وَأَبيَضَand a fair-skinned man مِثلُlike السَيفِthe sword خادِمُa servant رِفقَةٍa traveling company
وَأَبيَضَ مِثلُ السَيفِ خادِمُ رِفقَةٍ
أَشَمُّhigh-nosed تَرىyou see سِربالَهُhis tunic قَدalready تَقَدَّداhas become tattered
أَشَمُّ تَرى سِربالَهُ قَد تَقَدَّدا
And a fair-skinned man, like a sword, serving a company of travelers,
White as a sword, a courteous companion,
high-nosed—you see his tunic torn to shreds.
I can smell his gown, it is smoky.
كَريمٌgenerous عَلىdespite غُرّاتِهِhis lapses لَوif تَسُبُّهُyou insult him
كَريمٌ عَلى غُرّاتِهِ لَو تَسُبُّهُ
لَغَداكَhe would feed you breakfast رَسلاًmilk لاnot تَراهُyou see him مُرَبَّداdark-faced with anger
لَغَداكَ رَسلاً لا تَراهُ مُرَبَّدا
Generous despite his lapses: even if you insulted him,
Noble despite his anger, even if you insult him,
he would give you milk for breakfast; you would not see his face darken.
He will become a messenger, you won't see him enraged.
يُعَجِّلُhastens لِلقَومِfor the company الشِواءَthe roast meat يَجُرُّهُdragging it
يُعَجِّلُ لِلقَومِ الشِواءَ يَجُرُّهُ
بِأَقصىwith the far end of عَصاهُhis staff مُنضِجاًcooking it through وَمُرَمِّداand covering it with ashes
بِأَقصى عَصاهُ مُنضِجاً وَمُرَمِّدا
He hastens the roast for the company, dragging it
He hurries to roast meat for the people,
with the tip of his staff, cooking it and covering it with ashes.
Turning it on the tip of his stick, cooked and crispy.
حَلوفٌan inveterate swearer لَقَدindeed أَنضَجتَyou have cooked it through وَهوَthough it is مُلَهوَجٌunderdone
حَلوفٌ لَقَد أَنضَجتَ وَهوَ مُلَهوَجٌ
بِنِصفَينِin both halves لَوif حَرَّكتَهُyou moved it لَتَفَصَّداit would surely ooze blood
بِنِصفَينِ لَو حَرَّكتَهُ لَتَفَصَّدا
You keep swearing you have cooked it through, yet it is underdone
Well roasted, though it was raw,
in both halves; were you to move it, it would ooze blood.
Had he stirred it, it would have crumbled.
يُجيبُhe answers بِلَبَّيهِwith 'at your service' إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle دَعَوتَهُyou call him
يُجيبُ بِلَبَّيهِ إِذا ما دَعَوتَهُ
وَيَحسِبُand he considers ماwhatever يَدعيhe is summoned لَهُto it الدَهرُalways أَرشَداwisest
وَيَحسِبُ ما يَدعي لَهُ الدَهرُ أَرشَدا
He answers, 'At your service,' whenever you call him,
He responds to your call,
and always deems whatever he is called to the wisest course.
Believing that fate holds the best for him.
أَلاAh هَلhas? أَتىreached لَيلىLayla عَلىdespite نَأيِthe remoteness of دارِهاher home
أَلا هَل أَتى لَيلى عَلى نَأيِ دارِها
بِأَنof the fact that لَمdid not أُقاتِلI fight يَومَthe day of صَخرٍSakhr مُذَوِّداdefending
بِأَن لَم أُقاتِل يَومَ صَخرٍ مُذَوِّدا
Ah, has word reached Layla, despite her distant home,
Has Layla not come to her distant home,
that I did not fight in defense on the day of Sakhr,
Since I did not fight the day we fled?
