وحاملٍ لحيةَ لما بَدَتْ وقَعَتْ

ما بَيْنَ حالين من نقْضٍ وَتَقويض

And carrying a beard when it appeared, it fell

Between two states of breaking and weakening

سألْتُهُ كيف طالتْ وما عرضت

فردَّ إِذ ردَّ قولاً غيرَ تعريض

I asked him how it lengthened and what was its breadth

He replied, as he replied, a saying without implication

ما جاد زَرْعَ اللحى لا جاد مذ وقَعَتْ

فيه طيورٌ تُسمَّى بالمقاريض

The beard crop did not yield, it did not yield since

Birds in it called clippers fell