قلsay لمنto whoever الغزmade enigmatic السؤالthe question
قل لمن الغز السؤال
عنabout مسمىa named being حوىembodied الكمالperfection
عن مسمى حوى الكمال
Say to whoever posed the riddling question
About a named being embodying perfection:
زالvanished ربعa quarter منfrom اسمهits name
زال ربع من اسمه
فإذاand behold الباقيthe remainder منهof it زالzāl: vanished
فإذا الباقي منه زال
A quarter vanished from its name,
And behold, what remained was 'zāl'—'vanished.'
ذالكthat اسمa name لغادةfor a graceful maiden
ذالك اسم لغادة
يفضحputs to shame الغصنthe bough فيin الرمالthe sands
يفضح الغصن في الرمال
That is a name for a graceful maiden,
Putting the bough amid the sands to shame.
منwhoever راهاsaw her بجدهاin her earnestness
من راها بجدها
حينwhen تعطوshe reaches up رأىsaw غزالa gazelle
حين تعطو رأى غزال
Whoever saw her in her earnestness,
When she reached up, saw a gazelle.
زالzāl: vanished باقيthe rest of حروفهاher letters
زال باقي حروفها
وهوand it باقremaining بلاwithout زوالvanishing
وهو باق بلا زوال
The rest of her letters spell 'zāl'—'vanished,'
Yet it remains, without vanishing.
Sol 6.1