تاللهِ يا ابن أبي أمية قُل لنا

تاللهِ يا ابن أبي أمية قُل لنا

إن كنتَ مَسْعَدَةً فأينَ المَنْحَسَهْ

إن كنتَ مَسْعَدَةً فأينَ المَنْحَسَهْ

By God, O son of Abu Umayya, tell us:

By Allah, O son of Abu Umayya, tell us

If you are Masʿada, a source of good fortune, where is the source of ill fortune?

If you are fortunate, where is the ill fate?

دَنَّستَ يا ابن أبي أميةَ كُنيَةً

دَنَّستَ يا ابن أبي أميةَ كُنيَةً

غَنِيتْ زماناً وهي غيرُ مُدَنَّسَهْ

غَنِيتْ زماناً وهي غيرُ مُدَنَّسَهْ

You have defiled, O son of Abu Umayya, an honorific name

You have defiled, O son of Abu Umayya, the teknonym

That long remained undefiled.

It was rich once, and is no longer defiled

تُكنى أبا يعلى ولستَ بأهلِها

تُكنى أبا يعلى ولستَ بأهلِها

ما لم يَقْلها القائِلُون مُنكَّسه

ما لم يَقْلها القائِلُون مُنكَّسه

You are called Abu Yaʿla, though you are unworthy of it,

You are called Abu Yala, yet you are not worthy of it

Unless those who utter it turn it upside down.

Unless uttered by the humble and downfallen

أصبحتَ قَنَّعت الكتابة خَزيةً

أصبحتَ قَنَّعت الكتابة خَزيةً

قد كان قنَّعها أبوكَ الهندسه

قد كان قنَّعها أبوكَ الهندسه

You have now cloaked the scribal profession in disgrace;

You have donned the mantle of secretary disgracefully

Your father had already cloaked engineering in that disgrace.

While your father tailored it with skill

فليُبعد اللَّه الكتابةَ إنَها

فليُبعد اللَّه الكتابةَ إنَها

لا شكَّ إذ قبِلتْك غيرُ مُقدسه

لا شكَّ إذ قبِلتْك غيرُ مُقدسه

So may God banish the scribal profession, for it is

So may Allah banish the post of secretary, for

Without doubt unsanctified, since it accepted you.

Without doubt, since accepting you, it is no longer sacred