رِيعَت وقد أَبصرت نَبتَ العذار بدا

رِيعَت وقد أَبصرت نَبتَ العذار بدا

كالرَوض يفترُّ عن غبٍّ من الديمِ

كالرَوض يفترُّ عن غبٍّ من الديمِ

She was startled when she saw the down along the cheek appear,

She was startled when she saw his cheek-down appear,

like a garden smiling after a spell of steady rain.

like a garden smiling in the wake of gentle, steady rains.

فَقُلتُ ما الشعرُ هَذا ما ترينَ به

فَقُلتُ ما الشعرُ هَذا ما ترينَ به

وإنَّما هو نَبتُ الحِلم والكَرَمِ

وإنَّما هو نَبتُ الحِلم والكَرَمِ

I said, “What you see upon the cheek is no mere hair;

So I said, “What you see on him is not hair;

it is only the burgeoning of forbearance and generosity.”

rather, it is the growth of forbearance and generosity.”