أَهْلاًwelcome بِنَمَّامٍto nammām (a fragrant herb; literally 'tale-bearer') يَنُمُّgives itself away بِطِيبِهِby its fragrance
أَهْلاً بِنَمَّامٍ يَنُمُّ بِطِيبِهِ
فيin كُلِّevery إِبَّانٍseason وِكُلَّand every زَمَانِtime
في كُلِّ إِبَّانٍ وِكُلَّ زَمَانِ
Welcome to the nammām, whose fragrance gives it away,
Greetings to the tattler whose goodness puts him to sleep
in every season and at every time.
In every time and every era
لاmay not كانَexist عَائِبُهُits detractor فَقَدْfor indeed أَبْدىhe has shown لَناto us
لا كانَ عَائِبُهُ فَقَدْ أَبْدى لَنا
عَيْنَthe very essence of المُحالِabsurdity وَجاءَand he came بِالبُهْتَانِwith slander
عَيْنَ المُحالِ وَجاءَ بِالبُهْتَانِ
May its detractor be no more, for he has shown us
If he misses fault-finding, he has already shown us
absurdity itself and come bearing slander.
The impossible and comes up with nonsense
يَحْدُوit leads المُفِيقَthe sober one إِلىtoward الخُمَارِdrunken languor لأَنَّbecause فيin
يَحْدُو المُفِيقَ إِلى الخُمَارِ لأَنَّ في
نِصْفِhalf of اسْمِهِits name ثَمَلthe intoxication of الفَتىthe youth السَّكْرانِthe drunken
نِصْفِ اسْمِهِ ثَمَل الفَتى السَّكْرانِ
It draws the sober man toward drunken languor, for in
He urges the awakened one to wine because in
half its name lies the intoxication of the drunken youth.
Half his name lies the drunkenness of the youth
وَهِجاءُand the spelling of نَمَّامٍnammām إِذاif نَكَّسْتَهُyou reverse it
وَهِجاءُ نَمَّامٍ إِذا نَكَّسْتَهُ
لَكَfor you طَارِفٌa ward مِنْagainst طَارِقِthe night-visitor of الحَدَثانِfate's calamities
لَكَ طَارِفٌ مِنْ طَارِقِ الحَدَثانِ
And the spelling of 'nammām,' if you reverse it,
And the satire of the tattler, if you invert it
is a ward for you against the night-visitor of fate.
Becomes for you a joke from the fresh news