حاجيتُ كلَّ فطِنٍ لبيبِ

حاجيتُ كلَّ فطِنٍ لبيبِ

مَا اسمٌ لأنثى من بني يعقوبِ

مَا اسمٌ لأنثى من بني يعقوبِ

I pose this riddle to every keen and discerning mind:

I posed a riddle to every keen, discerning mind:

What is the name of a woman among the children of Jacob,

What is the name of a woman among Jacob's descendants,

ذاتِ كراماتٍ فزُرهَا قربةً

ذاتِ كراماتٍ فزُرهَا قربةً

فَزَورُهَا أحَقُّ بالتَقريبِ

فَزَورُهَا أحَقُّ بالتَقريبِ

graced with saintly wonders? Visit her as an act of devotion,

endowed with miraculous gifts? Visit her as an act of devotion,

for the one visited by her is worthier of being drawn near.

for her visitors are more worthy of being drawn near.

تُشرِكُها في الاسمِ أنثى لم تزل

تُشرِكُها في الاسمِ أنثى لم تزل

حافظةً لسرها المحجوبِ

حافظةً لسرها المحجوبِ

Another female shares her name and has never ceased

Another female shares her name, and has always

guarding her veiled secret.

guarded her hidden secret.

وقد جرى في خاتَم الوحي الرَّضِي

وقد جرى في خاتَم الوحي الرَّضِي

لها حديثٌ ليس بالمكذوبِ

لها حديثٌ ليس بالمكذوبِ

And from the gracious Seal of Revelation there has been transmitted

And in the well-pleasing seal of revelation has appeared

a hadith concerning her that is no fabrication.

an account of her that is no fabrication.

وَهو إذا ما الفاء منه صُحِّفت

وَهو إذا ما الفاء منه صُحِّفت

صَبغً الحياءِ لا الحَيا المسكوبِ

صَبغً الحياءِ لا الحَيا المسكوبِ

And if its fāʾ is altered through scribal mispointing,

And it—if the fāʾ in it is altered in its dots—

it becomes modesty’s hue—not the rain poured down.

is the hue of bashfulness, not of rain poured down.

فهاكها واضحةً أسرَارُهَا

فهاكها واضحةً أسرَارُهَا

فأمرُها أقرَبُ مِن قَرِيبِ

فأمرُها أقرَبُ مِن قَرِيبِ

So there you have her, with her secrets made plain:

So here you have it, its secrets clear;

her matter is nearer than near.

for its answer is nearer than near.