لِسانُ الفَتى نِصفٌ وَنِصفٌ فُؤادُهُ

لِسانُ الفَتى نِصفٌ وَنِصفٌ فُؤادُهُ

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا صورَةُ اللَحمِ وَالدَمِ

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا صورَةُ اللَحمِ وَالدَمِ

A young man's tongue is half of him, and his heart the other half;

The tongue of the youth is half, and half is his heart,

so nothing remains but the form of flesh and blood.

So there remains only the image of flesh and blood.

وَكائِن فَتىً مِن مُعجِبٍ لَكَ حُسنُهُ

وَكائِن فَتىً مِن مُعجِبٍ لَكَ حُسنُهُ

زِيادَتُهُ أَو نَقصُهُ في التَكَلُّمِ

زِيادَتُهُ أَو نَقصُهُ في التَكَلُّمِ

And many a young man whose beauty impresses you—

And however much a youth is infatuated by your beauty,

his merit or his deficiency lies in his speech.

His increase or decrease is in his speech.