She's a Work of Art
The following poem is fairly self-explanatory: the poet describes his regard for “the daughter of Fʾāmōn”: Fann. Fann is an Arabic word meaning “art”; there is abundant wordplay in this poem between her personal name and the meaning of her name in Arabic. Words or phrases in boldface presented some difficulty to myself or Muḥammad bir Nǧēma.
| Poem | Translation |
|---|---|
| 1) ǧānī ḥyōm // ǧzawt teḳyīd | The sun has begun to set // it has reached the horizon and is disappearing. |
| 2) w-fayʾ ḳīṭōn // hēm līn entīṭ | The shadows of the highest mountains // they come to us, one after the other. |
| 3) ṭāt hēm ryēm // w-ṯroh ḏe-ḥdīd | One of them [the mountains] is Ryēm // and the second is of [?] Ḥdīd |
| 4) ḏ-sedhem ṭāṭ // ḏel-yebtədīd | Their [the mountains’] friendship is one // they are never separated. |
| 5) hes ġyū rabźā // w-bēnī ḥdīd | Like brothers of the same mother // and cousins |
| 6) w-ḏeh ḏ-ʿeykōm // eśhelleh [sic. ešhelleh] ʾaḳyīd | This mountain, ʿEykōm // it deserves [their] leadership |
| 7) fenwīhem ǧroh // śwēr w-ʾāḳīd | It goes in front of them // [their] counselor and leader |
| 8) heh heynī ʾāmūr // yeśġābī ʾaǧīd | It [the mountain? or “he”?] said to me: // beauty steals away [my] heart. |
| 9) ʾabirt fʾāmōm // fann śhīd | The daughter of Fʾāmōn // her artistry is well attested. |
| 10) fann śeḫṭ ḏhīb // w-ʾālḳ ʾaǧīd | Fann is an array of gold chains // the most beautiful necklace |
| 11) etē bə-dābūm // ksibk ʿāḏīd | Until Dābūm // I earned [nothing but] pain and hardship. |
| 12) fann ham ʾār ṭāṭ // ḥrōf teǧwīd | “Fann” is a unique name // its letters [in] recitation: |
| 13) ṭār ʾelf w-fā // w-nūn tešdīd | Atop alif and fā // and a geminate nūn. |
| 14) ʾār ḏ-bers eḏ-šeh // ksoh efyīd | Indeed her, [he] who is with her // “finds profit.” |
| 15) w-emben ṯroh // lād hoh mebdīd | Between the two of them // I will not intrude [i.e. “separate”]. |