وَكائِن تَرى مِن صامِتٍ لَك مُعجب

وَكائِن تَرى مِن صامِتٍ لَك مُعجب

زِيادَته أَو نَقصُهُ في التَّكَلُّمِ

زِيادَته أَو نَقصُهُ في التَّكَلُّمِ

How many a silent man you see and admire—

And how many a silent man you see who impresses you—

his merit, or his defect, lies in his speech.

His merit or deficiency is revealed in speech.

لِسانُ الفَتى نِصفٌ وَنِصفٌ فُؤادهُ

لِسانُ الفَتى نِصفٌ وَنِصفٌ فُؤادهُ

فَلم تَبقَ إِلّا صورَةُ اللَّحمِ وَالدَّمِ

فَلم تَبقَ إِلّا صورَةُ اللَّحمِ وَالدَّمِ

A young man is half his tongue and half his heart;

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

what remains is merely a form of flesh and blood.

Then nothing remains but the form of flesh and blood.