A teenager repeats Layla’s private news while planning a gift. When classmates start asking questions, she must take responsibility and learn to ask before sharing.
01Read the Arabic story
سِرٌّ نَقَلْتُهُ إِلَى الشَّخْصِ الْخَاطِئِ
فِي طَرِيقِنَا مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ، أَخْبَرَتْنِي لَيْلَى أَنَّ أُسْرَتَهَا قَدْ تَنْتَقِلُ إِلَى مَدِينَةٍ أُخْرَى. تَلَقَّى وَالِدُهَا عَرْضَ عَمَلٍ، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يُقَرِّرْ قَبُولَهُ بَعْدُ. طَلَبَتْ مِنِّي أَلَّا أُخْبِرَ أَحَدًا حَتَّى تَتَّضِحَ الْأُمُورُ. وَعَدْتُهَا بِذَلِكَ، وَشَعَرْتُ بِالْحُزْنِ لِأَنَّنَا نَجْلِسُ مَعًا فِي الصَّفِّ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثِ سَنَوَاتٍ.
فِي الْمَسَاءِ، زَارَتْنِي قَرِيبَتِي الَّتِي تَدْرُسُ فِي مَدْرَسَتِنَا. قُلْتُ لَهَا إِنَّ لَيْلَى قَدْ تَرْحَلُ، وَسَأَلْتُهَا عَنْ هَدِيَّةٍ مُنَاسِبَةٍ لِلْوَدَاعِ. طَلَبْتُ مِنْهَا أَنْ تَحْفَظَ الْخَبَرَ لِنَفْسِهَا. كُنْتُ أُفَكِّرُ فِي الْهَدِيَّةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ تَفْكِيرِي فِي وَعْدِي. فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، سَأَلَتْ زَمِيلَتَانِ لَيْلَى عَنْ مَوْعِدِ رَحِيلِهَا. نَظَرَتْ إِلَيَّ، ثُمَّ أَغْلَقَتْ دَفْتَرَهَا.
بَعْدَ الدَّرْسِ، اقْتَرَبْتُ مِنْهَا وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِأَنَّنِي أَخْبَرْتُ قَرِيبَتِي. لَمْ أَقُلْ إِنَّ الْخَطَأَ كُلَّهُ خَطَؤُهَا، لِأَنَّنِي أَنَا الَّتِي نَقَلْتُ الْخَبَرَ أَوَّلًا. قُلْتُ إِنَّنِي كُنْتُ أَبْحَثُ عَنْ هَدِيَّةٍ، فَأَجَابَتْ لَيْلَى: «الْهَدِيَّةُ لَا تُغَيِّرُ مَا حَدَثَ. أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَخْتَارَ بِنَفْسِي مَتَى أَتَكَلَّمُ عَنْ أُسْرَتِي». اعْتَذَرْتُ وَسَأَلْتُهَا عَمَّا يُمْكِنُنِي فِعْلُهُ.
طَلَبَتْ لَيْلَى أَلَّا أُضِيفَ أَيَّ تَفَاصِيلَ، وَأَنْ أُوَضِّحَ أَنَّ الْخَبَرَ غَيْرُ مُؤَكَّدٍ. تَحَدَّثْتُ إِلَى قَرِيبَتِي، فَأَقَرَّتْ بِأَنَّهَا أَخْبَرَتِ الزَّمِيلَتَيْنِ. طَلَبْتُ مِنْهَا أَلَّا تُكَرِّرَهُ. ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَهُمَا: «الْخَبَرُ غَيْرُ مُؤَكَّدٍ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ حَقِّي نَقْلُهُ». لَمْ أَذْكُرْ اسْمَ الْمَدِينَةِ وَلَا عَمَلَ الْوَالِدِ، وَلَمْ أَطْلُبْ مِنْ لَيْلَى أَنْ تُسَامِحَنِي فَوْرًا.
مَرَّتْ أَيَّامٌ كَانَ حَدِيثُنَا فِيهَا قَصِيرًا. ثُمَّ أَرَتْنِي لَيْلَى قَصِيدَةً كَتَبَتْهَا. أَعْجَبَتْنِي، لَكِنَّنِي لَمْ أُرِهَا لِأَحَدٍ. سَأَلْتُهَا إِنْ كَانَتْ تَسْمَحُ لِي بِعَرْضِهَا عَلَى مُعَلِّمَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ لِمَجَلَّةِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ. فَكَّرَتْ قَلِيلًا وَقَالَتْ: «لِلْمُعَلِّمَةِ فَقَطْ، وَأَرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ مَعَهَا قَبْلَ النَّشْرِ». حَفِظْتُ الْوَرَقَةَ فِي مَلَفِّي، وَانْتَظَرْتُ حَتَّى نَذْهَبَ مَعًا.
Show English translationHide English translation
On our way from school, Layla told me that her family might move to another city. Her father had received a job offer, but he had not yet decided to accept it. She asked me not to tell anyone until things became clearer. I promised, and I felt sad because we had been sitting together in class for three years.
That evening, my relative, who attends our school, visited me. I told her that Layla might leave and asked her about a suitable farewell gift. I asked her to keep the news to herself. I was thinking more about the gift than about my promise. The next day, two classmates asked Layla when she was leaving. She looked at me, then closed her notebook.
After class, I approached her and admitted that I had told my relative. I did not say that it was entirely my relative’s fault, because I had shared the news first. I explained that I had been looking for a gift, and Layla replied, “The gift does not change what happened. I want to choose for myself when to talk about my family.” I apologised and asked what I could do.
Layla asked me not to add any details and to explain that the news was unconfirmed. I spoke to my relative, who admitted that she had told the two classmates. I asked her not to repeat it. Then I told them, “The news is unconfirmed, and it was not my place to share it.” I mentioned neither the city’s name nor her father’s work, and I did not ask Layla to forgive me immediately.
A few days passed when our conversations were brief. Then Layla showed me a poem she had written. I liked it, but I did not show it to anyone. I asked whether she would let me show it to the Arabic teacher for the school magazine. She thought for a moment and said, “Only to the teacher, and I want to speak to her before publication.” I kept the sheet in my folder and waited until we could go together.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| عَرْضَ عَمَلٍ | a job offer |
| تَتَّضِحَ الْأُمُورُ | things become clearer |
| لِلْوَدَاعِ | for saying goodbye |
| وَعْدِي | my promise |
| اعْتَرَفْتُ | I admitted |
| تَفَاصِيلَ | details |
| غَيْرُ مُؤَكَّدٍ | unconfirmed |
| تُسَامِحَنِي | forgive me |
| قَصِيدَةً | a poem |
| قَبْلَ النَّشْرِ | before publication |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- A kind intention does not give someone permission to share another person’s private news.
- Watch how asking permission and respecting a limit make the final scene different from the first disclosure.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Arabic Time and Place Adverbs: Before, After, In Front and Behind
قَبْلَ النَّشْرِ
Use before and after phrases to follow the order of the conversation and the proposed publication.
Kana in Arabic: Was and Were
كَانَ حَدِيثُنَا فِيهَا قَصِيرًا
Notice kana placing a description of the friends’ conversations in the past.
