أَيا عَمْرو يا بْنَ العُلى والحَسَب

وَمَنْ حَلَّ في المَنْصِبِ المُنْتَخَبْ

O Amro, O son of nobility and pedigree,

And the one who assumed the chosen rank,

بَعَثْتُ إِليْكَ أَطَالَ الإِلاَ

هُ عُمْرَكَ ما طَالَ عمر الحِقَبْ

I sent you, may your life be long,

As long as the life of eras,

بِمِرْوَحَةٍ راحَةٍ لِلقُلوبِ

لَها نِسْبَتانِ إِذا تَنْتَسِبْ

A fan, a comfort to hearts,

With two lineages, when attributed,

فَفي سَعَفِ النَّخْل نَخْل النَّبيطِ

وفي خَيْزرانِ غِياضِ العَرَبْ

So in palm leaves, palms of Nabit,

And in the bamboo, groves of Arabs.

عَلَيْها الحِداد كَمَهْجورةٍ

رَمَتْها عَشيقَتُها بالغَضَبْ

Upon it mourning, as if abandoned,

Thrown by her lover in anger.

مَنافِعُها أَبداً جَمَّةٌ

لمالِكِها غيرَ قَوْلٍ كَذِبْ

Its benefits are always perfect

For its owner, not a lie told.

تَرُدُّ التَّشارينَ في حُمَّةٍ

مِنَ القَيْظِ نِيرانُها تَلْتَهِبْ

It repels heat in intense

Flames blazing from the summer heat.

وتَجْعَلُ سِتْراً إِذا ما أَرَدْ

تَ سِراً إلى صَاحِبٍ في سَبَبْ

It can act as a screen if you want

To secretly meet a lover for reason.

وإِنْ شِئْتَ كَانَتْ قَضيبَ الأَقَاحِ

فَأَدَّتْ إليْك فُنونَ الطَّرَبْ

And if you wish it becomes a conductor’s baton

Bringing you rhythms of music and song.

وتَصْلُح لِلضَّرْبِ ضَرْبِ الدَّلالِ

دَلالِ الحَبيبِ إِذا ما عتبْ

Fit for beating, beating of the guide,

Guide of the beloved, if ever defiant.

وتُومي بِها في عُروضِ الكَلامِ

إِذا ما احتبيتَ لِنَثْرِ الخُطَبْ

And waved in poetic meter,

If you've a mind for prose or speech.

ومِنْ بَعْدِ ذا كُلِّهِ فَاسْمُكَ ال

مُبارَكُ في ظَهْرِها قَدْ كُتِبْ

And after all this, your name not

Blessed on its back inscribed.