وَأَنِّيَand that I أَسلَمتُI surrendered الرِكابَthe riding camels فَعَقَّرَتso they were hamstrung
وَأَنِّيَ أَسلَمتُ الرِكابَ فَعَقَّرَت
وَقَدand indeed كُنتُI had been مِقداماًbold بِسَيفيwith my sword مُغَرِّداcrying aloud
وَقَد كُنتُ مِقداماً بِسَيفي مُغَرِّدا
and that I surrendered the riding camels, so they were hamstrung,
I who surrendered my mount and she crippled it,
though I had been bold, sword in hand, crying aloud?
When I had been a warrior, singing my poems.
أَثَرتُI stirred to action فَلَمbut did not أَسطِعI was able قِتالاًfighting وَلاnor تَرىyou see
أَثَرتُ فَلَم أَسطِع قِتالاً وَلا تَرى
أَخاa man with شيعَةٍa band of supporters يَوماًever كَآخِرَlike another أَوحَداalone
أَخا شيعَةٍ يَوماً كَآخِرَ أَوحَدا
I stirred to action but could not fight; nor will you see
I stirred but could not excel in battle,
a man backed by companions ever like another all alone.
Never again to see a brother or lonely one.
فَهَلthen will? تَصرِمَنَّsurely sever الغانِياتُthe beautiful women مَوَدَّتيaffection for me
فَهَل تَصرِمَنَّ الغانِياتُ مَوَدَّتي
إِذاif قيلَit is said قَدindeed هابَhe feared المَنونَdeath فَعَرَّداand so fled
إِذا قيلَ قَد هابَ المَنونَ فَعَرَّدا
Will the beautiful women then sever their affection for me
Will the singers now abandon their love for me,
if it is said, 'He feared death and so fled'?
When told the fateful one panicked and fled?
أَياO رِفقَةًa traveling company مِنfrom أَهلِthe people of بَصرىBusra تَحَمَّلَتhas set out
أَيا رِفقَةً مِن أَهلِ بَصرى تَحَمَّلَت
تَؤُمُّheading toward الحِمىthe protected pasture لُقّيتِmay you be granted مِنas رِفقَةٍa company رُشداright guidance
تَؤُمُّ الحِمى لُقّيتِ مِن رِفقَةٍ رُشدا
O company from the people of Busra, who have set out,
O people of Basra, you who endured
heading for the protected pasture—may you travelers be guided aright!
And guarded the pact, you achieved maturity.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle بَلَغتُمyou arrive سالِمينَsafe فَبَلِّغواthen convey
إِذا ما بَلَغتُم سالِمينَ فَبَلِّغوا
تَحِيَّةَthe greeting of مَنone who قَدalready ظَنَّthought أَلّاthat ... not يَرىhe would see نَجداNajd
تَحِيَّةَ مَن قَد ظَنَّ أَلّا يَرى نَجدا
When you arrive safely, convey
When you arrive safe, convey
the greeting of one who thought he would not see Najd.
The greetings of one who thought he'd not see Najd.
وَقولاand say, you two تَرَكناwe left الحارِثِيَّal-Harithi مُكَبَّلاًshackled
وَقولا تَرَكنا الحارِثِيَّ مُكَبَّلاً
بِكَبلِwith the fetter of الهَوىpassion مِنfrom حُبِّكُمlove for you مُضمِراًharboring وَجداlonging
بِكَبلِ الهَوى مِن حُبِّكُم مُضمِراً وَجدا
And say, you two: 'We left al-Harithi shackled
And say we left Al-Harithi bound
by passion's fetter, harboring longing out of love for you,
By the fetters of love for you, suffering and ardency.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades فيin السَماءِthe sky كَأَنَّهاas though they were
إِذا ما الثُرَيّا في السَماءِ كَأَنَّها
جُمانٌpearls وَهيَcame loose مِنfrom سَلكَةٍa thread فَتَبَدَّداand then scattered
جُمانٌ وَهيَ مِن سَلكَةٍ فَتَبَدَّدا
when the Pleiades in the sky seem like
When the Pleiades in the sky are like
pearls loosened from a thread and scattered.'
A cluster, though made of a scattered chain.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.