A story
Lily and Zaatar the Parrot Say Marhaba to the Whole Market
Lily had just moved to a new city. The streets smelled of cardamom and warm bread. There was only one problem: Lily did not know a single word of Arabic.
Then, flap-flap-flap! A bright green parrot with an orange beak landed on her windowsill.
"Squawk! I am Zaatar, the word-collecting parrot!" he said, puffing out his feathers. "I collect Arabic words the way other birds collect shiny things. Want to collect some with me?"
"Yes, please!" said Lily.
"Then follow my tail feathers! To the market!"
At the corner, an old man was watering jasmine. Zaatar whispered, "Put your hand on your heart and say السلام عليكم, as-salamu alaykum. It means peace be upon you."
"As-salamu alaykum," said Lily.
The old man smiled. "وعليكم السلام, wa alaykum as-salam. And peace be upon you, too!" He tucked a tiny jasmine flower behind her ear.
"Word number one, in the bag!" squawked Zaatar. "Can you say it too? As-salamu alaykum!"
At the bakery, the baker waved a round loaf. Zaatar hopped onto Lily's head. "Say مرحبا, marhaba. It means hello!"
"Marhaba!" said Lily.
"Marhaba!" said the baker.
"Marhaba, marhaba, MARHABA!" sang Zaatar, so loudly that his feathers wobbled. Everyone laughed.
Next came the orange seller. "Is it morning?" asked Zaatar.
"No, it's afternoon," said Lily.
"Then we don't say صباح الخير, sabah al-khayr, good morning. We say مساء الخير, masa' al-khayr, good evening!"
"Masa' al-khayr!" Lily told the orange seller. He was so pleased that he gave her a big round orange.
Zaatar flapped his wings. "Quick! What do we say when someone gives us a gift?"
"I don't know!" said Lily.
"شكرا, shukran, thank you! Say it like a little song: shuk-RAN!"
"Shuk-RAN!" sang Lily, and the man answered, "عفوا, afwan. You're welcome."
Here is Zaatar's market rhyme. Can you say it too?
Marhaba to the baker,
Shukran for the bread,
Afwan says the orange man,
With a turban on his head!
All afternoon Lily greeted people, and every greeting opened a smile, like a key opening a door.
When the sun went down, Zaatar yawned a parrot yawn. "Time to go home. Do you know how to say goodbye?"
"Teach me!"
"مع السلامة, ma'a as-salama. Go with peace."
"Ma'a as-salama, Zaatar!"
"Squawk! Ma'a as-salama, Lily! And remember: a kind word is the first step to a new friend."
That night Lily counted her new words on her fingers. Eight! Her bag of words was full, and so was her heart.
Words we learned:
مرحبا — marhaba — hello
السلام عليكم — as-salamu alaykum — peace be upon you
وعليكم السلام — wa alaykum as-salam — and peace be upon you, too
صباح الخير — sabah al-khayr — good morning
مساء الخير — masa' al-khayr — good evening
شكرا — shukran — thank you
عفوا — afwan — you're welcome
مع السلامة — ma'a as-salama — goodbye
Let's practice:
1. Match the word to its meaning: شكرا / مرحبا / مع السلامة → hello / goodbye / thank you
2. Fill in the missing word: Someone gives you an orange. You say "_____!"
3. Say it aloud with Zaatar: "Marhaba! As-salamu alaykum! Shukran!"
4. Find and circle the word مرحبا: شكرا — مرحبا — عفوا — مرحبا
Answers: 1) شكرا = thank you, مرحبا = hello, مع السلامة = goodbye. 2) shukran (شكرا). 4) The 2nd and 4th words.
Then, flap-flap-flap! A bright green parrot with an orange beak landed on her windowsill.
"Squawk! I am Zaatar, the word-collecting parrot!" he said, puffing out his feathers. "I collect Arabic words the way other birds collect shiny things. Want to collect some with me?"
"Yes, please!" said Lily.
"Then follow my tail feathers! To the market!"
At the corner, an old man was watering jasmine. Zaatar whispered, "Put your hand on your heart and say السلام عليكم, as-salamu alaykum. It means peace be upon you."
"As-salamu alaykum," said Lily.
The old man smiled. "وعليكم السلام, wa alaykum as-salam. And peace be upon you, too!" He tucked a tiny jasmine flower behind her ear.
"Word number one, in the bag!" squawked Zaatar. "Can you say it too? As-salamu alaykum!"
At the bakery, the baker waved a round loaf. Zaatar hopped onto Lily's head. "Say مرحبا, marhaba. It means hello!"
"Marhaba!" said Lily.
"Marhaba!" said the baker.
"Marhaba, marhaba, MARHABA!" sang Zaatar, so loudly that his feathers wobbled. Everyone laughed.
Next came the orange seller. "Is it morning?" asked Zaatar.
"No, it's afternoon," said Lily.
"Then we don't say صباح الخير, sabah al-khayr, good morning. We say مساء الخير, masa' al-khayr, good evening!"
"Masa' al-khayr!" Lily told the orange seller. He was so pleased that he gave her a big round orange.
Zaatar flapped his wings. "Quick! What do we say when someone gives us a gift?"
"I don't know!" said Lily.
"شكرا, shukran, thank you! Say it like a little song: shuk-RAN!"
"Shuk-RAN!" sang Lily, and the man answered, "عفوا, afwan. You're welcome."
Here is Zaatar's market rhyme. Can you say it too?
Marhaba to the baker,
Shukran for the bread,
Afwan says the orange man,
With a turban on his head!
All afternoon Lily greeted people, and every greeting opened a smile, like a key opening a door.
When the sun went down, Zaatar yawned a parrot yawn. "Time to go home. Do you know how to say goodbye?"
"Teach me!"
"مع السلامة, ma'a as-salama. Go with peace."
"Ma'a as-salama, Zaatar!"
"Squawk! Ma'a as-salama, Lily! And remember: a kind word is the first step to a new friend."
That night Lily counted her new words on her fingers. Eight! Her bag of words was full, and so was her heart.
Words we learned:
مرحبا — marhaba — hello
السلام عليكم — as-salamu alaykum — peace be upon you
وعليكم السلام — wa alaykum as-salam — and peace be upon you, too
صباح الخير — sabah al-khayr — good morning
مساء الخير — masa' al-khayr — good evening
شكرا — shukran — thank you
عفوا — afwan — you're welcome
مع السلامة — ma'a as-salama — goodbye
Let's practice:
1. Match the word to its meaning: شكرا / مرحبا / مع السلامة → hello / goodbye / thank you
2. Fill in the missing word: Someone gives you an orange. You say "_____!"
3. Say it aloud with Zaatar: "Marhaba! As-salamu alaykum! Shukran!"
4. Find and circle the word مرحبا: شكرا — مرحبا — عفوا — مرحبا
Answers: 1) شكرا = thank you, مرحبا = hello, مع السلامة = goodbye. 2) shukran (شكرا). 4) The 2nd and 4th words.
