رُبَّ نحويّ بدَا في خدِّه

عارض كاللام ما أعلى وأسنى

Many a grammarian appeared with a mark on his cheek,

Like an elevated 'lam', so lofty and eminent.

قلت ما هذا السواد المنتحى

قال حرف جاء في الحسن لمعنى

I asked, “What is this elegantly curved blackness?”

He said, “A letter that came to adorn the meaning.”