئنْ غُلبتُ لَتُمضيَنَّ ضريبتي
كَلَبَthe ferocity الزَّمانِof Time بعفةٍwith self-restraint وتجملِand dignified patience
كَلَبَ الزَّمانِ بعفةٍ وتجملِ
So if I am defeated, my nature will surely carry me through
And if defeated, still my share's assured
Time's ferocity with self-restraint and dignified patience.
As Time's true hound in modesty bedight.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.