ياO اِبنُson عَمرٍAmr وَالخَيرُand goodness فيكَin you قَليلُlittle
يا اِبنُ عَمرٍ وَالخَيرُ فيكَ قَليلُ
كَذَبَproved false الظَنُّexpectation فيكَin you وَالتَأميلُand hope
كَذَبَ الظَنُّ فيكَ وَالتَأميلُ
O son of Amr, there is little goodness in you.
O son of Umar, though good in you is little,
Expectation and hope in you have proved false.
False is the hope and wishful thinking in you.
مَنwhoever يَكُنmay be حامِلاًcarrying إِلَيكَto you كِتاباًa letter
مَن يَكُن حامِلاً إِلَيكَ كِتاباً
فَكِتابيthen my letter إِلَيكَto you أَيرٌa cock طَويلُlong
فَكِتابي إِلَيكَ أَيرٌ طَويلُ
Whoever may be carrying a letter to you,
If one comes to you bearing a letter from me,
then my letter to you is a long cock.
Then my letter to you is very long.
وَرَسوليand my messenger لَحظٌa glance يُخَمِّشُscratches أَلفاyour words (first fragment)
وَرَسولي لَحظٌ يُخَمِّشُ أَلفا
ظَكَyour words (final fragment) إِنif لَمnot يوجَدis found إِلَيكَto you رَسولُa messenger
ظَكَ إِن لَم يوجَد إِلَيكَ رَسولُ
And my messenger is a glance that scratches your
And my messenger is a glance that rips through a thousand,
words, if no messenger to you can be found.
If no messenger can make it to you.
لاdo not تَدَلَّلplay coy عَلَيَّwith me بِالبُخلِthrough stinginess إِنّيindeed I
لا تَدَلَّل عَلَيَّ بِالبُخلِ إِنّي
لَيسَnot يَصبينِيَcaptivates me الحَبيبُthe beloved البَخيلُthe miserly
لَيسَ يَصبينِيَ الحَبيبُ البَخيلُ
Do not play coy with me by being stingy, for I
Do not plead poverty as an excuse, for I
am not captivated by a miserly beloved.
Am not pleased by a miserly beloved.