1. I know, my lady Ghada,
Mentioning her name is enough to describe her.
١. أَعْرِفُ يَا سَيِّدَتِي غَادَةً
ذِكْرُ اسْمِهَا يُغْنِي عَنِ النَّعْتِ
2. She has a smile like the smile of dawn,
Or like your smile when you grin.
٢. لَهَا مُحَيَّا كَمُحَيَّا الضُّحَى
أَوْ كَمُحَيَّاكِ إِذَا بِنْتِ
3. Her height, upright in its tilt,
Is like your height when you lean.
٣. وَقَدُّهَا الْعَادِلُ فِي مَيْلِهَا
كَقَدِّكِ الْعَادِلِ إِنْ مِلْتِ
4. The first letter of her name
Is the first letter you learned.
٤. أَوَّلُ حَرْفٍ مِنْ حُرُوفِ اسْمِهَا
أَوَّلُ حَرْفٍ قَدْ تَعَلَّمْتِ
5. And its second letter is like a drop of dew
Forming a crown of plants.
٥. وَحَرْفُهُ الثَّانِي كَنَقْطِ النَّدَى
مُنْعَقَدَ التَّاجِ مِنَ النَّبْتِ
6. And its third letter, if you wish,
Is a conjunction as you wish.
٦. وَحَرْفُهُ الثَّالِثُ إِنْ شِئْتِهِ
ضَمِيرَ وَصْلٍ كَانَ مَا شِئْتِ
7. So what have I rhymed about and who
In that description did you recognize?
٧. فَمَا الَّذِي أَلْغَزْتُ فِيهِ وَمَنْ
فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَصْفِ تَبَيَّنتِ
8. She said, confused, “But you know more - say it!”
I said “No, it is you.”
٨. فَقَالَتِ الخَوْدُ وَقَدْ رَابَهَا
لأَنْتَ أَدْرَى قُلْتُ بَلْ أَنْتِ