Three kinds of help with the words
A transcription gives you the Arabic text in ordinary typed letters. A transliteration suggests how it sounds using another alphabet. A translation explains its meaning in another language. They serve different purposes. Request the first and the third, adding pronunciation if you want to say the phrase aloud. A pronunciation guide alone cannot tell you what you are displaying.
A translation needs its context
A phrase may be everyday language, poetry, religious wording or a personal name. A literal translation may leave that distinction unclear. Ask what kind of text it is and, for a quotation, where it comes from. Knowing the context helps you decide whether it is suitable for a shared living room, a personal corner or the particular person receiving your gift.
The design can make reading less immediate
Calligraphy can extend, overlap or arrange letters into a compact shape. A reader familiar with Arabic may still need time to follow a strongly stylized composition. Recognizing an angular style does not identify the sentence. Match the confirmed transcription to the particular image, keeping an explanation of one design from being attached to another simply because their lettering looks similar.
Names deserve a separate check
If a proposed design includes a name, confirm the intended spelling with the person concerned. A name written in Latin letters may have more than one plausible Arabic rendering, and a pronunciation can help resolve uncertainty. Ask whether the requested design is possible before assuming it can be made. Approval should refer to the agreed written name, not only to an appealing arrangement of letters.
Give a non-reader a way to return to the meaning
For a gift, a small accompanying card can carry the Arabic text, its translation and a short explanation of why you chose it. Keep any quotation source with that note. This lets the recipient enjoy the composition and answer a visitor’s question about the words. If the text cannot be confirmed, a patterned embroidery offers another way to choose a Palestinian artwork without an uncertain phrase.