أَياO عَمْروAmr ياO بْنَson of العُلىeminence والحَسَبand ancestral honor
أَيا عَمْرو يا بْنَ العُلى والحَسَب
وَمَنْand you who حَلَّsettled فيin المَنْصِبِthe station المُنْتَخَبْthe choicest
وَمَنْ حَلَّ في المَنْصِبِ المُنْتَخَبْ
O Amr, O son of eminence and ancestral honor,
O Amro, O son of nobility and pedigree,
and you who hold the choicest station,
And the one who assumed the chosen rank,
بَعَثْتُI sent إِليْكَto you أَطَالَmay prolong الإِلاَGod (word continues next line)
بَعَثْتُ إِليْكَ أَطَالَ الإِلاَ
هُcompletion of ‘God’ عُمْرَكَyour life ماas long as طَالَendures عمرthe lifespan of الحِقَبْthe ages
هُ عُمْرَكَ ما طَالَ عمر الحِقَبْ
I have sent you—may God prolong
I sent you, may your life be long,
your life as long as the ages endure—
As long as the life of eras,
بِمِرْوَحَةٍwith a fan راحَةٍa comfort لِلقُلوبِfor hearts
بِمِرْوَحَةٍ راحَةٍ لِلقُلوبِ
لَهاit has نِسْبَتانِtwo lineages إِذاwhen تَنْتَسِبْit traces its descent
لَها نِسْبَتانِ إِذا تَنْتَسِبْ
a fan, a comfort to hearts.
A fan, a comfort to hearts,
It has two lineages when it traces its descent:
With two lineages, when attributed,
فَفيso in سَعَفِthe fronds of النَّخْلthe date palms نَخْلthe date palms of النَّبيطِthe Nabataeans
فَفي سَعَفِ النَّخْل نَخْل النَّبيطِ
وفيand in خَيْزرانِthe bamboo of غِياضِthe thickets of العَرَبْthe Arabs
وفي خَيْزرانِ غِياضِ العَرَبْ
one in palm fronds—the palms of the Nabataeans—
So in palm leaves, palms of Nabit,
and one in the bamboo of the Arabs’ thickets.
And in the bamboo, groves of Arabs.
عَلَيْهاupon it الحِدادmourning attire كَمَهْجورةٍlike a forsaken woman
عَلَيْها الحِداد كَمَهْجورةٍ
رَمَتْهاshe assailed her عَشيقَتُهاher female lover بالغَضَبْwith anger
رَمَتْها عَشيقَتُها بالغَضَبْ
It wears mourning, like a forsaken woman
Upon it mourning, as if abandoned,
whom her female lover has assailed with anger.
Thrown by her lover in anger.
مَنافِعُهاits benefits أَبداًalways جَمَّةٌabundant
مَنافِعُها أَبداً جَمَّةٌ
لمالِكِهاfor its owner غيرَwithout قَوْلٍa statement كَذِبْfalse
لمالِكِها غيرَ قَوْلٍ كَذِبْ
Its benefits are always abundant
Its benefits are always perfect
for its owner—no false claim.
For its owner, not a lie told.
تَرُدُّit brings back التَّشارينَthe Tishrin months (autumn) فيin حُمَّةٍscorching heat
تَرُدُّ التَّشارينَ في حُمَّةٍ
مِنَof القَيْظِsummer heat نِيرانُهاits fires تَلْتَهِبْare ablaze
مِنَ القَيْظِ نِيرانُها تَلْتَهِبْ
It brings back the Tishrin months amid the scorching heat
It repels heat in intense
of summer, whose fires blaze.
Flames blazing from the summer heat.
وتَجْعَلُand you make [it] سِتْراًa screen إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَرَدْwished (completed next line)
وتَجْعَلُ سِتْراً إِذا ما أَرَدْ
تَyou (completes ‘you wished’) سِراًa secret إلىto صَاحِبٍa companion فيconcerning سَبَبْa matter
تَ سِراً إلى صَاحِبٍ في سَبَبْ
And you make it a screen whenever you wish
It can act as a screen if you want
to share a secret with a companion concerning some matter.
To secretly meet a lover for reason.
وإِنْand if شِئْتَyou wish كَانَتْit becomes قَضيبَa stem of الأَقَاحِdaisies
وإِنْ شِئْتَ كَانَتْ قَضيبَ الأَقَاحِ
فَأَدَّتْso it conveys إليْكto you فُنونَvarieties of الطَّرَبْdelight
فَأَدَّتْ إليْك فُنونَ الطَّرَبْ
And if you wish, it becomes a stem of daisies,
And if you wish it becomes a conductor’s baton
and so brings you many kinds of delight.
Bringing you rhythms of music and song.
وتَصْلُحand it is suitable لِلضَّرْبِfor striking ضَرْبِthe striking of الدَّلالِcoquetry
وتَصْلُح لِلضَّرْبِ ضَرْبِ الدَّلالِ
دَلالِthe coquetry of الحَبيبِthe beloved إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle عتبْhe chides
دَلالِ الحَبيبِ إِذا ما عتبْ
And it is suited to striking—the blows of coquetry,
Fit for beating, beating of the guide,
a beloved’s coquetry when he chides.
Guide of the beloved, if ever defiant.
وتُوميand you gesture بِهاwith it فيin عُروضِthe course of الكَلامِspeech
وتُومي بِها في عُروضِ الكَلامِ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle احتبيتَyou sit clasping your knees لِنَثْرِto deliver in prose الخُطَبْthe orations
إِذا ما احتبيتَ لِنَثْرِ الخُطَبْ
And you gesture with it in the course of speech
And waved in poetic meter,
when you sit clasping your knees to deliver orations.
If you've a mind for prose or speech.
ومِنْand from بَعْدِafter ذاthis كُلِّهِall of it فَاسْمُكَthen your name الthe (attached to ‘blessed’ next line)
ومِنْ بَعْدِ ذا كُلِّهِ فَاسْمُكَ ال
مُبارَكُblessed فيon ظَهْرِهاits back قَدْalready كُتِبْhas been inscribed
مُبارَكُ في ظَهْرِها قَدْ كُتِبْ
And after all this, your name—
And after all this, your name not
blessed—has already been inscribed on its back.
Blessed on its back inscribed.
Sol 6.1