ناشدْتُهُ أنتَ نحوي

ناشدْتُهُ أنتَ نحوي

فشدَّدَ الياءَ عامدْ

فشدَّدَ الياءَ عامدْ

I implored him: “You are inclined toward me.”

I implored, "You are my ambition,"

So he deliberately doubled the yāʾ.

But he insisted on the extra yaa.

وقلتُ أنتَ كريمٌ

وقلتُ أنتَ كريمٌ

فقالَ والكافُ زايدْ

فقالَ والكافُ زايدْ

And I said: “You are generous.”

And I said, "You are generous,"

So he said: “And the kāf is extra.”

But he retorted the extra kaf is redundant.