وسريعِ الجوابِ نازعتُه القو

لَ فأُفْحِمْتُ واستبانَ اعتلاؤُهْ

I hastily questioned his strength of mind

So I was silenced, his superiority apparent

قلت ما بالُ وردِ خدّيكَ نَضْراً

وهو مستخرَجٌ بريقك ماؤهْ

I said, why the freshness of your cheek?

It draws its sheen from your brilliance as water

فتثنى وقال لي كيف يذْوي

وحياهُ كما رأيت حياؤهُ

He bent and said to me, how can it wither

When its life, as you see it, is bashfulness

قلتُ دعْني أشمّهُ قال مهلاً

مقصَدُ الشيخِ حسْوُهُ لا ارْتغاؤهُ

I said, let me smell it, he said, not so fast

The elder’s aim is to sense it, not covet it