أَعْرِفُI know يَاO سَيِّدَتِيmy lady غَادَةًa maiden
أَعْرِفُ يَا سَيِّدَتِي غَادَةً
ذِكْرُmentioning اسْمِهَاher name يُغْنِيsuffices عَنِin place of النَّعْتِdescription
ذِكْرُ اسْمِهَا يُغْنِي عَنِ النَّعْتِ
I know, my lady, a maiden.
I know, my lady Ghada,
Mentioning her name makes description unnecessary.
Mentioning her name is enough to describe her.
لَهَاshe has مُحَيَّاa face كَمُحَيَّاlike the face of الضُّحَىthe morning light
لَهَا مُحَيَّا كَمُحَيَّا الضُّحَى
أَوْor كَمُحَيَّاكِlike your face إِذَاwhen بِنْتِyou appear
أَوْ كَمُحَيَّاكِ إِذَا بِنْتِ
She has a face like the face of morning,
She has a smile like the smile of dawn,
Or like your face when you appear.
Or like your smile when you grin.
وَقَدُّهَاand her figure الْعَادِلُbalanced فِيin مَيْلِهَاher swaying
وَقَدُّهَا الْعَادِلُ فِي مَيْلِهَا
كَقَدِّكِlike your figure الْعَادِلِbalanced إِنْif مِلْتِyou sway
كَقَدِّكِ الْعَادِلِ إِنْ مِلْتِ
And her figure, balanced as she sways,
Her height, upright in its tilt,
Is like your balanced figure when you sway.
Is like your height when you lean.
أَوَّلُthe first حَرْفٍletter مِنْamong حُرُوفِthe letters of اسْمِهَاher name
أَوَّلُ حَرْفٍ مِنْ حُرُوفِ اسْمِهَا
أَوَّلُthe first حَرْفٍletter قَدْalready تَعَلَّمْتِyou learned
أَوَّلُ حَرْفٍ قَدْ تَعَلَّمْتِ
The first letter among the letters of her name
The first letter of her name
Is the first letter you learned.
Is the first letter you learned.
وَحَرْفُهُand its letter الثَّانِيthe second كَنَقْطِlike drops of النَّدَىdew
وَحَرْفُهُ الثَّانِي كَنَقْطِ النَّدَى
مُنْعَقَدَat the joining point of التَّاجِthe crown مِنَof النَّبْتِgreenery
مُنْعَقَدَ التَّاجِ مِنَ النَّبْتِ
And its second letter is like drops of dew
And its second letter is like a drop of dew
Where the crown of greenery comes together.
Forming a crown of plants.
وَحَرْفُهُand its letter الثَّالِثُthe third إِنْif شِئْتِهِyou wished it
وَحَرْفُهُ الثَّالِثُ إِنْ شِئْتِهِ
ضَمِيرَa pronoun وَصْلٍattachment كَانَwould be مَاwhat شِئْتِyou wished
ضَمِيرَ وَصْلٍ كَانَ مَا شِئْتِ
And its third letter, if you wished it
And its third letter, if you wish,
To be a suffixed pronoun, would be what you wished.
Is a conjunction as you wish.
فَمَاso what الَّذِيthat which أَلْغَزْتُI spoke in riddles فِيهِabout it وَمَنْand whom
فَمَا الَّذِي أَلْغَزْتُ فِيهِ وَمَنْ
فِيin ذَلِكَthat الْوَصْفِdescription تَبَيَّنتِyou recognized
فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَصْفِ تَبَيَّنتِ
So what have I spoken of in riddles, and whom
So what have I rhymed about and who
Have you recognized in that description?
In that description did you recognize?
فَقَالَتِthen she said الخَوْدُthe fair maiden وَقَدْand already رَابَهَاit unsettled her
فَقَالَتِ الخَوْدُ وَقَدْ رَابَهَا
لأَنْتَsurely you أَدْرَىbetter informed قُلْتُI said بَلْrather أَنْتِyou
لأَنْتَ أَدْرَى قُلْتُ بَلْ أَنْتِ
Then the fair maiden said, unsettled by it:
She said, confused, “But you know more - say it!”
"Surely you know better." I said, "Rather, you."
I said “No, it is you.”
Sol 6.1